Saturday, October 25, 2008

An Estate Sale Bargain

This morning, after shopping the farmers market in the rain, Scott and I made the rounds to the local thrift shops, keeping eyes on Estate Sale signs on the roadways pointing to obscure neighborhood streets where hopeful treasure lay.


It's a past time for us, not something many people would consider to be exciting fun, but we find it to be calming and in some cases invigorating - when a good deal can be found. Today the thrift stores were bare of treasure, perhaps it's hard times - or someone with a good eye got there before I could. We headed back toward home when a little white Estate Sale sign appeared leading us to a tiny house in the middle of nowhere; one of those obscure neighborhood streets we dream about.


I checked out the house first, and found these great wooden napkin rings, (9) for $1, which I'll pair with our linen table napkins and my recently acquired collection of wooden candle sticks.



I poked through more rooms, none with great treasure, and left the house for the garage. There sat this interesting item, to which I absolutely have no idea what its intentional use was, for $2. Sold! I yelled, and it was mine.





I brought it home, cleaned it up, and started to think of the places I could use such an interesting piece of primitive junk, I mean - treasure.





And what do you think? The perfect storage for a throw blanket or two on those cold winter afternoons.



20 comments:

  1. W-O-W What great treasures..sure wish we had some great estate sales in our area...hugs ~lynne~

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  2. Love it... My husband I have gone to estate sales many times and love the deals you can get at them... Sometimes you can pick up something really expensive for a loww amount... Your candle rings are awesome but the real treasure is the basket... I bet it was an old apple basket...

    (((HUGS)))
    Donna

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  3. It's perfect by the hearth! It has a lot of character.
    I'm glad you found a couple of treasures!
    hugs, B.

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  4. What a fun Saturday and successful treasure hunt! I agree with your friend, Donnna, I bet that was a big apple basket. It cleaned up so nicely! The napkin rings are so nice, especially for a Fall table! Good job!

    =) Isa

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  5. Here I was thinking you'd use it as a planter. I should have known better!

    Justine :o )

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  6. Great finds at 'bargain basement' prices Artie. I love that bucket!

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  7. great finds...the barrel is fabulous!

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  8. Don't yah just love those afternoons of searching for those treasures???!!! Just love it - I agree with you, it's calming AND invigorating. :-) - love the basket for throws. :-) - SherylCanadianGirl

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  9. Love the wooden bucket. I have seen one before and I looked at it and thought about getting it and I didn't, it wasn't in as good as shape as the one you found.
    Did I mention I love reading your adventure stories? What will Tiney get herself into next. Come check out my blog!!!!!!!!!

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  10. $2??!! Okay I would have snagged that up too. Its wonderful!

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  11. That was a great bargain and I can't believe that no one else had grabbed it yet. You'll get many uses out of it.

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  12. great find! I am going to have to start going to these things... I always feel that I have to buy something and being that I am not a more is more kind of gal that is hard for me. I am fixin to change my ways...lol vickydarnell

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  13. $2.00!? It looks great there by the fireplace! Awesome find Artie~

    Buffie

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  14. Great finds Artie...I just love yard sales and swap meets.. I voted YES on the video...can't belive you have gotten cuter since I last seen you..Hugs and smiles Gloria

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  15. Thanks for your post, interesting find, and for two dollars - Good Going!

    As to what it might be, I think that it is the barrel part of an old apple press.

    http://www.marlboroughny.com/pictures/4-06-Meet_The_Farmer/Meet_the_Farmer6.jpg

    Martin
    Fine Estate Liquidation

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  16. Hi There,

    It's nice to hear that you two guys get great enjoyment out of finding such interesting things. I myself love to make something out of an item that someone else might think of as trash. I find it so rewarding. :) Like food for the soul.....Okay, so I'm getting too deep now.....So I'll say Caio and have a good day.

    'D'

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  17. Looking at the barrel takes me back in time to when I was a little girl and I used to play around the old smokehouse in the back yard. My grandma used to have a 'coliander' back there and my eight year old mind could not wrap itself around why they'd make a bucket with so many holes in it. So, being the curious one, I asked. This is what she told me.

    "Oh lord honey, that's a coliander (cole-e-an-der). We used it for all sorts of things like washing vegetables or carrying wet clothes to the line. Anytime you wanted to wash something but didn't want to have to lift all that water to dump it out, we'd use it."

    To my way of thinking, that kind of use would require a bottom though, and I don't recall her's having one. But, suffice it to say that I thank you for the memory your pictures invoked!

    Thanks!

    Carrie

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