Get the idea? They are the juice that keep us getting up at the butt crack of dawn to hit the sales, and that make us devoted regulars at our thrift stores and junk shops, no matter how many times we come home empty handed. Just one Holy Grail score will keep a thrifter energized for months!
I had a great thrifting day today, with 3 - yes, 3! - Holy Grail scores. Rare indeed.
#1 - 1961 Better Homes & Gardens Decorating Book
I've been looking at 50's and 60's BH&G books on eBay for the last couple of months, but haven't bought any because, well, I'm cheap. I want them so I can write posts about vintage style interior decorating, with examples that are authentically vintage, not just vintage inspired.I popped into the Cat Welfare indoor garage sale that is only open on Saturdays. Once again my curiosity led me in the right direction, because I saw this on a shelf at and thought, hey, what is that?
I flipped it over, and was so surprised! Here was a BH&G decorating book, but it didn't look like any of the ones I have seen on eBay. It is gold, with a gold case! So swanky - and it is in excellent condition too, which is always a bonus. I'm excited to start posting some scans, stay tuned!
#2 - L.M. Montgomery Paperback Books
L.M. Montgomery is one of my favorite authors. Her Anne of Green Gables and Emily of New Moon books were on heavy rotation when I was younger, my paperbacks are totally tattered but I would never replace them! I have been wanting to fill out my collection though, and today I found seven books of hers that I didn't have! They were 50 cents each, a total steal.The only bummer is I left #8 from the Anne series - Rilla of Ingleside - behind, thinking I already had it, but I don't. I am going to go back next weekend and see if it is still there!
#3 - Louisa May Alcott Paperback Books
Right next to the L.M. Montgomery books were seven Lousia May Alcott books that I didn't already have. She is another one of my favorite authors, and I had been hoping to add more of her books to my collection too. Now I just need to find all the movie versions of Little Women!What are the odds of 14 books I want being on a shelf right next to one another like that? Amazing. And then add the BH&G book into the mix, that is an unbelievable day in one little shop!
I have one other score to share, from Volunteers of America thrift. I got a set of eight of these cool glasses with white grid patterns on them, six I am going to sell, but I am keeping two. I know, I know, I need to sell, not keep... but they make such a cute match with these 2 snowflake glasses that I got at an estate sale:
See? How could I not keep them? ;)I am going back to an estate sale I hit this morning tomorrow, everything is half off so I am hoping something worth having is left. I bought some stuff there today for 25% off, and left some interesting things behind because they were too expensive. Either they will be gone, or I will be happy!
I will try to post a few photos of my scores tomorrow when I get back. I hit another sale this morning that was at 1/2 off, so I have some stuff to share from that one too. I got some cool stuff, and it felt so good to fill up my back seat with goodies again!
Hurray for the holy grails!
ReplyDeleteI am so stealing that phrase by the way missy! ;)
hehe, I can't claim it as my own, I first heard it over on the ThriftWhore community on Live Journal. It is the perfect phrase, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteVery nice!!! I love your scores, You tagged me and I have been slacking off since I started working full time, I still have to do it~~~~~
ReplyDeleteWow. I am officially and unapologetically envious! I literally would have wanted, and purchased, every single one of those books- including the BHG. I have acquired a number of vintage magazines over the last year - but it never seems to be enough! And those glass tumblers are great, too! Whoopee for the Holy Grail!
ReplyDeleteWhat lovely treasures you found. I had never thought of finding old magazines and such to use as references for writing articles. -- It makes so much sense.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a pretty serious addiction ya got there, good thing it's a pretty harmless one!
ReplyDeleteGood job on those hits.
Great that you got an rss feed, it's much easier to comment on your posts, and keep track of the ones I haven't read yet.
Keep up the good work.
Oh, Mitzi, those vintage Better Homes and Gardens books are always such fun, aren't they? I have one from the very early 70s and while some rooms are nice and have a pleasant "mom's house" 70s vibe, some are also wonderfully frightening. You can learn as much from frightening as effective, I think. :) Glad you netted what you wanted at a price that WASN'T scary. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat finds! Though it makes me laugh to see that the BHG books actually almost look like old Bibles or something. Perhaps someone was taking them to Mass due to boring sermons?
ReplyDelete