Inside Out

Let's see, last week I overslept and almost ran out of gas first thing in the morning. Today as I climbed into the co-pilot's seat, and was chatting it up with Babs and Johanna, Babs interrupted me. "I believe your shirt is on inside-out". In the back seat with Sophie the Schnauzer, Babs had caught sight of the tag in back of my shirt. Being 0'dark thirty and no one else on the highway, I swiftly "changed" that condition and was soon sorted out. Babs, Johanna and Sophie took the quick change without batting an eyelash. Gosh, I love my friends.
So after that minor blip, we continued on the hunt. First stop was a church sale (we love them for the most reasonable prices) starting at 6am. Doors opened soon after we arrived and we weren't too far back in line. An over exuberant shopper pushed past us and I thought, lady, slow down, it's going to be ok! This is not Survivor! There was more merchandise than last year's (thank goodness) but not as much as I had hoped since this is a rather Large church. Babs and Johanna found a few items but not me. Had to take a picture of this froggy tent/sunshade marked $20. It was huge! I suppose it would be very handy at the beach if you have small children and stayed a long time but all I could think of was the awkwardness of schlepping it around. Rather ungainly. No, I only took a picture. Didn't purchase.

Across town we headed for a two family sale. Here we just missed Brenna and her friend Brenda. They both found some good deals here(Brenna had called just as we arrived and reported in). Lots of new born-6month baby things but since Brenna had already shopped I figured she had found all she needed so I didn't look too closely. Almost picked up a Scrabble Junior game for my friend Becky who had sent me a text the night before asking for a Scrabble board game. Not quite 7am, I am not calling her to ask if she wanted kids or adult version. $2 I declined not being sure. Glad I did because later on that afternoon I asked her and the adult version is what she wants.
Again, Babs and Johanna found a couple of things but me, nada. On to a neighborhood yard sale. There were only a handful of houses participating(I was disappointed with the small number). First one was great. there we caught up with the two B's (Brenna and Brenda) who were heading to the next sale down the street.
It appeared to me a little girl's store threw up all over their driveway. Boxes of clothes, toys, STUFF galore. Too much stuff for one child. In my opinion. However, I did find a box with a large number of children's paperback series Junie B Jones, First Grader. I thought maybe Lindsey (my niece is a 1st grade teacher) might like them. They looked pretty good so I asked the husband who had just announced to the shoppers "we want to get rid of this stuff, what we don't sell, we're taking to GoodWill. We are priced to sell". Ok! Sounds good to me. So I inquire about how much the books would be. I am thinking 10cents each. He says 25cents or 5 for $1. I counter with "how about 10 for $1? He said no, his wife would "kill him" if he went that low. So I kept digging down and counted 21 books. Picked them all up and headed to the wife. "how much" I asked her. $2 was her answer. Yay!!! Goes to show, don't always give up! If Lindsey doesn't need them I will donate to a first grade teacher's give away shelf. I just want children to read!
I also spotted a Skippy John Jones book (the first) and showed it to Johanna. She has been looking for one since my enthusiastic description of the one I found. I know she will enjoy as will her granddaughters when she reads to them.
Babs and Johanna were delighted to only pay $1 for a nice size pile of material for the crafting group. Beautiful patterns and very nice quality cloth. Made me wish I could sew.
I found a box of very nice thank you cards for my sister Vickie. She only wants "good ones" now. These were a little upscale and I paid $1 for them. Hope she will be pleased.
And guess what? That is it for my purchases! Can you believe? Just not much I needed or was on anyone's wish list. And that's how it goes sometimes. Babs and Johanna and the others found treasures and I enjoy vicariously in their finds.
Later we all met at our usual breakfast spot and shared stories of our finds, remarked on the people we encountered, and laughed a lot. Loved every minute of the morning. To me, breakfast and conversations are the cherry on top of our Saturday morns.
Brenda was quite happy with finding 7-8 really nice scrub tops and a couple scrub bottoms which cost her around $5. Did not get pics of those.

Here are pics of Brenna's finds and her descriptions:

All of the baby books are "board books" and in like-newcondition...already wiped clean with Clorox wipes! :o) 25 cents apiece... yay!!

Kindergarten reader books $2 for the 6 (more than I wanted to pay,

but I liked them and need the more advanced books...)

Foam/soft blocks...set was $3 Sound machine $3

*Note: this is the same type of sound machine I had looked at last week(remember readers???) which I stepped away from with a price of $10. Glad Brenna found the better deal.

Vest and red shirt (will be used as maternity) 50 cents each

2 crib sheets $1 for both. Baby sleeper gowns 50 cents each (I took a picture of all the "fabric baby stuff" and then unfolded one of the gowns to show you what they look like

And last but not least the WubbaNub. This came new in box. Brenna paid $3 for it and didn't blink an eye at the asking price. She says this little pacifier gadget is pretty useful. I must say during breakfast, we older ladies had a blast teasing her with the discription she gave. The real test will be how Nathan likes it! Here is the picture from Amazon and also the link with info. The blue horse featured on Amazon is the same one Brenna found.

http://www.amazon.com/WubbaNub-WN22103-Wubbanub-Blue-Pony/dp/B001GBJOK4









Looks like my grandson Nathan(due in July) will be comforatbly outfitted. His dresser is very slowly being filled. Having fun with baby things and not paying retail!!!!!

GoodWill finds:

No treasures at the thrifts this week. However the North Face jacket has found a home with a very happy 13 year old and Ellie was seen sporting those blue Merrells this week. Rats! Forgot to take a picture!
Will be out again next weekend. So stay tuned for further adventures. Over and out and no longer Inside Out!

Thrifty Christy

 

Keep driving

O'dark thirty was quite foggy this morning. I was delighted to see Babs and Sophie in the back of Johanna's car; the 4 Musketeers on our adventures.
Yes, spring is here, the yard sales have picked up in numbers but the last 3 weeks have been marred with rainy Friday afternoons and evenings. This puts a damper (pun intended) on people having yard sales. Dry weather makes for more sales. I am hoping the weather will cooperate for the next month or 10. The sales were a little on the dismal side, the best one as far as quality of merchandise was one we actually missed the first go round. The fog was pretty thick and we didn't see the sign in the dark.
I am pausing here to give some advise. If you are having a yard sale, sign are important! The majority of the signs today were limp from the fog, the sprinkling rain of the night before and were flopping over making the information on them virtually impossible to see. Either get up extra early and put your signs up the morning of your sale or use a foam board or other very sturdy material the night before. If no one can find your sale, well....
So as I said previously, the sales were disappointing and we had several drive-bys. Babs and Johanna found some craft items for their crafting group. I found a few child related goods but nothing spectacular, just helpful and of course, yard sale prices are the way to find "helpful".
These blue interlocking foam mats are for my grandson Nate (due to arrive in July). Four for $2. They are soft but firm, perfect for putting him on the floor for tummy time. I have to admit I didn't see the use for them but Johanna pointed them out and suggested I get them for Nate. I saw her point and picked them up. They are quite large, 24 inches square. Brenna gets 2 and I will keep 2.

4 squares(24 inch diameter) for $2

At the same sale I found this large Noah and the Ark puzzle for our church's Sunday School 4 year old class. The director is a friend of mine and had asked a while ago to look for toys for this age group with a religious theme. I think this fits the bill.

Missing the cd and activity book

There were 2 more large puzzle boxes I picked up for my great nephew's birthday. The brand Melissa and Doug is good and the pieces and boxes were in near new condition. Prices for both were $4 each and the Noah's Ark was $3. The seller said let's make an even $10. Ok!

There is a lady who has a garage sale every 3-4 months; she at some time in the past had a flea market stand. So her prices vary, depending on what I don't know. So I saw this Homedics sound machine Kelley uses for Hugh when he sleeps, creating white noise. It was marked $10. Too high for me.

So I asked if she would take $5. Completely ignoring me, she starts a conversation with another buyer so I put it down and walked away. Later, I priced it online and new it sells for $20 at Walmart. It was not new. This is a stock photo I found online since I didn't take a picture of it there. $5 would have been a reasonable price. $10, not yard sale price worthy. I will keep looking.
The last sale we found by accident was a fund raiser for Relay For Life, a local American Cancer Society event. This group has had a yard sale in the same spot for the past 2 years and their prices have always been very reasonable. My niece Kelley had asked me to look for a toddler bed for Hugh. She wants one to keep at her dad's house for Hugh to nap in. At this sale there was a crib that converts to a toddler bed and also a full size head board for $100, mattress included.

One I bought wasn't assembled
found this under images. Similar color and style

The least I have seen listed on Craigslist was $40 and I had no luck getting that one. I gave them my number and asked if it doesn't sell, please call me and I would buy it for $40. Later that day, I received a phone call and I went to pick it up in my Civic. Unfortunately the headboard/back piece didn't fit. Fortunately they had a truck and offered to take it to my house which wasn't too far away (2 miles). We had agreed on $30 when I arrived but I gave them $40 since they delivered and also because what a great charity to donate to. They hadn't had much traffic since they missed the cutoff for ad in paper and didn't think to use Craigslist. And their sign was barely visible because the rain had washed away most of the writing. I just hope Kelley likes it and Hugh sleeps well in it. This picture is not the actual crib, it similar in color. It converts by removing the front piece making it a toddler/daybed.

Thrift Store Finds of the Week

While in Beaufort, NC, this week, I stopped in a Historic Restoration thrift store on a whim or as Jeff Foxworthy calls a "sensuous moment....since you was there you might as well go in". They wanted to clear out the winter things to make room for spring and summer so all clothing and shoes were 50cent each. I was told this as I was holding a pair of Merrell brand shoes (women's slides), a pair of Columbia brand women's hiking shoes, and a Women's XS North Face plush fleece jacket, all mint condition! Yes, the total came to $1.70!

Both pair of shoes were 6 1/2, too small for me but my daughter's size. The jacket I bought for a friend of mine's daughter who I knew would appreciate it very much. If none of the recipients liked the offerings, I planned on selling it on Ebay. Well, my daughter likes the slides (forgot to take a picture before giving them to her but the hiking shoes... not so much. Not a hiker. Those will go on Ebay.

Columbia hiking shoes. 

Waiting for the jacket's might be recipient to get back in town to try it on. My daughter Ellie has also expressed an interest in that jacket so we shall see who will be the lucky one. Spring is here but we also know we can have a cold snap before Winter is finally over. So whoever gets the jacket may still get to wear it this season.

That's it for now. Have a great week and catch you next Saturday and maybe I will see you at the Sales.

Thrifty Christy

Mama said there'd be days like this

Yes, that was the tune playing in my head this morning as I saw the gas gauge on empty and pulled in to pick Johanna up 30 minutes late. Didn't hear my alarm and over slept as did Brenna who was suppose to be the driver today. Which was why I had't stopped to fill up yesterday. Poor Johanna was the only one who was up at 0'dark thirty today.

Late start but we fumbled on, arranging to meet Brenna at a sale near her side of town. She continued to follow us after that one in her car since I had the list with addresses.

Not many sales listed, some were definitely drive-by's and a couple "pop ups"(unadvertised in paper and Craigslist and there fore not on my list).

Brenna bought a crib sheet for 50cents. Not matching the crib set she wants for Nate's room but will be a back up since we know how often you change crib sheets! Didn't take a photo of that buy.

I have a "Grandma's stuff" list in my head and have already have a Pack and Play portable crib. Today I found the Boppy for $3. It was stored in a clear plastic zippered bag along with an extra cover. Gender neutral, it is in excellent condition and will go upstairs in the attic until July when Nate arrives.

Boppy in bag $3

Here it is with the extra cover

So all that is left on the list is a stroller. Saw one in really nice condition for $5, an umbrella style, and I almost bought it. But then decided I want one a little more substantial, still the umbrella kind. I have time and spring sales haven't even begun! I can wait for the right one.

I also bought a few large pieces of foam board at a sale with lots of craft items. I spend more time than you would know setting up my items to photograph for this blog. It is time consuming making sure my table is cleared off or the floor is devoid of distractions. Lighting is always an issue and I am thankful for digital cameras with delete!!

So I did a little bit of research to see how to take better shots since I would like to sell on Ebay. One recommendation was to either take pics outside or set up a white box. Well, I saw the white foam board for 25cents a sheet and went with that! One was actually a 3 fold sided one, not white on the inside (blue as you can see from the pictures) but at least it gives me a bland background. The Boppy above is my first try with the new background. I might play with white boards to cover the blue. At least it folds up and out of the way the rest of the week.

Then I took a picture of the truck I found for Hugh last week. Again to test out the new arrangement. It is a large Leggo brand truck which my sister Cee has claimed for her stash of toys for Hugh.

And that was it for my finds.

JOHANNA'S FINDS: $5.50 TOTAL COST

Johanna found more goodies than me and this time I took photos of her things when I dropped her off at her house.

We grouped the items for the photos and descriptions

Below are Free Items. Baby formula (yes, expiration dates good) 2 boxes and 4 single serve packets will go to a charity that gives away food, clothes, etc. and the breast milk storage bags (new, unopened) she gave to Brenna.

The craft items came from the sale I bought the foam board. Orange yarn, 2 pieces of material, bag of cinnamon sticks (will go on Christmas wreath she will make), and 2 bags of beads. The clear plastic bag on the upper right hand side contains small gosamer drawstring bags for jewelry. These are super nice for selling earrings and necklaces. The middle bag has a big ball of very good quality twine she intends to use to make wind chimes. Alll of these items go to her crafting group.

Above: Vera Bradley purse to replace her old one, bag of Christmas cards, Dryel stain remover bottle, full, and yes, that is a Lady bug head band. We have a dear friend who loves all things lady bug related.

Last on the list was an Estate Sale with "high end furniture, rugs, household items and clothing". No early birds, sale starts at 8am sharp. Well, we usually don't hit Estate sales since they are out of our price range but we thought let's check it out since there weren't many sales and it was close by and also the time was 8am. Well this was no Estate Sale by any means. It was simply a garage sale. Which is ok but don't advertise as an Estate Sale! The seller hadn't even cleared out boxes and items she didn't want to sell so spent much of the time telling people "no, that's not for sale"! We did a quick look through but left soon after. Brenna said to take a picture of the Estate Sale that was a garage sale. So I did.

Goodwill finds this week.

These are all vintate Pyrex dishes from the Pink Gooseberry collection. Highly collectable in Pyrex World. I am going to list them on Ebay and see what I can get.

The 2 small "Fridgies" were 99 cents each and the medium size one was $1.99. The solid pink 1 quart casserole was also $1.99. Good buy.

That is all for this week.

A quick heads up to those who subscribed to this blog via email. I have been known to make changes after publishing a post, adding photos and commentary so you may want to click on the title of the post in the email and that way you go to the most recent online version. Just an FYI.

Thrifty Christy

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rain? Bring it.

Yes, despite the rain, Johanna and I were on the road by 6:45. In the dark, with the wipers going, our warm beds behind us. Crazy? I think sometimes, yes. Johanna mentioned a possible addiction. Hmm. I think she maybe on to something there! But whatever our motivation, it was with great delight I jumped into the co-pilot seat, clutching coffee travel mug in one hand and the yard sale list in the other. So happy to be with my peep and Saturday morning partner.

Church sale at 6am. Lots of stuff and lots of room

The rain had an effect on the number of sales; the night before on Craigslist several had canceled on their post updates. However there were 3 indoor sales and that is all we need. The first sale was at a church and started at 6am.

The large basket with the Rummikub game was really nice. I just had no use for it.

We love church sales since they are priced CHEAP!! And this one had a large gym like room so lots of space and no bumping into people. I haven't been taking many shots of sales lately so I made sure my camera was in my pocket this time.

Cute bunny lamp

I steered away from the lamps( I have a shade problem) but as I passed by I spotted the bunny lamp. No, I didn't buy it but I took a picture of it. Things I didn't buy, didn't want to buy, but found interesting.

I will explain the camera purchase. I bought on Ebay a camera strap for our larger heavier Cannon camera. Paid $8 plus shipping. It was the best price I found and it was for my specific camera. Hubbie Steve was present when said strap arrived in the mail and mentioned the camera he uses for journalism at school recently broke and he too needed a new strap. So when I spotted this camera, I noticed the $3 price sticker and the nice wide strap. I figured keep the strap and donate the camera to Goodwill. It's a 35mm and I can't use it. Saw no value in it but Steve did when I showed him the camera. Yes, he was happy with the strap but he was also interested in the camera itself. So I went online and low and behold, these are selling on Ebay with active bidding on them. I don't know if it works but I might just keep it long enough to see if it does and then try selling it. Without the strap!

This is the same cover as the one I found.

I spotted this Boppy-like nursing pillow for Brenna or maybe to keep here for our grand-baby. It too has been on "Nate's Yard Sale Want List". Gender non specific is always good. This one had straps with velcro and I thought at first it was to secure it around the mom's waist. But when I looked up the brand, Leachco, I found a photo of one and lo and behold, these secures the baby. There is a little built in pocket on the side to store the straps if you aren't using them. Reviews seem positive for the most part from what I read so it is a keeper. How much? Hold on...50 cents!! Not a stain, excellent condition. YES! I have already washed the cover and it is ready to be used...in a few months.

It works great!

Okay, the crockpot. Yes, it is an older model. Much older. I like crockpots, I like putting food in them in the morning before going to work and coming home to a cooked dinner. However the newer models cook too fast. Instead of 6-8 hours it is more like 4 hours. I don't like to come home to a dried out or even worse, partially burned dinner. So I have been searching for an older model crockpot because these babies just don't seem to wear out, cook food properly and make my life easier. So for $2 I snatched this one up. By now I had to stow my bulky goods under the checkout table and hope everyone was going to be honest and not take my "valuable finds"!

Brenna decided these all go to Nate's library.

The children's book were 50cts each and I picked up several. I will see if any of the nieces want them for their little ones, Brenna too, and maybe keep a couple for Nate. Or possibly add to the book collection at the family summer house. I think the selection there might be rather dated!

I picked this little romper knowing the stain on the lapel can be bleached out. For 25 cents I thought it worth it. I will check with Lindsey if she wants it for Beau. It is a size 9mons which he will probably be in soon or by summer. Perhaps a special occasion would warrent him dressing up! Let me know Lindsey.

Stashing away in my extra bag I had a Tupperware marinade container, a Pier 1 reed diffuser(cinnamon scented) and a Disney ceramic travel mug with Mickey Mouse featured. The travel mug is for a friend of mine, Becky who loves all things Disney but mostly has a crush on Mickey Mouse. For 25 cents I can be generous to a friend. Hopefully I will see her Weds. night at our Ladies Night Out evening and can give it to her then.


On to the next sale which was the Shrinettes inside the Pitt County Shriners's Club. The rain was steady by this time and we were truely thankful for the inside sales today. This one was also in a large room but not nearly as large as the first. Still, enough merchandise to make it fun to look. Another very long line for checkout and I found myself behind a family who consisted of a pair of grandparents, their grandson and his mother. I don't know where they found the cart but it was heaped with their finds. I struck up a conversation with the grandmother (her husband was still shopping and would occasionally bring a toy or some small item and add to the pile). I asked if I could take a picture of their finds cause I can describe to you their pile but a picture is worth a thousand words.

I hate to make judgements but as I spent time gazing at this pile I started to wonder if they might be hoarders. It all seemed like a lot of stuff and she said they shop every Saturday like me. I think it was all the knicknacks that made me wonder. Bless their hearts, they were very nice and fortunately for me a nice check out lady came down the line and asked if anyone had a small number of items with exact change. "Yes, please" was my shout out. I would gladly pay an extra 50cts to get out of that line especially with what was immediately in front of me. The cart lady's checkout would take FOREVER!


I started taking stuff out of my bag for pricing and before I got any farther than 2 items she just said "how about it all for $3? I said "here's $4, I am really grateful for the good prices"!, and beat it out of there!

Included in that bag was the Wahl animal clipper kit which is brand new, never used, and I will keep at my brother's. Yes, you can use animal clippers to cut people hair. I cut my husband's hair and my brother Sonny's as well. This way I don't have to schlep the clippers back and forth. One time I left them at my brother's and Steve ended up going to the barber! Oh the pain of paying for a hair cut! Also the new digital electric timer. I love these and use them for the Christmas indoor window lights. One in every window so I don't have to turn them on and off. I think I have enough now. Didn't take picture but included is a new box of child proofing cabinet latches, and several sandwich bags of toiletry items I will take to the homeless shelter


I picked up this vintage sugar bowl because it caught my eye and I thought it was pretty cute. Reminds me of the one my friend Sharon has and uses. I bought it thinking of selling on Ebay but though it is vintage, the ones like this with this particular Snowflake design by this company are selling but not over $10. I believe I will replace the one I have with this one. It is too sweet (pun intended) to not keep.

There was one more inside sale listed at a school near my house and though the offerings have been rather paltry in the past (school Relay For Life fundraiser), Johanna gently reminded me it is for a good cause and maybe this year will be different. So we went and glad we did. There wasn't a ton of things but enough to look around and I found several things to buy.

Brenna wants to use glass baby bottles for Nate, Dr. Brown's in particular. I found the plastic ones which were in good condition and even if the bottles themselves are faded, we can pitch them and she can still use the the inside straws which are used in the glass ones as well. "Used bottles" you may cry out.."Ewww". Hey, what is a sterilizer for?! We are thrifty people, yes, but we know if you sterilize things it's ok! I will let Brenna decide which to keep for daycare


since usually those facilities won't use the glass bottles.The onesies (7 short-sleeved and 3 long), bottles, books and breast pump accessories wipes (new)were all 25cts each.

Hilly or Hoppy?

Ok, so maybe the hippo puppet seems like a strange buy (family in front of me in previous sale comes to mind) and so I will explain. My sister Julie, collected hippos for a long time, and so I think of her when I see one. This one is for Nate and I will play with him making up a silly character and Julie will be a part of that interaction.
I am already thinking of her name (yes, I have already given the puppet a gender). Hoppy, the hippo who can hop? Hmm. Hilly, the hippo who is afraid of water? We shall see. 50cents is what I paid for her.











And that was it for the day. Rain coming down steady but our bags were filled and we were happy. Johanna found a lot of craft items for the craft group she and Babs belong to. Johanna said she would send photos of some of her finds for the day later. I will post a "Johanna find" later if she finds the time.
Her uncle Tim is still in ICU. Please keep him in your prayers.
We are hoping all the sales that were canceled this weekend will be rescheduled for next. Fingers crossed the weather will dry out.

Find of the week:

Saturday morning after the yard sale adventures, I joined a few teens and another adult chaperone and helped clean a kitchen in the local Vietnam Veterans building. We went through their cupboards getting rid of mismatched items, expired cans of food, and extra pots, pans, dishes, etc. They have a rummage sale once a year in the spring so all the odds and ends we purged from the cabinets went to the sale area. I found this vintage apron in brand new condition still with a 50ct price tag on it. I think it was from one of their yard sales. I asked if I could have it instead of putting it in the rummage sale pile and got the go ahead. It is lovely, fits, and I fell in love.

Have a great week!

Thrifty Christy