A Vintage Motherlode

...is what I found at the sales today! I can't believe my luck!! I don't usually do this, but today I'm giving you the lowdown because I'm so excited about what I found.

To put it all in context, doing the sales here is hard work. To take it seriously, which I have to, it requires a year-round 4am start, (in the dark, obviously) and no advance notice of what sales are on. Unless I drive over to the other side of town at midnight on a Friday night to get an advance copy of the newspaper (which I never do because I think it's bad enough getting VB out of bed at 4am without doing it at midnight as well), I have to wait at the local shop until they get delivered.

Then it's a mad scramble to see how many sales I can be first through the door at. How quickly can I scan the ads, pick the 'right' ones to go to first, not miss any really good ones, deal with VB, navigate and drive at the same time. Don't read any negativity into my words here, I totally love doing this.

But today, after a couple of pretty crappy weeks, IT WAS MY TIME. I had one of those 'meant to be' experiences which are just so gratifying.

So, to start at the beginning, by 5am, I knew my competitors were out in force. Fair enough. There was a sale near my house which was the first to start and it sounded good; vintage clothing, antiques, retro glassware, blah blah. These were some of those people who only put the street name, and not the house number, in their ad, so you can't go and wake them up (which I never do and think is disgusting, but a lot of other dealers do it).

By 5am, there were 6 other cars that I recognised, cruising up and down, up and down this long street. Finally, after about 4 or 5 laps of the street, my friend in her car just ahead of me spotted some movement and located the right house. Turns out the selling guy had slept in- by the time he opened the garage door there were at least 8 of us in his driveway waiting for him. Unfortunately it wasn't worth waiting for, I bought one thing, a silky oak tea trolley, so I was pleased enough, but the clothes were crap and there was nothing else of note.

I then went to another couple of sales a few suburbs away which was a waste of time. I then hit a great sale, managing to pull up just as the guy was coming down his front stairs. Perfect! Turns out he and his wife were selling off their folks' stuff, so it was basically an unadvertised deceased estate. They had 'heaps of silky oak furniture' in their ad, and it was lovely too, but way too expensive. I soon gave up when, after offering double what I'd normally pay for a small wardrobe, the woman nearly slapped me. But then her starting price was $900. Hello! Hubby downstairs was way more reasonable. He gave me a good price on a few little retro bits and pieces, as well as this Kartell-style table and colour-matched 70s lamp. Please excuse my under-the-house background!

I also bought this awesome old sewing basket, which I LOVE

and am going to keep. Unfortunately the wife dictated the price for this one-$15- a hideous amount I say, but I just really liked it.

Next stop, I encountered more ridiculous prices.

A tin canister set for $160!?  BIG PASS. Then just around the corner I found a small tonne of jewellery, yay!

Then after another couple of busts, I HIT PAYDIRT. A sale that advertised 'a huge amount of vintage clothing and collectables', which started at 8am.

Even though 8am is considered a really late start here, the dealers still usually go through first thing, and most of the average punters are out by then too. It was 8.30 when I got there, and I thought for sure I'd missed out, cursing myself for not reading the ads more closely (I'd somehow missed this one). As mentioned above, I'd already run into heaps of other dealers and thought for sure they'd have beaten me to the best stuff. BUT NO! Coz look what I found!

60 vintage dresses!!!! Madness! Here they all are in my laundry, I've just spread a few out to show you.

 I'm still in shock, this is the most vintage I've ever found at a sale. I largely have private sources for vintage clothing, but it's such a nice bonus finding so much extra.

I also bought this Kartell-style trolley table

and a genuine Kartell white side table just like this but covered in (which didn't fit in the car so no photo)

And this set of Kartell nesting tables

A matching freestanding mirror

This late Art Deco chrome side table with acid-etched 'stag' on the mirrored top. As you can see, VB loves this one

a very kitsch 50s lamp with original ribbon shade. This one is rapdly growing on me...I may have to keep it

A fab atomic lighter, 50s post-war Japanese. No way am I selling this!

What I'd now like to know is; if you saw all these things for sale, which one/s would you have bought?