Note: Today's regularly scheduled episode in our series "Stuff I Hauled Home from an 11-Hour Auction" has been briefly postponed so that we may bring you the following special, "Christmas Stuff from a Saturday Morning Estate Sale."
The next episode of "Stuff I Hauled Home from an 11-Hour Auction," tentatively titled "Part 3: Quilt Patterns" will appear sometime Sunday. Unless I somehow manage to find another sale before then.
Even I'm starting to think that this is an above-average year for Christmas. Usually I think that it's not a matter of there being a lot of Christmas out there, but that I'm working hard to find it.
I have to admit: I didn't work very hard this weekend. I'm trying to be really efficient about sales this year. I didn't go out at all Friday, and today I went to just one estate sale. Indeed, I did haul myself out of bed extra early and get there in time to be #8 on the list. Still, today felt more like luck.
I'm giving myself an apron for being an efficient shopper and for not doing what I really wanted to do when I heard the rain,* which was go back to sleep.
(*and although I'm very fond of the sound of rain, I really enjoy it more once in a while and not every single day)
(which would account for the pretty marginal quality of these photos)
Lots of Shiny Brites, hooray! One of my favorite Shiny Brite designs is the snow-cap, and there were almost two full boxes of them. These could be very hard to sell, as I'm thinking how incredibly cute a tree would look with snow-cap Shiny Brites on just about every branch.
Adorable glittery cardboard birds, I love you! I especially love the fact that you don't mind that your head pops off so you can be a candy container. And I'm madly in love with the fact that even the inside of the candy container is cute. (If you look through the hole of the silver one on right, you can see the floral pattern lining. Sigh. Nobody had to do that, but they did.)
There were boxes and boxes of Christmas lights in a big box that I had to buy to get the stuff I really wanted. Even though I'm terrified of vintage electric**, I do like the box graphics.
Especially this illustration.
(**Programming note: The afterschool special "Never Plug in Vintage Christmas Lights While You're Wearing a Fuzzy Sweater Because Sparks Might Fly and You'll Catch on Fire and Have to Stop, Drop and Roll across the Dining Room Floor" will not air this year, because simply reading the title is probably all you need to know. Although, if we could find someone to play the part of the Woman Wearing the Fuzzy Sweater, it might be kind of entertaining.)
If this looks familiar, it's because I found one just like it a few years ago, and it's been a staple of the Santa display ever since. This one needs a replacement reindeer, but I probably have one.
The happiest surprise was a set of Noel candleholders rattling around in the bottom of the big box.
Time to award more aprons:
Not too far away, excellent prices, well-behaved crowd.
Lots of Christmas.
I'd say the only downside to the sale was that other than the Christmas, there wasn't much to interest me. But I don't think it's worth taking away an apron for that, since I came home with plenty.
Which makes it a three-apron sale. Not bad for a rainy Saturday morning.
You do know what happens six months from today, don't you?
Amazing haul! Love the "Noel" candle holders!
Posted by: Mrs. Cozy Home | June 25, 2011 at 04:02 PM
You absolutely have to keep the snow cap Shiny Brites! They are too beautiful to sell. They were meant to be. :)
Posted by: Joy | June 25, 2011 at 04:58 PM
I will never be able to look at a box of vintage Christmas lights again without thinking of you! Glad you remembered your elementary school training.
Posted by: Gina at Vintage Junk in My Trunk | June 25, 2011 at 04:58 PM
I would have given it a zillion aprons. I bet you live some place where there are basements and usable attics and great stuff waiting to be found.
Posted by: Betty | June 25, 2011 at 06:12 PM
The six months til Christmas reminder was NOT NICE! LOL! Other than that great haul!
Posted by: Jenny | June 25, 2011 at 07:37 PM
I'm with you on the vintage lights. Just read the box: "Each lamp BURNS independently"! And I was really enjoying all the Christmas stuff, until you had to remind me about Christmas being six months away!
Posted by: Carol @ Old Glory Cottage | June 25, 2011 at 07:41 PM
You crack me up! I'm drooling over your Christmas haul!
Posted by: margarita betancourt | June 25, 2011 at 10:57 PM
It's not that I don't like vintage Christmas stuff -- especially the snow-capped ornaments and those adorable birds -- but when you said "quilt patterns," I don't think I actually read anything after that. Now I am anxiously awaiting the "quilt patterns" you have so casually postponed, as if "quilt patterns" are somehow not in the same category as vintage Christmas ornaments. I willingly admit that I am obsessed.
Have you seen the movie "Marwencol"?
Posted by: Martha | June 25, 2011 at 11:11 PM
Now I would watch that fuzzy sweater episode! That does sound a bit sadistic doesn't it? :P
Posted by: Maria (Magia Mia) | June 26, 2011 at 10:37 AM
The snow caps are over the top cute ! It seems like it is getting harder and harder to find them in good condition - so you need to keep them all ! I think that you are having an exceptionally good Christmas haul so far this year .
Posted by: Lisa W. | June 26, 2011 at 02:01 PM
Holy Toledo B I'm inlove with everything - especially the NOEL candle holders - what a great haul for a rainy Friday. I'm with Martha on the QUilt Patterns though - we both will be happy when we return to normal programming (LOL). J
Posted by: Julie | June 26, 2011 at 03:53 PM
P.S. Please don't forget the Christmas Bears this year - they are still complaining to me about lack of recognition last year - you do after all have 6 months to make up to them...
Posted by: Julie | June 26, 2011 at 03:54 PM
Where on earth do you store all these ornaments??? (Cause I know you don't have a big house...)
Brenda
Posted by: Brenda Kula | June 26, 2011 at 08:02 PM
Woman...you have really found the mother load!! I went back a few posts to see what the rest of that auction haul was. Holy smokes!! So where can I find the cookbooks that you are willing to part with???
Posted by: black eyed susans kitchen | June 27, 2011 at 11:13 AM
Those snow cap Shiny Brites are just delicious. Once, when my (now 25 year old) nephew was little, my sister asked him to put the N-O-E-L candlesticks on the mantel. When my sister looked up, they were there, but he had spelled out L-E-O-N, which made more sense to him. Needless to say, every year since, they go back up on the mantel as L-E-O-N.
xoxo
Pam
Posted by: one gal's trash | June 27, 2011 at 01:08 PM
When is your Etsy shop opening...give us all a chance at some of your wonderful finds!
Posted by: Debbie | June 27, 2011 at 04:18 PM
Deck the halls..you scored on this one!
Posted by: laurie magpie ethel | June 27, 2011 at 10:31 PM
I'm weeping onto my computer now. Still not even the tiniest bit of vintage Christmas for sale around here. A full-blown panic attack is coming, I can feel it. :-)
The snow caps are my all time favorites -- had those on the tree when I was a kid. If I found boxes of those at an estate sale, I would have probably hugged some unsuspecting shopper.
Posted by: Into Vintage | June 27, 2011 at 10:43 PM