Garage Sales, Auctions & Vinnies

I'm a garage saleaholic! I love a bargain. Last weekend Lewi and I had a $5.00 challenge. We often do this when I really shouldn't be garage saling but rather saving my pennies. Lewi busted his budget - actually he doubled it. Luckily I had spare cash for bust times like these. He bought a DS game for $10.00 but it was still a bargain so we were all still happy. For $4.50 ( I had money left over!), these are the bargains I got. Soooooo rewarding!

I got: a small, cream Fowler bowl, green and cream Arizona plate, 2 old glass jars with red lids, 2 cream Johnson brothers plates with ripple edge (to add to my rapidly growing collection), 3 blue Johnson brothers plates (which I bought for Lynda), some gorgeously shaped spoons and silver ware and the pis de resistance .... da dalada da da da daaaaa....a bunch of the most exquisite green handled butter/pate knives I've ever seen! My heart skipped a beat or two when I spotted these little numbers. Green! Old! Knives! Yah!!! I love old cutlery, especially the bone handled sort but I've never, ever come across green handles like this before. All 6 of them tightly bunched together begging me to pick them up and take them home. How could I resist?

Auctions are another great place to grab a feathering bargain. They are so much fun. The atmosphere is great - quiet, tense and exciting. The auctioneer is the superstar of the day. They try to be funny and crack jokes. Sometimes they are---most times, not:). I used to love grabbing a ham, cheese and the best-pickles-ever-tasted sandwich from the oldies at the little fundraising kiosks that were always present at country auctions. Now, I think, they are pretty much a thing of the past. We are in need of an auction sandwich revival! Please!

I love going to auctions with my friends. There's nothing better than drooling over quirky, old or interesting things together with another passionate and obsessed person. The only trouble is that we end up fighting over who's going to bid for what. It's difficult having friends who like the same things as I do. I always try to be kind and compassionate and giving towards my friends and their auction needs but when I spot a bunch of bone handled knives or a rolling pin, a rustic timber table or anything green and crockery the nice side of me dissipates and Auction Kim rears her ugly head. Bahahahahahhhhhh!

One auction I went to with a friend ended up becoming a fiasco. She, for some very strange reason, got her wires crossed. She thought that the next up and coming box of crap to be auctioned had my name written all over it. We had been to many an auction together in the past. The guidelines have always been very clear: I bid for my things and she bids for hers. Somehow, today was to be different. She started bidding on the box of crap. I began worriedly talking to her, in the deathly auction-bidding quiet. I was saying things like: "What in that box would you really be wanting?" and "Are you sure you want this stuff?" and "What the heck are you doing?" She did look confused but she was so focussed on her bidding that she couldn't acknowledge any of my extremely valid questions. When she finally won the box at $15, I was shocked yet happy for her that she could take home the crap for herself as she obviously saw something of value in that box that I had missed. After holding up her auction number she turned to me with an excited smile and said: "I got it for you!" What the ....???? For me? But why would you bid on it for me? And, did you not notice that I'd never mentioned anything in that box before this moment of horror?

For the remainder of the auction I wheeled and dealed my way out of that box. I ended up getting it put back into the auction line for re-bidding. The auctioneer (who I knew), asked me, in his booming auctioneery voice; What don't you like about this box, Kim?" In front of all of those tool-coveting, auction savvy, older men I cowered, now centre of attention, and mumbled something about the box being a mistake or something to that effect. He then said to me, again in his booming auctioneery voice; "Well, how much are you willing to pay for it, then? Surely it's worth $5.00 to you?" Agghh! Trapped!

'OK, then," I meekly replied. Anything to get this auction attention off of myself.

The saga then had to continue as I still felt $5.00 was waaaaaaay too much to pay for a box of crap I never, ever wanted. On taking a few deep breaths I decided to actually have a look inside the box and see what sort of crap I was dealing with. Bright blue 1970's crockery! Yum! Not! Worth something soon, probably, but not to me. There were two cute little jugs that I liked but other than that, I had been right all along....crap! At that moment, another very experienced auction and garage saler poked her head in the box and said: "I'll give you $3.00 for that blue stuff."

"It's a deal," I said with a relieved smile.

So, for $1.00 each, my friend and I ended up with a cute little jug each and no box of crap. I can still be friends with her. And, yes, I did go to more auctions with her. Although my hawk-eye is always alert, ready to grab her arm or stop her head from nodding at any given moment.

The jug! A rose amongst the ugly, 1970's, blue thorns.

The moral to this story... never, EVER go to an auction with a hormonal friend. Lunacy is very probable. And, $5.00 is ALOT of money for something you don't want!!!! I'm sure I don't have to convince you of that! Do, I ?

Vinnies is a great place for bargain feathering things. I've found many lovely pieces at Vinnies stores around the place. Unfortunately, now though,many Vinnies businesses have antique valuers come in and price their old wares. this makes their goods generally not as bargainy as they used to be. I know it's charity and everything but us bargain hunters aren't getting our rush as often as we need anymore... that is definitely a tragedy.

Here are some more feathering treasures I've purchased over the years from garage sales, auctions and Vinnies. I hope you too find some bargains to feather your nest. Go on, read the papers. Go to a garage sale next weekend. You'll love it!

One of my kitchen dressers purchased at a garage in Douglas St, Bega.

Green scales purchased at the Bega Wares auction. Blue ones found at a garage sale.

Garage sales and Vinnies bargains!

Old metal mechanics' oil jugs - garage sale in Watson St, Bega. Some of the silverware from garage sales.

Vinnies and garage sales.

The wash stand I got for a bargain at the Bega Wares auction. Sarah bought me the wash jug and basin from Vinnies (not that old but a nice repro). The old wooden cotton reels I got on eBay but the jar, tin, scissors, candlestick, chair and jug all come from garage sales. I painted the chair green (Russet Pear) to go in my living room.

Cake tin and teapot from garage sales. The lovely red tin Jo Anne gave me...one of Dad's many tip finds:)

This doesn't really go here as I got it from an antique store in Milton, but... it was a bargain!

Garage sale...

Some of my 16 rolling pins from garage sales. Tins are also from garage sales. The red handled kitchen utensils are from Rae who originally found them at Vinnies. She is a true Vinnies queen! But, keep an eye on her at auctions. I'm not saying another word....

Small tea box from garage sale. Big one was from Rae (garage sale!). The rolling pins are a mix of garage sale and Dad (via the tip). Bone handled cutlery from garage sales, auctions and Vinnies.

Garage sale.

Kettle and ammo box - garage sales. Old buckets - garage sale, my uncle Peter (tip!..guess who's brother Peter is???), and Lynda (a new one but looks great and old). Bowls are all from garage sales and Vinnies. That green fowler bowl is my favourite thing. Those green handled knives (I know, I couldn't resist adding another photo of them...) would have to now come a close second.

Rolling pin - Dad & Jo Anne. Old blue teapots from garage sale and Rae (via Vinnies, of course!).

See you at a garage sale, auction or Vinnies some day soon....