Reclaimed dart board

As I've been trying to get more items into my Etsy shop, I came across this metal dartboard I got last summer. I took some photos, but before I actually got it posted on Etsy, I wondered if Nerf darts would stick to it.

Well, the answer is yes they do. We've been enjoying some nice temps, but today it got cold again and this dartboard made for some new fun for another day stuck indoors. The kids, (and maybe mom and dad too), spent countless hours shooting at the new target. Needless to say, this is no longer for sale.

Fabric and roller skate finds

It gets a little frustrating at this time of year to find treasures in thrift stores, but I found a couple of things recently. 

Vintage fabric can be hit and miss at one of my favorite thrift stores, but on my last trip there the rack was packed with vintage goodness. I resisted the urge to buy any fabric as I really don't need any more fabric, but I couldn't help it. I picked out a few of my favorites and brought them home. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it yet, but when I use it I'll post it here.

 I also found these fun metal roller skates. This is something I would normally keep for myself, but I already have a great pair sitting on a shelf in my living room. This pair went on my Etsy shop. I know someone is going to love them as much as I do.

It's almost rummage sale season!

Spring is finally in the air and that’s got me thinking about rummage sales. I’m sick of being cooped up inside. I’m getting tired of not finding anything of note at the thrift stores lately either. I’m ready to get my sneakers on and do some power walking from rummage sale to rummage sale. Like many people I have my rummage sale strategies. I've never shared them because, truthfully, I'm a little protective of them. I don't want people to know my "secrets". They might get to the good sales before me! Really, I only have three rules I follow when I go to rummage sales:

1. I don't have a mapped out plan. I used to scan the newspaper for the best rummage sale ads, circle them, then wander around town trying to find a specific address. No more. I found that when I wandered around aimlessly I had more success. Ads are often misleading and if I went to a sale for one thing mentioned in the ad, half of the time I was too late to get it. I love going to a sale with no misconceptions of what I might find. And isn't that the best part of junking? Never knowing what you'll find.
2. Stick to older neighborhoods. When it comes to finding junk I stay in older neighborhoods. To me, it seems like newer neighborhoods with newer homes means young families. I want to find the older couples who no longer want their "old useless junk". I found one exception to this rule last summer. I found that condos, even in new neighborhoods, are great sources for junk. Many of these condos are home to older couples looking to downsize.
3. Who's holding the sale? Nothing gets me more excited than seeing an older person sitting outside a rummage sale. Once in a while I'll get a little old lady who thinks all of her things are worth a lot and is trying to sell them at antique store prices, but more often than not an older person means good cheap junk. Usually, an older person just wants to get rid of their stuff and that means marking it low. Older sellers can be chatty too, so who knows, you may hear a good story to go with the item you are purchasing.

If you have some tried and true rummage sale tips, I would love to hear them!

The White House receipt

Early this summer I bought a group of patterns at a rummage sale. They sat on my shelf all summer, until today when I decided to get them on Etsy. As I opened one envelope I was pleasantly surprised to see the receipt for the pattern tucked inside:

The receipt is from The White House in San Francisco. Two items were purchased for $1.41 on May 10th, 1957. I love to find things like this. I wonder who it was that bought the pattern and how did it eventually end up in North Dakota?

I had to do a little research on The White House as I had never heard of it. The store opened in 1854, but after the great San Francisco earthquake in 1906, the building was destroyed. It was rebuilt in a French style and was known for its French atmosphere. There was a tea room on the fourth floor which was quite beautiful. See some postcards of the tea room here. I can't imagine shopping there and stopping to have tea. Being dressed in you finest to shop and have tea sounds so much better than having cheap lingonberry pancakes at IKEA. The store closed in 1965 and the building now houses a Banana Republic.

Also check out this blog for more information and a store directory.

Thermos collection

There are somethings that I have always loved and have always collected. Then there are collections that just sort of happen. My thermos collection is one of the latter. 

It started with the big metal Stanley one. Then I found a red one and thought I needed a red thermos for my red kitchen. The next thing I knew I had five of them. Thermos are easy to find, but I've only bought the ones I truly loved. I love red and I love plaid so it was easy to pick those up. The others I liked for whatever reason. Together I think they look nice all lined up on my kitchen windowsill. 

Happiness is a great thrift store find

One of my thrift store pet peeves is when they price items higher if they feel the item is antique or collectible. I understand why they do it, but my feeling is either be a thrift store or an antique store. I rarely look at the collectible section of thrift stores and would rather search the rest of the store for those diamonds in the rough. 

This weekend I got to do some thrift store shopping with my mom and she spotted this blanket:  

My mom was nice enough to let me have the first crack at this blanket as I love sports collectibles. I looked at the price tag and it was way more than I would want to spend on a blanket at a thrift store. However, it was too cool. And it's Snoopy. My husband loves Snoopy. This time I just had to bite the bullet and purchase it. It was one of those things that I knew I would hate myself later for not getting. 

There are some dirt marks, but no holes or tears in the blanket. The tag has 1965 as the last year listed. I'm thinking the Snoopy in the fur coat with the Jets flag is a Joe Namath reference which would make the date right on. I have Googled and searched for this blanket, but have found no references to it. 

I'm really glad my mom spotted this blanket. I found lots of little things at the thrift stores, but this was my find of the day.

Something for my room

As usual my kids get things before I do. Now I really want to redo my room too! It might be awhile before that happens, but I did add one thing to my room this week:

I found this map at one of the rummage sales in New Salem last week. It was rolled up with another map and I didn't even look at them before I bought them. The price was so good that I bought them no matter what they looked like. If they looked horrible they would have become a decoupage project. I have always wanted a large old map, but didn't realize I really didn't have a spot to hang one. Except for my room. I love it, but it looks pretty blah against that white wall. It will look much better once I get our room painted. Someday.

I'm guessing this map came from a school. There is a stamp that says it came from a school supply store in Grand Forks.

My oldest son really liked looking at the mountains on the bottom of the map. The world's tallest mountains are shown as they compare to each other. I like the rip at the bottom. I like my junk flawed. Gives it a little character.