Vintage Rescue Squad

The Don't-Buy-It Junk (with an awesome ending)

Two weekends ago, I bought something up in PA that wouldn't fit in my car because I had too much junk already—something I've been lusting after for a year. I initially saw one up in Madison-Bouckville 2 years ago, but Linda gave me the don't-buy-it look. Then, I saw another one (for $100 more) at the Lucketts Spring Market, and my sister gave me the don't-buy-it look. But I still wanted one. And this one was $100 cheaper.

Because it wouldn't fit in my car, I had to roadtrip 2 hours last Sunday JUST to pick it up. Yep, no stopping to find additional junk, as it would take up my entire "way back" of the station wagon. Just a direct roadtrip for 1 single don't-buy-it piece. Of course, the whole way up I was cursing myself. How do I justify driving 2 hours for 1 item? Why would I buy something that will hog the whole car? How will I ever make money on it if I'm using all that gas (and time), but not buying MORE? Curses.

I'm kicking myself as I'm driving, and then a mere 13 miles from my destination, my cellphone rings. What? A mysterious Maryland phone number? It's Jim (no blog), a fellow junker, who says he's at the place where I bought said item, and he has his truck. Does he want me to put it in his truck and just bring it to Chartreuse?

WHAT?!? He apparently saw my name on the piece so thought he'd save me the trip!!! Hallelujah! I now have an empty car and I'm in uncharted territory—and I just got free delivery! I explored new towns, new junkers' hidey-holes, and SCORED LARGE. Jim is getting a big hug and a steak dinner! Who does that? Is he not the BEST?

His kindness led me to find the following:

 

What could be better than 2 mint green chippy doors and a barn vent?

 

Maybe if I added in a sweet folding chair....

 

What if I told you it was a PARADE CHAIR with its ticket still stuck to it?!?!

 

What if I told you I found 2 OTHER awesome super-cheap folding chairs—and an Imperial typewriter from England, a cool camera, and 2 awesome clocks....

 

... at the same place I found 2 Pepsi crates, and absurdly cheap pulleys and shoe forms?

Sunday, at least, I was a very lucky junker. I now don't regret buying that don't-buy-it piece. Assuming it sells soon.

P.S. I haven't even shown you the best purchase of all....

Big Reveal: I'm Expanding to Chartreuse & Co Barn Sales

the bare bones of my new booth

I'm beside myself and have been DYING to share this news for a month. It's no secret that I adore Chartreuse (been blogging about it since 2008)—but don't just take my word for it: Southern Living, Apartment Therapy, the Washington Post, and others have been smitten for years as well.

Today it finally seems real—I started the move-in for my teensy weensy new booth (just 5' x 10') upstairs in the main barn, and am tickled!

 

sneak peek at Madison & Mabel

All my ab-fab dealers in the area are there (and you've heard me gawking over them for years): Madison & Mabel, The Robin's Nest, Emma Jean's General Store, and countless others who I've been buying from for years.

 

sneak peek of Kramer and Co.

My friend Justin and I are both starting new booths this month, and are wigging out in tandem (which makes me feel a lot less insecure). It's going to be quite a change for me—a monthly freakout (yay), gauging what their buyers grok/want, selling alongside my favorite dealers—but I'm READY.

Chartreuse has monthly barn sales—5 buildings full!—with bonus holiday and "market" sales. June happens to be one of my favorite buying experiences, which coincides with my debut. If you're in the area, or want a kick-ass roadtrip, this month includes NOT ONLY the usual awesomeness, but 10 additional on-site tents of wondrous junk, AND three bonuses: a $1 yard, a $5 yard, and a $10 yard. Yes, everyone is destashing. You know what that means: a big flashing DEALERS WELCOME sign! If you like shabby chic decor, industrial or farmhouse, architectural salvage, European antiques, we've got it all the weekend of June 21-23. Forgive me, but I've got a lot of work to do.... 

Go-To Junking (and finally, Fleaquest!)

When the local junk well runs dry, do you have a "go-to" place that you just KNOW will slake that junking thirst? A hidey-hole of a junk spot that never disappoints? That makes you wish it was closer (mine is 2 hours away) and that you had a bigger vehicle AND a bigger budget?

 

I hit my go-to spot 2 weeks ago and here's just a fraction of what I got—in fact, I have to return this weekend to pick up a humongous item I've been jonesing for for a year....

 

Of course, I'm not divulging my secret quite yet, but one thing I am doing is populating the finally-launched Fleaquest with reviews of my ab-fab go-to spots. Yet another brilliant idea from legendary Ki (of Junk Bonanza)! What are you waiting for? Hurry up and get your reviews in so I know where to go when I'm in your area....

My Mini Junking Internship Weekend

I like to think to think I'm a hard-core junker. But sometimes, everyone can use a mini refresher course. When I saw these awesome stadium seats (2 pair!) on Gina's blog I quickly emailed her to see if they were still available. Even better, she invited me to stay with her for the weekend!!!

 

Little did I know that her GORGEOUS home is like a museum of junky wonders. She has more mannequins in her living room than I can ever hope to find. The cubby behind her is the first thing you see upon coming in the front door (and don't get me going on the wonders of her front porch...).

My jaw dropped. Pharmacy cabinets. Cubbies everywhere. Loads of loving cups. Gina and Paul—who has been junking since his college days—are great hosts, and let me shop the garage! My car was FULL within minutes.

 

I also snagged this gorgeous primitive cabinet, a National Biscuit (aka Nabisco) sales rack, and assorted other goodies. The three of us talked junk for hours, pigged out like only 3 Italians can, and they promised to take me to the local flea the following morning. After I spent an amazing night sleeping OUTDOORS on a sleeping porch (!), we hightailed it to the Columbus Flea Market, which was GREAT. I felt like a junking intern as they led me around, pointing out items I missed, and Paul even acted as valet, shuttling my items back to the car.

I came away from the weekend rejuvenated, full of advice and dreaming of great junk. And in awe of their home. THIS, my friends, is the best part of blogging. Meeting kindred spirits who love junk as much as I do. Can't wait to meet up with them again in upstate NY....

The Tiny Flea

Large or small, you know I love me a flea market. I was tickled to see this sign in a small box in the Findings double-wide booth at the Lucketts spring market. Everything was $1-$5.

These grrrrls make fab jewelry out of vintage findings, but apparently have enough to spare—shocker alert! Like you don't have 3 armoires fully of tiny findings.... Oh wait, that might be just me.

I'm fixing to adapt this business model at my new venue. As I always say, never underestimate a shopper's desire to DIG. Oh wait, that might be just me AGAIN.

Lucketts Spring Market: My Tribe

There's nothing like a flea market/antique show, right? Even better, a two-day one that's local. What if I told you it attracts great crowds who are ready to buy, and loads of killer dealers? With many of your favorite bloggers: Beth (Olde Tyme Marketplace, from NC), Alice (Alice and Jay, from Georgia), Marian (Miss Mustard Seed, from MD/PA), Jeanne (Junxtaposition, from PA), and more. This year, there was a special guest appearance (courtesy of Hometalk) by the inimitable Donna from Funky Junk Interiors. I was lucky enough to have dinner with Jeanne and Donna and 10 other bloggers Saturday night.

 

It wasn't all glitter and unicorn farts, however. Sick of maneuvering a cargo van every time I do a show, I opted to rent a pickup truck. I was SHOCKED when they entrusted me with a brand-spanking-new badass Dodge Ram. Lemme tell you, it's a tight squeeze in my narrow neighborhood, but boyohboy did I get some looks from dudes who NEVER check me out!

Our tents were in our usual spot with all our cool vendor peeps as neighbors, but the terrain seemed bumpier than usual. My sister couldn't set up until 5 pm the night before due to work and extenuating circumstances. It rained the night before and apparently an overfed bird mistook our tents for avian port-a-potties. We suspect there was a dead critter in the bushes behind us, stinking up a cloud. Both days were drizzly for significant portions, but none of that deterred the shoppers!

 

Our goal was to DESTASH. Both my sister and I are downsizing (to be explained in a later post), so we were ready to deal. Well, my sister was. I hate dealing, but sucked it up eventually.

 

I even parted with my most prized possession: the late 19th-century political bunting. Unfortunately, all the bigger pieces in this photo (tables, stool, signs, pink shutters), came home with me, so I didn't destash as much as I'd hoped.

In the end, it was a great show with tons of enthusiastic buyers—I even met an ab-fab etsian from Vermont who traveled to the show. I just don't know how people do frequent shows, though. I'm bloodied, bruised, burnt, and all-around broken—but feeling the high from a good show. Can't wait until next year's show!

Nobody Puts VRS in a Corner: Art & Soul 2013

After skipping last year, my sister and I decided to sell at the Art & Soul Virginia Beach 2013 retreat last weekend. In the past, it's been utter insanity—a 3-hour feeding frenzy of a show. Booths are expensive, but with a captive audience of attendees jacked up on creativity—and a cash bar(!), it's easy to make more money in those 3 hours than I might make in a month in the antique mall booth.

 

The key is figuring out what these crafters will want to buy. Apparently, this year, NOT rosaries and printers type blocks. Oh, sure, I can look through the schedule of classes and see what kinds of projects are offered and tailor to those. But, the reality is (and I keep forgetting this) that not many of these crafters are vintage aficionados per se. 

 

Items that my sister and I brought—and especially at the prices we offered—would sell well at a regular vintage market, so we were a tad dismayed this year. I knew ephemera never sells well at this show, but thought other items would fly out. What we couldn't predict, however, was that this was at a new venue, with fewer of the big-name instructors. They also changed the hours to 7-10 pm, which is kinda late for some people. Even I don't like making purchasing decisions after 2 glasses of wine and after 9 p.m. And I'm a reckless shopper....

 

To compound matters (and I'm joking here), I suggested to my junky friend Justin (right) and his grasshopper Tom that they check out the show. OMG did he have amazing items. He was now the new "it" vendor!!! He always has amazing stuff—hell, I buy from him all the time. He's got 4 shows 4 weekends in a row this month, so he'll be depleted in no time. They had more horse-show ribbons than I've ever seen in one place at one time, and 8 of the most gorgeous ledgers I've ever laid eyes on. Before the show, I told him to jack the prices up on those ledgers, and sure enough they all sold before the show even started. The best buyers at A&S vendor night are always the instructors....

 

The good news is that Snister and I are doing the Lucketts Spring Market in 2 weeks, so all this vintage goodness is coming there. Lucketts is an AMAZING market and I strongly advise you to attend if you're with a few hundred miles. Loads of your fave bloggers will be there (more details later).

 

 

And, since no one was very interested in the bazillions of pieces of pocket watches, watch parts, clock faces (of which this photo is a fraction), I'll be opening up a big steampunk supplies section in my etsy shop after Lucketts!

I will admit, however, that I only made about half of what I normally make at A&S (and another vendor told me she only made 1/3), so that might have been our last year.

Plus, no one puts VRS in the corner. I just wish I could have Patrick Swayze say that for me.

Rosaries, Nautical Flags, and Cash Register Numbers. You Know, the Usual.

Overhead-bin sizes and high shipping costs mean that when I'm in Texas, I have to limit myself to smalls. For someone with poor impulse control (moi), that can mean some mighty frustrating junking. This certainly isn't all I bought, but what came home in my suitcase. I was especially taken with the nautical flags (which I've since learned stand for numbers: 496), 3 maps of Brazil, a bunch of receipt holders, lots of plastic letters, postcards, childcare pamphlets, etc.

 

My ab-fab, however, are the jumbo cash register prices and the snowman and clown party picks that I cannot BELIEVE Laurie didn't unearth. I also bought some larger marquee letters, and big metal arrows.

TSA once again had a field day with my suitcase; I found the usual notice that my bag had been searched. What? Aren't they accustomed to these kinds of items? I'm thinking next year I'll purposely by something ultra outrageous.... Alas, I left the junk of my dreams behind. I've got to get me a truck and more time off! 

Texas Antique Week 2013: East Meets West

Yee ha! I've been back from Antique Week in TX for a while now, and am just now able to process. What a glorious respite from day-job drudgery! For the uninitiated, imagine if you will a 10-mile stretch of junk. Fields and fields and fields of the finest junk imaginable. Tents, buildings, pickup trucks chock-full. Now imagine that it lasts for nearly 2 weeks. Got it? Now imagine shopping it with some of your crazy-favorite junking bloggers. Now you know: HEAVEN.

 

This year (my 5th? 6th?) I hooked up with Laurie (Magpie Ethel) and Amy (Into Vintage) for our version of East Meets West. I really wanted to throw E and W gang signs, but they were having none of it. We're not rivals, after all! In fact, this fortuitous trio all like to buy vastly divergent items so there were no catfights. I joined them a few days into their virgin tour of the Texas dirt—they were still reeling a bit at the prices, but by the end of our stay, when the 50% off signs started appearing, their moods picked up dramatically. (N.B. be sure to visit their blogs to see their posts on W/RT.)

It was awesome meeting them, discussing our junk dreams, speculating about other bloggers we've never even met, and swapping stories and advice about booths and sales. Two more BFFs for life—clear across the country!

 

350 pairs of vintage roller skates!

Besides meeting them, though, this just wasn't my favorite trip to Warrenton. Don't get me wrong—it's always a blast. But this year, with the breakup of the Bermuda Triangle of Junk, it just wasn't the same. Many of my ab-fab dealers had scattered, or were not doing the show this time. Many of my TX peeps couldn't come while I was there. Debbie, Robelyn, Kim, and Kristi: I missed you guys sooooo much.

 

By all rights, this sign should be hanging in my living room.
Alas, I knew it wouldn't fit in the overhead bin.... 

On Saturday, though, I ambled over to the esteemed Marburger to hang with Sweet T and Shelley—both their booths were jaw-dropping! For me, however, Marburger is all about looking—I can't really buy much. In actuality, I can't buy much in Texas at all, due to the fact that I fly. I know; it's idiotic. But, it's become my yearly birthday treat to myself, and is a perfect vacation to kick off my junking season!

 

IF—and that's a big if—I had a truck and unlimited vacation time, you betcha that this trip it would've been filled with nothing but giant letters. OMG, they were so reasonable! I am obsessed with typography to begin with (the curse of the newspaper employee), but can never get enough of these. Oh, and I would've purchased a helluva lot of cubby/multi-drawer items. Not to mention a carnival bumper car. The thing is, there's just so much great junk at this show! The real deals are on the larger items (dealers just don't want to take them home!).

 

It's also worthwhile to hit the smaller towns/shows. And, of course, mandatory to eat BBQ for both lunch AND dinner every.single.day. Who's up for meeting me there next spring? (Unfortunately, I can never go to the fall show....)

 

What did I buy, you ask? Well, you'll just have to wait until the next post!

Round 6: The Greatest Show on Dirt (TX version)

In a few scant hours (T-minus-6), I'll be headed to Warrenton, Texas for the Greatest Show on Dirt. I'm beside myself with excitement! It's my yearly birthday treat (squee!) and my one opportunity to see all my ab-fab Texas peeps. A glorious 5 days trudging through acres and acres and acres of tents full of glorious junk is the bestest gift ever. Just doing so (whether I buy or not, whether I see my compadres or not) is what I live for.

This year, I'll be lucky enough to meet up with invisible Oregon BFFs: Amy and Laurie. Last year, I met BFF Pam, who's BFFs with them....

Each year is a treat: only once a year, I get to see all my ab-fab far-flung bloggers/junkers (Sweet T and Cruz, Trash, Kristi, Shelley, Robelyn, Kim and David, Stash, and countless others). ONCE A YEAR.

I had to work late on deadline tonight, so am pulling an all-nighter—you sellers better take advantage of my delirium Thursday! I'll be there as fast as I can! I've packed a suitcase inside a suitcase inside a suitcase in anticipation. Wish me luck. Hoping that this will be the magical year I don't have to buy an entire 5-pc set of luggage to get my smalls home.