The Rummageload

Rummage sale season is officially upon us! The season kicked off, for us, in the biggest way imaginable:  Saturday's Bay View Community Rummage Sale! Our neighborhood association sponsored a community-wide rummage sale, providing a map of 26 rummage sales taking place all within around two-to-three miles from one another. In addition to the 26 sales shown on the map, there were a ton more throughout the neighborhood. I think, within the three hours that we were out and about, we hit around 18 separate rummage sales.

It was quite the Saturday morning.

We started bright and early, hitting the first sale at around 8:15. For the first few stops, we were there before many items had been priced, affording us the opportunity to name our own price (thus getting great deals). I think in the first five sales we stopped at, we bought at least one thing at each. We seriously were SO lucky in finding some great buys for dirt cheap. I even worked on my negotiating skills and only paid full price for maybe two or three items all day.

But where we really lucked out was at our third stop, where a super-sweet woman was selling a ton of wedding decor... but not just any wedding decor - we're talking SO many pieces that I'd already been planning to collect for ours! She had incredibly similar taste to me, and I'm sure her wedding looked a lot like how I'm envisioning ours. I walked away with three bottles/vases, a vintage jade-green candy dish and 28 vintage doilies and pretty handkerchiefs. TWENTY EIGHT. And I only paid $20 for that entire haul. I was in heaven. I couldn't believe our luck!

From there on out, we had incredible luck. I'd say we made a pretty good haul in just three hours of driving around, rummaging through people's things!

The majority of what I bought was little pieces for the wedding. Doilies, vases, vintage Old Maid cards (I can't wait to show you... in one year... what we're using those for!), a crate of vintage soda bottles (we'll be sticking one flower in each vase and keeping them all in the case, which will probably be sitting on the dessert table or guest book table), some little hand-sewn stuffed hearts and much, much more.

I found that little kitty candle for 25 cents. I have no idea why I was so drawn to it - it's a little weird - but for some reason I am so in love with it.

We purchased this crate of old Black Bear soda bottles for just $5! An incredible steal. The man who sold them to us mentioned Black Bear used to be bottled just a couple miles down the street from our house in St. Francis, Wisconsin. I love that our wedding decor will reflect some local history, too!

This vintage eye chart caught our eyes while we were leaving one rummage sale and we snapped it up for 50 cents. I can't wait to hang it up in our house!

We also lucked out at our final garage sale by finding four great records. Eric picked out Mott the Hoople and Slade, and I was so excited to find two Elvis Costello albums (I've been on a huge Elvis Costello kick lately). We brought these home for $5 total.

I couldn't believe just how much we found on Saturday. When it comes to rummage sales, it definitely pays to start early! I think, by the end of the morning, we spent no more than $40 for everything pictures above. Absolutely incredible.

Here's to a summer full of more rummage sales! At this rate I'll have all my collections for wedding decor finished by July! I'm hoping next summer we can get in on the fun so hopefully I can pawn off some of our used wedding decor to another lucky bride. If not, I think I've got enough doilies to fashion a full wedding dress, by now...