Saturday, August 21

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?

10 comments:

Vintage Christine said...

oh my lord, I don't even smoke but I would HAVE to have that lighter! It is truly awesome. Love all the dresses but of course I'm looking at them going, "Well, THOSE aren't vintage, they look like something I would've worn just a few years ago," and then reality slaps me in the face and I realize that "a few years ago" for me is a lifetime for the younger crowd! Although some of the dresses do look like something my granny would've worn . . .

Vintage Christine said...

PS--I love how excited you are even way after the sales. Just makes you feel all light-headed and giggly, doesn't it?!

1950s Atomic Ranch House said...

The lighter! GOTTA have it!

Love LOVE Art Deco, but never can afford it, so that table is amazing too.

Kartell stuff is a strong seller, you should do well with those things.

Wow, 60 dresses?! Amazing finds!!

How frustrating to have to compete with all the other dealers ugh.

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Kitty said...

Chris, yes, those dresses are only 70s and a few 60s, and this is what the young ones go crazy for here. Isn't it always the case that any clothes we remember are just gross, not vintage? Ha ha.

Ranchie, yes, it IS horrid having such competition from other dealers, which is why I network really hard to find my private sources.

Madmengirl, GET LOST! You are neither a regular commenter nor a follower of mine. How rude of you to leave a comment on my blog simply to promote yourself. Aside from which I'm already voting for someone else who I'd much rather see win. GO DARLENE!

Helga said...

O....M...G the FROCKS!!! You sure did hit pay dirt,chickie!!!!
Love the yellow kartell nest and the lighter too!
And the sewing basket is a dear!!
It does sound like hard work,but very exciting,and a little like lucky dip!!!
xxx

Helga said...

O,and I loathe 80's stuff because I remember it.It seems to be how it goes!
Yeah,that WAS rude,Mad Men girl.

Mrs Cleaver said...

Wow what a haul!!Love the nesting tables & the jewellery too.I can't believe you found that many dresses at once!
I luv that giddy feeling you get when you make a great find,it can be such a rush & leave a smile on your face for days:)
$900? Some ppl have no idea!I came across a lady recently that wanted $400 for a chest of drawers at a garage sale & they were just ordinary, modern,nothing special & made of cheap pine!I think some ppl live in a totally different reality from the rest of us lol

Vix said...

I'm so envious of all your finds! How lucky to get all those treasures in one go. I'd have bought everything you did and shreiked with pleasure at everything. I'm useless at resisting temptation.
I grew up with some Habitat nesting tables remarkably similar to those, so gorgeous.
Those dresses steal the show, how utterly wonderful. Are you tempted to keep any? xxx

Jennie said...

I LOVE when that happens!
I've been quite lucky over the years in regards to vintage clothing.
I got a cracking joblot from a local vintage shop that was closing down & had to sell everything off quicky, 16 bagfuls for £100...took me days to sort out, OH THE JOY!
I also have a few vintage clothing dealer contacts that sometimes offload surplus stock for cheaps.
Have fun sorting it all out :)
...xXx