Show us your Thrift and/or yard sale finds

[dragonaxe]

I wonder where she is now? wouldn't it be so cool if there was a way of finding out who she is, and giving her the pic

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[TackCollector]

$20 pink Brother / Atlas sewing machine

Today's finds:

1. A pink Brother / Atlas sewing machine, straight stitch. Very Art Deco. $20 in a case, with attachments, but the attachments are all by Singer and are originally for a Singer 15.91.

My machine looks similar to this one: http://possumjimandelizabeth.com/xhtml/collect_sewing_atlas.html But says Brother across it, has the border they talk about all the way around it, and then also says Atlas and made in Japan somewhere on the pillar. Very cool looking straight stitcher. It was worth the $20 just for the pink color. It may be a couple of weeks or months until I get it cleaned up and get proper belt for it (no local "old sewing machine guy" here, like I had in my former town).

This borrowed pic will have to do for now, but my machine is much bolder with it's border and the Art Deco "Brother" letters on it:

found another online, with a border http://www.etsy.com/listing/56781749/pink-atlas-sewing-machine-with-case

2. I also snagged a Montgomery Wards '70s or '80s free arm machine, also Japanese, that has many built-in stitches. It's one of the upper-end models of its time. Seems to be all-metal construction. Dismantling the underside to oil it looks like a "Federal Project," hehe. Might be another 2 months before I can clean that one up. $20 for it, and also has buttonholer and a bunch of other accessories that will work on it, but that came from a much older machine.

With those two purchases, I think I qualified for hoarding. But, someone has to keep good sewing machines out of the landfills. I *will* sew something on these two, eventually. I just don't have time right now.

As much as I love my Singer collection, I really think the postwar Japanese straight stitchers and their '70s metal geared free arm machines are the smoothest running things to sew on.

 

[PoohBang]

very nice score on those machines. I'm partial to sewing machines myself. The best ones I've used are my 201-2 and my 15-91. But I've not used any of those Japanese machines...

 

[Widebrim]

I wonder where she is now? wouldn't it be so cool if there was a way of finding out who she is, and giving her the pic

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Looks like early '60s...Yeah, she is pretty.

 

[TackCollector]

very nice score on those machines. I'm partial to sewing machines myself. The best ones I've used are my 201-2 and my 15-91. But I've not used any of those Japanese machines...

I like both of those. I have a collection, and probably 2 or 3 each of 201 with the potted motor and 15-91. I also have a British 201K, that is a 201 with the bolt-on motor. They put them in treadles, too. If you can find a 201K at decent price, it would be a good one to pick up. You can always get an other motor for it, plus don't have to be concerned with insulation on the internal wiring on those machines with the potted motor. It can be replaced with some shrink wrap covering, but you have to disassemble the machine to do that.

I sewed some blanket binding on two blankets tonight using the Monkey Wards machine. It's a free arm, model 1980 B Convertible Stretch Stitch sewing machine.

I was pleased to discover that the swing-out pieces of the bed also house the attachments and bobbins. Pretty cool machine for only $20, lol. It has a weird tension set-up, kind of like those '80s Singers like 6268 Ultra. I was dismayed to find that out, when I tried to thread it without reading the manual. But it stitched fine and didn't have any tension problems.

Haven't scrubbed off the pink one yet. When I do, it well get a photo opportunity.

 

[tonyb]

Got this little table yesterday for zero dollars and no cents. The seller could see I was taken with it and said she just wanted me to have it. Bless her heart.

It goes well with the generally modern look (in that mid-century sorta way that's all the rage right now, thanks in no small part to that hit TV show) of the room in which it now resides. There are rooms in this house that can be made quite different from each other stylistically without it all turning into a awkward, disjointed hodgepodge. The spacious living/dining room begs for that spare, unfussy look, so I don't fight it.

 

[TackCollector]

Nice table.

 

[Foofoogal]

I wonder where she is now? wouldn't it be so cool if there was a way of finding out who she is, and giving her the pic

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I thought I was the only one that thinks like this. Love it.

 

[CharlieB]

Great looking taable. Is the glass all intact? From the photo, it kind of looks like there may be a chip at the back.

 

[tonyb]

Great looking taable. Is the glass all intact? From the photo, it kind of looks like there may be a chip at the back.

Thanks.

On closer examination I see that it has a small chip at the edge, but a very small one -- not even a millimeter wide. But what I think you alluded to, that flash of light at the rear, isn't it. That's reflected light from a lamp.

And it has some superficial scratches. But that's to be expected, I suppose, seeing how it's probably 40-plus years old. The gal who gave it to me said it had belonged to her parents and was in her family's home when she was growing up, and she is my age, more or less (less, probably), which means it's been longer than either of us would care to recall since we've been kids. I had mentioned to her that I had an end table from about the same era that had belonged to my folks and was in our house when I was a youngster and that I had recently refinished it. It's nothing valuable in anything other than a sentimental way, I added, but a nice piece of furniture that works well with the room it now occupies.

 

[CharlieB]

Yes, what I was looking must be the flash. A great find. Glad it doesn't have any major chips.

 

[Shangas]

I bought a waistcoat today, from the local thrift shop.

$10. Wool + silk-backed. Beltless. Two pockets. Five buttons. Silk lined. Wool is silver grey, silk lining & back is sky blue.

Waistcoat has a couple of small stains on it. Gonna see if I can get them dry-cleaned out. And it fits me perfectly!

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

J. B. Van Sciver Co. Oak Office Chair ('30s? '40s?..).

$10. All there.

Befores & after (clean up and lemon oil):

 

[LocktownDog]

Great chair!

 

[Dan'l]

J. B. Van Sciver Co. Oak Office Chair ('30s? '40s?..).

$10. All there.

Befores & after (clean up and lemon oil):

That's a fantastic after photo! What a find for $10.

 

[Dinerman]

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

Hi-Tech!!

 

[Foofoogal]

I can almost hear that chair saying thank you. Awesome.

nice find also Dinerman.

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

I can almost hear that chair saying thank you. Awesome.

That's the way I think too. I looked into "J. B. Sciver Co." a bit and found some interesting furniture made by that outfit back 'in the day'. I found several examples of big, beefy tables (a LOT like the one in my office peaking into the picture on left) made of gumwood and walnut and featuring a particular style of base. The inner leaf is long gone from my table and I find no brand badges on or under but it's looking reasonably likely that the chair is now 'seated' at a table that came from the same plant.

 

[Shangas]

It took me a while, but I finally went to the flea-market and came back with a hanging-strop for my straight-razor! It cost me $12 (down from $15). Here it is:

Already had a practice stropping on it. It's smooth and works well. No cuts, rips, tears or any other imperfections. Needs a slight clean, though.