Thursday, April 28, 2011

Dumpster Diving




Not too long ago we were visiting relatives in a nearby apartment complex. As we drove by a dumpster, something caught my eye. I spotted what appeared to be pieces of an old cabinet or bookcase peeking around from behind the dumpster. Upon closer examination we found part of a Globe-Wernicke sectional barrister bookcase from the 1920's. The bottom half of the piece was missing but the rest was in pretty good condition.



Mr. 58 checked around and found a man in Georgia who could reproduce the missing pieces at a very reasonable price. A trip to the glass store and a little stain job by Mr. 58 resulted in a wonderful vintage piece.



You just never know what will end up in a dumpster. Someone else's cast off became our treasure.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

You Can't Keep It All

When Mr. 58 and I are shopping for the booth, we have a lot of things to consider. Will it compliment the look of the booth? Is it too big to fit in the booth? Can we get it at a good price? Will customers like it? Will it sell?

However, now and then we come across an item I really like and want to take home. It might work in the booth but I want it for the house. Mr. 58 sometimes has to remind me that I can't keep it all. We do however bend the rules somewhat when it comes to ironstone pitchers....




and brown transfer ware. I love both and have a hard time putting them in the booth. Much of the ironstone does make its way to the booth. Wish I could say the same for the brown dishes. This brown transfer ware bowl was quite unusual with a mother stirring a pot of soup as a little boy watches.

So now you know NOT to come to Booth 58 looking for brown transfer ware. It's probably at home where I can enjoy it every day.

Easter blessings to you and yours from all of us at Booth 58!

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Knew We Would Find One

During the Great Depression of the 1930's, many colleges tried to generate a little extra revenue through the sale of commemorative plates. These plates, made by Wedgwood, depicted campus buildings and scenes from the era and were sold in sets of twelve.

This ad ran in the Texas A&M yearbook, ironically called The Longhorn, in 1937.





Mr. 58 and I are both Aggies and have always wanted to have one of these vintage plates. They are quite rare and somewhat pricey. I've joked that maybe one day we'd find one at a garage sale. Not too long ago, we were browsing at a thrift store. Mr. 58 had gone one way and I another to check out the wares. I looked up and there stood Mr. 58 with a huge grin on his face and TWO Aggie plates in his hands. The best part was the price, $3 for both!!


They are displayed with pride in our home and one day will pass on to our children.






Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Set your DVRs!

So you wanna know where you can find the BEST Chocolate Pie EVER???  McKinney, Texas!
The Pantry has been a long time favorite of ours.... We've made it a habit of eating lunch there whenever we are on the Square.  It is a great family friendly restuarant, a perfect place to meet a girlfriend for lunch, and the best spot to stop for a shopping break.  The chocolate cream pie is a MUST!!! 
The Pantry  is being featured on FoodNetwork this Friday, April 22 at 9 pm.  Outrageous Food filmed them in January building a 5 foot chocolate pie to feed local fire fighers, police, and military members.  Set your DVRs... and then plan your escape to McKinney to come try the pie for yourself!

Sunday, April 17, 2011

$50 - OBO

At a yard sale recently, I spotted a great piece of potential yard art. Mr. 58 identified it as a electric washing machine from the early 1900's...lots of gears, wheels and dangerous moving parts; cast iron with a copper wash tub. The tag said "$50-OBO". Our OBO (or best offer) of $35 was gladly accepted and the seller even offered to help load this 200 lb monster into the truck before we changed our minds.. When we did a little research, we were surprised to learn our little piece of yard art was a Apex Clothes Washer from 1917. It was worth 10 times our OBO. You just never know what OBO will get you. We got a great addition to the patio and the seller got rid of a lawn mowing obstacle.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Destination McKinney... this weekend!

Set your GPS to Downtown McKinney this weekend.... There is so much going on!
THIS WAY...
Old Red Lumberyard - Monthly Sale - Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
McKinney Trade Days - Third Monday Trade Days
Chestnut Square - The Civil War Comes to McKinney
Farmers' Market - Chestnut Square - Saturday - 8 am - Noon

Don't forget to carve out time to browse Antique Company Mall.  We have some fun new things in Booth 58... including these McKinney Totes... latitude and longitude directions for our favorite town!!!!





I always appreciate Beth's On the Square posts on what's new in downtown mckinney. Check out her blog for tons of great links and her "insider view" of what's going on.

Monday, April 11, 2011

A Little Dirt

Hello Spring!  It is here!  Have been attempting to introduce bits of spring in the booth over the past couple of weeks.



Found a cute idea on a new favorite blog .... Dear Lillie used moss to cover letters... Decided to buy some of this moss and play with it in the booth this weekend. Well, it turned out to be a bit messier than we expected.  Ha!  Nothing a little sweeping couldn't fix.  And we think a little dirt never hurt! 
 Have also gotten a kick out these great little bitty peat pots.  They have been a big seller.  Fun to add little touches of the messy side of spring.  Always good to get your hands dirty this time of year, anyway - right?

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Happy Birthday Booth 58

Today is Booth 58's Birthday!
A year ago today, we jumped into this adventure and we have loved every bit of it!


Come by Antique Company Mall today and help us celebrate.... We have made some special "birthday" markdowns. McKinney will be hosting the ArtWalk tonight and ACM will be staying open late... Over 150 artists will be showcasing their work throughout downtown .  It should be a real treat.  Be on the lookout for all the shops' frog planters outside their doors.  My kids love spying the froggies whenever we are on the square.



Fun to look back today and remember all the "firsts" this year has brought us....We are having way too much fun!

Happy Birthday to You, Booth 58!

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Galvanized Anything


Many dealers sell only what they like. As a fairly new dealer, I asked for tips and frequently heard this, "Only sell what you would have in your home." Well, what I like doesn't sell and so I have begun to search the magazines and blogs for the latest craze. And have found that it is anything "galvanized"....bucket, pail, tote, container, or basket. Mop buckets seem to be very popular...you know the kind with the wooden wringer part at the top. It just reminds me of something the school custodian used when mopping up after some sick kindergartner.



There is one dealer at ACM who specializes in galvanized goodies. She has a lovely display of garden items and I purchased two of her large oval tubs, put them on my patio and filled them with geraniums. But I would still like to sell my mop bucket that sits in Booth 58, just can't quit thinking about it's past life....somehow even geraniums can't redeem its original purpose.


Tuesday, April 5, 2011

The way you look at it

It's all in the way you look at it...
Old Rusty Bath Tub Feet? or Unique Book Ends?













 Old Rusty Baker's Pan? or Wall Art?




















Mom pointed out a pedastal in the most recent Pottery Barn catalog... We had one in our booth for a LONG time and it has never sold... PB turned it over, upside down, and set it in a book case as an accent piece.. on the cover of the magazine! Here they use it as a candle holder,  They call theirs an architectural relic... ok... sounds good to us! 
Here is our version:

Sunday, April 3, 2011

You Never Know...

You just never know what you might find in Booth 58....

Looks like some fluffy friends might be close by...

"You never know what someone will buy" - We say that often when hunting for treasures to add to the booth.  Last year we used empty egg crates to add some interesting texture to our shelves.  To our surprise, we received a call from the mall one day asking us if we would sell them to a customer!  Seriously?  wow!  So, this week we added more...with pricetags this time!

You just never know...

Friday, April 1, 2011

Round Top Treasures

On a whim, Mr. 58 and I decided to make a quick trip over to the fields at Warrenton yesterday. So many fellow bloggers across the country wish they could make this trip and for us it is too easy....just an hour drive along the backroads of central Texas where we live. We left home in the morning and were at our first stop by 10:30..an old dance hall that serves as an antique venue..La Bahai. We attended a wedding reception a few years ago in the same spot. It is a graceful white frame building, wood floors, with large screened windows on all sides. And it sits right in the middle of a pasture surrounded by large oak trees. I remember the night of the wedding, walking through the pasture in my high heels, trying to avoid the mud puddles from a recent rain.

.
Next stop were the fields at Warrenton...We parked in a cow pasture and hiked the highway to our favorite spots, ate a barbeque sandwich, and visited with many of the dealers from around the country. Theresa from Garden Antiques Vintage, a fellow ACM dealer, had set up outside of Zapp Hall. Loved her ironstone displays and especially the "living room" with red wagon coffee table and wonderful framed flag print. It was a gorgeous day, and after several trips back and forth to dump our stuff in the truck we decided to head home.


Among the many piles of burlap and rust I picked out some ceiling tiles, silver and ironstone to add to Booth 58. So fun to spend the day with fellow junk hunters, in my own backyard!






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