Vintage Church Sale Time!

I almost missed my favorite church sale! I've been so busy that it just missed my radar completely this year. Fortunately, my aunt couldn't pick up her weekly farm veggie box in the regular spot due to some church sale. That tipped me off. Let's hear it for farm boxes! 

Crowd gathering to get in. We started lining up around 7:30.

Boy am I glad I made it. For kicks I brought my husband along for the first time. He's very much NOT a vintage treasure hunter. He loves old things, but he wants to buy them once they're all repaired, cleaned and looking fabulous. This digging around I do just seems dirty to him. (Which is always great when he asks: where did THAT fantastic piece come from? and I remind him of the original condition that he laughed at.) 

The outdoor area held everything except vintage & books

At least 350 people were waiting to get in. I enjoy people watching and even more, people listening. I know, I shouldn't, but if they're to talk that loudly in a close crowd, how can I help it? Since I was standing behind all the old time dealers in my area, I got an earful about their sales, their scores and the best things they'd found. Right up my alley! 

Nobody ever thinks of Christmas & Halloween as special at these sales. 

Long yellow ribbons stretch across the parking lot, signalling not to go further. At 9am the ribbons were cut and the crowd started sprinting, running and toddling toward the various areas. The book dealers all ran to the right, into the church Sunday school. Thousands of donated books awaited them. The Moms with tots in strollers sprinted off the left to find clothes & toys. (Mine were home with the very accommodating baby sitter, who arrived at 7:30am) And by far the biggest group, the vintage hunters, aimed for the building straight in front. 

Crowds! I'm not used to this! I get into estates before the crowds, usually.

Long tables greeted us, filled to the brim with all manner of things. Hard to remember that vintage only means 20 years old. I still can't get my 39 year old brain around this fact!  It was everything from working 9-5 mugs from 1984 to 19th century teacups. Kitchen blenders mixed with mid century mats. Silver plate flatware sets next to modern collector dolls. Quite a random mixure. 

Inside the church community building. This is just a tiny portion-it was huge! 

I had fun and my husband did a great job of finding some cool pieces. Here's what we found: mid century mushroom trays, two industrial protractors, a 1950's Christmas tablecloth,  Christmas napkins & mats, a potato chip tin, a hand tooled antique leather purse, a late 19th century celluloid chicken wearing a top hat baby toy, an abacus, a ceramic silver Egyptian cat, a skirt measurer, a mid century decanter & glass set, a California pottery planter, mid century sterling cuff links, 1920's orange glass earrings, a large antique wood box, an old gold & white dish with roses, an old American flag AND a bulls skull! Cause who doesn't need a bovine skull?!!