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Show us your Thrift and/or yard sale finds

MAGNAVERDE

New in Town
Messages
46
Location
Chicago 6, Illinois
I've got a few swell pieces for which I paid a ton of dough, but most of my stuff came from a yard sale/estate sale/thrift shop. The nice part was when I started buying 193Os pieces--in the 196Os--you could still find them for a few dollars at every Goodwill store. My first post-high-school item was a streamlined Kirby Vacuum cleaner from 1937 which my brother made fun of me for buying because my then apartment had smooth terrazzo floors. It didn't matter, because the vacuum was a curvaceous beauty with a gray-&-silver cloth bag that exactly matched the color on my walls. It was meant to live at my place. Thirty years later, it's still working & after a recent rouge-&-polish date at a local autobody shop, it's once again ready for its close-up. So far, it's cost has worked out to fifty cents per year.

Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of it after its face lift, but here's another piece from the same year: a little Thermos carafe I picked up for a dollar at an old lady's garage sale without knowing anything about it except that it reminded me of Henry Drefuss' Twentieth Century Limited, which it ought to, since he designed it at about the same time. Anyway, I don't live in this place anymore, but I loved it while I was there and everything in it cost me less than $100 total.
desk--4750--dreyfussthermos.jpg


DESK--Airship20Apt20jpg.jpg
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MaryDeluxe

Practically Family
Messages
794
Location
Deluxeville!
I went to an estate sale today and came home with a car stuffed with cool old junk!:D Here are a few of my thrifty finds!

A 1939 electrolux vaccum with the original paperwork and all the extras! And it works :)
electrolux.jpg


A few boxes of vintage pillows that look great on my sofa, two suit cases with traveling kits inside, and a lady sunbeam hood dryer.
pillows.jpg


Yay for auctions!!
 

Dan G

One of the Regulars
Messages
287
Location
Pensacola, FL
My Dad has an Electrolux vacuum just like that one! Incidentally... Electrolux used to make the motors for McCulloch chainsaws!lol Those were some tough chainsaws.
 

Kimberly

Practically Family
Messages
643
Location
Massachusetts
Mary, I love your finds! Out of curiosity, how are you going to display the vacuum? I love the pictures of your house and use them for decorating tips of my own. ;)
 

Quigley Brown

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,745
Location
Des Moines, Iowa
While out bike riding yesterday morning I came upon a nice yard sale and found a few things: an excellent 1960s white formal dinner jacket, a unique vintage hand-painted tie and some cool pulp fiction...

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tie.jpg
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MaryDeluxe

Practically Family
Messages
794
Location
Deluxeville!
Dan G said:
My Dad has an Electrolux vacuum just like that one! Incidentally... Electrolux used to make the motors for McCulloch chainsaws!lol Those were some tough chainsaws.

That's interesting! I'll have to pass that on to my Dad since he is a logger and has a HUGH collection of chainsaws!
 

MaryDeluxe

Practically Family
Messages
794
Location
Deluxeville!
Kimberly said:
Mary, I love your finds! Out of curiosity, how are you going to display the vacuum? I love the pictures of your house and use them for decorating tips of my own. ;)

Well actually since it works, I'm going to use it and display it in my closet! lol
Thank you for your nice complement. :)
 

Rooster

Practically Family
Messages
917
Location
Iowa
Six pair of Lands End 100% wool pants @ $3.00 a pair in my exact size. Never been worn.
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ShooShooBaby

One Too Many
Messages
1,149
Location
portland, oregon
i work in a thrift store so naturally i find a TON of great stuff - some of it real vintage, some of it fake! here are a few things i've picked up lately.

shoes that look old, but aren't! i paid $3.50.
stuff003.jpg


cute rockabilly-style blouse - late 50s? - $1.50
stuff004-1.jpg


amazing brocade satin dress with jacket - $7.50 for the set
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black wool suit with leopard-print trim (i couldn't find the skirt for the photo, but here's the top) - $5 for the set
stuff009.jpg


pale pink slip with beautiful detailing!!! i think it's the 4th slip i've bought this month. - $2ish
stuff012-1.jpg


this top has a very depression-era vibe to it. perhaps it was part of a costume, but i don't think it's actually vintage. - $2
stuff013.jpg


cotton shirt printed with pears and dots! puffed sleeves! i'm thinking of putting new buttons on it. originally from old navy. - $3
stuff015.jpg


three of the plaid wool jackets i've obtained. all were $5 or under. all vintage.
stuff014-1.jpg


that's it for now!
 

Pink Dahlia

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,314
Location
Arizona
ShooShoo are you working at Savers? I might be getting a second job around June and after seeing your finds I'm thinking Savers!
 

RedHotRidinHood

Practically Family
Messages
786
Location
Phoenix
ShooShoo-those are nice 49ers. I live in those during the winter...you know how to tell if it's an older Pendleton as opposed to a newer one? They didn't start using the little wool symbol on the tag until about 1964.
I am still on my eternal hunt for an elusive lavender 49er...they are hard to find and I can't afford $75 on eBay! I have never paid more than about $8 for one, so good for you for finding them!
 

ShooShooBaby

One Too Many
Messages
1,149
Location
portland, oregon
Pink Dahlia said:
ShooShoo are you working at Savers? I might be getting a second job around June and after seeing your finds I'm thinking Savers!

yep! but here it's called Value Village. one of my supervisors worked at one in phoenix... i'll ask her how the company is down there! our store is SUPER flexible with hours, so it seems like it would be good for a 2nd job.
 

ShooShooBaby

One Too Many
Messages
1,149
Location
portland, oregon
RedHotRidinHood said:
ShooShoo-those are nice 49ers. I live in those during the winter...you know how to tell if it's an older Pendleton as opposed to a newer one? They didn't start using the little wool symbol on the tag until about 1964.
I am still on my eternal hunt for an elusive lavender 49er...they are hard to find and I can't afford $75 on eBay! I have never paid more than about $8 for one, so good for you for finding them!

i did know that about the wool symbol! but do you know what colors the pendleton tags were printed in in what years, or other characteristics associated?

and omg i HAD a lavendar one! i bought it on a clearance rack because i had a couple broken buttons on my favorite one. it was mangled, full of mothholes, but had a few salvageable buttons. i ended up cutting off the buttons, and i think i donated it to a thrift store :confused: it really was in bad shape though.
 

ShooShooBaby

One Too Many
Messages
1,149
Location
portland, oregon
i can't believe NO ONE has found anything post-worthy since my last one - come on, everyone!!

so i am constantly thrifting, and not just at the store i work at. here are some recent finds:
vintage bathing suit
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a retro-styled fan that won't result in me chopping off a finger
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some tap-panties with neat detailing
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modern saddle shoes
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i found most of this stuff the past couple days. today i also found another pair of women's dungarees, a couple 60s shirts, a black italian wool double-knit pencil skirt, a 1953 girl scout handbook, and god knows what else! i am going to try to control myself at work tomorrow, but you know how that goes.
 

shindeco

A-List Customer
Messages
377
Location
Vancouver (the one north of M.K.)
Hmm, I was trying to come up with an excuse to take a picture of this stuff the other day! All the stuff on the table (including the tablecloth) comes from thrift stores or yard sales -- not all at the same time, of course but I think it works together pretty well.

cocktails.jpg
 

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