What are You Looking for This Summer?

 Estate sale and auction season is in full swing here in Michigan, and although I'm somewhat selective in which sales I attend, I have a running list in my mind of items I'm looking for.  I rarely go to garage sales, unless they advertise "antiques" or are a neighborhood-wide sale in an old neighborhood with nice houses.  Most of the vintage items I sell in my Etsy shop and in my antique mall booths are acquired at auctions.  Every dealer has their favorite method of acquiring stock, and auctions happen to be mine.

So here are the things I'm looking for this summer, in no particular order:

Beautiful old books.  I look for books with pretty ladies on the front, or perhaps roses, like the one below:

 

I'm always looking for vintage chain for my jewelry creations. Also, vintage clip-on or screw-back earrings.  Most women don't want to wear them anymore because they are painful, so I up-cycle them into new creations unless they are part of a set I think will sell or are marked with a desirable maker's name like Weiss or Coro.

Jadite.  This is still a hot seller here in Michigan:

 Unfinished or partially finished quilts, or quilt blocks like the examples below.  I can upcycled these bits into new creations.  I think these flower pot quilt blocks would make cute pillows:

 

 Below is an example of a wreath I made from "dresden plate" quilt blocks, some vintage buttons and a few yoyos.  You can find out more about making one HERE.

 I look for spoons, too, although I like to find examples that have more unusual shapes like sugar spoons.  I make the spoons into something unusual.....

.....along with upcycled chain and other costume jewelry bits, I make spoon pendants:

 

I look for vintage medicine bottles, like the examples below.  If they are already clean, that's an extra bonus.  I really dislike cleaning bottles!

 I like to upcycle old bottles in different ways.  Reproducing vintage labels and using Mod Podge to adhere them is one way.  Just add colored water and you have a pretty group of bottles to display.  You can view my tutorial HERE.

So that's enough about me.  What are YOU looking for this summer?  I'm all ears.....

Mitzi

Comments

[Anne]

Fun stuff, Mitzi! I always love to see the creative process and what you do with the odd bits you pick up.

I've been gathering mismatched flatware to make pendants and other things, but don't know where to start. Maybe someday you might do a step-by-step for turning a spoon into a pendant!

[Mitzi Curi]

Hi Anne,

The spoons can be difficult to bend and cut. They need to be put in a vise grip and sometimes heated with a torch. Truth be told, I have a handy friend help me cut them, because I dont have a blowtorch. Once bent, they can be cut with a saw or heavy duty cutters.

Mitzi

[Annette]

This summer I am looking around my house for things to get rid of. I just have too much!! Have you tried using a denture cleaner fizzy to clean the old bottles? I have had very good results from that. I now use it for many things that need cleaning.

[Mitzi Curi]

Hi Annette,

Well, I guess many of us are in your situation.....too much stuff!

I have a box of denture cleaner and have used it occasionally. Ive also tried using dried rice mixed in with soapy water. Still, I like to find bottles that have already been cleaned, if possible....lol.

Mitzi