Dig This Treasure!

It was pretty dreary on Sunday, but Zach suggested we go to the Flat Rock Speedway, where they were having a flea market.  I’m glad we did because it turned out to be lots of fun!

I just looked at the large version of this photo on my computer and there is a giant Confederate flag dead center.  UGH.  I will assume it was a person selling only authentic Civil War memorabilia.  (It wasn’t.)

Man, what I wouldn’t give to drive one of those buses around the track.  They were all smashed up and looked like they had several different rounds of fire damage.  I’d still totally drive one though. And crash it.

Here are my boys.  Aren’t they cute?  I gave Everett a tootsie roll pop to keep him busy.  He sat in silence and ate it for about 2 hours.  Shoutout to tootsie roll pops.

Look! It’s another one of those ICP dolls!  On what planet was someone like, “we should totally paint the doll like this.”  It’s awful.  No one will buy that doll.

There were a ton of these jail mugshots in a ziplock bag.  I wanted all of them.  They were so amazing.  Most of the crimes were gambling and larceny related.  The guy selling these though wanted $4 EACH.  No way.  I wanted the whole bag for $10.  No deal.

I also liked this old “flicker” watch.  It was similar to a hologram.  The baseball player would swing his bat when you turned your wrist.  The guy selling it said it was from the 50s but it looks more 60s or 70s to me.  He wanted $95 for it.  That was out of my range but still very cool to try it on.

Speaking of holograms, how do you say “hologram?”  Zach says HOE-LOW-GRAM to which I promptly called him an idiot.  I say HA-LAH-GRAM.

Here is a hotdog I ate.  It was good as hell.

I only bought three things but they were all great.  This whole flea market had treasures I had not seen before, and everything was priced pretty reasonably.

I got these Gurley Halloween candles still in the box.  They are on eBay now, but I fantasized about keeping them.  They are seriously the cutest. I paid $10.

I also got this Halloween blow mold. It is also cute.  It was $5.

My largest purchase was this gigantic lot of old Sesame Street toys from the 80s and 90s.  Sarah will 100% murder me for not giving these to her.  I paid $15 and put them on eBay Buy It Now for $50.  They sold instantly, which is a blessing and a curse.  It is nice to make a profit, but the fact that they sold instantly makes me think I should have listed them for higher.

Zach bought an old railroad poster that was framed.  It was really neat until he realized it was just a photocopy of an old railroad poster.  The aging on the edges and the slight tears were not real when you looked close, just a copy!  He returned it after we raised a stink.

Zach also bought an amazing old watch here, but only after we went home first.  It was pricey, marked $395.  I could tell it was weighing on Zach’s mind and that he loved it so much.  When we got home, he texted with a watch friend in New York, who valued it around $1200.  A similar one on eBay recently sold for $980.  Zach raced back to buy the watch.

He ended up getting it for $300 which is a great deal.  This watch is a chronograph, which is way more collectible than your average vintage watch.  The brand is Vulcain and it is from the 60s. The dial style is called a “surfboard.”  I think he will probably wear it awhile and then eventually sell it.

That’s all from Flat Rock! 

-Erin

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

Last Saturday, I hopped on a plane to South Carolina to visit my parents while they’re vacationing there during February and March. I was prepared for maximum relaxation and treasure hunting. In particular, I was convinced that I would find another Big Hug Mug. My mom’s friend Ann was also visiting while I was there, so the three of us started our treasure-hunting adventures on Sunday, where we hit up the Coastal Carolina Flea Market. 

If this doesn’t look promising, you’re right. It was bad. But it was so bad, it was good. So many things that were hard to resist. 

This giant flea market is part garage sale, part Gibraltar Trade Center, part… confusing. There are a bunch of huge buildings attached to one another where people have more permanent booths set up (like GTC), where they sell things ranging from antiques to stun guns. Also, everyone smokes inside the buildings. It’s so gross. 

The first booth we got to was filled with antiques and other treasures. At this point, Cindy was thrilled to be here. That was before she saw the rest of the offerings. 

Does your baby need a stun gun? This baby did. 

That’s not your style? How about this beautiful velvety blanket? 

Still not your style? How about these leggings on blow-up legs? 

When we were outside in the garage-saley area, I found this crazy hoarder-y person’s place with a sign that said that everything was one dollar. In the midst of all the rest of the garbage here, it sounded promising. Spoiler Alert: It wasn’t. Here’s a sample: 

I was fading fast and then noticed something we don’t have in Michigan–a taco truck! I was pumped. 

It was really good. 

On our way out, we found one other booth with “antiques” and I purchased a pair of sterling earrings with inlaid stones that were overpriced. My mom purchased something that I can’t remember, but I know she spent way too much money. What can I say? We were desperate.

Here she is again, checking things out. 

Oh I remember–she found some beaded pins that the woman who owned the booth told her were pieces of old Native American beadwork. My mom believed her… I am still very skeptical. The reason for knowing that’s what they were was that she saw something similar on Antiques Roadshow. WTF? 

Besides the tacos, I did have one other good experience–I saw this painting and was immediately able to identify the animal depicted, thanks to our super helpful readers. 

-Sarah

Zach and I took a short trip to New York City this weekend.  We wanted to sneak in some freedom and fun time before the baby comes in October.  NYC has got to be my favorite place on Earth (Zach’s too), and even though we only had a couple days there, we made the most of it.

We spent our first day visiting Rosie Pope Maternity (shout-out to Bravo TV fans), perusing fake goods in Chinatown, and going to the bar with friends.  Sunday, however, was dedicated to treasure hunting.  We started the day at a street fair near our hotel.  I bought some of these embroidered pillow shams (a zebra and giraffe).  Supposedly they are handmade in Kashmir, but that is probably a lie.

You might remember that last year Zach and I visited Brooklyn Flea.  This year, we decided to check out GreenFlea in Manhattan.  It wasn’t as large as Brooklyn Flea, but ended up having really great treasures.

Zach spotted David Fricke of Rolling Stone magazine fame.  This was actually the first of two celebrity sightings, as Zach inadvertently found a seat by Andre 3000 later this day at the airport. 

David Fricke wears flip flops.

Some of the best things at GreenFlea were:

This INCREDIBLE Skookum doll.  I actually missed this when walking around and Zach brought me over to it.  When I saw it, I hoped so badly I was going to get an amazing deal on it.  So far, I have never paid more than $30 for a Skookum.  The woman selling this though wanted $200.  

These silver and bakelite bugs.  The old man selling these actually makes them himself! They were each around $200, which was out of my price range.  I would have bought one in a heartbeat though, as I am always looking for nice pins for my Fall jackets.

These shadow boxes.  SUCH A GOOD AND SIMPLE IDEA.  This person buys old lead figurines (just like Zach collects) and then mounts them in shadow boxes.  Very cool.  Here is another one, but with old razors:

This giant metal horse head.  The woman selling this said it came from a kids’ ride-on toy from the 30s.  I would have liked to buy this for the nursery, but it was $75, which seemed steep.

This HERWI nodder made in Germany.  Clearly this is really old, but does anyone know if it is valuable?  I couldn’t find anything on ebay.  Asking price was $40.

We ended up buying only a couple things.  First was this super old Santa figure.  It seems to be carved out of wood, or some sort of chalkware type material.

It was $5. Also $5 was this lead soldier Zach found:

Zach also found the last two items we bought.  First was a cool Andy Warhol card from the 80s.  We haven’t found out much info on the company that put this out, but it seems to be some sort of super tiny, independent erotica place.  I’m only saying that because there is stuff on the back of the card about sex.

The last purchase was this old business card.  Zach couldn’t pass it up because of the hilarity.  When he asked the price, the man selling this said, “Hmm, I don’t know…it could be valuable.”  That is always THE WORST thing to hear a seller say, especially when something is clearly not worth much.  Zach bartered him down to $1.

Eleanor was real sassy.  Just like David Fricke and his flip flops.

I should also mention that at this flea market I ate the best treat of my life.  It was a waffle with nutella and ice cream.  Seriously so boss.

Until next time New York!

-Erin

Last Saturday, I noticed an advertisement for an antique/flea market in Monroe, MI.  I had no plans so I decided to take the 45 minute drive there and check it out.  I invited Sarah along, but she was busy.  Good thing she didn’t come because the trip was a major bust.

When I arrived at the “market” my first realization was that it was way smaller than I had envisioned it was going to be.  I was thinking more “Taylor Town Trade Center” and less “VFW Hall.”  Oh well, you can still fit lots of treasures in small spaces, right?

I LOVE that it says “FLEE” Market.  I think this was a secret signal telling people that they should turn around and run.  

Also of note here is the “No Animals Allowed” sign, which obviously means this is a reoccurring problem.

My next observation was that someone was playing fast and loose with the term “antiques.”  If this was an “antique market” then I am George Washington.

Ok so on to some “hard to resist” items:

See those patches in the case?  Can someone please explain to me what D.I.L.L.I.G.A.F. means?  I’m all for long abbreviations (TTFYHO, anyone?) but I am not familiar with that one.  Dilligaf sounds like the name of a Pokemon.

That neon-colored thing is a bedazzled possum skull, surrounded by various other animal parts.  

I ended up buying some of these maple nut candy things and then hightailed it out of there.  I was so bummed that I had driven so far for nothing that I decided to search for antique stores in the area.  I found this:

Turns out they were open, as indicated by this window paint that says, “WE OPEN.”

When I went inside, I noticed again that in Monroe, MI there is some confusion over the word “antique.”

“Completely Up To Date!”

This entire set of hot sauces was $12, which is actually a great deal.  I don’t eat hot sauce though because even ground pepper is too spicy for me.  

I left here empty handed and made the sad 45 minute drive back to Livonia.  I stopped at the thrift store in a last ditch attempt at finding a treasure.  I bought this IZOD shirt:

I wore it for about two days before I realized it was not very cute.  And when I asked Zach if he agreed, he politely informed me that it wasn’t my best fashion choice.

Man! I just couldn’t win.  Even at that night’s Plymouth auction, here is what greeted me:

OK, that is TOTALLY a snake case.  I have never seen a more snake case-looking snake case in my life.

-Erin

P.S. I left the Plymouth auction after about 10 minutes, empty-handed.  Whomp whomp.

You guys! I LITERALLY slept through Christmas.  In the days leading up to it, I was feeling more and more ill, and sure enough, I was so sick on Christmas morning that I slept the whole day and day after.  UGH.  This was the ultimate in sadness.  Not only did I miss the magic of Christmas day, I missed a blog post all about my cool Christmas finds from the year!  So here it is now, deal with it.

One of the largest and most-Christmasy items we found this year was a giant wood Santa Claus.  Timmy had been on the lookout for one and when Sarah and I found this for a mere $20, we had to buy it.  

Here it is back then:

And here it is now…  (Don’t worry everyone, my dad bolted it to the house so that no one would steal it.)  

And here are some more favorite Christmas finds:

That ceramic wreath stayed lit for like a day before the bulbs inside burned out.  But it is still cool!

Christmas Garfield and a wooden Santa that kicks its arms and legs when you pull that string.

That cardinal cookie jar and plate were only $5, and I remember thinking at the time that that was a HUGE steal.  When I got home though, I realized there was a big crack in the back of the cookie jar.  I sealed it up nice with some glue, and you can’t even tell!  That dog stocking for George was actually found on ebay, and it cracks me up every time I look at it.  The holly on the bottom looks like gravestone art or something and the text is super weird.  

This roly poly tin is perhaps my favorite Christmas treasure.  Zach found it at the Midland flea market.  He had been talking for weeks beforehand about wanting one of these tins, but they were kind of pricey on ebay.  And then sure enough, he found one clean as a whistle and for only $8.  These old tins were made by the American Tobacco Company and come in all sorts of characters.

And here is our dining room on Christmas Eve, before I got the Plague.  I finally got to use all of the Waechtersbach Christmas tree plates I got at “Best Sale Ever.”  My mother-in-law, who got me started on collecting these plates, could not believe how many pieces of the set I now had.  Finding all of the set at one estate sale was an incredible score.  

You can’t see them in this photo, but I had all of the serving platters and bowls in this set too, as well as a whole tea set!  Very exciting!

Merry belated Christmas!

-Erin

A couple of weeks ago, I was sitting on the couch on a Saturday night (thrilling I know), and stumbled on a listing for the Midland Flea Market and Antique Show happening that weekend.  Zach and I decided that we HAD to wake up early the next day and make the 2 hour trek to it.  The listing said that the show was on 80 acres of property, which is insane and alluring.

I don’t know much about Midland, MI but I can say now that it is cold there (and windy) and they like cars.  Most of the 80 acres was filled with rusty car parts and a car racing arena.  The remaining half acre or so was antiques.  Luckily they were good antiques!

My first find was this large wooden figure (knight? religious man?) that opens up for storing clandestine adult drinks.

I paid $15 for him which I think was pretty fair.  I’m not sure if he’s even old, or if he came from Pier One or something, but I love him.

I was really on the hunt for some nice porcelain, but came up short.  There were 2 booths that had Herend stuff, but they were priced crazy high.  I did find this booth selling porcelain and ceramic housewares.  Isn’t this the coolest idea?  So cute.

My two favorite finds of the day were farm related and both made out of tin.  The first is another egg scale for my collection, and the second is an old chicken toy that poops out a little egg when you press on its head.  I know “poops out”  isn’t the correct biological term here, but you get the idea.

Zach got these neat old books, one of which has some seriously spooky illustrations.  Also, for the record, Sarah’s nickname in high school was “Jumbo Crusoe.”  (And you all thought it was “Pleasure Chest”…)

Here’s a book that Zach decided not to buy:

-Erin

My antique-filled birthday extravaganza continued with a trip to Greenmead a couple weekends ago.  Greenmead hosts an antique market every few months during the summer, and it is truly one of the best.

Zach and I found our first treasure pretty quickly.  It was this great old oil painting from 1922.  The painting is of a Greek ship called the Greek Frigate Hellas.  Here’s a Wikipedia all about this ship, which was part of the Hellenic Navy.

Next, I met up with one of our loyal DTT readers, a cool guy named Rudy.  Rudy had a booth at Greenmead, and had messaged us to ask if we would be in attendance.  I had assumed that Rudy was a woman, as most of our readers are.  When I walked up and asked for Rudy, and he introduced himself, I said, “OH I THOUGHT YOU WERE A LADY.”  I am obviously great with first impressions.  After that little snag, Rudy and I chit chatted about collecting.  His booth was all vintage toys and action figures.  He had some Magic cards, so I asked about the infamous Black Lotus card.  He didn’t have any, which is fine because I didn’t have the 1000 bones to buy it.

What I also want to mention about Rudy, is that he is a great testament to the potential of this blog.  I’m not just here to make fun of Sarah and write about porcelain I want.  I also hope that in time, we become a hub for people who are looking for certain items, or who have things that we want to buy.  So that said, Rudy is always buying and selling vintage toys, action figures, and also vintage knives and weaponry.  If you have some, or want to buy some, message us and we will pass along Rudy’s contact information.

OK, so on to more goods…

I found this old blow-up guy from the 1960s.  His hat says “Tigers” but I don’t think he is Detroit related.  I still bought him for Timmy because I knew he would want him for his Tigers-themed den, which has items exclusively from the 50s and 60s.  

I also bought a McCoy pitcher to sell, and a 1968 Detroit Tigers ticket stub.  Zach found an old Red Wings postcard and a small wood music box in the shape of a piano.  Here are some things we passed on:

Zach was pretty shocked that I didn’t actually buy that butter bowl.  He and Sarah have a running joke that I am the “buttermaster” because frankly, I love butter.  Really, I love all condiments or spreads.  I contend that there are way worse flaws to have in life, like buying every dog themed item you can find at an estate sale.  

-Erin

Update from Sarah: Why in the hell is that butter bowl TEN DOLLARS? And I would have bought that Tarzan patch.