STREET SALES GO BUST!

Thursday I visited a street sale that was a favorite of mine during my "dealer" days. Back then, I had a day job, and often didn't make the sale until the second day, so I was psyched to hit the trail early. Unfortunately, there was very little trail to hit. Unlike other years, when there'd be up to 100 homes participating, this year there couldn't have been more than 20--if that. Big Disappointment.

But I did find a few things. On the utilitarian side, I found a small Tupperware container (since there's just the two of us, these are great for our meager leftovers), an all-in-one grater, an old box of Christmas ornaments, and an ice cream scoop. (YAWN!) I was getting pretty desperate when I found a Blue Onion teapot. It's not exactly a total match to my every day china, but it'll do--and the price was certainly right at $1.50.

I was running out of sales to visit when I came to one where I'd bought stuff before. I’m a sucker for linens and found six damask napkins for 25 cents each. Of course, they were stained, but after soaking them for a day in Oxyclean and Dawn, they came out beautiful. (Yes, there are only 3 pink ones and 1 white one in the picture —the other two (one pink, one white) didn’t require soaking.) I also soaked an old yellow doily (free from an estate sale in April) and a stained, crocheted dresser scarf from last weekend. Both came out beautifully. I also came away with this pretty little rhinestone Christmas stocking pin for $1.

At the best (and last) sale of the day, I debated about buying a rather large gold-framed mirror. I wasn’t sure I had a place to hang it, and I wasn’t sure the husband was going to like it. But I talked the guy down to from $5 to $3 and in the car it went. Husband and I agreed that it was either very girly or very tacky. Until we hung it in one of the guest rooms, we were leaning toward tacky—but it seems to look okay, so I guess it has found a new home. (Now what do I do with the picture that was hanging there before?)

Along with the mirror, I got these two sweethearts in gold frames. (I did mention what a sucker I am for pictures and/or mirrors in gold frames, right?)

Friday I only hit one sale that had tons of stuff that was either priced just right (but I didn’t need it) or too much, which was offputting. I got these two gold-framed pictures for $2 to go along with the ones from Thursday’s sale. (They were selling silver-plated cutlery in bunches of 5 or 6 for 50 cents each. Too bad I don’t need silverware!)

It was with much anticipation that I went to the second street sale of the weekend, a one-day only affair on Saturday. I’d done well at this sale before, and had high hopes. Alas, the very first sale of the day was the best. But now that I’m no longer in the “business,” I have to be a lot more selective. I only bought a 1950s Made In Japan Christmas candleholder. I have a number of these, but she was cute and only 75 cents. I wanted to buy a Beefeater Gin bottle (in the shape of a beefeater) for my husband’s bar collection. He was a beauty, and the price was right, but he was too tall—we have nowhere to put him. (I wish I’d taken a picture.)

Oddly enough, one home wasn't selling anything except food. And sure enough, there were people waiting in line at 9:30 for hot dogs and sausages. (My husband among them.) While he ate his hot dog, I came across a guy with a professional popcorn popper selling the stuff for 50 cents a bag. You got it—I ate it. And after that, one of the neighbors was selling fried dough dipped in sugar and
cinnamon. (I think that was my best purchase of the sale.)

My second purchase of the day wasn’t something fun, but a mini ironing board that can be set up on a tabletop. I’d been looking for one for a couple of weeks, and this one fit the bill—especially as it was only $1. (I used it to iron the damask napkins.) The only other thing I bought was a box of cocktail napkins. (A month or so ago I bought a cocktail napkin holder—so these will fit in well with it.)

We stopped at another sale along the road which had only toys, kid clothes, and a few potted jade plants. I picked up a bugle jade plant for 50 cents. It’s not exactly the most beautiful one I’ve ever seen, but I felt sorry for it and figured what the heck.

That was it for the day. Okay, not quite. We hit the nursery and dropped more money for the garden. Now to plant them all.

And how did you spend your weekend?