Sanford and Son Salute!

Here's our tribute to the show that started many of us antique, vintage dealers onto the path of antiquing with 'good junk'!   Some would call that an oxymoron, but every savvy vintage dealer knows there's a fine line between junk, good junk and treasures.  The old adage, "one man's junk is another man's treasure' has never been more true and I think we owe a little homage to the show that made "junking" cool!  Thank you Sanford and Son, you are now considered ROCK STARS in the world of 'good junk'!

Boot Scootin' Fun

What started with the purchase of a pair of eel skin cowboy boots and some ropers in several colors exploded into 50 plus boots at any one time in our Trade Days booth where we've built a reputation for a large selection of vintage cowboy boots at very fair prices.  I haven't counted lately how many boots we've sold, but suffice it to say there are quite a few guys and girls wearing a pair of Sisters Treasures boots.

 I even found a cool pair that fit that I wouldn't part with and Elaine owns several pairs including some very "disco kool" Silver boots (which used to be mine)! Now that's stylin'! 
   This is definitely a Texas Thing but I was just wondering if anyone out there has caught on to the cowboy boot craze and if so, don't you want another pair?  The Sisters Treasures will most likely have a pair that fits you so come check us out next month (third weekend of August) at Fredericksburg Trade Days!
    And don't forget to practice a little "YEE HAW" to break in those bad boys when you purchase a pair!

These are mine! My feet love the square toes and I think the hot pink stitching is pretty "groovy"!

Flea Markets and Bucket Lists

     I love a great antique, vintage Flea Market and show and I'm blessed to be in Texas where some of the best ones (in my humble opinion) take place.   Just this month two of my favorite "junking/antiquing" magazines came out with their lists of the best flea market/barn sales in the U.S. and one of my favorites was listed in both magazines- Antiques Week or as it's referred to more commonly: Round Top- Warrenton and also Marburger Farm.  The first two are the main towns where the show takes place and last is the Grand Daddy of shows within the many shows that comprise this week.
Here's the magazine covers and pages from both magazines, Country Homes and Romantic Country

Have you been to this show?   My sister in law and sister and I have been going to the fall show for eight years and make it our "girl friend" weekend of shopping and enjoying Junk Gypsy Prom Night, etc. 
Aren't we some "Hot Mamas!"  The first pic is from the Gypsy Prom night and the second was a 70's Party one of the venues promoted. 
 The cool thing about this "show" is that it's about 30 shows or more within one Big show, expanding almost two weeks for some venues.  It deserves the attention these magazines have given it, but at the same time it got me to thinking about my "Bucket List" of antique show and flea markets that I'd like to attend some day around the good ole USA.
       The one I almost attended this year takes place the first week of August and is called the World's Longest Yard Sale  It actually spans 5 (or 6) states and has gotten a lot of media coverage over the years.  I planned vacation time to attend this antique/junk event but couldn't get any of my antiquing buddies to attend it with me, so I guess I'll wait until next year! ;(
    Others that  I hope to attend some day are the Pasedena Rose Bowl Flea market in California and Brimfield Antique Show in Massachusetts along with the Springfield Antique Show in Ohio and The Farm Chicks in Washington.  I think the Junk Bonanza and Oronoco Gold Rush Days in Minnesota would be fun as well.  Texas has a monthly show collectively called "Canton", First Monday, located  East of Dallas which I attended back in the 80's but I've been informed by many that I wouldn't even recognize that show today.  It's HUGE and on my list as well.
     So does anyone have any other favorites for their Bucket List?  I'd also love to hear some first hand accounts of any of the events I listed.
   Speaking of shows, a great little under-rated monthly show that I participate in called Fredericksburg Trade Days happens this weekend.  Here's the linkFredericksburg Trade Days  Come on out and have a "hot" time in Fredericksburg.

A Hunting we will go... garage sale finds

 One of the best part of the antiquing business to me (and to many others I suspect) is the "HUNT".   I love garage and estate sales and try to attend them whenever I can.  Sometimes, it's pretty much a bust, but sometimes I'm blessed to find great "treasures".  I'd say this past Saturday was more of a blessing than a bust, but mainly I  found small treasures.  I did score two furniture finds but I don't have a picture of either.  One is a 50's style "ranch" chair and the other is a midcentury dining room set.
     Here are some of my finds from a a family run estate sale that I unfortunately didn't get to until just before they closed. Plus there are a few garage sale finds.

 The box on the left with the aqua base is a cool jewelry box.  The wig form has a hand crocheted turbon hat (I can just imagine it covering a head of spongy curler! ha)

 I love beautiful nylon robes and this one has pretty detailing at the top.

 The lady who sold me these skates said they were hers (I'd guess she was in her 50's) and what's cool are the wooden wheels so they may have been a hand-me-down to her.

 I love, LOVE anything vintage that's Christmas, especially Santa items.

 I wasn't sure what these were but my friend who went with me said they balanced on something and wobbled back and forth.  I just thought they looked "funky cute"!

There were about 8 cuff links and tie tacks, but what was extra cool was the watch box they were in!  So there you have it, another fun day "hunting"(antique, junk style)!

Death of a Dress Form- May she rest in Peace!

 I have this thing about mannequins and dress forms especially the vintage ones, so everytime I find a good deal on one, I buy it.  Such was the case of one of my latest 50's dress forms.  This was the kind that a dressmaker used and adjusted to fit by enlarging or tightening the parts of the form via hinges and screws on the inside of the form.  I use mine to display our vintage clothes so thus comes the tale of this particular "manni's" demise!  My sis and I went to Geromino last Saturday to arrange our new booth at Blue Hills Antique Mall and I planned to take along this dress form so I lowered the form in half to make room for it in my car.  I set it on the grass close to the back of my SUV (out of the way, so I thought) and backed up to head to the shed to get some bigger items before packing the manni.  WELL, here's the SAD part, I didn't SEE the dress form as I backed up and wasn't aware that I had not cleared it until I heard a THUMP, THUD- like sound!! Uh OH!  I realized I had backed over something but didn't know it was her until I looked back,! (I didn't get a picture of the poor, pathetic "lifeless" form on the ground, but here's what she looks like now, tire treads and all!

    
May she rest in peace in Mannequin Heaven!