Hubby and I had a wedding in July. Â We took the Friday off hoping to antique our way to the wedding in Minnesota. Â Before we went though, we stopped at an estate sale…and yes, we ended up with a truck load of stuff….nothing that I’m super excited about. Â It’s mostly things for resale.
We did stop at a garage sale and I came up with two things I wanted…the sock monkey and the book. Â Both things were cheap. Â I don’t remember how much- Â $1 or $2.
I also picked up these cute coasters and the Pyrex bowl.
I’m not into Pyrex but my daughter Kayla is so I watch for it and pick it up when it’s cheap…these two items, 25 cents each.
I was happy with our finds and Hubby was too. Â We unloaded and the next day we headed out to the wedding with the intention of stopping at antique shops along the way…. Â We saw lots of fun things.
I love Raggedy Ann dolls.
Nice highchair….
Love the little ladder….
Great refinishing on these….
Oh and sock monkeys…. Â $18 each!! Â Check out the collection!
As we looked we both got a little sad. Â We see the other side of things now. Â We imagine the prices the dealer paid for these things…. often dime on the dollar-like the sock monkey I found earlier at the estate sale.
Rather than having fun like we used to, we both felt a little sad instead.
We wanted to be at the estate sale…or the auction….or anywhere where the deal and original find happened.
We really didn’t want to be in the antique store anymore.
Oh boy I can imagine the squeal I’d have made if I found these cool cardboard animals.
People have commented that they didn’t know that Pyrex is collectible. Â This entire booth was Pyrex.
Most single bowls were running about $10 in the size that I had purchased at the estate sale for 25 cents. Â Knowing that, for me, it doesn’t make looking fun anymore.
I admit to liking the nostalgia of antique stores…like these Northern Girl pictures. Â I had them on the wall of my bedroom.
These are the bowls my mom had….
..and the stool she had too.
We left the antique shop. Â We were both a little disheartened. Â Garage Sales, auctions, and estate sales have ruined antique shops for us. Â I won’t say that we’ll never go again…I’m just saying it’s not nearly as fun. Â We love the hunt and pursuit. Â We love the mystery and not knowing what will be there. Â We also love the prices.
In fact I can honestly say that the best thing I saw was the view from the parking lot…Golden Arches…That meant iced coffee for me!!
We used to love antique shops…but I guess that’s changed…
We consider antique shops the museums of old stuff. Things to look at and be nostalgic over but not to buy. Sometimes we have games of who can find the penguin ice bucket first or the first Hold Howard collectible.
Have to say that we do none of the running around now like we used to do to find items for sale.
I had the two Northern girls in the front in my room too. And my first pyrex was a set of mixing bowls from my mom. New in the box they were a duplicate wedding present of my parents-20 years old by the time I got them. LOL
I think I quit shopping at antique stores 15 or 20 years ago, the prices were just too high. I switched to garage/estate sales where the prices were much better. Then the new Goodwill outlet store opened about a year ago. With prices for wares at .79 a pound, and textiles at 1.39 a pound, I think it ruined garage sales for me. I just realized haven’t been to a single garage sale this year!
PS – If Kayla is interested, I picked up a Pyrex very small casserole. It is the same pattern as the one you bought and roughly the size of a soup bowl, but with the handle tabs.
I had those Northern Girls on my bedroom wall also! You don’t see them an awful lot so it was great to see them.
We still do a lot of antique store shopping but mostly we’re looking to see what the price is on things that we own. We pretty much only purchase at garage and estate sales, although once in a while we find a good deal at an antique store!
One never knows what one will find at thrift stores or antiques shops. I must admit that I hunt for certain items and stick to my price point. I enjoy doing both if time allows. It was nice to tour the shop with you.
I love raggedy Ann too!! I have a huge collection! I agree with the prices. I have found some great deals on purex and then some not so much. The hunt is part of the fun!
I know what you mean! I am the same way. I do like to look at antique stores just to see what things are prices at but rarely buy!
I had the Northern girls on my bedroom wall too!
At least the antique stores might help you set prices when you sell things.
Antique stores need to sell at a price point which allows them to make a profit as do individuals who purchase items to restore and sell on. The market usually decides whether that price point is acceptable. That’s how the system works in a free market I suppose.
I completely understand that everyone needs to make money…We’ve just decided that we really don’t like spending so much money when we can find things on our own that are more reasonably priced.
I know what you mean about antique stores, as the prices are so high. We rarely buy anything, but it’s fun to look around and remember which relative had this or that in their home.
have to remember that the antique stores have overhead to pay, rent/utilities. I don’t see how some of them stay in business.
I had no idea Pyrex is collectible. I have a small set that I use all the time. I also have 2 red outside and white inside kind of square bowls my mother used. I always enjoy using them and remembering what her favorite food was to make in them.
Jo, I get notices from EstateSales.net all the time about sales all the time. Have a look see..You would not believe some of the things I have found, & they also have online auctions too..
Jo – I have the Northern girls set. I even found 4 matching frames at an Estate Sale. Now if I could just find the time to get them framed. :>)
Jo, I too view antique stores as a trip down memory lane or a place to find something specific. Don’t be discouraged about the sock moneys, though, unless you’re positive they were “antiques.” Someone may be reproducing them to put in their booth to cash in on nostalgia so the prices would be higher than you’d find elsewhere.