Wednesday, April 8, 2009

I Racked Up!

I have a long history of ferreting out killer deals at thrift stores. I was raised on regular forays to the local Goodwill. My mother assembled a very nice collection of pink depression glass that she purchased at thrift stores before the prices on that stuff went through the roof. She put my girlhood bedroom suite of a twin bed together with bargain finds of a mirrored chifforobe and a cute little dresser that sported a three sided mirror and a backless bench. After all the pieces were painted butter yellow and antiqued they made a sweet bedroom set.

When my boys were young and we were....lacking money for extras....I thrifted regularly for gently worn blue jeans and shirts. I supplied my little readers with plenty of books that I found there as well. I've always gone straight to the book section first. Interesting books, art books, old grammar school text books, thrillers, spy novels....etc, etc, etc. When I decided to begin collecting Little Golden Books my best source was the thrift store. That is until other people got in on the act. Now if it's not Disney, it's hard to find. But that's okay...I've bought more than enough already.

But in recent years, I decided that I just don't need so much stuff. I've tried to pare down...and for a collector type personality that is not easy. So, I swore off regular visits to "the exclusive shop" as my mother likes to tell people when they ask her where she got her cute purse or jacket.

I'd sworn off that is until I got the notion that I would like to start a new collection. On Saturday I made the rounds to 3 stores looking for this:

That's right. My newest addiction is collecting game pieces. I'd love to have vintage game pieces, but plastic pieces have their appeal as well.

I imagine that my granddaughters will love to dump them out and play with them. Maybe they will invent a game that they can market when they grow up!

*************************************************************************************
I found these children's clothing patterns circa the 60s as well. For 25 cents I just couldn't leave them there. Especially after I thought about the seamstress who originally bought these and made outfits for her babies....45 years ago! Somewhere there are family photos of cute children with dimples and baby fat wearing what she made using these patterns. Maybe one of those dimpled children has grown up and makes clothes for her own kids now. For 75 cents I brought home a dose of a mother's love.

*************************************************************************************
When I saw this lying on the bottom shelf I pounced on it. MINE, I thought. Then I saw that it had no price. The management is funny about unpriced items at this shop, so I put it back and walked away thinking that it just wasn't meant for me. But at the check out counter, I decided to make sure their policy hadn't changed. The cashier pointed out the manager and encouraged me to tell him about the item and ask. I decided that I didn't have anything to lose. Yippee....it was mine for $1.99!

It is missing it's stand but that doesn't bother me. It's big...big as a big big beach ball. I brought it right in the house and stuck it on top of the entertainment center. Seeing it there entertains me.

I love globes...this is # 3. It looks like you might be able to boast in the future that you were there when it all began. You were at the epicenter of Steviewren's global collection fever/fervor.

22 comments:

  1. Your game pieces are happy! I love how you've dumped them in the big glass bowl. What fun items to collect!

    I'm trying not to be envious of the patterns! I check our two little thrift stores frequently for patters, especially children's clothes patterns, but have yet to find any. Nice find!

    If Boo ever comes to your house I think he will steal your new globe.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ooooh...you got some great deals! I do love the thrift stores! You can feed a little shopping itch without spending a bunch. It's so fun to find deals! My favorite find is a cashmere sweater for $3 for myself. Yippee!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Stevie, this is a post that reminds me of so many things. My mom and I always loved thrift stores. The last apartment my mother lived in was right across the street from a Publix grocery store and a Goodwill store. She would go over first thing on the mornings they had deliveries and she found the best finds. Back then in the late 80's you could get fabulous buys. She could get a whole outfit for like $3.00. She loved to dress up for church and as I still go checking for buys at the thrifts stores I always think of her. Now I will also be thinking of my Alabama friend,Stevie Wren. The things are just pre-loved.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I nearly forgot. I love your globe. It is a very useful item. I think we are so 'green' to recycle such things.

    ReplyDelete
  5. wow! great deals and what fun, too! i love the idea of collecting vintage game pieces. i feel another collection frenzy coming on as well!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Great fun. I love Saturday morning yard sales for the same sort of reason. Books primarily.. but there's so many things to buy that I didn't know I needed. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  7. these things will be valuable one day for your great great great grandkids, so keep collecting. what a fun read....okay i am now confused...who is nana trish??? you? I am sure it's you. crafty.

    ReplyDelete
  8. A, you are speaking my language; I love anything vintage, second hand and I love flea markets and thrift stores.
    When I travel, I so look forward to visit the local thrift stores.
    I have never heard of anyone who would collect game pieces. That is so cool.
    I love the glass globe.;) And I too like globes, although I do not collect them. I have one on my desk at home, I like to look at it as it makes me realize how small the world really is.;))

    ReplyDelete
  9. Way to go! See you just made room for more stuff.

    ReplyDelete
  10. What a cool idea! I think it would be neat if your grandkids invented a game. They could call it "A Little Birdie Told Me So" after you!

    You don't happen to have a book called "5 Little Kittens" done with photos of cats in old-fashioned costumes. I remember one of the kittens (the bad one) was called Agamemnon, but that's all I can recall. I loved that book!

    Kat

    ReplyDelete
  11. Your game pieces look like they could be fun. Colorful too.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Your game pieces look like they could be fun. Colorful too.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Love all the game pieces, I've decided to do an altered book and I was just wishing I had some!

    ReplyDelete
  14. I think I also have the collector type personality! I am quite sure that you and your grandchildren will be able to create a great game!
    denise

    ReplyDelete
  15. i'm such an idiot (old idiot)...when i went to nana trish to leave a comment, i mistakenly opened your blog and thought you were her! sorry, i was obviously having a 'senior moment'!!!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Game pieces are a fun collectible! They look so inviting all together like that so I'm sure your right that your grandkids will love playing with them.

    I am a book collector too, but I just purged my shelves of three cartons full to give to a library sale, and some I sold ...I'll post about that after Easter. I have to make room for new books! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  17. You and I have that in common! I love to thrift shop, partially because I was raised very, very poor, and partially because I love to find value in things. It makes me happy! :)

    Have a great Easter!

    -Sarah

    ReplyDelete
  18. Steviewren, you are a very special person! I am impressed by this blog and by your creative imagination in all things. Your photography was well thought out too. Well done!! - Dave

    ReplyDelete
  19. Who'd have thunk to use old game pieces as a decoration?!!! You see the world through different eyes, and I like that very much about you.

    ReplyDelete
  20. What fun finds!! I love the game pieces~your grandchildren will have a blast with those. Those make me think of my friend's basement's bar countertop which she has decoupaged with all kinds of (paper) game pieces~it's very fun.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Those are wonderful prices.
    So bad that I can't get that price here :(

    ReplyDelete
  22. AAAGH! I wish I'd read this sooner. I just yesterday threw out a bunch of old games with lots of lovely pieces. You would have been welcome to them... so sorry. Oh, well, I'm sure there are plenty more in thrift store land. Mine had been in the garage and were a bit heavy on spiders... I couldn't bear to part with the old chess pieces tho, that look like kings and queens and such.

    ReplyDelete

I'm glad you stopped by and I look forward to your comments. As Dr. Fraser Crane would say, "Hello, I'm listening."