Hi everyone! If you’re looking for some cool vintage finds, then you’ve come to the right place 🙂 I had a very successful vintage shopping weekend and have a number of treasures to share with you. Of course, as always, I’ll let you know the cost of each item along with my suggested retail value.
I discovered these awesome 5.5″ letters in what I thought was a “Free” box. No worries, they were nonetheless quite affordable (cost: 25¢ each, value: $4-5.00 each). The sellers gave me the backstory on them: the wife’s dad worked for Alleghany Airlines for over 40 years, and often when the company changed out signs in his airport, he would bring them home. These letters (plus a few more) once spelled out “Allegheny.”
Last fall I picked up four boxes of old bottles on the side of the road in the waning hours of the World’s Largest Garage Sale in Warrensburg (NY). Just one final box remains to be sorted through–woo woo. These little milk glass jars required a lot of scrubbing, but aren’t they sweet? Come Christmas I may use them as bases for bottle brush trees. Learn more about cleaning old bottles here.
I have not jumped on the milk glass bandwagon, although I’ve been an admirer for years and even own a couple of pieces myself, but when I saw this goblet (compote?) at a church sale–pretty and well-priced–I decided to go for it (cost: 75¢, value:$6-8.00?). I wonder if it may have been a FTD planter of some sort? A few weeks ago, I did sell a piece of pink milk glass, but it was older and more delicate. I think I’m just going to keep it for myself, for flowers or how about to hold dip at a party?
I plan to take this fine old ladder apart and sell the front portion at my shop (cost: $1.00, value: $28-35.00).
I’ve never sold any gauges, but I’ve seen others decorate with them, so I decided to give it a shot (cost: $1.00/3, value: $10.00/3).
Old wooden tools can make great decorating accents; I especially like the roller (wall paper roller?) in the center (cost: 50¢ each, value: $6-10.00 each).
The item on the bottom is an ice pick, but I bought it to use the handles in other projects.
I thought these could be turned into some kind of cool Christmas ornaments (cost: 3/$1.00).
Ordinarily this laminated tray would not interest me, but that pewter trim got me excited. I have a crafty plan for this piece (cost: $3.00).
An interestingly thin oak cutting board (cost: $1.00, value: $12-15.00). I’ve already cleaned and seasoned it and the transformation is amazing. Yes, I’ll share an “after” shot with you, as soon as get a chance.
Isn’t this piece kind of funky? I’m not sure what its true purpose is–to  hold maps? It dates to about the 1950’s or 60’s I’d say, and I have a special, crafty plan for it as well (cost: $2.50). I bought it at Goodwill on a half-off day.
I’m not sure what to call this guy; I guess I’ve settled on “planter.” If it were a few inches higher, I would have called it a mini-bar (wouldn’t that be cute?). It’s waiting patiently in line for a makeover (cost: $5.00).
Funny story behind this 1950’s McCoy “Basket Weave” planter. As I shopped a church sale recently, I admired a faux plant (in an ugly basket) priced rather high ($3.50), but when I lifted the plant up to get a better look, I discovered this lovely planter inside the ugly basket. Score!
Of course I took it right up to the check out and handed over my $3.50 (value: $22-25.00). (Note: That’s a kiln mark on the upper left.)
Love this vintage box (or vintage-looking box, I’m not sure). Unfortunately, it does not contain any incense cones, just a little pottery burner (cost: 50¢, value: $8-10.00).
A box of crayola white chalk, a fun back-to-school collectible (cost: 25¢, value: $4-5.00).
A vintage box of picture wire–I’ll take out the wire for my own use (I go through a lot of it) and sell the box separately (cost: 25¢, value: $1-2.00 for the box alone).
Final Fabulous Find: An old flag with plenty of wear and age spots to make any farmhouse decorator happy. Available in Linens.
Thanks so much for joining me on a “tour” of my finds for the week. I’ll be busy cleaning, pricing, and either listing them in my blog shop or bringing them up to the Grist Mill Antique Center (Troy, NY). I know you guys love vintage as much as I do, so I feel blessed when you all share with me the joy that comes from shopping vintage. Happy hunting!
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The wooden plant stand is my favorite and I can think of several things to do with it.
Love the McCoy planter story!
Thanks for dropping by Kim–glad you enjoyed my finds 🙂
Many great finds! The McCoy planter is my favorite. I collect McCoy (mostly)/Shawnee/USA planter shaped planters… I have quite the collection (I think 40 or 50!) 🙂
I think I remember seeing a shot of your planters, Melissa–is that right? I bet you’ll find a special spot in your new house to display them (or some of them anyway!).
You & I would have to seriously negotiate who’d get what if we shopped together, lol! Love that leather case (map case is good guess, or maybe a lens case?). I found 2 of those little McCoy basketweave planters at an estate sale once – I just love those old little pots. Also have one of those gauges, and those little wooden tools are way cool.
Ha ha! We’d have to arm wrestle for first dibs -:) Thanks for stopping by to take a look at my junk, I mean treasures. If I know you, you’re scoring some pretty awesome finds yourself–
Lots of fun finds, but the McCoy planter is my favorite!
That doesn’t surprise me a bit, Linda, because I know how much you love pottery 🙂 Hope you have a great day!!
Love the wooden tools and the tray because of the edge, too. I have a friend who collects and sells McCoy and we have fun looking for pieces and have quite unexpectedly found some! Can’t wait to see how you use the gauges; they are cool. Living in NM of course I got a chuckle from the incense box and the pinon ……:) (Can’t make the accent mark.)
I’ve found a few of the smaller McCoy planters in the past but this is the first larger-sized one that I’ve found. They aren’t super scarce, but I only find one a year or so. Thanks for popping by to chat, Karen!
As a milk glass addict, I loved the little milk glass jars the best! They are adorable as is, with battery or real tealights inside them, with velvet ribbon tied around the rim with a nosegay of real/artificial flowers in them (the short stemmed violets and dandelions that the kids pick!), If you can find lids to fit, they are adorable with homemade lotions, scrapbooking supplies or buttons, etc. Vintage look labels decoupaged onto them would be cute, too. The comport looked like the base for a small Christmas tree to me or a small topiary…or a base for a “tree” of vintage Christmas bulbs with a battery set of lights mixed in… The roller is called a brayer and can be used with a lot of paper crafts as well as squishing wallpaper seams. I think the leather case is for a camera lens but I can hear my crochet hooks calling for a classy storage container (my Crysal Light cannister works just fine!) . I’d add a hanging gingham ribbon/bow to the bread board handle hole and just smile! You “done good”!
Have you discovered Awesome? It’s a dollar store kind of cleaner but IT WORKS!!! The orange fragranced one leaves a nice CLEAN scent. Just spritz a nasty, grimey treasure and watch the brown crud drip off. All those nooks and crannies with eons of cigarette smoke/dust/grease run off! It is good inside bottles, too. It also takes the stickum from price tags, jar labels off with a bit of a scrub. If I had a dollar for every time I spritzed it on the grime in front of my kitchen cabinets’ toe spaces and wiped it up with a paper towel and a foot, I could afford the new linoleum I really need!
Hi Kathy! I LOVE all of your milk glass ideas, especially the tea light one–thanks so much for sharing them with us all. I have not tried the Awesome cleaner (but I will now!); however, I use their version of Oxy powder for washing teenager clothes. I can’t wait to try it! Thanks so much for the “chat” 🙂
Looking forward to see the conversions of some items.
HopefullyRose!
Oh look at all the wonderful goodies you found! Lots of fun things…I can’t wait to get out to sales again!
Thanks Linda! Hope you’ve gotten out to a few sales–
Love that milk glass goblet thingy. I’ve just started collecting MG to go in my aqua and red china cabinet. I think that roller thingy might be an old brayer. Love old tools!
That milk glass is going to look so good in your cabinet, Tuula!!
I passed by two milk glass goblets/compotes today. I am just not sure of the market for them. Now, the pink is another story because they are rare. Love all your unusual finds. I am going to a huge barn sale tomorrow and the Flea Market in Clarence, NY on Sunday. Hoping to find some cool stuff like yours!
I don’t think the market in my area is very good–it was just so cheap and pretty! I’m thinking I’ll just use it as a vase for a while. Hope your barn sale was a good one, AnnMarie!
The funky bag could be for knitting needles.
Marilyn
Now there’s an idea…thanks, Marilyn!
Love the gauges and the McCoy planter. What a wonderful treasure hunt.
Thanks for dropping by, Ree Cee!
My favorites are the bread board, the wooden tools and, of course, the McCoy. Also, I’ll be interested to see what you come up with for the pewter (?) tray. And the little milk glass jars remind me of the little jars of Mentholatum kmy grandfather used to keep on his bedside table. Although, now that I think about it, those might have been a pale green, not white. Either way I wish I had them!
I have a little bread board that was my mother’s and possibly my grandmother’s and it is thin like the one you found. It has lots of cut marks and appears to be a rather soft wood so I am not using it anymore. I’ve put it away and am planning to stencil–not sure what–on it for wall decor. I will have to rig up some way to hang it as there is no handle, just the rectangular board. I’m waiting until just the right thing comes to mind to stencil on it.
Great finds on your weekend jaunt, Diana!
We like the same things, Naomi! That’s so interesting about your mother’s bread board being thin like mine–not too common I think. I think stenciling it is a great idea. I’ve stenciled several with e-a-t, and sold a couple, too. Thanks for dropping by!
Ok, I’ll take the ladder and the cutting board! Great score on the McCoy! I used to collect McCoy vases and have a number of pretty ones, albeit in storage since we tried to sell the house…..maybe I’ll just have to dig them out! xo Kathleen | Our Hopeful Home
Ha ha–glad you like them, Kathleen! Oh yes, I think you need to get them out of storage–what a great post that would make 🙂
You really got some great finds. I can’t believe you got a McCoy planter.
Thanks Debra!
Lots of great finds. I especially love the gauges and the McCoy planter.
Thanks Sharon!
Wow, Diana–those letters are wonderful and a bargain! I have some of those milk glass jars too. Great finds!
I agree Cecilia! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
These are all great finds, Diana. I think my favorites are the bread board and old letters. Thanks for sharing, Cynthia
Your welcome, Cynthia! Thanks for dropping by 🙂
Love the milk glass jars! How could anyone throw those away? Those gauges remind me of blood pressure cuff gauges…don’t know if that’s what they are though, since one of them says “thermometer.” Love the wooden stand too. Pinned again.