My Cheap Vintage Finds [& What They’re Worth] #186
Hi there! How was your weekend? I hit a handful of terrific garage sales on Friday (I found a metal bar cart–woo woo!), and on Saturday my sweet husband and I drove to the Gristmill Antique Center to add stock to my booth. From there we drove to the Bershire Botanical Gardens for an inspiring ramble filled with the sights and scents of beautiful flowers and herbs. Follow me on Instagram and you’ll see some of
A funky black metal and copper owl (cost: 50¢, value: $10-12.00). Was it a wind chime? A jewelry holder? I’ve no idea…
Black Finds
I bought these bingo cards (cost: $1.00) without looking at them or might have left them behind. I use them for a craft that I sell at the Shaker Christmas Craft Fair, but they are a little rougher than I like. See the bingo card craft here.
A leather case of some kind, measuring about 12″ long (cost: $1.00, value: $25-30.00 once cleaned up).
A vintage L-square 90° ruler (cost: 75¢, value: $8-10.00).
A 19667 edition (5th printing) of Lost New York, a book filled with images of buildings that no longer grace NYC. Fascinating read (cost: $1.00, value: $15-25.00).
A cook book from the Glenwood Range Co. (cost: 25¢, value: $4-5.00). See my posts about cook books: Part I and Part II, and my cook book price guide.
Trivets don’t tend to be great sellers for me, but I learned last year that they sell well at the Shaker craft fair (cost: $1.00, value: $10.00), and this is a pretty one. I’ll remove the rust as described in my rust removal post, and you can read more about collectible trivets here.
A metal measuring cup, likely for the shop or garage (cost: $1.00, value: $8-10.00).
An black spattered enamelware pie plate (cost: 50¢, value: $5-6.00). Check out my enamelware price guide, my post about collecting enamelware, or learn how to stencil one.
Silver Finds
Candle snuffers are great sellers for me, and I expect this silver plated one to be no exception (cost: 10¢, value $10.00).
Silver plated flat ware doesn’t tend to sell well for me, except for pretty, ornate serving pieces (or unusual sets, like iced tea spoons), like this one (cost: 25¢, value: $5-6.00).
Being a flower frog fan, I decided to snatch this silver plated one up, even if for the sole purpose of adding it to my post about frogs (cost: $2.99, value: $8-10.00).
Its appearance will be vastly improved by a good polishing.
A boxed roll of floral tape seemed like a good addition to the flower frog discussion (cost: 50¢, value: $5-6.00).
I always pick up interesting frames at the right price for various projects, including this 1930’s era example (cost: 50¢). Learn more about using old frames for new projects here.
I know there’s a pretty good market out their for smoking collectibles, especially lighters, but I don’t know a lot about them, so when I found this Bentley, made in Austria, lighter, I decided to pick it up and learn from it (cost: $1.00). I’m still in the learning process, so I’m not sure of its value yet…
A pair of Griffon scissors (cost: 50¢) to add to my “accidental” collection, which you can see pictured in my flower frog decorating post. Queer Sheers is an interesting blog all about scissor collecting.
White Finds
A Lenox holly dinner plate, that would make a great hostess gift (cost: $1.00, value: $12-15.00).
A Lenox wolf figurine with gold decoration (cost: 50¢, value: $10-12.00).
A milk glass, hobnail-style, trumpet vase (cost: 50¢, value: $8-10.00). I love trumpet vases and have already used this one several times.
A restaurantware ironstone platter that I’ll stencil for the Shaker craft fair (cost: 50¢), like those seen here and here.
A cool, boho-style wind chime (cost: $1.00, value: $15-18.00).
Final Fabulous Find: A white yellowware bowl (cost: $2.00, value: $25-28.00). She was well-loved and has definitely seen better days, poor thing, but I love her.
Thanks so much for sharing in the joy of my vintage finds with me 🙂 So nice to have like-minded friends who can appreciate good “junk.” Happy hunting!
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Always adding new merchandise!
Great finds, Diana, but I especially like the New York book and that iron trivet! I love iron trivets!
So glad you enjoyed the post!
Loved the items–my home looks like flea market! I’m doing yard sale this weekend and usually I can search or know how to mark things. I have ton of antiques, vintage, and modern. I have a 3 ft tall basket shaped like a vase with wicker handles; it’s a nice, different design. I can send you a picture of it. Would you tell me what you think, please? It would be appreciated. Thanks, Lisa Sharp
Once again you hit the jackpot on your finds. Love the yellow ware bowl, so well loved isn’t it. Of course I like the flower frog. Thanks for always sharing your finds.
Hi Linda! I cannot pass up a good flower frog–no way, unh unh 🙂
Love the silver plated flower frog and the yellowware bowl. Great finds all around. Isn’t it funny how things sell better in one place than in another.
Yes, I’m fascinated by the demographics of it all. Glad you enjoyed my finds, Sharon 🙂
Another batch of great finds! My late mother had an owl collection; seeing as I can’t keep everything, I took a picture of them and then priced them! The owl (just like hers) had a row of black hooks that I assume she used for pot holders as she kept it by the stove. A row of painted black S hooks would do it! However, I think repurposed as a windchime is a great idea; the owl eyes may repel some fruit/veggie eating birds in the garden! You could trim up the edges on the Bingo cards with a paper cutter or funky scissors and no one but us will ever know! That Lenox plate is screaming for some Christmas cookies or a Bundt cake decorated to look like a wreath (a standard here!). Al’s mother’s kitchen woodstove may be a Glenwood; she still cooks on it in cold weather; it helps heat the big old farmhouse here in Maine. For holidays, we wear peel-off layers of clothes caz it is liable to be 90 degrees in the kitchen! I love the old frame; I LOVE relatives (mine or not!) in old frames. If you repaint the trivet, go to the expense of buying furnace paint (which takes like 2000 degrees of heat); then it can be used on top of the woodstove so stuff cooks slower–and a good selling point! OK, I’m just not enough into rust! I love my milk glass with a glass votive candle (esp a colored glass) inside. The effect is gorgeous!
You always have such great ideas, Kathy–thanks so much for sharing them with us 🙂 I’m going to see if I have some “S” hooks around–makes so much sense that the owl is to hang pot holders!
You always have such a fabulous eye…would love to see you do a post on why you pass certain things up–despite the price. Just a thought for informing people, Sandi
Interesting idea, Sandi. I’d have to really think about that. I’m not sure that I’m all that aware of what I pass up and why, LOL. In fact, after I arrive home and start sorting through my finds, it’s like seeing them for the first time as I have often already forgotten about buying them!!! Old age…
LOL, worse, start looking everywhere at home for something, you didn’t buy?– buyer’s remorse or psychosis?
I recently bought a group of 18 candle snuffers, and there were 2 “helmet” style silver plate snuffers like yours. I like buying collections and being able to display them for sale. If you find something people collect, buy it. If you find a whole collection buy them all! Lol
Marti
I agree, Marti! Sounds like a great purchase–they should sell well for you 🙂
Interesting finds! I like the leather case – maybe for a handheld telescope? Or some surveying tool? I love the flower frog as it is – it sort of looks like a faded sunflower! It’s been several years, but I sold a couple of advertising lighters (Winston) for $10 each that were in pretty good vintage condition. I like finding one-off utensils like you found – they can always be used when serving a buffet. That spoon is certainly a pretty one!
It’s got some German markings on it that I only discovered after cleaning it, Rita. The name (possibly) of a German archaeologist and the name of a German company that produced knifes. That’s as far as I’ve gotten. Haven’t decided what to do with the lighter yet, but the spoon is at the shop 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
Can’t wait to see the metal bar cart!!! Again, I love your finds and wish I could find things at that price here in Florida!
It will be showing up soon, I’m sure 🙂 So glad you enjoy my finds–
Diana, I picked up 4 black S hooks @ Wal-Mart for .99 (for another project) that are thin enough to go through those owl holes-of course, there are 5 holes! Figured it would look more professional than me bending and painting!
Thanks for the info, Kathy!
Wonderful finds! I love the flower frog! Thanks for sharing @Vintage Charm!
Thanks so much Cecilia, and thanks for hosting 🙂
Well, I have to say, that owl is “weird”! But…I am in love with the following: the trivet ( I have a collection myself, but nothing as beautiful), the pie pan, the wonderful vintage frame and the yellow ware bowl.
The white hob-nail milk glass vase is nice, too. It reminds me of something I’ve only seen on the blog of my friend, Kathy @ Sharing Shadymont. It is a vase called a tulipiere which has several small vases shaped like the milk glass one connected to each other. They are so fascinating to me because I’d never seen one and here Kathy found three or four at thrift stores. She lives in the South so I wondered if they were more common in that area. I’d really like to have one. They are made of some sort of china or clay material I think and painted with a variety of designs, often flowers. Anyway, I just wondered whether you had ever seen one. If not, go on Kathy’s blog and you might be able to bring up a picture.
I’d love to see your trivet collection someday, Naomi, if you ever get a chance to photograph it 🙂 I had to go look up “tulipiere,” ha ha. I’ve seen them before, but never knew their special name. They certainly are interesting. Perhaps they are more plentiful in the South as I don’t see them a lot up here in NY.