Last Saturday my sister and I headed out to side by side neighborhood garage sales; East Isles and Lowry Hill. Both are Minneapolis neighborhoods just off Hennepin Avenue.
It was the perfect day for garage sales. Temps in the upper 60’s with a brilliant blue sky.
And both of these neighborhoods are worth the trip just to enjoy the gorgeous houses.
I had to snap a photo of this one with its German schmear finish. Do you suppose they did that before or after Joanna Gaines made that technique more popular?
Either way, I kind of love this look.
Here’s one of my sister’s favorites …
She loves anything in Tudor style.
We didn’t come home with a huge haul this time.
I know, it doesn’t look like much. My sister’s amazing girl scout packing skills were not required. But it was still worth the trip for a handful of fab finds.
My first buy of the day was a pile of gorgeous ‘french’ dishes.
I put the ‘french’ in parentheses because even though those café au lait bowls look fabulously french, they are actually from Williams Sonoma.
There are no markings on the bottom of the little pitcher, so it’s hard to say if it’s authentically french or not.
But I do think this little plate is gen-u-ine.
It is marked with a Paris address on the back.
I know these little plates are sometimes called Bistro Tip Plates, but I can’t seem to find any information online about exactly how they were used. Do any of you know? I’d love to know more of the history behind them so be sure to leave a comment if you do.
I also grabbed this set of small plates with European cities on them.
And a lovely rectangular ironstone platter.
I’m guessing that those metal number thingies are from an old cash register. I was hoping to find one with my lucky ’22’ on it, but I had to make do with a ’20’ and a ’02’. I thought they might be fun to add to my lavender plants.
What can I say? I just like numbers.
I’m sure you noticed the sweet little washstand with the very orange finish.
It will definitely be getting some sort of makeover in the near future. It’s calling out for some chippy milk paint.
There are two more items that I didn’t include in that first photo. First, this fountain …
I took a chance purchasing it. It has a repaired crack. The seller promised me it doesn’t leak, but you’re always taking a risk with garage sale buys. But it was pretty cheap at $25 and I figured it would look fab in the garden even if it doesn’t function as a fountain. I filled it up with water when I got it home and it does leak if the water is filled to the brim, but once it got down to the level it’s at now it stopped leaking. So, my next step is to put the pump in and see if it actually functions OK as a fountain.
And finally, the item I’m considering the ‘find of the day’ …
A beautiful vintage glass tree topper to add to my non-collection (because I swear I’m not a collector!) …
Last year I found tons and tons of vintage glass Christmas ornaments at garage sales. I’m fairly certain I brought some home from almost every sale …
Remember them all?
Boxes, and boxes of ’em.
This year I have found almost none. I think I purchased two individual ornaments and that’s it. So it was fun to find that gorgeous tree topper this time out.
Next Saturday we have a couple of neighborhoods to choose from for garage sales, but after that things are going to start to dwindle here in the Twin Cities. It’s definitely starting to feel like fall around here and I have mixed feelings about that. I love the cooler weather, but I am not a fan of the shorter hours of daylight. How about you?
q is for quandie 
Wow, so many great finds. How do you find out about this sales? Are they listed in the newspaper or online?
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I keep a calendar of the neighborhood sales and each year they tend to have them on the same weekend (for example, the 2nd weekend in September). When I know a certain neighborhood’s sale is coming up, I look for their neighborhood website to download a map (not all provide a map, but most do). Some of them put ads on Craigslist, but definitely not all. The Mpls newspaper also publishes a list of community sales for the whole season in May (but many of them are not included on that list). There are also several websites that publish lists such as this one. I’d suggest just doing a google search, such as ‘twin cities neighborhood garage sales’ and see what comes up!
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I wish there were garage sales with vintage finds around my neck of the woods! I always think I’m going to find them and then run into old Tupperware and over priced not old furniture. Love, love your finds and I think that fountain is amazing. I can see the bottom filled with annuals if you can’t get it to function. Wonder if Ken can do a concrete repair as good as he does furniture repairs? Can’t wait to see the orange washstand updated. Looking forward to seeing what your next finds are. And I am so welcoming fall here. It has been rainy but cooler here in Texas, and I can finally work outside on my covered patio, the garage is too full to work there.
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I do see lots of old Tupperware, lots of baby clothes and toys, and lots of used shampoo. But luckily I still also find lots of good stuff 😉 I’m thinking the same thing about putting some annuals in that fountain. It would make an amazing planter. Have fun working on your patio!
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Great finds!! I love the fountain. It will look great in your garden. I also love the washstand. I am sure that you will make it wonderful ❤️
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I’m still debating a color for that washstand, I’m thinking that orange-y stain will bleed through a pale color (unless I seal it first). But not sure I want to go dark. Decisions, decisions!
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So many wonderful finds! I am loving that fountain…even it leaked…it’s just beautiful!
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I love it too! It will be a great addition to my garden either way 🙂
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Love your treasures especially the non-collection tree topper! I have my childhood one in my actual non collection. The washstand is a beauty and look forward to its transformation.
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How fab that you have the tree topper from your childhood. They are so fragile!
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What garage sales are there this week end you are going to?
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There are several to choose from this coming Saturday. St. Anthony Park, Lynnhurst/Fulton and Bancroft are the ones I know of, but there are probably more. Not sure yet which one we’re going to pick. With 35W dismantled we may just choose to stay in St. Paul at St. Anthony Park.
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Well hey Miss Quandie (-: About the tip plate…….I studied in Paris for two years of university and so spent MANY hours in cafes! The waiter would bring your change and your corner-torn bill on a plate like this. No tip was expected but, being American and from the South, I felt nicer leaving a small one!
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Did the amount of francs printed on the plate mean anything at all?
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Not that I remember…..didn’t pay much attention at the time……I was young and self-centered at the time and crockery/furniture/diy etc. were simply not in my consciousness universe!
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LOL, yes, I can imagine! But how lucky you were to be in Paris!!
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What a wonderful haul! I love the beautiful washstand! I’m to the point I no longer see the ugly orange or crappy finishes and just see those gorgeous bones and what can be, I’m eager to see what you do with it. The dishes are so pretty and I’d love to hear the story behind them -even the ones from Williams Sonoma look like they should have a story. The fountain is fantastic! Working or not it would look beautiful in any garden and you can’t beat the price! The Christmas toppers remind me of my childhood. We didn’t have the toppers, just the ornaments, but I loved the delicate, crusty feel from the glittery parts. They bring back happy memories. You may not have got “a lot” of stuff but the greatness of all the things you did get make it worth it! I like in a very small town in Ks where there aren’t many great garage sales, sadly – but we do have city wide sales and yearly people just put what they don’t want anymore out on the curb for others to pick through for free. I’ve got some nice furniture to redo that way. But, the quality and variety like you get just doesn’t happen often. Next time you go, have extra fun for those of us who live in tiny rural places!
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I am lucky to live in a metropolitan area that has been embracing the garage sale culture for decades!
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Sadly, around here a garage sale is usually a way for a family to get rid of junk – like partially used shampoo bottles, half crushed trash cans, stained kids clothes, etc. Once in a blue moon you will find a potential treasure -like a 75 year old little ladder with the best patina for 3$. It just doesn’t happen often. On the plus side, you do get to meet some of the nicest people. I did hit one garage sale that had the most ridiculously high prices – an old orange crate with half the slats missing for $40 type of prices – except for this one 60 year old vintage shoe shine box stuck off in a corner that was full of the original brushes (7 of them!), polishes, etc for 12$. I did some research and found it’s worth about $100 and the same type was actually used by Jethro on NCIS (not the one I bought of course!). That was a great find!
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Love all your goodies! Those bowls will be nice to use! That fountain is just pretty to look at, even if it not used as intended. If Debbie gets cool stuff we would like to see her haul too! 😊
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LOL, well, Debbie doesn’t usually buy much. And when she does, it’s usually stuff like a post hole digger or something practical like that.
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Wowza you really find the best stuff. Obviously I need to get out more often but like the above commenter we just don’t have the kind of cool items you come across at our garage sales here in Greenville. I do far better here at thrift stores. I also have to agree that the color or finish of an item never distracts me from purchasing it. Love those dishes too very cool. Look forward to seeing the fountain in your garden. Then there’s the cash register #’s that’s when you truly impress me. I wouldn’t even begin to think of popping those into your planter but love the immediate character they add. Finally I so envy your ornament non-collection. Nice haul Linda.
P.S. stubborn son still waiting to evacuate sheesh!
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Thanks so much Victoria! Hope your son doesn’t blow away, or get swept out to sea! I’ll be thinking of you guys down there during the storm 🙂
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Whoa…I’m heading up your way to shop! $25 for that fountain? I’d make a planter out of it anyway so wouldn’t matter if it leaked. Plates, ornaments, numbers…you hit the jackpot in my book!
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It’s so funny because at garage sales a price tag of $25 seems super high compared to things that are mostly a dollar or so. I really hemmed and hawed about that $25. But of course in hindsight I realize it was an amazing bargain. I’m so glad I grabbed it!
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