More and more!

Gleeful gloating goes on and on! 

September and October have been great months for yard sales. August was really slow but as soon as the temps came down people were inclined to set up and sell. Thank you Fall! I was really happy to have Johanna with me for most of those weekends and she came with me to Morehead for a second time at the begining of October. 

We learned of a big community wide sale at a subdivision in Morehead as well as a couple of other interesting sounding sales. So we left Friday night after work and drove to Morehead. We were up early to head across the bridge to Atlantic Beach to hit two sales there before heading to the community sale. All the places we went we found some great pieces and gifts for family members too (Christmas is getting closer!).
We learned at the community sale that older people there seem to value their stuff precious objects a great deal more than younger folks. We bought hardly anything from the retired sellers and much more from families with children. Go figure!

I picked up two of these new in the box converter boxes along with several other items at one sale for $10. I knew someone who wanted a box and I grabbed the other one because I knew I could probably sell it if my brother didn't need it. He didn't. So it sold very quickly for $25. This kind is only for the older model tv, not the new flat screen kind.

2 of these converters for approximately $4 each.

The palm sander was new and I bought it but came home and realized I had a perfectly good one already. Sigh. Impulse buy. I have it up for sale now. The Tonka "Chuck" truck and the house is for Nate when he's a little bit older. I chuckled when I saw the house, because my girls played with one exactly like it. The date on the back is 1984. Vintage! The shelf at the bottom is the one I showed you a couple of posts back. It was Pepto-bismol pink but only $1.50. So I lightly sanded it and painted it white. Sold it pretty quickly for $8. So not too bad.

Palm sander: $10. Truck and house were $2 each. Shelf was $1.50 original purchase. 

The soft leather Robeez shoes are for my little neice Julia. The  wood tool box will be one of Nate's Christmas presents. The earrings were for me but I didn't like the back of them; it is another long curve like the front. Kept scratching my neck. So I sold it for $12. The toiletries were each $1. I sold the Bed and Bath body sprays for $8 and kept the Este Lauder foundation and moisturizer as well as the Clinque moisturizer and Happy perfume.

Shoes: 50c, toiletries: $1 each, earrings: $1, Melissa and Doug tool box: $2

My sister Cee asked me to look for some more wood train stuff for her "Aunt Nee stash". The bag below was filled with Brio tracks and accessories. They should connect to the Thomas tracks I am letting her borrow.  Have fun Hugh and Aunt Nee!
I bought the wood shelf with towel rack for a buck. Took a while to sell and finally did but only for $5. Not much profit. 

Train track with accessories: $10. Wood shelf with towel rack: $1

I am always looking for yard tools for my nephew Jon. He has a landscaping business and goes through tools rather quickly. I purchased all of these for him and he was rather pleased Bought my first pick ax too.
The wood shape sorter goes to my almost 2 year old nephew, Beau. The magnetic puzzle at the bottom goes to my Grandma stash. Unfortunately my dog, Honey Bea, has a fondness for wood puzzle pieces and so now it is missing one at the bottom. Oh Honey Bea!

Wooden shape sorter: $2. Tools: $5 each. Puzzle: $1

I bought the easel below thinking I could use at my house for Nate. However, I decided it was too bulky for now in my small house. It cleaned up very well and I sold it quickly for $20.  

Easel: $5

Our neice Mary lives in New Orleans and started her first year of teaching in a new charter school. She has a class of second graders from a very poor area and they have a limited number of books. As you know, new books can be expensive especially for a new teacher. So I have been looking for books close to her grade level to send. I hit the mother lode! All the books below were $2 total! Initially they were asking 10 cents each but when I told them what I was going to do with them, the sellers said take as many as I want for $2! The stack of Junie B. Jones titles and the Magic Tree house paperbacks contain around 28 books. Good haul! I shipped them Media rate and with 20 lbs of books, it cost me aproximately $12 including tracking which was extra. Mary was delighted to recieve them and I am in the process of gathering another load I picked up last weekend and this past Saturday. 

Trunk shot of Johanna's car. I think we could have squeezed in more but we had enough! Oh, the red clock is mine. It replaced the black one I picked up a couple of months ago. So sad that one died. I really did like it. This one cost 75cents and it looks nice against my pale yellow wall. Fingers crossed it lasts a lot longer!

On Sunday morning Johanna, my brother Sonny, his son, Jon and I headed out at 0'dark thirty to go fishing. 

We caught a lot, threw back several and had a wonderful time. I did manage not to snag our lines on that buoy you see in the distance. Earlier, I got a little too close for comfort, forgetting about our troll lines. The ribbing continues!

Sun breaking the clouds early in the morning over Shackleford Banks


And here is my nephew, Jon, and my brother Sonny. I love fishing with these guys! Thanks Johanna for taking these pictures!

I managed to go to yard sales every weekend in September and October, well, maybe there was one I slept in! I am looking forward to this Saturday and the local Humane Society's rummage sale. Maybe I can find something fabulous for Honey Bea and Prudence the cat.  Rest assured, if I do, I will take pictures and fill you in on all the details!

Until next time, happy bargain hunting and have a great week!

Thrifty Christy

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Very O'dark Thirty

Yard sale at 5:30am!!! What? Yes, people occasionally will have a yard sale that early. And yes, Johanna and I have been known to check them out. Fortunately they are rare because we do like to "sleep in". This one proved to be worth our while and we hit the morning hard and early. Johanna's flashlight and my head lamp were needed as the sellers' were not adequately equipped for the dark.

Below is a trunk shot as we ended our morning. Lots of good stuff!

The truck is actually a ride on toy. It's for Nate, my grandson. The dump part can go back, allowing a child to sit on the blue part and ride, pushing. The handle in front can be used as well to push the truck around. Fun! There is also a Combi brand light weight stroller on top of the pile for my Grandma stash. It folds up easily. I like it.
Truck was $4 and stroller: $15

We love church sales. Period. No sentimental attachment to the items donated makes for bargain pricing. The church sale we hit this day was one where individual families had a space in the parking lot. So it was like going to 30 yard sales in one location. Oh yes! As soon as we arrived I spotted this "crab-pot" Christmas tree. Actually there were two. All lit up and looking wonderful. I asked the price and was shocked and happy with the answer of "$10 each" Whoohoo!!! I have been wanting one for several years. Johanna bought one and I bought the other. They fold up flat and fit in the back easily. Outside yard decoration for Christmas is good to go! I am ready for December.

2 of these 4ft. crab pot trees: $10 each

I picked up a couple of Willow Tree angels because I know my daughter Brenna likes them. I sold one and kept the other for her. There are lots of folks who collect this brand.

Willow tree angel: $3

My great nephew Hugh needed boots for the winter and I found all 3 of the footwear below for $1 each. The black and brown pair are Sperry brand and were in like new condition. Hugh got the black pair and the boots and I sold the brown Sperry's online. They were way too big for Hugh and his mom said she didn't want to have shoes on hold for a couple of years.

Shoes were $1 each and boots were $2

I picked up these two games for my sister Cee's "Auntie stash". I think Hugh will enjoy playing. Now if I can remember to give them to her! The items below were all bargains (of course!) The candles are for me, love the color) the mermaid bottle opener was $1 and made of cast iron. That sold easily! Pregnancy book goes to the free pile at the Pregnancy Center. The package on the top left contains clear acrylic corner protectors for tables. I put them on my coffee table to protect my grandson's head. My dog, Honey Bea promptly pulled each one off and chewed them. Nate has no protection and is on his own. And the last item is a set of furniture safety brackets to secure dressers or in my case a corner cabinet to the wall. Keeps little ones from pulling a piece of furniture on them when attempting to climb.

Games were $2 each, brackets: 50 cents, book: $1, 2 flashlights: $1 each, and mermaid bottle opener: $1

Brenna had asked me to look out for more wood puzzles and a box like the one below for Nate. The lacing beads are new and sealed in package and went to my friend Tere for her 3 year old granddaughter. The small 3 drawer plastic bin went to Brenna for classroom storage.

 Puzzles $1 each, tall wood lock/latch box $2. New wood bead kit, $3 and drawer storage $2

The wood blocks are for my grandma stash and are in mint condition. The pink rolling cart is for me to use when I hit more of these church yard sales and buy bulky stuff! I found it a grocery store in the clearance bin. and last is a close up of the furniture brackets I showed earlier.

Blocks were $3, Cart was $10 and Safety brackets were 50 cents

Lesson learned. I found this at the church sale for $3 and I snatched it up for Nate. It looked like a great, fun riding toy for him when he's a little older. I googled it when I came home and found out this particular model has been recalled. Children were tipping over the front and face planting, loosing teeth; not a good thing. So I had to get rid of it. I took to the dump after writing it was dangerous and had been recalled with a permanent marker. I don't want anyone pulling it.

That's it for now. More posts to come as I continue to play catch up from the past month!

Happy bargain hunting!

Thrifty Christy

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September arrived

Gleeful Gloating begins...a little late!

So it has been a busy September and I did manage to hit the sales every Saturday of the month. The cooler temps took a little while to arrive but wow, what a difference lower humidity and a north wind make. I do love Fall! I hunted alone the first part of the month and then Johanna was back with me and we even were joined by my daughter, Brenna, one day. That was fun! Treasures were found and the pickings were pretty decent.

Below are a few things I found for resale. The Wedding frame was brand new and sold quickly. The Sun and Bug cover I will wait until Spring to sell.

Cover: $1 and frame: $1

The large planter below went to my sister Fran. I didn't have time to clean it before giving to her but she didn't seem to mind. She had asked me to look for large planters sooo..I do! The Dansko's were not my size or Brenna's but they were in top notch condition. Just a little dusty from being in the seller's closet. Sold those for $25 very quickly. The metal flipflop wall decor sold quickly as well for $10.

Planter: $5, Shoes: $1, Wall art/flip flops: $1

I ended up selling both of the items below again, very quickly. The wooden display shelf was in excellent condition. The canister set gave me pause, and truly I regret selling them. I made a good profit but I will keep my eyes peeled for this kind of cannister in the future. I will be replacing the ones I have with a locking lid. These are just easier to get in to. Sold the shelf for $10 and the cannisters for $8.

Shelf: $2, Canisters: 50cents each

I regret purchasing the shelf. It was only $1.50 and I know I can sell it, but really, the time spent painting is the issue. I will go with a glossy white. The dvds's will go to the Merriewold house in NY next summer. Love the movie Juno. The small book on the far left is hilarious!

Shelf: $1.50, dvds: $1 each, dog book: 50cents

I need another purse, mine seem to wear out quickly. So the red one (new) below is already "in service" My Grandma stash has needed updating, grandson Nate is growing! So the Melissa and Doug wooden toy is fun and for Nate. Comes with 4 cars that zoom from one level to the next by gravity. The clippers are already in Morehead City at my brother's house. I scalp trim his hair each time I come to visit Sonny. This one is new and has all the attachments the old one doesn't. Even has a beard trimmer! The box of lantern lights was an impulse buy. They are brand new and I was thinking of them hanging under a garden umbrella, the big kind. But we don't have a garden umbrellla. Well, actually we do, because I bought one quite a while ago to resell next summer! Maybe I will hang on to both. We shall see.

Lanterns: $1, purse: $5, Wahl clippers: $10, Wooden toy: $2

The toys at the bottom are more Grandma stash items. I am concentrating on wooden toys per Brenna's request. The tool box and the box of puzzles (zebra) are wooden. The faux hydrangeas are quite pretty and may either go to the graves in Morehead or just may decorate my house in the spring. Cuisnart coffee grinder was a bust. It grinds...ok but there is a loose place in the base of the blades and not doing the job it was cut out to do. The bag on the far right are disposable swimmer diapers. Unfortunately they are size 5 and will be too big for Beau or Nate next summer. Will take to Salvation Army along with a few other rejects.

Toy tool set: $2, puzzle: $1, Slinky: 25 cents, coffee grinder: $2. Swimmers pants: $1

After Johanna and I went yard saling mid September, we took off for Carteret County NC to go to Cape Lookout and then to visit my brother Sonny. The weather was beautiful and the breeze was lovely. We stopped on the way to check out a few yard sales and stopped in at this one. There was a lot of stuff there, I bought the purse pictured previously

Show us a yard sale sign, an arrow and throw in Humane Society and we will hit the brakes!

I also found one of these Rumble Rollers, new in the original plastic wrap with instuctions. Brenna took it home with her to try it out but says it is too hard on her back. So I am looking forward to its return and using it on my back! Suppose to help the fascia in the lower back as well as other areas.

$4

Here's a quick trunk shot of Johanna's car before we unloaded to head to the beach. As you can see, she bought a big planter as well.

We made it to the boat in time and spent 3 relaxing hours at one of our favorite spots. Maybe next time we'll bring our husbands along...maybe!

Next morning we were on my nephew's boat with my brother Sonny to go fishing. Getting ready to go at 6am is not a problem for us and our lines were in the water as the sun started to rise.

Johanna even took the wheel for a while.

Results were a few Spanish mackeral large enough to keep. We threw back several to catch when they've grown more. Was a perfect way to start a beautiful day.

That's it for that Saturday's haul. More to follow soon. Hope you have had some bargain hunting adventures too.

Thrifty Christy

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Watermelons? Really?!

The Gleeful Gloating begins!

Cloudy with a chance of rain was the forecast for this past Saturday but lo and behold, the air was crisp and clear, a lovely break from the heat and humidity lately. I stepped out of the house at 5:45am and breathed in the hint of Autumn. Aww, the tease! I was riding solo again and ready for some bargains. Last week I slept in because of rain; this weekend the promise of deals was dancing in my head and my fingers were crossed.

There were enough sales listed and a few pop ups too but there just wasn't much that struck my fancy or my price limits. Several were really nice, had quality items but the prices were just too high. I wasn't looking for drapery clip rings but the lady made me an offer that made me change my mind. They just come in handy sometimes. The last big batch I had went to Brenna's classroom. She needed them to hang the curtains she made. I need one set to take to my brother's house to hang up curtains in the guest room I use; no longer will I have to deal with the sun coming in right where I sleep. When I showed them to Brenna she asked for 2 packs for a project she has. I can afford to be generous.

$2.00 total for the 4

The Danskos are in like new condition, the treads on the sole barely scuffed. Asking price was $20. I knew they were Brenna's size and she loves this brand for teaching. I offered $10 the seller countered with $15 and I said yes. Even if they didn't work for Brenna there was still a good margin for profit if I sold them. They fit her and she's a happy teacher.

I discovered the wonders of good soap(last 3 times longer than regular bar soap) a couple of years ago and I snatch up any I can find at yard sales. I haven't seen any for a while and have used up my supply. This pack of four have a lovely scent and they were in a sealed box with the original $20.00 price tag on the bottom. Score!

$1

I have been searching for a wall clock for my kitchen since my pretty blue one fell and stopped working. I found myself glancing at the empty spot on the wall to check the time. It was getting annoying seeing the empty spot. Happily the spot is no longer vacant. Ta da!

$2!

I found a garden hose for $2 and didn't take a picture of that! But I did need it and it doesn't leak. Yay!

The last sale I stopped at was on the side of the road in a big open lot. What caught my eye was the watermelon display and tables filled with glassware. It looked intriguing. So I stopped. And bought a watermelon for $5. And let me tell you, it was a big one, locally grown. When my brother Sonny cut it open the next day, we each took a slice from the middle and closed our eyes in appreciation of the wonderful flavor. There is nothing like the taste of a good watermelon. Bliss.

Ok, back to the yard sale. There were several tables set up with alot of old glassware and poreclain pieces. Lots of old vintage pieces and if I sold stuff on Ebay I would have filled my car with a bunch of it. But I don't . So I admired the good stuff, vintage Japanese items like the momma cat and kittens ashtray below. They were missing the original bows that would have been tied at their necks; each had a little metal piece embedded where the ribbon would have gone through. Or that's what I think. It was just a neat item and so whimsical.

I liked this little fellow and almost took him home but I refrained. I just don't want to start collecting whatnots. So I admired him and took his picture.

Below is just one of the tables loaded with collectables. Most were dirty, dusty and obviously had been in storage, probably an old shed or barn. And no, I neglected to ask from whence it all came.

However, I did take home these six lovely hand embroidered Christmas stockings. New. They are all about 15 inches long from top to heel. One still had a price tag of $21.95. I paid $6 for all of them and since they are such quality items and I paid so little, I have decided to have our names embroidered. Brenna and Ellie picked out theirs and decided which one should be Nate's. Robbie picked out his and since Steve paid us no mind, we gave him the last unclaimed one.

Christmas in August!

$6 for all!

Well, that is all I found. It wasn't a big haul but one I was pleased with.

Oh, I almost forgot! A few weeks ago I found a Cars backpack I thought my great nephew Hugh would like. I finally was able to deliver the backpack this past Sunday. Hugh's baby sister, Julia, was going to be baptised, and I joined a few family members for the occasion. Hugh LOVED the backpack and once he was handed it, it never was far from his side. The lights were extra special. Aunt Teeny hit a home run!

.

Have a great week! Not sure what the Labor Day holiday will have in store for yard sales this weekend but trust me....I will check them out. Till then,

Happy Bargain hunting!

Thrifty Christy

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One Stop Shop

Rainy Saturday morning means turning over and going back to sleep when the alarm sounds at 5:45! And that's what happened yesterday. 
However....
Last weekend Johanna, Brianne and I headed over to a dear friend's home to shop and visit. Beth and John have been living and working in Arizona for the past two years, have bought a house there and have decided to go ahead and sell their home here in Greenville. They're selling most of the contents of the house and had a yard sale yesterday so we knew we had to head over there to "support" Beth and John and even better, to have a chance to visit our friends.

And so we did. Beth even kindly provided coffee. Now that's a wonderful friend. She knew not to brew right away, since we wanted to start hunting asap. But after rifling through the offerings in the yard, the barn, and the house, I sat down to enjoy the cup of joe and a catch up with these two wonderful people. This is a very hot time to deal with sorting, boxing and going through your years of accumulated stuff. It's exhausting and I hope when they finish up here in a couple of weeks, they thoroughly enjoy a nice long break. They have sold a number of nicer things, canoes, kayaks, shop tools and furniture on Craigslist and the remainder of the wares were offered at the yard sale. I believe I paid them $40 for the lot and though I have posted several pictures here, there was much more that I didn't publish. 

Johanna and I just started making a pile of stuff and after finishing our search, chatting with Beth and John and then going back over the place to make sure we didn't miss any goodies, finally settled up and headed home after 3 hours. It was a one stop shop!

I didn't get a chance to snap a picture of the trunk but trust me, it was packed.

Bulky items but tools are on the perpetual want list from my nephew, Jon, who runs a landscape business. These were all in good condition. Wasn't sure if he wanted a hoe, but, hey, he's getting one regardless.

I have needed a "new" recycling receptacle for a while and this will work just fine. It does have wheels, a must have for me to get to the curb. It is already half full.

This cooler is in wonderful condition, I would even say like new. Our other coolers are a little worse for wear after years of use so it is time for a change. And I like the color!

Yes, I know, another coffee pot. I left my other small one behind this summer at Merriewold. I found a replacement at Habitat For Humanity ReStore but alas, it is only a 4 cup and my coffee needs in the morning require enough for a to-go cup as well. This lovely pot brews 5 cups, just what I need. Ahhh. You know it's the little things that make your day start out right. And coffee is one of them for me.

So you may have read in earlier posts that we have been enjoying listening to vinyl these days. Beth and John had a nice size stack of records and I was pleased to see some Beatles albums and this Bruce Springsteen collection. Alas, although at first glance they all looked in great condition, all were warped. Sigh. Perhaps the house being unoccupied for two years and hot summers took the toll on the albums and the turntable which doesn't cue down onto the record. From my googling repairing turntables, it would require some more extensive repairs than I feel comfortable doing so these items are not usable. Yes, I know, I should have at least tested the turntable but we were having such fun talking!

What did work just fine was the airmattress with built in pump! Yay!! I took one up to Merriwold for "just in case" and somewhere in the attic there is another but I can't find it! So this one will stay downstairs where it can be accessed! The Spell-A-Bration blocks I have decided to sell. After thinking about it, I realized I am not going to be making use of these.

The booster cables are going to be placed in my car and at the ready. The stapler, well, I can always use a stapler. It's just one of those things you need to have at the ready.

I found the lantern at a yard sale on Friday and it's going to Carolyn, my friend who has been collecting these for her beach house.The color is more of a lime green. The fan goes to the Merriewold next year to live. We have enough here and I don't want to keep schlepping a fan up there each year.

I picked up lots of odds and ends at Beth and Johns: rolls of painters tape, a jar of nails, a pack of face masks, and a pack of bungee cords.

And last but not least is this over the doorway pull up/chin up bar. Unfortunately my doorframes are too wide. and it doesn't fit. I had visions of toning my upper arms. Sadness.

Oh, and I bought an electic pencil sharpener too for Brenna's classroom. She already has 2. So I listed it and someone is buying from me.

That's it for this weekend's finds. Hope you lucked out, braved the heat and found some treasures of your own. Johanna and I are off to Cape Lookout on Tuesday for our Cape Day. Fingers crossed for good weather and safe travels. We are looking forward to relaxing by the seaside.

Thrifty Christy

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