Flea Market Finds!

This weekend was not very pleasant weather-wise, and it rained so hard Saturday morning that all the sales in our area were canceled. I laid in bed and considered just giving into the weather which had me feeling terribly anyway, but I just couldn't stand the thought of missing a bargain!

So my husband and I decided to go ahead and drive up to the nicer indoor flea market which is about 50 minutes away. It turned out to be great. My little boy (who inherited the lucky-junker gene) scored some rare action figures that Santa couldn't even find for him this past Christmas.That's my boy!

  I spotted this fantastic Sellers enamelware table, and my husband got it for a great price. To keep or to sell...that is (always) the question....

I love the table, but my BIG score was this lot of precious retro babies! I also found a great basket to put them in (its even my favorite "now" color, robin's egg blue).

I paid $10 for all of them, and I had planned to sell them in the booth or on etsy. Then I thought about how my Mother's heart would absoutely break if I didn't at least show them to her first, especially if she would happen to see this post after they had sold. So I decided to offer them to her for just a bit more than what I paid to make up for the gas money. Actually, once I cleaned them up, I started to get more attached, and as I have worked on this post I am really starting to love them...

I had some fun photgraphing them too!

I took this one to make my little boy laugh, which he did...

One thing I love about being a flea market fiend is that it brings out the kid in me. I love playing with all my treasures. Whether I decide to keep them or sell them, I still get to play with them for a while. Do you fellow junkers ever wonder how other people don't junk???  How do they do anything else? Do you have friends who don't "get" it? Oh well, I guess I have always been passionate about collecting and junk (thanks to my Mommy).

Junking is such a fun way to spend a weekend. Its a wonderful family activity. You get treasures for cheap (some of them end up being worth a lot of money too!) You can beautify your home for next to nothing. You can help someone else beautify their home or surprise them with the perfect gift. I could go on and on. I AM a proud junkaholic!

I digress. I get excited. About dolls, and whatever else happens to be "the find" on a particular weekend. But this weekend for me, it was all about the dolls.

Just look at those faces! These dolls are from the late 50's-60's. They cleaned up wonderfully. My secret is the Magic Eraser. It takes off every little scuff and years of dirt. I always test it on an inconspicuous area first, and so far it has worked like a charm on these vinyl and plastic type dolls.  I used a dollar store generic Magic Eraser and it worked as well, so save some money and try the generic.

Okay who couldn't love these babies? I have gone through various doll phases in my life. I have always loved them, from Barbies to Victorian porcelain dolls. Then I went through a period where they creeped me out and I thought dolls were a bit tacky and I packed the best away or sold the ones of little sentiment.

Then, strangely enough, it was these old, somewhat creepy composition dolls that got me back on a doll kick. I found a box of them at a yard sale, along with some misc. parts and heads which added to the first impression of creepiness. At first I wanted to sell them, but then I thought they would be great for use in my Halloween decor.  As time passed, I grew to appreciate their beauty. They definitely have a place in a vintage, shabby chic decorating scheme. Just look at some of the beautiful examples on Pinterest and other shabby/vintage blogs.

(A special "Thank You" goes out to Debra at Common Ground for featuring my composition babies on Vintage Inspiration Friday #84!) http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com/2012/04/vintage-inspiration-84-garden.html

 Now after finding these "newer" retro babies, I am hooked on them too. Aren't they gorgeous? Nothing creepy about these cutie-pies. My Mom had better make up her mind soon or I am going to change mine!

A couple of the dolls are unmarked, and the other two are marked Horsman. This one is a Vogue Ginny baby. Amazing condition for being 50 years old!

 

More flea-market finds...

Silverplate pitcher, gonna sell this one I think, but I love it, so I don't know.

Oooo la la...what a lovely lady on this 1940's art deco style mirror. I purchased it from the same vendor who had the dolls. I took it straight to the booth on Saturday afternoon and started messing with a new display. She is currently for sale and I think she would look fabulous hanging in a formal wear shop, boutique, or salon.

"Oh darling, don't you want to take me home with you so you can love me forever?"

And yet more finds...

Check out this great scale! I found it at an estate sale a few weeks ago but I am just now getting the chance to show it off. Keepin' it!

 This weekend I also picked up the mug for .25 and the rhinestone necklace for .50  along with the little Kewpie-type doll for $1.00.

"I'm a keeper!"

Well I hope this post just goes to show that bad weather and illness can't keep a good junker down. I am already looking forward to next weekend. Who knows what treasures await?

 As for now, the babies and I will be waiting to see if my Mom is coming to adopt them or not... 

Have a wonderful week everyone!

Partying at:

http://knickoftimeinteriors.blogspot.com/2012/04/knick-of-time-tuesday-32-vintage-style.html

http://verymerryvintagestyle.blogspot.com/

http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/

http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/2012/05/feathered-nest-friday.html

http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com/2012/05/vintage-inspiration-86-serendipity.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:%20blogspot/bCGJMl%20(Common%20Ground)

http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/

http://thebrambleberrycottage.blogspot.com/