“Sunny… It’s going to be a good weekend to hit the flea market…”
I was telling myself that for at least a week straight. But can I admit something here and now?
I love the thrill of the hunt!
But the early morning wake up? Not so much.
Once upon a time, I use to flea market with my brother and his wife. We’d go early, because he always told me, “You gotta be there while they’re unloading the trucks!”
He’s right of course. I’ve been there that early (in my younger days) and lemme tell ya, what you end up with, you get the major stink eye from shoppers because they want whatever it is you just grabbed.
Pure envy in the most beautiful flea market way possible.
So, I forced myself out of bed Sunday AM, in preparation for The Olde Farmhouse Vintage Market.
While I’m bringing along stencils, some old signs and toolboxes I’m making, I wanted some authentic junky smalls to compliment the mix.
I didn’t arrive while trucks were being unloaded by a long shot, but I think I did ok regardless!
I 1000000% adore everything I picked up! And that’s my rule. I must want it in my house. Because that way, shoppers get the full fledged funky junk experience.
But there’s more… I’ll be all too happy to bring it back home with me to play with should it not sell. 🙂
So I was shopping along, picking up this and that when…
I came upon this little trunk and ammunition box. And you know my heart skipped a few hundred vital beats.
And that’s when the vendor of the trunk chatted it up with me.
He saw my reaction to the trunk, (not sure if it was the giggling or me hugging it… how transparent am I?) but didn’t gouge me on price. He told me he was waiting for the right person to come along. He’d turned down every high priced dealer in the AM.
He wanted it to have a ‘real’ home, vs. landing in the next flea market booth for a higher price.
While I was still petting admiring it, I felt guilt. And confessed.
“I’m actually here buying for a vintage market I’m in next month… but I gotta tell ya, I don’t feel I can part with this one. I LOVE it. The colour, the size, the everything. It’s me written all over it!”
“It’s ok if you want to sell it. You’re not one of ‘those dealers’. I just didn’t want it disappearing just for pure profit. I wanted to see someone actually appreciate it.”
Boy did this guy nail the likes of me. And it sure would look sweet with castors underneath with my feet on top of it in the living room…
And the ammunition box? I needed that cutie pie in my life so I could build one!
What am I selling again?!
At that point, I had made my rounds at the flea market, and it was time to do it again, but much slower this time.
The trunk salesman had me wanting more out of the day than just finds. I wanted the stories rather than the mad dash and grab.
Not every cool old relic came with a story, but I admit I lingered at one table longer than the others.
This krout cutter was part of a collection from a seller’s mom’s own kitchen. It was time to let stuff go, because they were simply out of room. And he told me how his mom use to use this, among many other things on his table.
When you stop and listen to the stories, it changes things.
Yes, I want them more. Like I need the enticement.
That’s when I knew I’d better quit getting so personal and start looking at them as objects for sale again, unless I wanted to end up with everything I bought!
Tell me those casserole dishes aren’t adorable… and that Blue Ribbon baking powder tin is HUGE.
Hurry up May 30, I’m falling more in love with this loot the more I look at it!
Can you relate? Do you find it hard letting go of cool stuff too? Which one is your fav piece?
Those Pyrex refrigerator dishes are very collectible! And they are so much better than plastic to store leftovers in. I think you’d better hang on to them!! 😉
Don’t even TEMPT me! I don’t think I was cut out for marketing… hahah
Great lot of things, Donna! My sister & I are doing a community yard sale this weekend, purging many of our overstocked vintage items. The unloading is the worst part of the day, when people flash their lights over your stuff and all you want to do is get it out of the SUV. The hunt is so much more fun than the selling, lol (except for the $$).
Rita
The hunt IS the best part. It’s addicting, it’s crazy and people who aren’t into junk just don’t get it……
Definitely the trunk. I buy those and re-do them all the time. I hope you keep it and do something cool with it.
A favorite? It’s hard to choose just one, but it’s gotta be the galvanized thing with the round slots. We’d never be able to flea market together because we’d be fighting over the same stuff:-)
Hey Betsy back off! That galvanized thing that you liked is mine! 🙂
Hahaha! That item really caught my eye too. Donna, do you know what it is? Is Everything for the Market?? I’d like to buy that from you, it’s such an unusual piece. Wish I could go to that market, it sounds wonderfule. I live in Virginia and the Lucketts spring market is coming up, I’m so excited! We really don’t have a lot of that type of market around here, I read ur blog and dream though…..
Hi Carol, it isn’t an old relic, just a reproduction. It’s actually new.
Unfortunately I won’t be selling this stuff online, it’s all for the market. I am not a good shipper and I fully admit it! 🙂
You will find MUCH more amazingness at Lucketts! I’m jealous!
I was working at my church’s Spring rummage sale this weekend. Talk about drunk on junk! Their rummage sales are h-u-g-e! Us workers shop the whole time too. I scored an antique easy chair stuffed with horsehair that I will have reupholstered and the most beautiful rusted cast iron water hand pump! I’m going to “plant” it in my garden and then plant daisies around it. BTW, I love the old grain sifter pic you posted. I have one of those that we attached to the ceiling with hook and eyes to use as a light cover for the ceiling light in our bathroom.
Love that old pencil sharpener!!!
I totally understand that one seller! If I pour my heart and soul into a piece, I do want it to go to a good home! Makes parting ways a little easier! I’m looking forward to flea markets and yard sales, just you know I need more stuff!! 😉
It is so hard for me to sell my treasures too! I have no problem giving them to family and friends, but it is tough letting them go to strangers. I love everything you got!
Oh, I never sell anything and that’s probably what lands me into trouble. Great haul, Donna…you are going to have a lot of very happy shoppers at your booth! I’m a sucker for the stories, too…it gives these objects a provenance which makes them much more special. Good luck living with all of those amazing finds and not falling in love with each and every one til you just have to keep them! 🙂
the pencil sharpener would be used all the time here and i have the perfect spot for it, and the baking powder container, we just started baking lots of bread so with its’ sweet story i would clean it up and use it too, and just out of curiosity what the heck is the metal thing with the long handle and holes around the bottom ? xx
I’m chuckling here looking at all your treasures. I gravitate to the exact same items…beat up and rusty. I have just returned from an extended vacation and shipped 3 boxes home. Problem is I have just moved into a one bedroom apartment- but with lots of usable wall space.
It’s time to get creative and find a way to use all my old and newly acquired treasures. Love your style Donna.
The metal baskets with a long handle? I have one we use it to blanch tomatoes before canning. I like the trunk and the glass jars. Good luck on your sale, wish I could be there. Probably not a good idea.
I have those casserole dishes. Not in those colors which are really fun, however I have had mine since I was first married. Now that makes me feel old, lol
HAHA… that’s funny. 🙂 They sure are pretty!
The trunk FOR SURE is my fave! I too have several boxes of treasures from my mom’s kitchen with stories to go with, that I must sell! It is so hard to let them go when they have so much character and cool vintage style! But we just moved and have down-sized!
Donna,
I love all your goodies! It is the stories (to me) that makes you love the stuff more. That little trunk is wonderful! I also love that metal round thing with holes and a handle. Do not know what it is called. As always I enjoy your posts. Good luck with your up coming sale.
Smiles, alice