After the mind-boggling estate sale video on Friday, the thrifting bug big me, bad. By 3 p.m. on Saturday I couldn’t take it any longer. I told DH that I was going to the grocery store, and made a bee-line for the Goodwill. Fortunately, I found something satisfying: This vintage Optima typewriter, complete with paperwork and its original case. $10. This 1956 (I think, from the pamphlet) typewriter is in pristine shape, and the old school tap-tap-tap from the keys: Well, they are SO SATISFYING compared to the computer keyboard. I now need to go find me some typewriter ribbon, and I will add authentic inky typed text to my collage arsenal. How about you? What did you find this weekend? Following is a slide show of readers’ finds… read on to learn how to contribute your own photos — you can upload them right now!
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I’ve started out the slide show with images of a blue dinette that Zane emailed to me on Sunday — I posted his email explaining all, as the first comment, below.
Here’s what Zane told me about his blue dinette:
“So we went tag sale-ing this weekend, and came across this amazing find… turquoise and white formica/chrome table…and six chairs… all original, Douglas Furniture Company. Chairs are turquoise and white, with black piping, and black and gold pattern marks running through it… seats are white (look cream now with age) with gold and silver flecks. One chair is an arm chair. The set clearly was from a house with smokers… I spent the afternoon cleaning them, it may take several more passes on some of the seats… but the backs cleaned up nicely… there are a couple of vinyl tears that I’m going to have to repair… but all in all in good shape… and I’ve never seen as elaborate a vinyl pattern and table top pattern. Have you ever seen something similar? Have a guess as to the age of it? I’ll send more pics when I have it fully restored and moved into the house. Oh and the cat is ours…Lola… she approves!
All this for $150
zane”
My first find wasn’t this weekend, but it was within the past week (I got it last Wednesday). I found this great Tappan Deluxe model PHADV 668-7M stove on CL. It will soon be sitting in the place of honor in my kitchen, after making a repair on the oven. Currently doing some research on it as the story that came with it is that it was a display at the 1957 Missouri State Fair. It pretty much looks like it is new, and I got it for $200.
I also found this fun late 1960s or 1970s green glass lamp at an estate auction. It has the original shade and the glass lamp base lights up and can be used as a night light. I picked this up for $4.
Thanks, Michael, the uploader seems to be working. GORGEOUS stove!!! Gorgeous! I came close to buying a Tappan Deluxe also, but it was more expensive than I wanted to pay at the moment. It is one of the most in-demand vintage stoves, I think. The lamp is great, too. I love the night-light feature!
Friday, I found a mint green Ericofon. Well, it was important to me. I had been wanting one.
Dug glass and pottery from next door where they are digging a basement for a church.
A pair of very cool maple plywood laminate folding chairs – $49 at an estate sale.
I am a Mid-Century/Modernist architecture geek but know relatively little about furniture, except that I like it.
Any feedback on these is greatly appreciated.
Red kitchen cart – $65 at an antique store.
My awesome find came last weekend when Mister and I took Grandma D out for a day of antiquing. I found lots of goodies that day, but this kitchen cart takes the cake! It was as though the heavens opened and angels were singing. Laaaaaa!!!
Mister gave me the Cosco kitchen stool for Christmas. We’re sending the legs out for chroming so they will be a matching set. The cart is like my Cosco stool’s long lost lover. Reunited and it feels so good!
love the typewriter!! i am been thinking about getting one, but i am always curious… where do you get the ribbon for it so you can use it????
Hi Lisa, in some quick online research last night, it was clear you can still get the ribbon. I’m psyched!
That kitchen chair is amazing. The cat’s cool too. But the real Cadillac here is the range; that’s just gorgeous.
That typewriter is awesome! I got one myself from Goodwill a couple months back, not one in that groovy color though! Congrats! I got some teen fiction from the late 50s the other day still with their dustjackets. Love them! lol
Thanks, Maggi – and welcome. I like your blog and have added it to my blogroll! It’s a convoluted process for me to refresh it, though, so your site will show the next time I do the refresh.
I found these danish chairs with 2 Lane end tables at a recent estate sale. My house is quickly filling up with chairs and lamps since they seem to be my weaknesses. I need a bigger house.
Beautiful chairs.
I’m right there with you! My husband laughs that our house would be decorated in side chairs and ugly lamps (his taste is obviously subjective) if I had my way!
LOL, definitely! If it were not for my husband my house would be chair, side table with lamp, chair, side table with lamp – just row after row with a matching couch or two in the mix.
I’ve already blogged about my best find of the weekend here: http://www.bitofbutter.com/2010/03/28/a-lemon-of-a-sale/.
A hand-made recipe notebook full of vintage recipes!
Ah, what a great find. Someone really put their heart and soul into that book!
(The fab floor in the background has NOT gone unnoticed either!!)
Kersten — thanks! Yes, the owner taped in little tabs for each area and everything. And that’s my new kitchen countertop, by the way. And I *love* it. It’s a composite of quartz and cement.
Floor to ceiling pole lamp in need of refinishing. This came from an estate sale of a couple who never threw anything out (they had seven lawn mowers!)
Oh what fun finds for everyone!!! Especially Michael’s stove (my Tappan looks like Michael’s, just not as clean) and Zane’s ultra awesome way to cool dinette! Very unusual formica and vinyl patterns.
I went and picked up a bunch of my stuff that I had on lay-away from one of my buddy antique dealers (yeah, a little more spendy than the thrift shop).
Probably the best thing: my french provincial styled bedroom set (from the 30′s) has always been missing it’s dresser mirror. There is also a vanity and I do have that mirror, but I always assumed the mirror that was for the dresser is probably hanging over somebody’s fireplace mantle.
Finally, I located a mirror to put over my dresser and picked it up this weekend. My set has the best torch/quiver carving on top of the vanity mirror I do have, plus all the hardware are bail handles with little torches holding the bail. My antique dealer friend had the most gorgeous mirror, with etched torches in the glass and a curvy top, so I brought that home this weekend and made a very interesting discovery. Instead of hanging it above my dresser, I could lay it flat on the top (looking at it upside down though), like a dresser tray mirror, and the top crest of this mirror exactly matches the serpentine front swerves of my dresser – to a T. Pretty amazing, and an extra bonus that it matches so well.
Of course, no one else will probably ever notice the matching curvature of the mirror, or the etched torches matching the tiny torches on the dresser hardware, LOL.
Forgot to add Pam – LOVE your “new” old typewriter, especially the color! Don’t forget to buy some carbon paper so you can practice making perfect copies, just like the old days!
An eleven-inch diameter yellow and white Lotus Cathrineholm bowl in 99.9 % perfect condition for $4.00. It made my day.
That would make my day as well!
While negotiating a deal on sportscards DH spotted this table & had them add it in for free. He brought it home as a “present” for me. It’s a Mersman mahogany step table from the 50′s. I remember my parents had a similar set when I was very young.
That typewriter is fantastic!!
Had that baby been our local Goodwill it would not have been that inexpensive. I can guarantee.
I found an old typewriter at the Goodwill Outlet once, but since the things there sell by the pound it would have cost a fortune.
No finds for me this weekend, or this past week for that matter.
I’m impressed with everyone’s estate sale finds. Pam, the typewriter is really fun, and Jennie, that’s a great pole lamp. Michael, your new Tappan is spectacular — one of my best buds has the exact same stove. And Zane, that dinette set just boggles my mind!
This weekend was a change for me in that I WORKED at an estate sale for the first time ever. It was the superfabulous midcentury estate sale Pam posted pics of on Friday. It was so strange being on the other side as I dealt with customers instead of being the customer. For the most part, it was really fun, and I certainly have renewed respect for the folks who run these estate sales. Some people (including some RetroRenovation followers) got some wonderful things at this sale. But I’ll let them post their own finds.
My girl and I began peeling the 25 + year old siding off the house to expose the original cedar siding. The house is still its original Aquafresh turquoise! Lol AAAAHHHH!!!
We had a random end of the year snow day and somehow I sucked my spouse into visiting my favorite vintage shops and right when I saw it I knew this was a chair I had to have, plus the nicest man ever recovers them for a hobby so he cut me a wonderful deal !
Made my day!
Oh fun idea! Show and tell time!! Not too many sales yet this weekend as it was a little chilly and rainy. I did find these kitsch-rific painted brass flower pictures, which my husband is either ignoring or hasn’t noticed yet. .50 for the pair! Along with some other little knick-knacks. We are in the process of remodeling so I am avoiding furniture but we’ll see how long that one lasts!!
Ooh! This is fun! This could be a regular feature! : )
I didn’t leave the house all weekend but after looking at these finds, I wish I had.
The typewriter is gorgeous! If that baby had been at our Goodwill, they would have had it in the “Collectibles” case and it would have been prices like at an antique store. I’m glad that your Goodwill is a lot more relaxed and lets the good stuff hit the shelves.
Yes, I am definitely going to make this a regular feature, I think. BUT: Should I do it on Sundays, when everyone is home Sunday night cooing over their finds and able to snap some quick picks and upload?
That is definitely the cutest typewriter I’ve seen! This weekend, I got a metal glider and chair, a West Bend lazy susan with kidney shaped dishes, an assortment of Knowles Ebonette dishes, and three wall sconces!
I don’t know what I love more–the blue/white set (cause I have a tortiose shell kitty too), but I really, really loved the red tray & stool set (I have the stool in brown).
Loved them all!
This is such a cool idea for a weekly feature!
Unfortunately, I don’t really have anything for this week. The estate sale I went to yesterday was a real loser – the stuff was waaay overpriced and most of it was ~20 years old and low quality to begin with. The house itself wasn’t even interesting…
Oh well, at least my new hallway light fixture was delivered on Friday.
Also – we hunted through ’40s and ’50s open houses for ideas for my ’54 model home! Talk about cheap, valuable entertainment!
I love that black & white dinnerware. Does anyone know the name of the pattern?
Retro Junkie – hover over the thumbnail with your cursor and the info will pop up….
I have always loved bullet planters so when I saw this white bullet type lamp I about passed out. It works and throws a great light. I have never seen anything like it. The fun now is figuring out where to put it in the house.
Thou shall not, thou shall not … covet that bullet type lamp! I would have passed out with you, Rebecca. Great find!
Drex you really gave me a good laugh with that one. I understand. I found a great spot for it. We have a Heywood Wakefield corner bookcase and it fits perfectly on top of that. Thanks for the laugh!
How did I miss this post!! I LOVE it! You all found some great treasures.
Unfortunatley, i went the THE estate sale, but didn’t come home with anything other than S&P shakers…blah.
I just uploaded my garage sale find from last weekend. Hope Pam posts it! Move over Betty Draper it’s a circa 1960? formica top kitchen table with four chairs.
Formica is a “knotty pine” look that I hadn’t seen before. Shiny copper trim (matching my kitchen fixtures and pulls) has some slight scratches only visible with camera flash.
It was covered carefully with plywood top for years, so the top is immaculate and I have a leaf extension (not in Pic). Find was the second day of a time capsule. Got it all for $100.
oooooh, eddopdx, that is a terrific dinette set, you know how i love these! congrats
Hi Pam, I bought this black and white TV/radio/turntable on ebay about two weeks ago for $50. It is one owner and from about 1965 and is an Australian made Kriesler brand. What is a bonus is that it all works. One thing is that it weighs a ton and is takes up a lot of room (52 inches wide) but I couldn’t resist!. I must stop looking on ebay. David
david — so cool!
Wow!!! My faith in estate sales has been refreshed.
And ebay….
I LOVE that stove, and $200, what a bargain!
Beautiful typewriter too.
That red kitchen cart and step stool really bring back memories. My parents had both, though ours wasn’t read. Also memories, the console tv, the end table…Cool finds!
Red, not read, typing too fast. lol