Today's Estate Sale finds!

I have some good news and some bad news.

I'll start with the bad news.

Ready?

First: I was only able to go to 2 estate sales.  Out of the 40 or so estate sales listed on www.estatesales.net (one of my favorite web-sites), I only got to go to 2.

Yeah, I know. It's disappointing.

Second: I spent all my money. 

That's even sadder, isn't it?  At only 2 sales, I spent all my money.  I'm a grown woman, I should know how to pace myself, you think?

So let's have a moment of silence for my money and my inability to go to more than 2 places this weekend.

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Aaand, now.  Here's the good news!

The first estate sale was for a teacher with some neat stuff.  She had loads of opals, damascene and cameos.  So I got a bunch of mid-range stuff to put in my shop and take to the next Randolph Street Market.

The second estate sale was for an OLD storefront and the apartment above it.  The shop used to be some sort of gift shop / party store / much more than that.  It had all sorts of old vintage wrapping papers and decorations, etc.  The basement even had 2 huge printing presses and all the type pieces for it as well as other old machines.  The apartment upstairs was chock full of old clocks, instruments, and other tchochkes.  Hubby and I wore gloves and carried flashlights going through this place.  It was really a treasure hunt.

But what truly excited me was the NOS (New Old Stock) jewelry I found in boxes in a corner!!!

 

In these boxes was a bunch of West Germany Transfer brooches and necklaces, some Japanese beaded collar necklace and other pieces of jewelry.  But what most excited me were the pieces of Whiting and Davis!  I found 6 different Whiting and Davis Necklaces, with original Whiting and Davis Price tags, in original Whiting and Davis boxes.  I am stoked!

I almost wished I hadn't went to the first sale so that I could have bought the rest of the Western Germany pieces and some other things we saw there.... but what would I have done with a 1940s "scientific" book about improving sex lives? (I am DEAD serious!  It was only $12, but hubby wouldn't let me buy it.)

Now, most of this stuff is pretty grungy with loads of dust.  The store had to have been closed for YEARS!  I will be taking my time and cleaning it so it will be ready for the Market next weekend.

Recent purchases

With the jewelry party that I recently had, I discovered that I have a lot of stuff in inventory to go through and get listed. Because of that, I haven't been going to many estate sales or flea markets. Kind of a bummer, but I'm running out of places to put jewelry while waiting to get things listed.

Last week, during the party, I banished my husband. He went out to some estate sales on his own and picked up some pieces for me. (In the picture it's the set on the right and the brooch in the bottom right corner as well as the small grouping on the left)

And then this week, I was driving around and came across a couple of small estate sales and garagesales. So I picked up a few pieces. (The bangles and earrings on the top and the necklace on the bottom left, the fish on the pink card, and the silver jewelry on the bottom middle)

Vacation Photos!

You can tell that I'm a vintage jewelry collector at heart.  I was in Utah and California for a combined total of almost 2 whole weeks and every day, I wanted to find another antique store / flea market / estate sale to go to!  As it was, I was only able to go out and buy jewelry 4 days out of the 12.

Not a bad haul, huh?

Anyway, my first trip was to an antique market in Springville, Ut called "Treasures Antique Mall."  It has two huge buildings and is right off of I-15. In the time that I had, I was able to go through only 1 building. I had hoped to go back for the other one later, but that never happened.

This is me making a pouty face. :(

Anyway, I was able to find some great deals! And one of my sisters-in-law found a multi-stranded freshwater pearl necklace worth a couple hundred dollars that was marked $30.  The staff was incredibly helpful and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. 

Here's a better picture of the haul from Treasures:

The next day, I was talked into going to Deseret Industries, Utah's version of Goodwill or Salvation Army thrift stores.  We went to three "DIs" before I found one that had jewelry.  Unfortunately, they were all bagged together in mini lots, so I felt I was taking a risk, and I didn't come out with much.

The "good stuff" were a couple of Coro / Corocraft necklaces and a funky purple glittery beaded necklace, as well as a bunch of beaded necklaces that I'm selling as a "lot" on Etsy. 

After 5 days in Utah, I then flew out to LA to visit my brother and his wife.  I had a marvelous time there.  One day, we went to six estate sales, and I got a load of great jewelry!  Seeing the different architecture there was really neat too.  We were in Playa Del Rey, Venice, Santa Monica, and Marina Del Rey. I found an incredible beaded purse from the 1920s! I also picked up some great cameos and brooches.  The brooch in the middle is a Weiss! 

Another day, we went to a prop liquidator who sells off stuff from closed down theatrical productions, TV shows and Movies.  They had all of the jewelry from the "One Life to Live" soap opera.  I was able to pick up 6 vintage necklaces.  Unfortunately, the would not provide any proof or documentation that these pieces were on the show, so I cannot resell them based off of that information.  However I can add it as a neat story.  Supposedly the copper necklace on the bottom right corner of the picture was worn by the character "Dorian."

The whole reason for this trip WASN'T to buy jewelry, I can't forget that.  So here's some of the real reasons!

Today's Haul

(click to zoom)

I love going Estate Sale-ing. I can usually find some great pieces and keep my costs down for my shop. Unfortunately, the sales have been a little depressing lately, with not much good stuff when I get there.  Yesterday was a rare day when I got to go sale-ing on a day that wasn't Saturday.  Of the 5 sales I went to, 0 had any good jewelry.  Today though, Hubby and I went to Estate Sales and bought all this from just 4 out of the 8 sales I went to.  Hey, a .500 average is great in Baseball, it should count for something in the Vintage world!

Anywho, one of my favorites from today is that ring in the bottom left corner.  That's sterling silver and Israeli Turquoise.  There are some shell cameos up on the top, and some funky clamper bracelets too that I'm digging on. The necklace on the top left is Hematite, and the top right is Majorica pearls.

I'll be a busy girl photographing and listing all this great stuff. Gotta inventory it and do some cleaning first!