Week One Continued: Junking Jackpot

There are a few things that quicken my pulse during Town Cleanup:

1. Finding a huge pile of stuff that indicates that someone has cleaned out grandma’s house.

2. And in that pile, finding some vintage Christmas.

3. Bringing home an item that’s on my "wish list.”

The good news is that I achieved that trifecta during the very first week of Town Cleanup. The bad news is that this week is going to be tough to beat. The remainder of Town Cleanup may be all down hill from here.

But I won’t dwell on that now. On to the finds:

I came across not one but two big piles. The first was on a pretty busy road, and that meant that my next-door neighbor saw me picking and asked me in the grocery store a few hours later if that was me parked on the side of Howlett Hill Road.

Why, yes, it was me, I admitted. Mr. VS, who had been in the car with me, hiding in the  front seat, squirmed just a little.

But I was completely unapologetic having learned a long time ago that the only way you find great junk by the side of the road is to pick it up off the side of the road.

Besides, you would have been there right beside me if you could find this.

Japan-made spunhead Santa (in need of a little beard repair).

A pair of kitschy plastic deer from Hong Kong circa 1960s.

Knee-hugging elves. 

Oodles of package tie-on, bells and a stand of chartreuse mercury glass.

Plus, a composite bride doll.

 

That has a creepy Halloween vibe.

The second “grandma” pile was on a less-traveled road so I had the freedom to dig without the fear of being sideswiped. My reward was several sets of old curtains in some great Mid-Century fabric, plus a bedspread that I didn’t have time to photograph.

Finally, what about my wish list? Well, my old porch furniture is ready to be replaced but there's nothing in my budget to finance any replacements. But maybe, just maybe, I can find something great during Town Cleanup.

And that’s why I was tickled when I happened upon this:

It’s a wicker sofa that is in surprisingly good shape. Finding it was a stroke of luck because it was brought out to the curb just a few minutes before I drove up. Luckily, my partner in crime was with me and helped me load it into the van.

My new wish list includes a couple of matching chairs, also in wicker.

Back to the good news-bad news thing: The good news is that I have five more weeks to find these chairs so I can get rid of my old furniture.  (My neighborhood is on the final week of the cleanup schedule.) The bad news is that the next two weeks of cleanup aren’t exactly the kind of areas where people throw out fairly new wicker furniture.

But you know I’ll be out there looking any way, so alert the neighbors. It’s the thrill of the hunt that keeps me going.    

 

Comments

[Erica]

Even after reading these posts every year, I still can't get over that people actually throw these things away!!

You did great. Keep it up!

Erica

[Musings from Kim K.]

I'm with Erica. Completely SHOCKED that vintage Christmas could possible end up at the curb. Glad you are waiting in the shadows to swoop in for the BIG rescue. Have fun restoring the wicker sofa. Love the fabric of those curtains.

[Melissa's Antiques]

What wonderful finds!! Why do people throw such good stuff away??

[Verna]

Love the vintage Christmas!

[Into Vintage]

I wonder if people put vintage Christmas at the curb knowing someone (you!) will come along and rescue it? :) I completely agree about being unapologetic when picking through piles on the side of the road...great scores as always! Good luck in the coming weeks.

[sarah]

Those love seats are so expensive. We have a pair of the chairs and it was almost $300 for them. I am DYING for a loveseat so we have a little more seating. *That* is really a score.

[Janeray]

Love the fabric! I'm not even going to imagine how much great stuff must end up in landfills because people are too lazy to run to a thrift store...