Hoping For That One Sale

It was Saturday again but, this week, we had all the time in the world. No commitments. No time constraints. We had the full day for saling. Plus, it was the start of a three day weekend for us. There is still lots of "de-Christmas-ing" to do around the house but we do have that extra day at the tail end of the weekend and we would not worry too much about making any progress on Saturday. Unfortunately, there still weren't a lot of sales out there. We suspect that there is a lot of preparation necessary to get these sales rolling and that the Tag Sale Companies not only take a break from having sales during the last few weeks in December but also take a break from preparing for their future sales. Still, we found four sales that we thought might have potential. None of them were sure things but all seemed worth a shot. We crossed our fingers and started our adventures, hoping for that one sale that would make our day!

Our first sale was an easy choice. It was two blocks away from our house and run by a Tag Sale Company that we know. The last time we saw them, we found a 60 piece Franciscan Starburst dish set at their sale and bought it for only $50 so we have had luck with them before. We did, however, encounter the dreaded line outside. Monica waited on line while Rob snapped this picture. The ladies behind us were talking about the next sale on our list (it started the day before) and that it was terrible and not worthwhile. That didn't discourage us too much. We have been to sales before where people have walked out after five minutes and warned us that there was nothing there...and then we spent hours uncovering things we love. One person's trash is another person's treasure. 

The weather was a little mild for January so the wait was not uncomfortable and we were inside the house in just 20 minutes. We did not have high expectations for this sale (or any other sale on our list) and did not find a lot. We left with three records but nothing else.

Our next stop was the "terrible" sale. Our expectations were not high but they weren't for any sale on our list anyway and even if we didn't find much today, we were going to have fun just spending the day together. Our first surprise was to see an old friend running the sale. He used to be part of a small two man Tag Sale Company whose sales we had visited in the past. They parted ways and we run into Frank's sales occasionally. His sales are not identified as his nor are they heavily advertised so our meetings are always by chance. The second surprise was that THIS WAS THAT ONE SALE! 

The gentleman who owned the house was elderly and was moving upstate to live near his son and was taking almost nothing with him. He had a lifetime of fun treasures...and a lifetime of fun stories. Rob likes to talk and so did he and we enjoyed his stories...and his house. There were three floors and we carefully searched them all, spending almost two hours here. Here's Monica holding up a monkey that we did not buy but we did get so much here! Lots of Christmas stuff, many records, some books and pamphlets, some vintage greeting cards and many other miscellaneous items. This was a fun and very productive stop!!!!  

After stopping for some lunch (yes, for the second week in a row, we missed breakfast so we had lunch instead), we went to the third sale on our list. It was about 30 minutes away and was run by a Tag Sale Company whose sale we frequent. It was the second day of this sale and the owner of the Tag Sale Company was not there. It was not a very productive stop. We loved some old vintage outdoor furniture but we really don't have room for it now and the price was a little steep. We did find three records and a pair of "rescue Santas". Both were pretty beat up and one was missing a leg but we will fix them up as best we can and find room for them. They need a home too!

We went to our final stop on the list, a sale run by a Tag Sale Company that we see a lot. 

The kitchen had a cool old stove. The knobs on it were great! 

There were two floors and the basement had a cool old floor. 

Unfortunately, the stove and the basement floor were the highlights of this stop and we just found two snowman candles and some glass cocktail stirrers. 

Before going home, we stopped at a Carvel down the street. It was not just any Carvel. It was a special one.

It was a Carvel with the original ice cream cone signs and an old neon sign! There just aren't a lot with the ice cream cones anymore! 

There was a neon sign on the side of the Carvel too!

And they had horseback riding!!!! Of course, we both had ice cream cones even though it was January

Here are some of the things we brought home with us:

Some records

Some more records

A few more records

Some Christmas records

Some books and pamplets

Girl scout membership cards from the early 1940's, some vintage guidebooks, a vintage postcard with a cool restaurant on its face and a 1964 World's Fair map

Lots of vintage cards

Some vintage wrapping paper

A Ballantine's beer tray, a ceramic squirrel made in Japan, a vintage bow tie, some old ash trays, a tin cigarette case and a troll doll cookie cutter set in its original shipping box. It was a Wrigley's Gum send away offer in 1965.

Vintage Tupperware (the tumbler on the right is from the 1954 Millionaire Line) and a vintage dip dish (which matches a bowl we have as well as our T.V. tables)

Some Christmas items. We have several old mistletoes but this is the first we have ever found in its original box

Some more Christmas stuff!

More Christmas stuff. The box on the left is a Gimbels Christmas box. The two Santas at the bottom are the "rescue Santas"

A pair of vintage stockings

A Christmas banner made in Japan. It has a scalloped bottom.

It was a great day out. We spent Sunday continuing our quest to pack away the Christmas stuff but, since we were off on Monday, we went out to dinner Sunday night.

We went to a Chinese restaurant near us that we visit a few times a year. It has a great "untouched" look inside, they have great food and they serve drinks in Tiki mugs. We try to have a different drink each time we go. This time, we had the Scorpion Bowl and the Ko-Ko Kiss. We actually share both so we are each trying two drinks each time we go! 

We will spend Monday trying to finish the "undecorating" but, if we don't finish, that will be okay. It was a great weekend and we had a lot of fun. We are together and that is always reason enough to smile....always!