Thursday, November 22, 2012

Happy Thanksgiving!


Hopefully everyone has an excellent Thanksgiving today!  I know I'm already in turkey day mode:  Macy's Parade is on, will shortly begin working on getting ready to head out for my family dinners at 12:30 and 5. 

In addition to being immensely thankful to be spending time with my family today, I would just like to tell everyone how thankful I am for my readers, followers, and all the comments they leave me.  You have know idea how they brighten my day. 

So what's on your agenda for today?  Is there anything you're especially thankful for?

(Note:  The postcard is one from my collection, ironically the only Thanksgiving one from my collection.  I was really hoping to have one with a large and cheerful turkey.  Oh well, you get grapes in lieu.  Although not dated, it does state "Raphael Tuck & Sons, Art publishers to their majesties the King and Queen, Printed in Saxony")

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Untold Tales #1: The School House Magazines

With Thanksgiving around the corner, I'm faced with the terrifying idea that winter is just around the corner.  Although I am a great fan of the holiday season, generally it isn't friendly to me at the thrift stores.  How then, am I to satisfy the lull in my blogging (and general fun time) which this will inevitably create?  Idea: revisit all my old finds from before I began blogging.  Therefore, I bring you "The Untold Tales of Yesterway". As a note: this will be a photo heavy post...I'm sorry, I couldn't control myself. 

While I have only been blogging for slightly less than a year, ever since I was younger I've been interested in "that old stuffs".  I started purchasing it in my teens...and well...it has sort of snow balled into an intense passion since then. 

The so called "School House Magazines" were actually not a purchase.  One of my more distant relatives has an older abandoned school house on their property.  Although beyond repair (and frankly beyond safe), one day I was able to explore it.  I must note: it was absolutely fantastic.  The layout was intriguing, there were details I had never anticipated, the chalkboard was inspiring...and all this despite multiple years of hard weather and a quickly deteriorating roof.  I can't help but wonder what it would have been like to attend a school like that. 

Anyways, back to the magazines.  The entire floor was covered with them...lots of them.  Most were water damaged or torn beyond recognition but some were able to be salvaged.  At the time I didn't realize what a gold mine this "old stuff" was but now I treasure them for their illustrations and vintage advertisements. 


Lana Lobell, Hanover Pennsylvania Catalog
 
 
I adore all the swimsuits featured in this catalog!
There is a part of me that would love to get this dolled up on a regular basis.

I'm not sure I could handle some of those shoes though...they look like they would hurt my toes hehe
 
 
Woman's Day February 1948, Five Cents. (apologies for the sideways photo)
 
 
There are a ton of advertisements and generally interesting articles in this one.
 
 
They used to have Specialty Salesman Magazine, now we don't even have a Salesman.  October 1949, Fifteen Cents
 
 
Perhaps my favorite in terms of vintage advertisements and photos, Collier's December 11, 1953.  Fifteen Cents

Perfect for the upcoming holidays, Mars winter advertisement.  Note the Ten Cent price.

Trans World Airlines.  Don't you love the perfect snow scene?

IBM Electric Typewriter...in turquoise... perhaps something to add to my wish list.

Corby's whiskey.  I find the combo of the parrot and sleigh amusing.



One of my favorites, Maxwell House Coffee ad.  With another perfect snow scene *sigh*.


Zenith with a variety of televisions and radios.
 

Another favorite, Butterfinger candy.  It's just so happy, how can you not love it?

March 14, 1958
Remember when...a billion was a lot?
 Well folks, that's all for now.  Happy thrifting and if all else fails, curl up with some hot cocoa and White Christmas.  It's never too early for White Christmas. 

Linking up with Rednesday over at It's A Very Cherry World!

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Goodwill Was Good to Me...

This past week I took some much needed time off to go visit with my mom.  While there, we went out and enjoyed some quality thrifting time.  Now when I said Goodwill was good to me in the title, what I really mean was that Goodwill was "absolutely-fantastic-to-me-for-the-first-time-in-a-long-time-and-I-almost-tripped-trying-to-get-to-the-goodies-on-the-shelf" good to me.  Yeah, that good. 

 
 
The tripping part I had previously mentioned?  It occurred in a Goodwill which although I do not frequently visit due to the distance from my house, I have had pretty good luck in before.  There, in the middle of nowhere, I found the snowflake casserole, Amish blue butterprint casserole, and green primary mixing bowl...all sitting together on a shelf...all only $1.99 each.  *Insert faint here*  In my area the primary mixing bowls appear quite hard to find.  Thus far, aside from the small blue bowl, this is the only primary I have EVER found in a thrift.  Also, I found the lime green rimmed lunch plate for a quarter, the regency green dinner plate and creamer for $1 each and my mom also found me the Pyrex Bundt pan made in France. 
 
 

 

There was still more...amazingly.  The cookie jar, three spice of life canisters and butterfly gold butter tub, gravy boat, and under plate were all in the 25 cent to $2 range.  I also found 5 additional Bradford House dinner plates which I had previously posted about which brought me to the nice and even stack of 8 you see pictured. 


 
 
I even managed to snag some pretty sweet non-Pyrex goodies as well.  My favorite has to be the Bell 500 rotary telephone.  I was quite leery about this purchase as it was definitely beyond my realm of experience, but since it was only $3, I took a leap.  I did find out that it was made in 1979 with the "Not for Sale" markings but was officially sold in 1983.  I became quite tickled with the purchase after I was able to test it, with great relief I found out that the phone can receive calls, call out, and still rings.  The only thing I really noticed wrong with it is that there is more static on the line than I would expect to be normal and the hang up buttons do not light.  Overall though, completely worth the money.  Also pictured is Girl Scout canteen from the 1960's manufactured by Mirro. On the back of the cover is the "GS" logo as well on imprinted in the metal canteen itself.   
 
Finally, we have this rather intriguing book from 1953.  Although cameras are again not my specialty, I really liked this.  


It even has some lovely black and white photos as examples throughout the directional and technique text. 
 
And as would be expected, we also have some directional step by step photos.  


 
Well that's all for now folks.
Happy thrifting and (to all my U.S. readers) also have a Happy Thanksgiving this week as well!
 
Also, this is my first link up with Sir Thrift A lot's Thriftasaurus!


Monday, November 12, 2012

Berry Fabulous Goodies!

Lately I'm sad to report that the thrifting pickings have been quite slim.  Saturday, however, I did get an opportunity to zip around and hit up my local favorites, two Goodwill stores and a Salvation Army.  Although I didn't find much, I did come home with a couple fabulous goodies...and the fact that everything was such a good deal does make up some for the lack of quantity. 

 
 
Blissfully shabby huh?  Yes, that clock does look eerily similar to one I purchased less than a month ago...but it was only $2...it worked...and it matches at least right?  It's sitting on a cute little Pyrex coffee pot without lid or percolator parts. The small berry bowls are made by Corning and I'm pretty sure I have some dinnerware pieces which match.  The small frigie lid was a score for 79cents...and I mean to be honest, can you ever have enough frigie lids?  I don't know about anyone else, but I am always finding lidless frigies.  The custard cups were all a quarter each and are an older type with the dollar sign stamp.  The two pairs of tongs were on my wish list for some time.  The one pair is Ecko made in USA and the other pair are promotional ones from a local dairy; judging by the format of the phone number they are quite old.  Finally I found "the good stuff" so to speak.  The Pyrex wheat divided casserole and lid were actually found at two separate stores but the total still came to less than $4. 


Here is a close up of the tray.  I love the graphic on this one, it's such an ideal autumn scene. 

 
 
The cute little coffee pot do-dads actually have an interesting story, I found the larger of the two awhile ago and was quite tickled to find the matching single cup one for less than a dollar this past weekend. 
 



 
 
Finally, in a moment of impulse, I purchased three of these strawberry glasses made by Anchor Hocking and dated 1989.  Although they are newer than most of the goodies I purchase, how could I leave their berry cute design sitting there...especially since they were only 39 cents each.  


Well that's all for now folks, hopefully this week will bring some more goodies my way.  Happy thrifting!