I had great luck at yard sales last weekend! I bought so much stuff I had to quit early because my car was full. Some of the highlights were a Victorian pool cue floor stand for $10, some old dairy items including a very cool bell that looks like a cow, a 1960's fondue set and a beautiful blown glass perfume bottle. I passed up a record signed by Ringo Starr. The guy started out at $500 and ended up at $80, but I still couldn't take a chance without a COA. Too bad since I was one of the original Beatlemaniacs. LOL.

Don't remember what the value was. Nice piece, though.

for 10 bucks each..One has an aluminum neck and is a bajo uke. The other is a super nice Silvertone/Harmony, 1960 baritone uke. Both in excellent condition.

The first one was not out in the sale. I asked if they had any old insturments and and they remembered this one. At first the wife said 5 dollars and the husband "no 10", I said 10 would be fine.

S*C*O*R*E

If I bought those, I would keep them though. I'd like to learn the ukulele.

Look out Tiny Tim.

At the sale, the man had an old large stone ware mixing bowl with 10 bucks or best offer. I offered him 5 for it. He was reluctant and said he'd have to ask his wife. I had already spotted the uke for 20. So, giving him an out on the bowl, I suggested 20 for the two. He jumped on it. I can clear $25 on the bowl real quick. That really gives me the 2 ukes for free. I have the bajo uke in my showcase for $60.
I usually don't really want to keep much that I bought, but dang that old Silvertone is nice.

Last week I bought a Fender Stage Lead, 250 watt 1982 amp in perfect condition for $108 at the Mall I work at. I think I should be able to make a quick 60 or 70 on that one. I work at a large, 38,000 square foot mall with over 300 dealers. I get to see what comes in every day.

I have a ball at my "retirement" job.

I ought to think about getting back in a mall, instead of paying $200 a month for storage unit. Maybe I *will* think about it.

I started picking 14 years ago. It has been a blast, and I have made some great sales.

Had a store and was in a lot of malls.

I now have a small show case and doing very well. Just remember, it's easy to buy and hard to sell.

But I really need to unload.

It's an Andean uke-like thing made out of an armadillo shell. No strings, but I had to have it for $5.

?

Gee.

The sale today wasn't a tenth as good as in years past. Much less merchandise was donated, apparently.

That said, I did manage to score a beautiful large Bauer mixing bowl; green. It's exactly like my grandmother's. I had already passed this table twice, but on the third go-round I picked up a large lid to see what was underneath. Bauer bowl!! Happy dance!!

I had to fend off two people who tried to take the bowl out of my cart.

No linens, dammit, except a dozen cutwork napkins.

No mid-century stuff.

I did get some red-handled vintage kitchen tools for a dime apiece.

And I missed on a very cool vintage kitchen scale. I saw it just as someone put her hand on it. Gah!

I picked up a hand-painted tray; sort of folk-ish. Normally I would pass that by but this one looks as if the tray is hand-hewn underneath. Interesting. No sticker. And how can a person lose for fifty cents?

There's one I go to (and love) that is only good for about 10 minutes then it gets claustrophic because so many people cram into the church hall. You have to be fast. LOL.

because I have to work Saturdays again for awhile. I picked up a couple of small grubby pottery pots for $4 each that looked like they could be kind of interesting, sitting on a table full of ordinary nick nacks. All the other regulars had passed them by. I was totally blown away when I cleaned them up, I have never seen such beautiful glazes before. It turns out that one of them is by a well known potter / author from years back and the last one of his for sale on ebay went for $465. Not that I plan to sell these too quickly I want to enjoy them for awhile.

What decade are they from?

I have been eyeballing studio pottery from the 70s lately. I have no idea if values are going up. I see some really nice pieces very cheap, and suppose I should educate myself.

at least thats when he wrote the book about glazes. The other I suspect is from the same era. I haven't paid enough attention to pottery either obviously. I used to dabble in it myself, but everything I made turned into a turtle.

Their pieces often get left behind because people don't know who they are. I bought a nice piece of Rose Cabat pottery from an auction house where I left a bid. No one else bid so I got it for $25.

He also wrote several books in the 70's. He just signs the bottom Sanders in a nice decorative style.

I really have to educate myself on pottery too, you're right people tend to not look at it. I was looking on ebay and some the crystalline glaze goes for a decent price even with unknown potters.

I can spot value in vintage -- from the 40s backwards. But I'm not schooled in what comes later. I did find a very minimalist studio piece at a scrap/junk sale; it was filled with leaves and stagnant water. Took it home for ten cents, researched it (the original sticker was on the bottom) and found just one reference to the potter -- a man who worked in California in the 50s and was well regarded. I really like it. It's on my windowsill.

I have some 70s pottery, but most of the pieces I bought in galleries were broken by my rambunctious tabby cat. His favorite hobby.