Treasures from the Past: Thrifting Today

Today's we have a guest post from Sue at Fifty Plus Travel. She's also my mum! Please make her welcome.

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Every now and then while thrifting you come across something so precious it makes you pause and wonder how much it meant to the original owner. Last Saturday, I brought home the most beautiful Meakin soup tureen, a beautiful bowl edged with royal red and reminiscent of my mother's perfectly appointed table.

We would sit down for dinner with knives, forks and soup or sweets spoons lined up in order, napkins in their old worn silver holders, salt and pepper cellars and tablecloth freshly starched. I thought of the time when this tureen had been cherished and placed on the table filled with soup and ladled out to each family member sitting around the table! It speaks of love and long lost table manners!

I also collect gloves, handbags and oddments like my magnificent old trunk which has a mystery to it to be solved! I love the see through spotted voile wrist styled gloves I own and the long evening gold gloves like those my older sister used to wear to balls! I have some of my mother's worn gloves and also own another precious pair, carefully preserved in their original Dents plastic covering! Most of my handbags are from the 60's like Glomesh and Oroton - some being mine, some with a locked history from the past.

 

But my prized possession is bound for the curator at the Cobb & Co Museum in Toowoomba. I found this at an auction centre a few years ago. Nothing I have ever bought has been so evocative of the past and so mysterious as to its origin. I found it underneath a bench with many other vintage items, just waiting for me it seemed! It has hessian laid over timber and rusted steel bands over that. it is a traveling trunk of the type you would see atop an old stage coach....just the kind of trunk you can imagine a lady would take laden with her possessions - on her way to a distant destination in the 1890's!

Maybe I can hear the echo of the young boys rushing out to unharness the horse team ready for a fresh one, as she stepped down from the coach with the help of an outstretched arm of a gentleman traveller! This trunk was used by the photographers at my daughter's wedding on the farm to display her wedding dress.....those memories will overlay the history of yester year.

Layer upon layer, that's how thrifting builds upon the previous person's usage, what a wonderful legacy we leave when things are passed on and lovingly cared for by their new owner!

Have you ever been absolutely overcome by the history of an item you have thrifted like me? 

Musings of a Plus Size Thrifter

On the weekend, my cousin and I went to the "Wardrobe Warriors" market at Mt Gravatt show grounds. I understand some enterprising plpeople organize this every few months and I certainly applaud the idea. Anything that gets consumers considering shopping secondhand is a good thing in my book as you know, dear reader!

The focus was on high-quality, designer clothes and accessories and certainly there were some lovely pieces. The problem was as I wandered and poked into racks, I didn't see a single thing over a size 16. I had been hoping an entrepreneurial plus size lady or two might have set up a stall but it was not to be. 

Now, this is not the fault of the market. The stalls in the day depend on the people who a) hear about it; and b) want to sell. 

So what do larger ladies do with their unwanted clothes? I can only conclude they give them away to friends, have private clothes swaps or give to op shops. I know in other cities there are plus-sized themed clothes markets but alas here is BrisVegas I have not heard of any at all lately. Who wants to organize one? Just kidding. Or not...

And so I guess I will continue to trawl op shops looking for the occasional 16+ gem. They are out there, I know because I've found then. You just have to be persistent. 

What do you do with your unwanted clothes?

Local, Secondhand, Handmade: The Kustom Krafts Brisbane Retro & Vintage Markets

Yesterday I dragged my mum to the Kustom Krafts Brisbane Retro & Vintage Markets. I had been looking forward to it for a long time - I went to one a few months ago and loved it!

Unfortunately the weather was terrible and by the time we parked and got there we were soaking wet thanks to an insufficient umbrella. Due to the rain, all the outside stalls had been crammed inside the Sandgate Bowls Club and it was extremely crowded!

Though I loved the actual market, I felt rushed and crowded the whole time - there was always someone bumping or pushing, and I felt I couldn't linger over the stalls as there were always people behind waiting to get through. And so, uncharacteristically, I didn't buy a thing!

As I drove home, I resolved to search online for as many stallholders as I could. Here are six of my favourite businesses that were there - all local; all making or repurposing fabulous things. You all know I'm a huge fan of stuff like this!

Ella Mobbs Design & Illustration

I've admired this talented lady's work for a while - she combines cool art with vintage china to create unique pieces. She also makes brooches and hair clips; and artwork is available as prints.

Huis Design

It wasn't only the wooden jewelry that caught my eye - this brand also had for sale on the day soy wax candles in vintage tea cups. Adore!

 

Call Me Old Fashioned - Vintage & Collectables

What a great range of quality vintage items! My mum bought two plates, while I drooled over the kitchen canisters and a Staffordshire trio. Stalls like this make me happy.

Rag Top Vinyl

Who can resist a good repurposed record? Rag Top Vinyl makes everything from bowls to cake stands. Their items and not only unique, they're retro cool!

SUGAR

SUGAR makes handmade soaps, funky vintage and retro-inspired bags and accessories. I fell in love with the hawaiian-themed bags. So cute.
 

The Attic

Instantly fell in love with the paper ephemera from this local business. Hand-bound journals, cards and gift tags that will amaze you - featuring actual vintage photos and book illustrations, no reproductions. Just divine. Wish I had bought something from here now! My mum got some gift tags which was promptly put in the most darling gift bag - old sheet music sewn into a pocket. Amazing.



What's your favourite market purchase lately? Any places you'd like to recommend?

A collective love of old and used

Each year, the Darling Downs Veteran & Vintage Motor Club Inc.holds a Swap Meet. Over time it has grown in size to be the biggest in the State, and one of the biggest in the country!

As soon as I got there, I could not believe that I have never been before. This event is a vintage-lovers paradise!

Hundreds of stall-holders, thousands of objects from the rare and collectable to the common and ordinary! And thankfully for my mum and myself, it's not all about cars. Oh no. There's a solid second-hand bric-a-brac contingent that makes up a lot of the stalls. I was in retro heaven at one point scoping out a stall that had everything from Shelley china to old bakelite radios and sheep shears!

One thing that mum is always on the lookout for is Automobilia and old garage relics. The big sign below caught her eye because her father had a COR garage way back when. But it was $400! Man oh man these sellers knew their prices. There weren't many bargains to be had, but if you are a serious collector and know your prices, the swap meet was your oyster.

In the end we only spent a few hours there - we went on the Sunday because the Saturday was so crowded that you couldn't get into the showgrounds to park for hours, the traffic was that bad. I really had a ball but next year I'll be going early, and packing my most comfy walking shoes and plenty of water! 

And if I happen to come home towing the shell of a 1920s roadster, well then, hubby is just going to have to deal with it...

Weekendness

Every time I think to myself I'm going to have a restful weekend, I end up doing so much more than I had planned. This weekend was no different.

Saturday I had two things planned: post office (to post another Etsy sale, yay! That's 3 in 4 weeks) and to do a little op shopping.

I found these delightful coffee mugs, but not much else. I think I need to venture further and check out some new stores. Note: the other items in this picture are from my mum - she's forever cleaning out her cupboards and donating things to the shop! I may be tempted to keep the cute purple tartan Thermos for myself though! It's practically mint!

My darling husband worked all Saturday night, so I curled up with the tv and watched The Help. What a great movie! So emotionally overwhelming and fascinating at the same time. I watched the entire thing without realising that it was Bryce Dallas Howard playing Hilly. Hee. Sometimes I get so wrapped up in the story I don't recognise actors!

So at about midnight last night, eyes drooping, I decided to take a chance and put on my first loaf of bread to bake in the bread maker. The bread maker was a wedding registry gift and damn me if we haven't used it once since. So I read the little instruction book and the back of the bread mix box, poured everything in then pushed some buttons and went off to bed with my fingers crossed.

Well, if I didn't wake to the aroma of freshly baked bread! Amazing! That's not to say I was not woken by the machine beeping to itself early on at the crack of dawn when turning on, but hey presto! When I hauled my lazy buttocks out of bed, behold...

It kind of exploded at the top but I didn't mind. Hubby gave his seal of approval, and has expressed an unexpected level of interest in learning to use it, and also wants to learn how to bake bread from scratch. I suggested maybe we start with some bush bread or damper and work our way up.

I couldn't resist just one more op shop to top off my weekend so I hit my favourite down at Brendale. And boy did I hit the jackpot!

We've decided that this lovely Australian map isn't antique, or possibly even old enough to be vintage, but it's got rustic charm written all over it! And it was only $3. Winner.

I also picked up this lovely little jug, which I think might be Johnson of Australia, though I have never seen the pattern before.

I also baked this afternoon. Mum gifted me with some cupcake packet mix before going away (amongst other things, including a passion fruit and a continental cucumber. What am I going to do with a continental cucumber? WAIT. Don't answer that). So out came the Big Red Mixer (she really needs a name - any suggestions? Something 50s like Betty perhaps) and pretty soon I had 12 little chocolate cupcakes on my hands. It was a nice way to end the weekend.

How was your weekend? Any good shopping finds? Did you bake? Garden? Chill out?

Weekend thrifting

My mum once told me the key to enjoying your weekends instead of spending your whole time bogged down in housework was to go and do something nice for yourself on Saturday morning. First thing. Don't wash up. Don't put a load of laundry on. Just go out.

This morning I took her advice, and armed with Evernote and a list of garage sales in my area, I hit four places in quick sucession. The only good one was the last, a lady who was selling TONS of Christmas stuff - I'm assuming she was one of those obsessive Christmas lights people because she had so many items. But she also had a nice array of bric-a-brac and the most enormous glass jug I've ever seen. I bought it on the spot plus a nice little mini syrup jug.

Teacup for scale purposes

I then ran a few errands at the local mall (ugh! detestable place!) before dropping in on my favourite op shop on the way home. Bingo! Some lovely Johnson of Australia teacups, saucers, side plates and dinner plates. I didn't take the whole lot as some of it was crazed, also wanted to leave some for other folk. I also picked up a lovely little glazed Japanese coffee mug for 10c. 

Then I came home, washed up all my finds and sat down to do some stock photography for my shop! I'm getting better at taking photos, sharing my fave of the day with you below.

  Have you been thrifting this weekend? Any good finds?

Piquing my Pinterest - Vintage Pyrex

Happy Sunday all!
Feeding my vintage Pyrex obsession with some lovely pins today.

Source: iheartprettylittlethings.wordpress.com via Surely on Pinterest

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Source: flickr.com via Surely on Pinterest

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