Happy Birthday!

Rain was in the forecast and it wasn't a mistake. At 5:15 I woke up, blearily turned off the alarm, stumbled quietly out of the bedroom and looked outside. Rain was falling and I knew it wasn't going to end soon. But my friends wanted to soldier on and by golly we did!

 Johanna was feeling the itch of thrifting and had been put off for too long. Patty hadn't been in years and asked to join us. Of course "yes!!" was the response. And it wasnt just because she offered to drive her van. We're not that easy. Actually, yes we are. Well, I am at least! I love company when thrifting on Saturdays and always say yes. And offering to drive your van, well, that's just the cherry on top!

Johanna had on her zebra rainboots, Patty had on her Teva sandals and I, well, I had on boat shoes. I was still hoping the rain would end and I left my rain shoes in my car, forgotten under a pile of bags. We set out knowing there was only one 6am sale and nothing else until 7am. We had decided to have breakfast in between the early sale and the others; arranging to meet my daughter Brenna and her friend Sarah at the early bird sale and breakfast.

Wouldn't you know the 6 am sale was "postponed". Yes, Postponed was written on a small sign on the porch some distance from the road. We couldn't even see it until we were at the steps. Dripping. Disappointed. Sigh.

So off we went to McDonald's and there Johanna, Patty and I sang Happy Birthday to Brenna as she slogged through the door. Oh, she tried to get us to hush but not a chance. Not with an audience of one customer! And it paid off. She got a free oatmeal. See, good things sometimes happen on wet Saturday mornings.

Thankfully that was the only canceled sale of the day. All the others had garages and were opened for business. First stop was a friend of mine's sale. Initially a couple of neighbors were supposed to have theirs too but alas, her neighbors had no garages so she was the only one selling that day.

I was looking for beach chairs for my niece Kelley and bought these as soon as I entered the garage.

$11 for all

Then I plunked myself down when I saw a box filled with, yes, children's books. I bought all the ones shown below, in really great condition. Most "like new". And they have already gone home to my friend Becky for her daughters. Happy daughters, happy mom and I'm happy to make a sale. And yes, she got a "friend's discount". Got to take of my Peeps!

25 cents each

This little bunny is hanging on my front door. Sweet isn't he?

Original price on tag: $9.95. I paid 50 cents

My niece LIndsey, an elementary school teacher asked me to be on the lookout for clipboards. Did she tell me how many? Did I inquire? No to each question. So when I found a box at a sale that contained around 20 I was taken aback. At 25 cents each and in new condition I didn't know how many to get! Tried calling but no answer. Agh! So after consulting with Patty and Johanna, I picked up 10. Done.

front and back of 10 new clipboards 25 cents each

This BIG pot is going to my sister Fran in Raleigh. She had asked me to buy big pots for her. I found one really nice one last year, but kept it for my Christmas cactus. So when I spotted this one, I was redeemed. Fellow said $8 when I asked but accepted my offer of $5.

Even the inside is deorated!

$5. Original sticker price on bottom was $17.95

This is a new, sealed puzzle I bought with resale in mind. Fingers crossed.

50 cents for the puzzle

Pausing here to give you a view of Johanna's goodies. The small light table is going to her craft room and the light fixture is going into her storage barn for extra lighting. There's lots more craft goodies tucked away in those bags.

Johanna's trunk shot

Patty's van after Johanna unloaded her haul. The big stuffed animals are going to Patty's grand dog, Nike. I believe he will have them destuffed in a short amount of time. I can't remember all that Patty picked up. But she seemed happy with her deals.

Patty's trunk shot

This game is cute with the pieces shaped like tires. I considered keeping for Nate. Really I did. But my Grandma Stash is getting filled and until he outgrows the ones I have now, well, nothing else is going to add to the pile. I have someone interested in it at $5. If it sells, ok. If not, well, maybe I can sneak it into the attic until he's old enough. It's the firetrucks that he loves that make me pause.

50 cents

The baseball batting helmet is sold already to a coach. Not a great profit but I'm happy it's a good deal for his team. Super nice fellow and the helmet was in great condition. Only missing the mask.

Bought for $4. Sold for $10

I also found some lighting fixtures for my attic that Johanna is going to help me set up and some other odds and ends. Altogether a fun morning despite the rain especially since the sales on our route didn't cancel. Brenna and Sarah also found some good deals and it was good to "shop" together. They hit a couple of sales we didn't and recomended one that I had deemed out of our way. Glad we took their advice. That's where Johanna got her table and I found the helmet and clipboards.

The weather forecast is looking good for this week and Saturday sales should be plentiful.
That's it for this week. Hope you stayed dry, found some deals and bargains and maybe had a taste of Spring in your area.

Thrifty Christy

Posted with Blogsy

Ok to ask

As my husband and I pulled out of the parking lot Friday evening at our new favorite Mexican restaurant, my attention was immediately captured by the ad below. How could it not be captured! Don't you just love the googly eyes!! Pretty creative I thought. And of course, just whetted my enthusiasm for early morning shopping therapy.

And yes, there were a couple of 6 and 6:30am sales yesterday. I was grateful to have my headlamp ready for searching the dimly lit offerings when yard sales begin before the sun comes up. However, even armed with a flashlight/headlamp, whatever you have to light the way, I was again reminded to look carefully, take a little extra time to examine an item before purchasing it. Johanna is patient. I am not. 

Case in point the lamp below. Now you know I have several soft spots for lamps, shades, books, hmmm there's others as well I am sure, but that covers the main ones. I really like oil lamps but have scaled down my hoard collection to just a few. But this one called to me. Not at $10 but still it called. It was tucked away, surrounded by other collectables and in a dark spot. And as I was checking out, I kept looking at it FROM AFAR. Sigh, the point is, I didn't realize until after I returned home that it had been converted into an electric lamp. AGH! 

At least I only paid $5 since the seller quickly reduced the price when she saw I was interested and was trying to make up my mind. Oh well. I'm not sure what to do at this point. No globe, no shade and I'm not sure how I would put a shade on it. It's on the back burner for now, but I will keep you posted when I figure something out. Feel free to comment with suggestions!

Marked $10 but paid $5

At the same sale, I bought this new, in original queen size aerobed with built in pump. Score! I have given up trying to make do with used air mattresses. They always seem to have issues. So hopefully a brand new aerobed will work. It is the original model, no special bells or whistles and hopefully no leaks!

Stock photo

New in box Queen size Aerobed: $20

There was benefit sale for Relay for Life where I found a bunch of books for a great price. As you remember, I buy pregnancy books when I can get for .50- $1 and donate to the Pregnancy Center. Two of these are hardback and all relatively recent publications. Actually, I'm missing two more that were in another bag when I took this picture. All were 50 cents!

50 cents each

Our niece, Mary the teacher in New Orleans, requested nature/science books so these go in the box to be sent this week. Same sale as the pregnancy books.

50 cents each.

My great nephew, Beau, loves dump trucks so this nice big one goes to him.

$3 for a Big Truck!

Box of coffee mugs goes to Raleigh, NC and the Flower Shuttle; a group that brings flower arrangements to residents of nursing homes and to shut-ins. They use flowers donated by florists, and use donated vases and coffee mugs to make the arrangements. My sister Fran asked me to purchase these and she'll deliver them to the Flower Shuttle folks.

25 cents each.

I like these handled trucks for Nate. Couldn't resist.

$2 each

My friend Johanna requested I look for baskets for her craft room. She's busy working on it and needs these for organizing her wares.

50 cents each

The diaper covers/bloomers and shoes go to my great niece, Julia. The shoes are called Skidders and have rubberized soles and are wonderful for little ones just starting to try walking.

All for $2

I had hopes for this particular sale. It had the promise of volume and maybe treasures lying amidst the rubble. Not so. I did truely try to look in every bin, box, trash pile but to no avail. It was just junk. Dirty, moldy, nasty. I couldn't bring myself to look in the tubs with clothing after seeing what was in the boxes. Hand sanitizer was a must as soon as I returned to the car!

Searched but found NOTHING!!

And now the reason for the title of this post:

The book in the photo below; well that's the story. 

I found a neighborhood yard sale where a large number of homes had sales going on. I love these! And at one, I found a big box with LOTS of great paperback childrens books. So I started making a big pile of good titles and then realized I didn't know how much the seller was asking. So I stopped grabbing books, looked up and asked, how much. Back story: it was now almost 9am. That's getting a little late in the yard sale business. Most of the customers are there well before that and your traffic will slow to a trickle after 8:30.

The answer to my query was "$1 a book". And I asked, even the paperbacks? "yes" was the response, in a very firm, no questions asked manner. I put them all back except the hardback shown below.

Later I thought maybe I should have countered with an offer of "50 cents each if I buy all of this pile?" But something in her manner prevented me from asking. My loss and hers. Who knows, maybe someone else came along behind me and paid the $$$$.

On the bright side, I really like this series of books and I look forward to reading Nate this one at Christmas so the $1 was well spent.

The point is, I wish I had asked. And I will next time. Maybe all she needed was a little nudge. Or maybe not. At least  I could have given her an opportunity to come down in price and negotiate. And I will next time. 

Travel mug: $1 and book....yes, $1

Yes, I know, that's another coffee travel container you see next to in the now infamous book. This one is brand new, still had the paperwork inside. However, I am getting rid of two in my cupboard. I promise. This one is stainless inside and out and easy to clean. And the price and condition was excellent. I couldn't help myself. It needed to come home with me.

So, all in all a satisfactory haul, just nothing extra special, except maybe the Aerobed. That I am very happy about. I was not excited about going out again solo. Not at all fun. Fingers crossed my friend Carolyn will join me next Saturday. You promised, Carolyn!!! Fingers crossed.

I hope you found some bargains this week and if not, at least enjoyed my gleeful gloats about the ones I found. Be well and thank you for stopping by to check out what Thrifty Christy shared this week.

Thrifty Christy

Posted with Blogsy

Middle March

 Gleeful gloats continue!

I'm so happy to continue to have Saturdays free to hunt for treasures! The number of sales continue to expand as folks start cleaning out their homes and hope to make some cash; the sunny weekends are helping to make it happen.

I found a sale benefitting Type 1 Diabetes with lots of donations from Whole Foods. Yay! I was compelled to stop first to check out this box o'books (you know of  my addiction interest in children's books) and as soon as I began to look through, the seller said I could have the whole box for $2. No more needed to be said. I started making a pile!

Box of books for my friend Mindy's little girls: $2

Next was a box of Christmas decorations. In years past I have decorated my windows with faux evergreen swags but threw them out this past year as they were looking rather bare. The years and weather have taken a toll. Time for an updated decor but a thrifty one of course! I've admired homes with these wreaths hanging in the windows and decided to try it next Christmas. Low and behold in the box of Christmas decorations were 5 wreaths complete with red bows and a few extras.  I had picked up a couple of these in January approximately the same size so now I have enough.  Happy dance happening!

5 medium wreaths: $5

Moving down the tables I spotted a box filled with boxes of Christmas crackers. We use these at Christmas dinners and I am always stocking up at the after Christmas sales for at least 1/2 off prices. These were $1 each. From Whole Foods. With 19.95 price stickers on the back. Score!! I loaded up needless to say. 

Boxes of Christmas Crackers:$1 each!

And lest you think it was all about Christmas,  I found boxes of these new Easter candle chicks. I took them out and the bubble wrap they were individually wrapped in to take the picture. I wish now I had picked up more to give away. Regrets.

Easter Candle Chicks: $1 for the box.

 At another sale I bought this 3 drawer storage unit  for resell. Success! Sold for $12. 

Plastic storage unit: $4


My daughter Brenna likes Happy by Clinique so when I saw this for $1 I had to buy it. After the fact, she pointed out this is Happy Heart by Clinique, not Happy. And she has enough to last for a while. So...I sold this 1.7 fl. oz spray bottle for $15 the following day.

1.7 fl. oz bottle Happy Heart by Clinique: $1

Since vinyl is always on my radar, I checked out a box of albums at yet another sale. Most of their items were wayyyy out my league and probably every one else who stopped by because I just saw an ad for a second yard sale they're having tomorrow. Worded "prices reduced". Sigh, if only they had been more reasonable the first go round. But I digress. The albums were only 25cents each. Yes! So then of course you have to check for condition. Very nice! No visible scratches, original sleeves, and some fun artists. So I bought Willie and the others shown below. 

Cleaned house that afternoon with the stereo full blast and had a fab time of it.  I am enjoying the stereo system!

There were other finds but these are the highlights. I forgot to share my score on Tony Lama boots at the church sale a couple of months ago. All shoes/boots were $1. I sold most of them but was leery of these boots because I was afraid they maybe fake. Made in Mexico and I couldn't find the serial numbers inside the boots online. Well they're not and I am going to sell them on Ebay. The soles have just a minimal amount of wear and none at all on the heels. I'm hoping to get a nice profit on these. 

Once again, my gloats are over and I will end this now. Tomorrow looks promising with a good number of sales listed on Craigslist and the local paper. I better get my yard sale bag ready and my list printed so at 0'dark thirty I'll be good to go.

Happy bargain hunting everyone!

Thrifty Christy

Posted with Blogsy

Picking up!

 Gleeful gloatings begin again.

The season for yard sales is picking up! And the weather too has been cooperating. My, what a difference a forecast of no rain makes. Let the picking begin!

My Saturday started off with a couple of 6 and 6:30am sales and I was on my own. Sigh. I do like company and I miss the banter, support and feedback..."yeah, go for it" or "no, pass" that another person offers when you shop in community.

I picked up this small bookshelf with Brenna in mind but also knowing if she couldn't use, I would be able to sell it. No she didn't and yes, I did.

Small bookcase: $4


I was on the lookout for bath toys for Nate, my grandson, and found these cuties. Looking forward to the next time he comes over...he'll be in the bathtub and having fun in no time.

Bath toys: $1 for the lot

 Another Nate item I've had on my watch list is a potty chair. I have procured two for his house and one for his babysitter's house and now Mamie has one for hers! Cute isn't it? Cleaned and waiting for use in the upcoming months.

Potty chair: $3

 Yes, another Grandma stash item below is the sound machine for when Nate spends the night. The "Together, a great place to be" decal set is brand new and Brenna has claimed that for her kitchen.

The frame is for our family wall of photos.

Sound machine: $4,  decal set: $2 and frame: $1

My niece, Kelley, had admired my large tote I found at a yard sale a few months ago and asked me to keep a lookout for her. I spotted this one as I was walking up the driveway and snapped it up when I  heard the price. That seller was motivated to sell! Love those kind of sellers!

Thirty One brand large tote: $5

 No, I don't know a Victoria, except for my sister, but this wooden step stool was on Brenna's want list. Nate can now climb up and brush his teeth and wash his hands at the bathroom sink. This will be spray painted (sometime in the future) and it is already functioning well in the upstairs bathroom.

Wooden step stool: $5

Always looking at books for friends, family and my own personal Grandma stash. Several go to my friend Mindy's children,  Skippyjon goes to my sister, Cee and I kept the Thomas and I Spy books. I found a lot more level one and two paperback readers for our niece Mary's class 2nd grade classroom in New Orleans and now I have enough to fill a box. That will be going out this week.

Like new large hardback books: $1 each.

And that's all for now. I will be uploading this past Saturday's finds soon and publishing another post soon.

Hope you are well, finding bargains of your own and maybe ready for Spring to spring!


Thrifty Christy

Posted with Blogsy