Dig This Treasure!

Like I mentioned, my family was in Canada for vacation two weeks ago.  We were in the same area of Ontario as our day trip last year, only this time we were staying for 6 days.  Fun fact is that Grand Bend (our precise location) is featured in a MTV Canada show called Grand Benders.  We didn’t know this until our third or fourth day of vacation.  The show is basically Vanderpump Rules (a Bravo show).  It was fun to try and spot cast members while we were out to eat or at the beach.

Of course, we hit up our favorite antique haunts and tried a few new places. 

That’s Everett driving a car at a flea market.  He smoked that little girl in the background.

Those giant luggage trunks above were on the Titanic.  Just kidding, they weren’t on the Titanic.  Still cool though.

This Griswold rabbit mold is my all-time biggest holy grail antique item.  I have wanted it for YEARS.  They have one at an antique store near our house but it is $400.  This one was $300.  I literally dream about finding this for cheap at a garage sale or something.

These wind up metal guys were pretty neat but were $70 each.  No thank you.

I did buy a few things.  Most to resell.  I got these Armand Marseille doll heads for mega cheap.  I am hoping someone who restores old dolls might be interested.

I also got this Wyandotte tin train because I saw that brand on American Pickers once.  It was $10.

I think I will keep this pewter rose ice cream mold.  I have a thing for molds if you can’t tell.

My favorite purchase by far was this set of ceramic pig heads.  I thought for sure Zach was going to put the kibosh on this purchase, but he actually liked these.  (Or he was being charitable…not sure.)

Their heads actually hold dishtowels.  Very practical.  I will be hanging them in the kitchen.

That’s all!  See you next year Canada!

-Erin

A few weeks ago, there was an estate sale in my neighborhood.  It wasn’t on estatesales.net but luckily a friend of mine spotted it and told me.  I am glad she did because the home was that of a former antiques dealer.  Everything in the house was high quality, and even better, there was tons of it. 

As you can see, it was a lot of paper stuff.  I had Everett with me so it was pretty much impossible to look through any of this.  I decided to come back the next day with Sarah.  Before I left though, I struck up a conversation with the women running the sale.  They seemed really nice and kept repeating that they were willing to make good deals.  Nearly everything in the house still had price tags on it from the woman’s antique booth.  The ladies running the sale were her daughters and said they would NOT be charging what the stickers said.  Ok great, I LOVE DEALS.

So Sarah and I come back the next day and it seemed like Sarah was in hogs’ heaven.  One back room of this house was completely filled with old postcards. 

The day before, one of the women running the sale said that a giant box of postcards would be about $60, which she then explained was about a penny a piece per card.  I told Sarah that if she bought a bunch of cards, she would certainly get a good deal.

I found two postcards for myself and let Sarah have the rest.  These Santas usually sell pretty well on ebay.

In the garage there was a ton more paper.  All of it was old brochures, programs, ticket stubs–all your basic ephemera.  I started digging.

I found a plastic sleeve full of old railroad stuff and grabbed it on a whim.  I haven’t sold any train stuff on ebay before, but it seems like something a lot of people are geeky about.

It was really hot outside so I peaced out and went to meet back up with Sarah.  I could tell she was losing steam.  The house had no air and the amount of stuff to look through was getting burdensome.

Not to mention that something else was becoming very clear–these women were totally lying about their “deals."  There would be NO DEALS.  Something had happened since the previous day that made these ladies less than thrilled about parting with their mom’s stuff.  Fair enough.  It’s tough to do.  That said, from our perspective, this was very annoying. 

Sarah’s loss of joy over this sale was pretty clear:

That’s her "Let’s GTFO of here face.”

Postcards were now “individually priced” and some were $12 each.  TWELVE DOLLARS.  EACH.  Sarah had a stack of postcards about 3 inches deep and they wanted to charge her $75.  $75, which they explained, was actually a VERY good deal.  No.

After going back and forth for awhile on prices, I was able to get a small pile of stuff for $17.  It included that train stuff and Santa postcards above, as well as the following:

Don’t old Halloween decorations sell?  These guys are in okay shape and pretty cool looking.

And this horrible card:

No seriously, WTF.  This card isn’t even that old!  JFC.

The best score I got (which should make me not complain so much about the prices at this sale) was an old railroad schedule from the 1890s.  It sold for $100 on ebay last week, which was a huge shock.  It was hovering around $20 and then shot up in the last minute.  So awesome.

Poor Sarah only got some overpriced postcards, although she didn’t end up paying $75.  I think she paid like $25.  Hopefully one of them is made of gold!

Oh and P.S. I went back to this sale for a third time with Zach.  I thought maybe on the last day these women would have a change of heart and really price to sell.  (They didn’t.)  I found this Indian doll that I had a sneaking suspicion was an Armand Marseille.  I had seen a really similar doll at another estate sale in mint condition that was AM and was priced $200.  This one was far from mint but I got it for a mere $5.  It sold on ebay for $36!

Cute huh? If it’s hair hadn’t fallen off, I would have kept it!  Anyway, keep an eye out for these because they are Armand Marseille but are not marked! 

Ok and here is totally-over-it Sarah again.  Just because.

-Erin

First off, Happy Fourth of July! Eat all of the hot dogs and love your country like you’ve never loved before.  USA! USA!

Ok, so last weekend, Zach woke up early on Saturday and announced to me that he was headed out to some sales.  Zach has dabbled in sales before, but has just recently gotten serious about buying and reselling.  As his sensei, I am thrilled about this.

So Zach returns home awhile later and says he thinks he did “well."  I knew instantly that he had.  The first thing I saw in his arms was a LL Rittgers 1941 set of chalkware baseball players.  Timmy actually bought these in a previous entry, at the Ann Arbor Super Auction.  I assumed that Zach was a blog super fan and knew that these figures are SUPER valuable, but instead Zach said he bought them because "they were old and baseball."  FAIR ENOUGH.  (But also, read the damn blog.)

In Zach’s set, he actually had the really rare catcher figurine, which I have never seen before and also cannot find on ebay. 

So get this.  Zach paid $5 TOTAL for the set.  Insane.  Seriously bananas.  We are rich.  I am probably going to quit my job.  Just kidding, I have a baby and can’t do that.

Zach also bought some old Pan Am ephemera and old Las Vegas ephemera which is on ebay now, so we will see how that goes.  That stuff has always been hit or miss, but when it is a hit, it’s a hit.

I decided that I should probably rush out to the sale he had just visited because it sounded like a goldmine.  The first thing I grabbed was another LL Rittgers figurine.  This one was a solider and I got him for $3.  He has some damage, but still worth the risk.

The sale was interesting.  The house was a mess, but everything seemed pretty collectible.  It just all needed a good dusting.

I didn’t buy anything from this giant garbage pile.  And I also didn’t buy that outrageous puppy sweater below.

I did, however, try to look up vintage blow up dolls on ebay.  My internet wouldn’t work in this house, but that is probably for the best. 

"Cold Feet, The Squirt Game."  NO THANK YOU.

I did end up buying a few things.  This rubber face Pinocchio for $1:

And this Hubley cap gun and holster for $20:

Stay tuned for more adventures with Zach, and a sale where Sarah almost got charged $75 for 40 postcards.

Now go eat those hot dogs!

-Erin

We hope you all enjoyed our Part One recap of the trip we took to Antiques Roadshow.  It was a really long read, but thanks for hanging in there!

Today’s entry is all about some of the cool people we met at the Roadshow, and perhaps more importantly, the treasures!

Before Sarah, Zach, and I arrived at Cobo Center in Detroit, my dad had already been there early that morning.  He unfortunately had to wait in the crazy long triage line to get in (more proof that Timmy needs his own blog and thus press credentials).  Luckily, he brought a chair for the 3 hour excursion.

People actually started offering him money for the chair because they were so exhausted standing!  Anyway, Timmy also brought two items for appraisal.  First, a 1948 Babe Ruth watch and second, a Ty Cobb signed check. 

His appraisals went really well.  Much better than my illegal scrimshaw one.  The Babe Ruth watch is from 1948 and is a “caricature watch.”  The most famous caricature watch is from the 1930s and features Mickey Mouse. Other notable examples are The Lone Ranger and Dick Tracy.  

My dad found this watch at an estate sale about 5 years ago.  And the tale is a really great one. The sale was of a baseball collector.  If I remember correctly, the man had worked for the Detroit Tigers, so the house was packed with all sorts of Tigers things.  I wasn’t there, but my sister went with my dad, and they both brought giant bags to load up.  While waiting outside, my dad chatted with another guy waiting.  My dad explained how he collected all things baseball, and the other guy said he collected only vinyl records.  

Inside the sale, the stranger my dad had met walked up and handed my dad this Babe Ruth watch. He said, “Hey baseball guy, I found this for you,” and proceeded to hand it over.  Such an INSANELY kind gesture, considering that I’m about to tell you what this watch is worth.  

My dad paid $90 for the watch at this sale, and flash forward, he’s here at Antiques Roadshow. The appraiser was shocked to see the watch in its original box, with its original plastic baseball case, and with all of the paperwork inside (even the purchase receipt).  He appraised it at $3,000!

This is my dad’s most favorite possession, and he was thrilled by the value.  Of course, he will never sell it though!

The Ty Cobb check ended up valued at $1,200, which was also more than my dad expected.  He bought it in the 1970s at a sports card show for $125.  Apparently Ty Cobb’s family sold a bunch of these checks from his estate after he died in order to raise money for his foundation.

Everyone we met at the Roadshow had just as much fun as my dad, even if their appraisals weren’t as high.  

Karen brought a baby doll from her childhood.  She would change its diapers while her mom changed her sister’s diapers.  It appraised for $15.  I think this was because it was vinyl, and not bisque or composition.  Still a very cute doll!

We also met Debbie and Susan, sisters from Royal Oak.  They brought their great-grandmother’s Homer Laughlin pitcher and an old alabaster and marble framed bust.

Debbie thought that her entire family might end up fighting over this vase, but said she reconsidered when it appraised for $75.  She said everyone assumed it would appraise a bit higher because of its age, but that they will still all cherish it a lot!

The alabaster and marble framed bust was purchased by Debbie’s and Susan’s mother at a church rummage sale.  At the time, their mother paid $80.  The bust appraised for $500-600, which was a great surprise!  Maybe the family will fight over this item now instead of the vase! 

At some point, I saw a woman walking around carrying a Dream Baby doll.  I practically bum rushed her.

Jayne and Sue got this doll from their aunt.  They remember seeing it growing up, and knowing they couldn’t play with it.  The doll is from the 1910s or 20s and is made by Armand Marseille.  It appraised for $75-100, which I was shocked by!  I thought for sure the doll would be worth more because it was in amazing condition.  I do have a soft spot for Dream Baby dolls though, so I’m biased.

We saw lots of other amazing treasures at the Roadshow, and some of them I suspect will be shown on the program when it airs.  

Kachina dolls!  I would probably give up my first born child to own these (sorry Zach).  I don’t love all Kachina dolls, but that furry guy in the front is exquisite!

I don’t even know what this next thing is, but Sarah would probably give up her first born for it (she really likes Peanuts stuff):

We had several people ask if we saw this velvet John Lennon portrait roll by:

And yes, yes we did.

We also saw this giant buffalo roll by:

But what was the COOLEST thing that Detroit brought to Antiques Roadshow?  Well, we didn’t know!  But Marsha Bemko, the show’s executive producer, sure did!  Stay tuned for Part 3 of our recap, when Marsha reveals the highest priced item at the Roadshow!

-Erin

Update from Sarah: This is sort of a non-update because I don’t have much to add! Erin got it all right! The one thing that surprised me was how positive every single person was who we talked to. They had to wait so long to get their items appraised, but all of them said they had a great time and loved the chance to meet a whole bunch of new people while waiting. I guess that’s the midwest for ya!    

You may remember that a month or so ago, Erin and I found a secret auction where they were selling lots and lots of dolls. My main purchase that I thought might make me some cash were these creepy doll heads for $10. 

I finally sold them last week and let me tell ya, it was awesome. People started bidding them up really early on, and right away I was amused by some of the buyers’ eBay names. My favorite, by far, was “ArtsyFartsyFairy,” and she ended up winning the auction. Part of my theory about why these sold for so much was that a week before that, I had gotten a new iPhone because zzPopps accidentally broke my old one during our garage sale. Check out my baller eBay pics! 

My other theory was that crazy doll ladies wanted these for parts–especially the sleep eyes inside. I’ve sold some really old sleep eyes for quite a bit of money in the past. Here’s what the ones looked like inside these doll heads: 

All of them had these eyes and they were all in great shape. Anyway, at the end of the auction, here’s what I made: 

Awwwww yeah! 

I emailed ArtsyFartsyFairy and asked her what made these heads so desirable, and here’s what she said: 

To learn more about Shirley’s Junque Jarz, check out her blog. But here’s a picture of one of them: 

Anyhow, here’s proof that people will buy your stuff on eBay and do all sorts of wonderful things with it! 

-Sarah

Six months ago, I found an Arranbee “Dream Baby” doll at a sale, and took a chance on it for $50.  At the time, I think I referred to this doll as a “dumb little idiot” because it looked really funny without its dress on.

This dummy grew on me though, and I started to really love it.  I bought it specifically to sell, but I remember waiting to list it on ebay while I decided whether to keep it.  This was REALLY strange for me, because I have never been a doll person, not even as a child.  I’ve only bought one other doll to keep, and eventually sold it after a month or so after falling out of love.

But there was something about this Arranbee doll that I loved.  I think it was its cute little face and weird little teeth.  And it also has something to do with its stubby little body.

Look!  Someone even put a tiny handmade diaper on it.  Probably a child in the 1920s or something.  So cute.

Ok, so I am dragging this out, but here is the deal.  So six months ago, despite being in love, I sold this darn thing on ebay for a whopping $250.  The money made my love affair less important to be honest.  I was thrilled.  I packed little dummy up in a million pounds of bubble wrap and shipped him off to California.

But then, little dummy came back.  Because little dummy’s stupid little dumb eyes fell out of its skull while being shipped to California.  The doll had “sleepy eyes” which opened and closed, but the jostling around of transit had loosened them.

Luckily, I had paid for insurance with USPS, so I filed a claim and got reimbursed the full $250.  That way, I could refund the buyer, and still have made my sale profit.  

I wasn’t sure what to do with little dummy when he came back all eye-less.  But then I found a doll hospital in Berkley, MI.  The doll ended up staying there FOR FOUR MONTHS.

And then yesterday, little dummy came home.  I started singing that Eminem song that goes, “Guess who’s back?  Back again…”

So what will happen to the Dream Baby now?  Well, it’s back up on ebay of course!!  That’s not to say I didn’t struggle for a good half day on whether to keep it…

-Erin