The Box

Up at 5am and ready to roll into Boone by 7am to make sure that I’d be one of the first on hand for the opening of the sale behind Proper Restaurant. And why is that first choice? Simple. Proper restaurant is a hip place and the ad promised “cool clothing, records, furniture and jewelry”.

Even with my BEST plans, and an arrival 15 minutes early there we still people scrounging through the offerings while the sellers were setting up. Sigh.

And it WAS my kind of sale. Funky jewelry, hip clothing, and quite a selection of gently used big name sunglasses. In addition, the sale was a Mecca for spotting some favorite people, Pamela, Phoebe, and Lin. Even sweet little Anna was there buying retro brooches.

It is fair to say that I “pawed through” about everything, crawled on the tarps in the parking lot, inspected the purses and found some personal items that the seller left (she got her change back), and enjoyed her boyfriends display of the incense smoking frog decorations.

The seller was ready to deal, and she was giving excellent prices for boxes of “stuff”. My box, at the darling price of $10 consisted of the following:


Big floppy purse

Mikasa “Trellis” dinner plate

Men’s button down linen shirt (peach)

Metallic cord, 45 feet; purple and silver; unopened package

Ralph Lauren, men’s button down linen shirt. Tie dye.

Foster Grant oversized white sunglasses.

Baby’s bib. “Dinner’s on me” says the featured monkey

“Robin K.” dressy T-shirt tank.

Gap men’s button down linen shirt.

Silver and purple Christmas ball earrings

Gold chain (could this be worth something?). Not my style, but will make someone happy.

Amulet. Eagle claw holding clear marble.

Prada tortoise shell sunglasses.

Foster Grant sporty oversized grey mirrored lens sunglasses.

Chunky stone necklace.

Oversized Foster Grant sunglasses. Tan.

I’ll be happy to have the metallic cord during the holidays, my husband can wear one of those linen shirts to an upcoming wedding, and won’t be worrying about not having a pair of sunglasses. Baby Hank will get a new bib, and sadly, the Mikasa plate will be relegated to my under a plant stash (did not notice the chip when it was purchased).

Gertrude and Alice

Favorite ad of the week: Huge downsizing sale for Jim and Dot Francis. At the big two-story "haunted house" in Warrensville on Staggs Creek Rd.

This morning found the Rosies meeting at Crystal Gayle's sale (yes, that was her real name. Apparently, her father loved Crystal Gayle the musician and named her in honor of the long haired singer)off of Roby Green Rd. They had excellent yellow fat-lettered hand made signs! This was their first time hosting a sale and they had some nice items. I found a fabulous vintage hand beaded purse for $3 and a few mismatched Mikasa dishes for a .25 a piece.

We decided to go to Kalmia Acres for a trio of sales, but got diverted by a sign near Perkinsville rd. ended up at Mike's Inland Seafood Lot. I picked up a vintage cowboy shirt from a brave woman having a garage sale and caring for her 2 month old infant at the same time. She was there to sell all of her clothes that would no longer fit--bless her heart. Next to her a family was set up on a flat bed trailer. I walked by and noticed a glass pipe on a Crown Royal bag and another one on the bed of the truck. I asked the mother about the blue blownglass pipe and she referred me to her 20 something ish son. He quickly and gladly came right over to me and began his sales pitch. He handed me the pipes and said they were as clean as a whistle holding them up to the sky and he only wanted $20 a piece on them. "At a head shop, they would be at least $50", he assured me. He wanted these out of his possession, I could tell. I told him that I would think about it:)
Off to Kalmia Acres, where we found our own local version of "carmeggedon"--some woman decided to park her minivan in the middle of the road. Come on folks, let's show a tiny bit of consideration for others--please. Needless to say, we pulled the sleeping baby, car seat and all, out of the truck and began walking up the hill to the first of the three neighboring sales. "Moving sale" it said in the front yard. Usually, that is a good sign. Not in this neighborhood I guess. $80 for a used car seat--hmmmmm--I bought mine new for $50. There were no deals to be had here. But I did manage to run into rosebud Wendy and got to introduce her to rosebaby Hank:) Next door, we found more reasonable prices a couple of items.
Off to the 4 college boys moving sale from the craigslist ad. As we passed Miller Industries, I saw the black mannequin and asked my husband to pull over. No luck!Bummer. Thankfully, Rosie W. was behind us and she swept in for the buy. $2 later our Gertrude now has her Alice:) A quick Skateworld stop finds my appliance guy Scott selling his record collection and my husband scores Alice's Restaurant and Big Brother and the Holding Company on vinyl.

Burl Lawrence Road turn on Yasmine --238 said the voice on the cel phone.......waiting waiting waiting--they finally show up to open up a beautiful rental home that has been inhabited by a bunch of college boys---picture it. Exactly. We had chased this sale down and my husband walked out with an App State flag for $10.

All for all, the hunt went well this late July morning. Happy Hunting everyone--we will see you out there! Till next week Rosie P.

Holy Cross

“I “heart” EXPLOSIVES” read the bumper sticker on the black truck that I followed around the twists and turns of mountain roads to get to Holy Cross Church in Valle Crucis, and yes, same truck pulled into the parking lot, which made me wonder about this year’s shoppers. It was the Holy Cross annual sale and I was bemoaning the fact that I would be five minutes late for the 8am opening.

Wrong.

The sale was actually scheduled to start at 9am, and there I was, almost an hour’s drive from home, and an hour early.

Luckily these fine folks had provided an outdoor area with tents jammed full of fifty cent items for the early birds like me. Delightful, and it was off it was to the land of fifty cent treasures. And I must say that there were several “odd” items to be found in fifty cent land like the bedpan decorated with plastic flowers and the naked baby doll with a freakish look on its’ little white face that was attached to a chocolate brown body. Thirty minutes later I rolled my little cart out of this area with the following: Two framed pictures; “Love Birds” signed by artist Harold Crowell, 1983, and a small print that looks like an inkblot signed by artist Hatcher in 1973; a silver plated bud vase from Italy; another pair of reading glasses with a cool beaded clasp; wooden toy truck for a grandson; hand blown glass ornament for the herb garden; and some sturdy rope.

Fifty cent items rock, and all this for less than five dollars, and I’m thinking, “these folks are headed toward a dozen roses from us”.

The next best organizational feature of this sale was that the first thirty shoppers were awarded numbers to be granted early admission. I was number fourteen which allowed me early admission at about 8:55 am. Brilliant idea, and take note other’s who hold large sales.

The house wares section was not as full as usual, and frankly the prices were very high. I hope these items sell, but remember, Saturday is 75% off so it would be worth a journey back to Valle Crucis for the leftovers.

The basement was rocking with stuff a bag of clothing/shoes for $5, and you can bet that I used my expert stuffing skills and came away with a lovely bag of assorted clothing, all rolled tightly to fit into one paper grocery bag: Eddie Bauer silk long johns, Billabong corduroy shorts, The Territory Ahead pants, new, and a Columbia shirt are items found for my husband. Sacred Threads top, Patagonia dress, tie dye skirt, summer top by “pura vida”, two hats, two scarves, and a lovely basic black dress by Wet Seal.

Back upstairs I perused the art section. A framed poster of tomatoes for $80?, nope. And a quick run through the furniture and jewelry sections (overpriced), along with the heat made me call it a day.

I drove away to the sound of bagpipes echoing in the beautiful valley. Even if I had come away empty handed, the experience of being in that sacred valley, with the mist rising over the mountains, crops in the field and the rushing waters of the creeks emptying into the Watauga River was worth the journey. Rosie W.

Cold and Fog

He had four jukeboxes (not for sale) and one old fridge painted like a jukebox (this for sale, and quite a treasure for $25). His name was Ron, and after living in Boone for many years he was selling his home and moving to Florida. Nice, quirky guy who also had a fabulous collection classic vinyl albums.

A dear friend is soon to be gifted some Frank Sinatra and Perry Como, this despite the fact that he’s “un liked” himself from the Secondhand Rosies Facebook page. I don’t hold grudges, and I understand that many of our posts may seem pesky to him.

But, I digress, totally. The point of telling about Ron’s sale begins with the journey to FIND the dang thing.

It was a foggy and cold summer morning, as they say…..with yard sale offerings as dismal as the weather. I drove all over Perkinsville looking for the sale that was listed as a moving sale near the new High School. Round and round I went, up and down several streets, (I’d been warned at a sale on Hwy 421 that others had been searching for this same sale). One more dead end, and a turn around in a driveway with a truck that bore the bumper sticker “I’m happy as a carp in a septic tank”, viola! This mantra was SO fitting.

Now, I’m driving UP and DOWN the streets chanting “I’m happy as a carp in a septic tank”….la la la….

Dead end in the High School parking lot, but I can SEE the appointed street, but can’t get through the HS exit. “I’m happy as a carp in a septic tank”……la la la…faster, faster, and add an expletive to the mix.

Bingo, I finally find the sale, but no signs, banners, balloons, or even a sign of life, but I get out anyway, and go up to the door. Yup, this is it, and I take a tour of the jukebox collection, see photos of Ron’s dogs, and walk away with Frank and Perry.

The poor folks at Mountain Oil parking lot were nearly drenched, but they’d brought plenty of plastic tarps. It was there I scored a charming folk art piece. Hand made stained glass mermaid/angel/goddess??? Funky cool, and one dollar.

The ladies with the best ad I’ve seen all year were next on the list, and they were delighted to learn that Secondhand Rosies had posted their ad on the Facebook page. They danced around and hugged me, and one even called her daughter in Florida to tell her the news. Since they’d started on Friday they were about sold out, but it was worth the stop just to meet these lovely ladies.

I’d been to the Holy Cross sale on opening day, Thursday, but it was early and I thought, “what the heck, it IS 75% off today”, so off I wandered back to beautiful Valle Crucis.
Sure enough, the place was picked over, but I did find a few odds and ends for almost giveaway prices. The best show in town was the camaraderie between the ladies working the basement where the clothing was displayed. After three days of dealing with hoards of people they were punchy, and some of the ladies began to model the leftover clothing; long john’s and frumpy dresses, tacky purses, and garish high heels, and sporting some swift runway moves. Good fun, good cause.

The valley was still shrouded in fog when I left, satisfied enough to call it a day, and yes, feeling as happy as a carp in a septic tank.

Humane Society Rummage in Review

“Tuck in the tag on your shirt”, I’m thinking as I spot someone I know, but she’s twenty people ahead and there is NO way I’ll break line to tidy her up and lose my space because even arriving early left me at least fifty places back in the crowd, so I stay in place and fixate on the hearing aide the guy in front of me wears. It is 7:45 am, still cool enough for a jacket, and I’m in line for the 30th Annual Humane Society Sale in Boone, NC.

The string of people has already snaked around the rear of the building, and this crowd of hunter-gatherers is vibrating with a primal anticipation for the mad dash; watches are checked and gear (carts and bags) are readied to be funneled through the single door entrance. It is then that I overhear conversation from behind; some ladies plotting to “throttle” two women who look to be line breakers. Not good.

Luckily the door opens at just that moment and the well dressed, but clueless, potential line cutting gals are out of the race. Karma, indeed.

A beeline to the linens produces no treasures upon first swoop so I quickly make it outdoors to the furniture section where a wood framed futon is calling my name. Price good too, $35, and I panic in fear that someone else will grab this find before I can locate Rosie P. So I rip off the price tag and tell the cashier that it’s MINE. She says NO, it can’t be mine until I pay for it. Sigh, and a quick holler and wave and I get Rosie P over to look at it, and she, being of sounder mind that morning, makes a few quick observations, like some wear on the wood and a cracked slat, but it’s still in the running. “Let’s unzip the cover and check it out” she offers. Woops! And yuck, and everything else…..the whole dang mattress was stained in blood, and we totally bail from THAT deal.

I stayed in the Armory for an additional ninety minutes picking up a few items that filled my cart: eight white retro restaurant dinner plates, one tablecloth and several items of clothing, with the best being an April Cornell white petticoat. Hunger pangs took over, and after a quick visit with several “Rosebuds” I dashed off to Panera Bread for lunch and called it a day.

Saturday’s revisit to the Humane Sale netted one lonely grey Tee Shirt with “Carpe Diem” tastefully embroidered on the breast pocket, this, for my husband. But the men’s shirt department netted one celebrity sighting. There, sorting through the piles of shirts was our 5th District US Congresswoman, Virginia Foxx. I overheard her remark to someone that she was getting shirts for her workers as she’d done in the past.

Oh, and by the way, that framed picture of George W. Bush was still for sale in the Art section when I left the sale late Saturday morning.

Speed Dating

Like speed dating, the Rosies piled into one vehicle and set out for a two hour mega drive -by to check out most of the sales posted for 6/11/11. And a happy carload we were with Hank and his grandma Pat riding in the backseat, Rosie W. riding shotgun and Rosie P. navigating hairpin turns and elusive parking.

We converged upon the “Four roommates selling everything to teach overseas” as our ground zero meeting point (we’d both voted it our favorite ad with the most possibility). Since the sellers had not posted “No Early Birds” we took the chance and arrived a half hour early at 7:30. Not good. Only two of the four roommates were on site, and those two were totally frazzled as we watched them hustle items to the front lawn. Rosie P. immediately scored a few big items (a vintage dresser mirror for $4 and a 1991 Kenwood Stereo System in the glass cabinet with working speakers for $40)On the other hand, I muddled through what was there with a still packaged pulley gizmo catching my eye (me, thinking pulleys and ropes….help with kayak?), only to find out that it was for hanging a deer. Nope!

After having broken my beloved Pyrex measuring cup the night before I took the chance and asked if they had one. Bingo! Not one, but two; a two cup and a four cup both for $3. Ahhh….the karma finally rolling…..

No roses for the sales at Mike’s Seafood. Lots of items, but nothing to brag about, so the four of us trekked onward following circled ads in the Mountain Times as well the “breadcrumbs” of big, colorful, and abundant signs that were like a magic carpet ride to some of the sales.

A dozen “Good Sign” roses go to the sales at University Hills, Green Street, and Bear Trail (but “boo” to parking at Bear Trail). However, the grand prize must go to Nancy Nathan for an excellent print ad as well as the eye catching sign posted on a billboard across from Wendy’s on Hwy. 321.

One basement sale netted a few items for each of us, but the seller remained steadfast about not bargaining for anything. It was strange.

A quick drive by the Doctors Lot found it empty, so we ended the day on Hwy 105 Extension with a group “Naaaaaaaah” at the first sale, only to have Rosie P. do a remarkable “wheelie” to get us into the second sale where we’d eyed furniture, art and clothing. “I see Art, you jump out”, Rosie P. commands me, and I dive into the crowd to take a closer peek.

The clothing was too small, and the art too “Rooms to Go” looking, but Hank’s grandma Pat scored a lovely blue and brown full set of dishes from Pier I . Me, nothing, but I did notice that one of the books for sale was “How To Tell a Naked Man What To Do”….and I have to wonder if anyone purchased that book?

Bye to Hank, Grandma Pat and Rosie P. as they were off to a birthday party, and on my own.

The “lots of Oil of Olay” sale DID have an abundant supply, along with Vidalia Onions, one deer head, and mountains of baby clothes. I leave empty handed and ready to call it quits and head to Goodwill for the day’s finale.

Right there, front and center, like a blue light special, sits a rose colored hookah pipe which sets me back a spell, and I’d just finished asking Logan (we ALL know Logan who works at GW), “who do you think will buy this”? And he shrugs his shoulders and says smiling and shaking his head, you never can tell….” Then, poof, like something out of “I dream of Jeannie”, and sounding like Aunty Mame, a lovely lady slides over to the counter and scoops up the hookah pipe. “I just LOVE this….I love anything artistic….now I don’t USE it….I just love having unusual things in my house….no, no, no, I don’t USE it……”. We chatted for a few minutes, and I left with a smile on my face, nothing in a bag, but the memory of this Grande Dame and her rose colored hookah pipe will remain one of the “keeper” stories when it comes to shopping at Goodwill.

2490 Hwy. 105

2490 Highway 105, Boone NC. Our house is right on 105, directly across from the used car dealership next to the Ingles shopping center. We are moving and have a lot of stuff to sell so come early!

This craigslist did not do them justice. These recent App State grads and scavengers had a fabulous sale this morning. French coffee presses, vintage dinnerware,skateboards, a stuffed dead cat (he is holding it in the picture if you look close enough), salon chairs, antique mirrors,a Taco Bell table and chairs booth, a collection of guitars, a large Shell oil sign and some sweet 60's plastic molded chairs----this sale touched my hunter gatherer heart. This was our first stop , just because it was close. We were hoping for a chest of drawers or a futon couch, but what we found was much better. Four young men moving on past Boone, who have gathered 4 years of local treasures and were ready to part with them at garage sale prices. My husband and I watched as they brought out more and more items. We began to ask if they had a dresser or a futon couch or vinyl albums, record players, etc.... they brought out this 1950's wooden dresser then the chaise lounge couch
(featured picture), then an old record player built into a cabinet---they had it all! We bought a few items and I just sat and smiled. I liked their style, their free spirit and I admired their collection of things--a bit reminiscent of my own college days. At the end of our garage sale day, we swung back by to see if they still had any guitars. They told me tales of a couple that came by (FLIPPERS) and laid down $125 in cash and took away a car load including the Shell oil sign (that would have needed a pick up to transport--it was that big!). They said it with pride and money in their pockets--why not? The collection of guitars had found another home already. Oh well--maybe next time. Thanks for hosting a fabulous and funky sale this morning guys. I give you a dozen roses for originality, good pricing, and a real sense of enthusiasm for your sale. I also appreciate your ability to purge and collect more on your next journey. You have the right idea! Happy travels gentlemen and happy hunting everyone else! Rosie P.

Damascus City Wide 2011

The Tibetan Book of the Dead (paperback), and a VHS tape, “Yard Sales”, a skit by Phyllis Diller, were two of the handful of items I found at this year’s trek to Damascus, VA for the Citywide Yard Sale. My rickety rolling cart was only half full by day’s end.

This year found me “off my game”, having been robbed of all my cash the day before after leaving my purse in the car during a hike on Whitetop Mountain. You avid thrifters know what I mean when you’re having an “off” day…the treasures seem to stay hidden, you feel overwhelmed, and you miss some good scores due to procrastination. Riding in the backseat down VA Hwy 58 was not a plus for mental acuity either.

My first stop was the B&B on Main Street where Rosie P. found the infamous velvet chartreuse sofa last year. Still the warm and welcoming sellers, but this year’s couch was a tattered sofa bed, with zippo appeal. These folks always have great stuff, but the pickings were slim this year, although I did score a lovely dress that will serve me well for a Fall wedding.

For old time’s sake, we did hang out on the beige sofa bed for a photo, just like last year, with the blooming rhododendron backdrop, but it was nothing like the photo shoot on the charming chartreuse divan. Well, I DID hold up my copy of The Tibetan Book of The Dead for color….

My companions, husband and our pal Jim from Durham, wanted to lollygag and walk at a slower pace so it didn’t take me long to ditch those two guys and begin a frantic scan of the town hauling my noisy rolling cart up and down the side streets. Biggest disappointment was finding that my favorite seller last year was not set up this year. It was her house where I’d found the Paul Klee print and scores of funky clothing, jewelry, and music….SO, “wushhhhhhh” goes the wind from my sails.

I’d been procrastinating about a green boiled wool purse, made in Ireland, tags still attached for $5 that’d I’d left a few streets back. Off I gallop, rolling cart screeching over the pavement, and, “Wushhhhhhh…..” again, SOLD.

See what I mean about being off my game?

At least I can report that I did find a few things for Rosie P., a plastic bagful of silverware and a retro plate, both of which were purchased after I posed the question, “would you take…..” which worked for those items, but not for the hugely funky Bakelite clip on earrings. Seller was firm with $4. There are some things I can live without.

My finale was getting back to my car and finding the doors locking and unlocking, lights going off and on….Me standing on Main Street looking all around in puzzlement, and my two companions (both men in their 60’s) hiding behind the bushes having a great time watching my confusion. Alas, Damascus, 2011.

"You take a dallah!"

“You take a dallah? I give you a dallah? You pay me twenty dallah cleaning fee for this…”

This from our recent Facebook post about a Boone yard sale “regular” who arrives at every sale loud and demanding, and wears down the seller until they will do anything to get her off their property.

Not good form. And we can’t help but speculate that this person is a “flipper”, that is someone who buys cheap and sells the goods somewhere else (flea market, Ebay?).

And this is certainly NOT in the spirit of what Secondhand Rosies embrace as joyful, creative hunting with opportunities to forge new friendships along the way.

But can you bargain? Oh, YES! And here are some tips:

*Don’t expect to get the best bargains during the first hour of the sale. That Felix the Cat clock you eye at 8:01 a.m.? You just may have to pay full price.

*Sometimes the seller is parting with an item of sentimental value, and if you show a real love and appreciation for that item the seller may let it go for less. It’s happened to me, and I’ve always promised the seller that it will be well loved in its new home.

*It never hurts to say “Will you take…..” All they can say is “no”, or make you a counter offer. Know when to stop if the seller seems reluctant. If you want it that badly pay the price.

*If the sale is raising funds for a worthy cause wait until the organization lowers the prices. Our “karmic” rule of giving back.

*Best time to bargain would be the last hour of a sale. It is then that you can often offer a ridiculous amount and have it accepted. Most sellers do not want to pack up the merchandise.

*Clothing is often the easiest item that you can barter. And if you find a little tear or stain it should be expected that the seller will reduce the price.

*Never, ever, ever, use the phrase “Jew down”. Bad form, culturally insensitive, and bully like. “Will you take……or what will you take” a much softer forms of approaching a deal.

*Know when to walk away. Last year, close to noon on a hot summer day, I offered a group of young women 50 cents for the paperbacks they were selling for $1 each. No deal they say. I leave, shaking my head. Our public library sells used paperbacks for 50 cents. Rosie W.

28 hours in Jasper, Indiana

It is 11:30 on Tuesday morning when anti-freeze sprays across the front of our Toyota truck while driving down I-64 in southern Indiana. My husband begins a tirade of choice words as he hits the hazards and pulls over and off of the next exit ramp. Staring at the Ferdinand/Jasper sign, we gather our thoughts and call for a tow. Too far away from our homeland of Illinois and 7 hours from our home in NC, we are taken to the local Toyota dealership in hopes that maybe it was just a hose that blew. After the initial diagnosis of a cracked radiator (exhale), we are told it would take a day to get one in, we begin to make plans to spend the night. Luckily, the dealership gave us a loaner van. We move the dogs, the baby, and some choice luggage and begin to make our way around town. Jasper,Indiana is a deeply German Catholic community boasting a low unemployment rate and a Top 10 Small Towns in America Award. It is time to make a margarita out of our bowl of lemons. We decide to go on the thrift store hunt----a common fallback strategy that seems to cut our stress levels immensely in times of near crisis. Three thrift stores serve the Jasper, Indiana community. The Salvation Army was our first stop. JACKPOT! I love these small town thrifts that seem to be virtually unpicked. Thirty minutes uncovers tons of finds--.30 here, .50 there, $1.99 for a University of Indiana t-shirt(Go Hoosiers!), you could not beat it. With a large box of goodies tucked away in the mini-van, we decide to call it a day (it is nearing 4pm by now and it has been a LONG day) and go check in at the local Days Inn. On our way there, we pass a St. Vincent De Paul Thrift Store---megastore--similar to the one in downtown St.Louis. I had to catch my breath and asked my husband pull over to check the hours. 12-5 Tues-Saturday. They had a free bin out front ( this made my wheels turn)-- I knew this was a thrifters paradise inside those doors. We promised to return at noon Wednesday. The parking lot was packed this late in the afternoon, which affirmed my intuition. We settled into the Days Inn for a storm filled night in Jasper, featuring dinner at the local German restaurant, Schnitzelbank, as well as some local microbrew tastings. My husband enjoyed the Wurst Platter, which featured a bratwurst,bockwrust, and knackwurst(he wanted me to write this). I had the Gruner Spinat casserole, potato pancakes, and the spatzle. We felt the German blood run deep through our veins with this meal.
We checked out the Goodwill on Wednesday morning and it was nothing to write about, surprisingly. At 11:45 we passed the St. Vincent De Paul store and noticed that there was already a long line waiting to get in. This blew my mind, I thought, is everything in there free? what is going on? is it half price Wednesday? I could not wrap my brain around the idea that folks would line up to get into a thrift store that was open 5 days a week. Searching my memory, I could not pull out another example of this behavior--maybe a handful of folks lined up, but not a dozen or two-sheesh! A few minutes after noon, we got into the "Lord's Store"--reference picture. We were elbow to elbow with folks and then a huge load of Amish women showed up and the place was packed. At first, I thought those women were nuns dressed in semi-traditional habits until I saw the children dressed like that as well. Trying to navigate the aisles with a cart was virtually impossible and impassable. I was getting frustrated. It was hard to pick and sort and move through piles of stuff with all of those people in there. Luckily, after you got through the first aisle or two, the crowd started to thin out. I found an entire aisle of used mason jars--- we must have been in the canning capital of southern Indiana. The households section was full of mismatched plates:) The clothes were very functional and practical without a lot of form or flair--who needs form and flair? Think of Garrison Keilor's description of the good Lutherans in Lake Wobegon, I think that same could be said of the good Catholics in Jasper,IN. We did find a pack of swimmers diapers for $1, a set of Hoosier glasses, a ton of mismatched vintage plates, an innertube swimsuit for the baby Hank, and a bunch of stuffed animals for a project at work all for a grand total of $9.98. Wow! As I stood in the checkout lane, staring at the picture of the thorned crown head of Jesus and his mother Virgin Mary, I was filled with a tinge of homesickness for my midwest roots. You don't find places like this in the South, I thought silently to myself. Let's get real, you don't find homegrown Catholics in the South--they are all transplants. The cashier told us to "have a safe trip home and take care", in an odd,midwestern, with hints of German, accent that had been crafted over generations. This was not your typical town and we were blessed to have broken down there. Thanks for the great adventure Jasper, IN--I would give you two thumbs up on the thrift store scale.
Happy Hunting folks!

2011 Yard Sale Calendar

With the new addition of Baby Hank to our family, I have had to become much more organized than usual. This is actually a good thing and for those of you who know me, you are all shaking your heads “yes” with large smiles on your faces. Needless to say, this has led me to create a yard sale calendar for the Summer of 2011 season. I have researched as many dates as possible and have placed educated guesses on other dates according to last year’s sales date. I hope that my hard work pays off for you and that you take this info and transfer it to your own personal calendars so that you can plan accordingly. If you know of any local, regional, or national sales that I have missed and would like to add, please let me know.


May 7, 2011 Damascus City Wide Yard Sale confirmed
Damascus, VA
This is the beginning of the Trail Days Celebration!
http://www.traildays.us

May 20-21, 2011 Boone United Methodist Spring Fling Sale confirmed
Don’t confuse this with the Fall Bazaar. This one is in the gymnasium only.
Boone, NC

June 4, 2011 The Dawn Fund Garage Sale confirmed rain date June 11
New in name to the local community. Held annually in the parking lot next to the Super 8 on 105—benefits children with disabilities in the community.
Boone,NC

June 11, 2011 Marine Corps Garage Sale
National Guard Armory
Boone,NC

June 17-18 Watauga Humane Society Garage Sale confirmed
Held at the National Guard Armory
Boone, NC

August 4-7 Route 127 Sale confirmed
The longest yard sale in the country. Route 127 crosses the I-40 outside of Knoxville, TN. Check out the website for more details.
http://www.127sale.com/


August 17th National Thriftshop Day confirmed
(the Rosies will be celebrating this the week before due a wedding in the family ---look forward to hearing more about the planned party for our local thrift store employees)


Aug 20, 2011 St. Luke’s Episcopal Church Sale educated guess
They usually have theirs the week before students move back in.
Boone,NC



August 27, 2011 ASU “Big Sale” educated guess
Held at Legends on the ASU campus. The only “run and get it” sale in town—for those that are there when it opens.
Boone,NC


September 2-5 Hillsville Flea Market confirmed
Hillsville,VA
Follow the link for more information. This is Labor Day weekend.
http://www.hillsville.com/fmarket.htm

September 16-17 Boone United Methodist Fall Bazaar confirmed
This is the big Kahuna folks!
Boone,NC


We are hoping that Mountain Alliance will join the ranks this year for hosting a large sale. We know that they postponed last year’s sale and hope that they can become part of the calendar for next season. We would also like to acknowledge the Mountain City Humane Society sale in November, but have no dates on that.

Let’s get ready folks! Find your small bills, your shoulder bags, and your pull along carts, garage sale season is right around the corner. As always Happy Hunting Everyone! We will see you out there.

Rosie P.

Label Whores II

“I was meant to be rich”, my chic and bored daughter mumbles as I drag her to yet another thrift shop in a seedy strip mall in Florida. This one a true bust with rack upon rack of faded chinos, beaded cocktail dresses with huge shoulder pads, and a hefty selection of cheap romance novels. It was run by Hospice, and evidently the place one donates grandma’s worn out apparel after she passes. We leave with nothing but my promise that we WILL go shopping on the drive home so she can find a special outfit for an upcoming wedding.

Fast forward two days and I find myself in the hushed and rarefied air of Saks Fifth Avenue. Yikes! Fish out of water I am, looking at the price tags and feeling woozy.

This is when I decide to update our “Label Whores” blog with some fresh suggestions for those who love to thrift for real treasures, and what a delight it will be to discover any of these labels on a “stuff a bag” table at one of the big sales:

DKNY
Elie Tahari
Michael Kors
VINCE
Lavia
Free People
Adrienne Vittandi
Ellen Tracy
Threads

Our list is ever changing, and we invite you to share additional high end labels to this collection. By the way, I spotted a Michael Kors little black dress, size 6 at the Boone Goodwill this week, $5. Shout out to my “little” friends!
We are “Label Whores”. When “thrifting”, we dive to grab clothing made by our favorite companies.


Our top picks are FLAX, April Cornell, Eileen Fisher, Patagonia, Kavu, Royal Robbins, Gramicci, J. Jill, Cut Loose, Russ Berens, Nomadic Traders, Aly Wear, Ex Officio, Chicos, and Banana Republic. We will be posting “Dozen Roses” moments when we find these.


We won’t pass up a good J. Crew, Polo, Saks, Bloomingdales, Liz, Lands End, or Talbots. The aforementioned don’t reflect our more bohemian tastes, but these finds can be passed on to friends and family (great gifts). We WILL buy Gap, especially the children’s line, although quality and concern about the company’s labor practices are reason for pause.


Madison Studio, Sag Harbor, and Rafella are Belk brands. Usually made in China, and “okay” if unique or in top shape. Dress Barn, Alolfo, White Stag, Bill Blass, The Limited, Old Navy, Worthington, and Cato are in this category as well. We will rarely post about finding any of these brands.


Faded Glory, George, and Jaclyn Smith are Big Box brands. We don’t consider these to be “finds”. So “caution” to those having a sale and expecting big returns on these brands. Let ‘em go cheap!


It’s a sure bet that we will grab any Hannah Andersen or Boden children’s clothing.


Shoes have to be in excellent condition. If we ever find Earth, Dansko, Birkenstock or Keens in good condition it’s a “dozen roses moment”.


We post this with the intent that “Rosebuds” will add their favorite brands to the list. We would love to learn about special boutique brands from our followers. You ask, we find!

The Curb Alert

Scanning through our local craigslist under the free/barter sections, I came across a listing for a "Curb Alert". Of course, I could not resist. I clicked on it to find a list of items that had been placed on the curb for the taking. Someone was moving out and had run out of time/energy/ resources, but not creativity. They had sense enough to post their unwanted belongings on craigslist and invited folks to grab them up before the trash man got them the following day. I loved it! High stakes, quick thinking, action needed, out for trash, nothing to lose, just pull up to the curb and look through the pile and take what you want. Oh what fun! Over the years, I have grabbed many "curbside call" items--ranging from piles of clothes, to discarded furniture, to cardstands to children's toys. My poor husband knows what it means when I say "pull over" with my head turned eyeing a pile of junk that has been placed out for trash. In college one of my friends had pulled a 2 foot high marble angel statue out of the trash in the alley in downtown Chicago--that was probably the best find I had ever seen. Topping all of my finds --hands down. Last week, I got a phone call from a girlfriend who had spied what should have been a "curb alert" and she had stopped to look. She wanted to know if I would be interested in looking through a box of vintage plates. I said "sure" and she grabbed them--assuring her partner that they were for me and not something she planned to keep. She brought them into the office and what a treasure trove! Almost a dozen vintage melmac plates, half a dozen Mikasa coffee cups, 10 pea green melmac tea cups, and a few jelly jars---all sitting in a box on the side of the road waiting to be taken to the dump. ( Nothing that a little bleach can't make shiny and new) Did you know that Melmac was developed in the 1940's and common in almost every household from the 1950's-1970's. It is extremely durable and was very affordable. Wow! What a score that was........ I have no doubt that many of you reading this have stopped the car while you are turtlenecking to see if the pile is worth getting out and sorting through. Personally, I just enjoy that this experience has become legitimized enough to have its own name "curb alert"--GENIUS! I would have to rate this somewhere between a "dumpster dive" and a "junk swap" at the dump...... definitely hits the spot as the winter thaws and garage sale season draws even more near. We embrace this scavenger hunt as a thrilling piece of the modern day hunter gatherer experience. As always, I would love to hear your experiences with the "curb alert"-- what have you pulled off the side of the road? Have you ever written and ad for this or followed an ad you found? Just another way to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Happy Hunting Folks!

High Tea Rag Shakin' Clothing Swap

One year and 280 Facebook Friends later, The Secondhand Rosies celebrated in style at the first annual “High Tea/Rag Shakin’ Clothing Swap” on a day full of spring magic and sunshine.

First to arrive was “Rosebud” Pamela draped in fur and eager to use her artistic talents to arrange the retro tea cups provided by Miss Match Rentals. Chai tea simmered on the stove, and soon the room was abuzz with ladies arriving with baskets, buckets, carts, and armloads of clothing to sort for the swap.

Yes, next time we will have music as a backdrop to the sorting process.

Rosie W., wearing a “Queen Mother” hat that obscured her vision, jumped on a table top close to 3pm to get the crowd ready for the rag shakin’ countdown. Armed with a large, retro metal platter with “Kaffee Klatch” imprints, and a heavy soup ladle, Rosie W. opened the swap to the sounds of platter beating, and the cry “Let the rag shakin’ begin!”

Arms and elbows askew, the crowd dove into the clothing piles with gusto, only coming up for air after the first five minutes of serious “shakin”, and soon our guests had each squirreled away a personal stash of goodies that promised to be replenished several more times over the course of the day.
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Beautiful silver haired “Rosebuds”, and college girls with shaved heads and piercings, our event showcased diversity and artistic flair with every guest who arrived. Geographic diversity too, as new connections were made between ladies from Ashe, Watauga, AND Avery County. Damsels of thrifting and style they are!

The energy in the room was amazing. A FREE event that so many women enjoyed. In these times of a tight economic reality, this hit the spot. The price was right and the clothes were quality. Digging, sorting, grabbing, the smell of chai tea wafting through the air, the texture of the boiled wool jacket, the real leather purse, the corduroy blazer, and vintage polyester dress, our long buried senses emerged under the weight of the heavy winter. We were all so engaged and thrilled to have this taste of the hunt at our hands. Like crocuses that bloom in the snow, the "rosebud community" showed its deep desire to survive the doldrums of our mountain winter and embrace the coming of spring and the yard sale season.

Happy Hunting and thanks for coming--we will be hosting our next swap in late fall. Hope to see you there!

The Secondhand Rosies

Rosie W, Rosie P. & baby Hank

A tale of two Rosies

Meeting Rosie P.

For about a year I heard “tales” about a new Social Worker who had moved to Boone, and how I just HAD to meet her.
“She keeps our office entertained with the gifts she finds us at sales”. “She arrives at the office every week with something new for someone, and she even found our very classy staff physician something!” “She has an eye for clothing.”
So, for that first year I’d often be met by eye rolling from other Social Workers who exclaimed, “I can’t BELIEVE you haven’t met her!”
Without doubt, during that first year we must have bumped butts several times in thrift stores and yard sales while seriously stalking the racks, and the suspense continued about just WHO this “ya gotta meet” person was.
My memory of our first meeting is not as clear as Rosie P’s , but I DO remember a younger version of me, all curls and spunk, color and original style. It was an instant friendship, and once we met it seemed as though we were always meeting up in thrift stores; funny, “cosmic” encounters complete with eye rolling, belly laughs, and mutual admiration for how “sick” our little hobby was. At times we joked about starting a treatment program for “thrifters” (12 steps to second hand bliss???). Seriously, we are Social Workers, right!
It’s been a wild and wonderful ride, and a treasured friendship with someone who appreciates finding her bliss in Goodwill; a good for the soul friendship full of laughter, creativity, and endless possibility. As we enter year two of this zany project we will just cast our fate to the universe and see where it leads.

Meeting Rosie W.
Shortly after landing in North Carolina, the girls at work told me about this other social worker who I reminded them of. She had gone to school in Illinois, too and had a funky and eclectic style, much like my own. She loved to thrift and garage sale--this was a well known fact. She worked in Ashe County and one Thursday afternoon, she happened to wonder into our office. Rosie W. was friends with my co-worker, Teressa. Rosie’s curly hair swept back to reveal her large asymmetrical earrings, wrists full of jangle bracelets, wearing flowing layers of black with a pair of expensive clogs to complete the outfit. This little lady had some flair, a contagious laugh, and a sparkle in her big blue eyes. She was a whirlwind of energy, enthusiasm, and fun! I knew we would be quick friends. T. introduced us and from that day on, Rosie W. and I ran into each other all over the secondhand scene in Boone. We would greet each other in the aisles of various thrift stores with "We are crazy" " Thrifting is an illness" "Let's create a support group" etc........ always laughing afterwards and showing each other our latest finds. We also started to see each other in more professional venues, at trainings, staffings, and so on--always sitting next to each other and talking about upcoming community sales. It was in the fall of 2009, that we began to discuss the idea of the Secondhand Rosies. We set out to write over the winter months--those long, mountain, winter months----and published the first blog in March of 2010. We have been writing, shopping, laughing, planning, and creating since then. This March will mark our first anniversary. We will commemorate it with our fist annual High Tea and Rag Shakin' Clothing Swap on March 12 at the Watauga County Library. It has been a wonderful ride with the spirited and energetic woman, Rosie W.. As my grandma would say " We were cut from the same cloth". Amen to that!

Cheers and Happy hunting Folks—now you all know our story!

People-Watching Mecca

The song “Heat Wave” was playing in the background, as I stood wondering if he was one of the ASU football players. That’s how big he was, this young man in whose shadow I stood at the Boone Goodwill checkout counter, thus my surprise when he asked the clerk, “Do you still have that three foot plastic crayon that was here last week?”

And so it goes, “thrifting” in the High Country, Winter 2011.

Would it be fair to say that Goodwill, Boone, is the Mecca for local people watching? Diamonds and pearls, butt cracks and babies, cleavage and curls, big hair, no hair, fancy and frumpy they all converge here.

What about the older couple spotted carrying out an inflated oversized replica of a Budweiser bottle? Huh? Wouldn’t you love to know their story. Yes, one person’s trash IS another’s treasure, and in the world of “flippers” (those who resell at flea markets) it is likely that Budweiser treasures DO have value.

In house wares I recently enjoyed conversation with a charming twelve year old boy about the Magic 8 Ball on the shelf. It was broken. But we didn’t give up until each of us tried about 10 shakes. You never know what friendships may be forged at Goodwill!

All the while there was a young man strolling up and down the aisles, not looking like the shopper type, and wearing an old Army jacket that was adorned with a button that read, “Vote for Pedro”. Am I missing something here?

Some shop Goodwill strictly for the clothing, while others head straight for house wares. One sweet local lady can always be found checking out the jewelry counter first. And it is either the furniture section or book section that seems to provide comfort and consolation to reluctant spouses who’d rather be someplace else.

Like the castoffs from Gilligan’s Island, I look forward to seeing the “regulars” when visiting Goodwill. Pamela, Dawn, Anna, Jeff, Louis, Wendy, Karen….and the list goes on…

30 minutes at Goodwill

As many of you know, I recently gave birth to my precious son, Hank. I have been on maternity leave since he arrived and have been slowly adjusting to the shared duties of parenthood with my thoughtful husband. With a great deal of snow falling this winter as well as a different sleeping and eating schedule than I am accustomed to , I have not ventured out of the house much in the past 5 weeks. Recently, my husband offered to watch Baby Hank while his mother and I ran some errands and "hit the goodwill". Honestly, it was the first time I had been back in over 6 weeks. No longer big bellied pregnant and looking for nursing bras and maternity clothes, but now hoping that I would fit back into something near my old size. I took a sigh of relief and walked in the front door. As always, I started with a quick swoop over the dresses--years of practice has shown that you actually look at the bottom of the dresses and not at the tops---the bottoms hang more freely and the tops are smashed together and often you cannot see the real selection. With a quick run threw, I had to use the texture and color strategy---I prefer certain textures of clothing, like velvet, linen, patchwork, embroidery, silk, vintage chintz, etc..... certain colors also look better on me than others, green, rose, wine, turquoise, etc.....therefore, I only take time to actually look at any dresses (or skirts, shirts and so on) that meet the criteria of both texture and color and then we hope for style and size. This makes looking very fast. After the dresses, I head over to the skirts and find my first treasure of the day in a rose colored linen J Jill ruffled skirt, sz.SP--small petite--not sure about the size but the elastic waist leaves me hopeful. At least, I could have something to aim for if it is close. The stomach is the last thing to bounce back after you have a baby I have been told. From the skirts, I aim for the shoe racks. Then , while in the back of the store, I quickly go through the household/toy/electronics aisles. Spying my mother-in-law shopping, I head over for the linens racks and again use my texture/color technique, but this time it is different because I am now looking for quality items-- I especially like linen tablecloths and vintage prints. I have also gained a quick eye for high thread count cotton bedding. The eye spies it, the hand confirms it with a quick touch and then I pull it off the rack and take a real look at it. Time saver. Not much to really look at that day. So, I take a quick glance over the furniture and then head back to the shirts. I go down the medium aisle--no longer stalking the XL for stylish shirts that will fit over my enormous stomach. I quickly come across a pink velvet button up sweater with intricate silver buttons. Knowing this is a high quality item, I take a look at the tag and it too is a J Jill, sz.M. I am now satisfied with my hunt and head into the dressing room. We are about 20 minutes into the excursion. Pat has found some shoes and is happy to look around while I try on my clothes. I ask her to cross her fingers because I am really not sure what size I am wearing currently. I love going into the dressing rooms, that is where people have left an entire rack of "surprise clothes". I have found some nice stuff on that rack. The pickings were slim in there today, but no problem, I had my two JJill items to try on. Crossing my fingers and holding my breath, I slip into the skirt and am tickled to be able to zip it up and button it. Then, the velvet sweater, oh, did I love the look and feel of that sweater......luckily, it fit easily over the shirt I had on. I knew at that point that I had two keepers. $3.50 a piece if my pricing recollections were correct--5 weeks of new motherhood can fog your mind---I am certain that many of you would agree. Recently, our Goodwill has had some pretty fierce lines and check out can be a real pain. Today, the line was only 2 deep and right on the edge of 30 minutes, Pat and I were on our way back to the car. I felt very satisfied with my first trip back to the beloved Goodwill.....not really looking for anything, just fulfilling my need to hunt. I want to thank Pat, my mother-in-law and an avid rosebud for joining me and my husband, for knowing what is good for me and taking care of the baby while we went on the hunt. We would love to hear from you about any strategies that you might have to "quick shop" thrift stores. I know that some of you Rosebuds are professionals at this and it would be great to hear some your tricks of the trade. As always Happy Hunting folks!