Happy Sunny Sunday Dear Friends!
Yesterday was a fun auction~filled day... as many recently have been. I thought I would share some of my junky treasures with you.
When I go to auctions, I'm not afraid to bid. I am EXCITED by it! However, I do try to stay conservative and remember that I'm there to buy inventory for my booth... not for my home. We are on a tight budget and I'm trying to make a little extra to help us out. Sure, from time to time I find something that I can't dare to part with... but mostly I'm pretty good.
One of the things I LOVE to do at auctions... bid on the stuff that no one else wants. This is often bunches boxes filled with oodles of odds and ends... and real junk too. I try to remember that old saying... "waste not want not"... and then think that someone held onto this stuff for one reason or another. It was important enough to them to not throw it out. There is probably a use for it.
Last weekend I bought a lot of junky boxes for $2. There were about 10 boxes filled with all sorts of clutter. Immediately after I won the bid, a girl rushed over to me and asked to buy a box of polyester fabric straps for $2. She was a nice young girl and I didn't hesitate. I accepted her offer. Then another woman came over and asked to buy a cell phone holder from the bunch for $1. Of course, I sold it to her too. I was already up a dollar on that buy! As I was digging through the remainder of items, I found a sandwich baggie full of silver dollars and half dollars! Good Grief! Also in the mix, was a coffee cup full of smaller coins... mostly pennies. The coins added up to over $8! I made a profit on that bunch... and still had the good junk left over from my sorting too!
Also in the boxes were some used eye glasses and an old cell phone. I didn't through them away with the true trash in my lot... they were donated. I dropped the eyeglasses off at the vision center in our local Walmart. There is a box for donations there sponsored by the Lions Club. The phone was dropped in the box at Verizon. Some junk doesn't have to be real junk/trash!
The stuff that was left was packed into my pick up and brought home. I'm using it already... as you will see later in the post.
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Here are some things I brought home yesterday... for just a few dollars too...
Piles of blankets to use for weaving rag rugs... or critter comforts come winter. We have 5 kitty babies and one big brown pup that spend the cold winter nights in storage buildings. These blankets are good for them! In fact, Tommy looks like he is playing a part in "The Princess and the Pea" already...
I've washed them all and have these set aside for rug making...
Boxes of old glassware are readily available at auctions. A quick run through the dishwasher... and they are good as new! The drinking glasses with the white ivy design are going to my sister's home. The other pieces will be priced and put in the booth. In the upper right of the photo are a really nice set of six root beer mugs. They make me really want a Root beer Float!
This old pitcher has crazing in it and a hairline crack... but it is really cool! Prim cool!
Boxes of Grandma's sewing stuff, plate holders, and some baby shoes...
Here is what I've already 'played' with today... These pieces were sorted from my bunches. They aren't perfect, but they are useful... to me... and hopefully to someone else too. The finished items will be priced and put in the booth. *smile*
Even cracks and damage won't stop me!
I had to look up this piece to see what it was and found it to be an infant or invalid feeder. When I first saw it, I thought it was a Neti pot! Go ahead... you are free to laugh! *chuckle/snort*
And now... all finished... pinkeeps...
The feeder will hold a pair of scissors and thimble too!
The teacup was glued to a saucer slightly off center... to make room for scissors, thimble, or even a spool of thread...
The old milk glass dish design... will also hold scissors...
Some things to consider if you make your own pinkeeps from old glassware (silver & pewter... or oodles of other things will work well too!)...
*I don't use hot glue. Hot glue will not react well to temperature change and could come loose too easily... making your work fall apart. For gluing the fabric 'pillow', I use liquid nails/silicone. I use clear.
*For the 'pillow' filler, I don't use polyester. For these I used wool snippets. Again... I always try to make do with what is readily available. Plus, the polyester will dull pins & needles... that wouldn't be good.
*To glue china to china (or metal to glass), I use a great glue called E6000. It could also be used for the 'pillow' placement... but it has a strong odor and I don't like to smell it.
Here are a few other things I've made with my junk...
I used the E6000 to make these... an assortment of candle sticks and plates. They can be used to hold a candle, candy, or whatever you please. I have one in my bathroom on the counter & use it to hold my jewelry.
Oh... and the angel... she was in boxes of junk too.
There is much more to share... and I will soon. Right now... I have to go grab my spray paint and head out to the far building. There is another re~do project in the works!
Wishing you all warm smiles...
Betty
