I was starting to have doubts about my weekly hunts for Spring Cleanup junk. Weeks one (a set of silver!) and three (a pair of scalloped window screens!) were fantastic. But since then not so much.
But then this week, the final week of the annual curbside extravaganza, my faith was restored.
Because there was this -- a box from Germany. Actually, a box from Neckermann, which I had never heard of before, but turns out to be a German mail-order company. No indication of how old the box is but I would guess at least four or five decades. It was sent from Frankfurt to Syracuse.
I saw the box, standing on one end, with a little bit of what looked like a homemade Styrofoam Christmas decoration poking out. I also saw a few ugly plastic holiday picks, but I decided to take a chance and brought it home.
Here's a look at that Styrofoam thing and an even closer look at
the very scary pipe cleaner Santa at the head of the sleigh. Luckily, under the tacky stuff and a few layers of tissue paper, there were some treasures.
An angel tree topper that is in perfect shape, other than being really dirty. Actually, it's filthy.
And then this, which actually made me just a little bit giddy.
It was a collection of pressed metal Christmas decorations.
Besides, a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year banner, which is just like the one that I hang in my kitchen at the holidays, were some styles I had never seen before.
Plus two kinds of Santa Clauses:
Two smaller and shorter Santas with presents.
And four much bigger skipping Santas with sacks of goodies. Because there are four of those, I'm going to give one away. To be eligible, leave a comment between now and midnight Friday.
It's kind of funny how 2011's Spring Cleanup came full circle, from finding silver in week one to finding something with silver on it in week six. By the way, I've been hard at work cleaning that silver and it hasn't been easy. I've got one more method to try and I'm hoping to reveal the "after" soon.
Try regular toothpaste (not a gel or "fancy" toothpaste) to polish hard to clean spots on silver. My MIL gave me an old silver tray and toothpaste cleaned it much better than silver polish.
Posted by: Linda H. | May 23, 2011 at 06:39 AM
You always find the best stuff! Even in the garbage :)
Posted by: Wendy | May 23, 2011 at 08:31 AM
That box of Christmas is fantastic, especially the foil stuff! I always have a soft-spot for holiday banners.
Posted by: Jenny G. | May 23, 2011 at 08:56 AM
Wow, you've found some really great things the last few weeks! That box sure looked like a bunch of nothing from the outside, but it turned out to be full of Christmas splendor!
Posted by: Carol @ Old Glory Cottage | May 23, 2011 at 09:52 AM
I can't believe the stuff people toss! The box would have intrigued me as well - glad it found its way into your hands!
Posted by: laurie magpie ethel | May 23, 2011 at 11:10 AM
Another great find! Amazing that someone threw that great Christmas stuff away, but I'm sure you're thrilled that they did. Too bad that the Spring Clean-Up is over; it's been fun to see what you've found.
Posted by: Aimee | May 24, 2011 at 04:26 AM
Wow! Score on the pressed metal Christmas decorations. :) Love them! Of course, being from German descent myself, any box with German on it always catches my eye.
Posted by: Joy | May 24, 2011 at 11:31 AM
How lucky that you rescued that box! I love anything vintage Christmas -- my husband calls my Christmas decorations "Anne's Christmas crack!" I found a Shiny Brite box yesterday at Goodwill, and even though the ornaments are NOT Shiny Brite, I bought them just for the box. I bet you understand!
Posted by: Anne | May 30, 2011 at 10:39 AM
I "like" you on Facebook. Would love these for my oldest boy!
Posted by: manolo blahnik shoes | October 17, 2011 at 12:09 PM