Sometimes a day of thrifting goes right. And sometimes it goes wrong. Oh, so wrong.
Let's start with the "thrifting goes right" part though.
It's been a while since I've been out and about to some thrift stores and antique malls. Gee, that makes me sound agoraphobic or something, but keep in mind that I am doing my KonMari Method For Thrift Store Shoppers plan.
So in a nutshell that means a) I am shopping less and b) for everything I bring in, something else has to leave the house. Bye bye.
But I had had enough of being "good" and it was time to get my thrift on, so I ventured out to a local cheapo antique mall/thrift store to see what deals I could find.
I found this cool, old, bright freakin' RED radio setting outside in the elements. This place has a porch out front and the stuff there is more like flea market merchandise than antiques, so this baby had no business being thrown in with that rowdy crowd!
It's a General Electric Dial Beam radio from the 1950's.
I have not plugged it in to see if it works, because my husband has a weird thing about me not burning down the house. But I mainly bought it for show anyhow.
BTW, the face of the radio is a little yellowed and showing its age (aren't we all), so I am going to try a few different things to brighten it up. If they work, I'll let you in on my discovery.
After finding that beauty on the porch, I was stoked to see what I could find on the inside of the place.
As I'm walking around in there, I drop my purse on the floor and all sorts of stuff spilled out and started rolling around. I chased a wandering lipstick tube into the next booth over which was jammed full of junk. As in junk so packed in there and thrown about I would normally never stop to look at.
When I reached down to pick up the lipstick and looked upward I saw VINTAGE PLAID LUNCHBOX NIRVANA staring me in the face.
Can you hear the choral music and see the rays of sunshine beaming down from Heaven on these beauties?
To think I would have just disregarded this booth if it were not for my runaway lipstick!
I didn't want to be all vintage lunchbox greedy and I already had the Aladdin one on the left hand side, so I just bought the Thermos brand one on the bottom right.
Isn't he gorgeous!
Oh wait, did I mention this is the very same antique mall where I found Dusty a few months ago.
Yep, I think I found his brother.
I have not named him yet, but he's definitely a him, if you know what I mean. It's quite obvious since he's standing up and all.
Now this next thing is the thing I was SO EXCITED to show you guys!!! I just thought it was the deal of the century when I spied it at the thrift store.
And it has an actual use, so it's not like I was just bringing home a dead squirrel or anything.
So I took all sort of photos of it and cleaned it up and fell in love with it.
It's like a folding suitcase like thing with legs.
Why . . . it's a table!!!
It reminded me so much of a vintage formica table from the 50's that I just let that whole thing cloud my judgement.
Because when I went to post the photos here I thought, "Heck, I should probably tell everyone the manufacturer and what year it's from and all that"!
So I gleefully started looking on ebay and etsy and good old Google trying to find a "folding mid-century formica table" to no avail.
Then I thought I'd try just "folding camp table" and see what comes up.
And yessiree Bob, I had a hit.
Or twenty.
From Amazon??? What the hey!
After further review and advice from Google, it appears my find of the century, my one chance at becoming a thrift store legend, my baby . . . was a phony.
I guess not so much of a phony as I had been thinking it was something it wasn't.
It's just a not-mid-century modern, not-vintage, not-formica, ordinary folding table.
In hindsight, the plastic handle really should have given me a clue.
Oh well, I bought it to have on hand to drag in the backyard for quick photo shoots of DIY projects and such, so I still have it for THAT!
((Hangs head in thrifting shame and walks off with well-endowed squirrel in hand.))
Lynn
Pam, I always enjoy your stories and thrift shop adventures.
Your new squirrel does need a name. May I offer 'Biggie Smalls'?
Karen Steinmann
My husband used Bug spray with Deet in it to clean the lenses of his pickup that were frosty. Wonder if this would work for the front of the radio. Worth a try on a small area. Put it on and rub rub rub.
FLORENCE @ VintageSouthernPicks
Oh no, I thought you were going to say someone swiped your beautiful red radio while you were trying to retrieve all your purse items. Glad that didn't happen...probably would have if you'd been at an estate sale! As for the table, I have about 2-3 of those, I plan to put in my next yard sale, but they look just like yours. I think they have plastic handles. Too rickety for me to actually use tho. Bought them from my neighbor when she was moving. Just want them to GO!
Eme
My pocketbook always drops at the worst time, like in a ladies room that had no hook on the door and of course its my fault for not zippering it shut like I should. And before I know it, my eye liner is rolling into another stall. But something good came out of your thrifting a nice lunchbox, a cool looking radio and last but not least Dusty's big brother ....pun intended. Your stories are always a treat!
Sandra Reagan
Fun read.
Bev
You've enlightened us as to why squirrels don't need Viagra. May need that bit of trivia on a game show some day.
Shelly
You should take a pole with your readers for a name for the new squirrel.
How about biggin ! Hehe
Vickie
What?! You found Dusty's bro? Oh, I can already predict there will be some squirrely escapades at HOH. Ah, who cares that you were fooled by that folding table when you've got a new man in the house. hehe And I think you've come a long way if you can leave behind not one, but two vintage red plaid lunchboxes. Bravo! May I suggest a red plaid kilt for your yet-to-be named rodent. Wouldn't want to offend any of us ladies, don't you know.
Thanks for the chuckle, Pam.
chris aka monkey
okay the nothing to see here made me tinkle a little, i should always go pee before i open your email lmbo xx
Michelle
I had a similar incident with a "vintage" step stool a few weeks ago, except I didn't have the budget to bring it home with me. Usually, I'm so cheap with my thrift store finds that it doesn't matter much if it's real or a reproduction. That *is* a neat table, though, whether it's old or not!
Donna
I'm rolling in laughter here...wish I had something profound to add, but I don't! Just getting a total kick out of your shopping spree and the comments this engendered!! There's a reason I come here to play!! LOL gasp...oh me!!
Susan Perry
Sorry for your loss of a vintage find! Are you certain that your well endowed squirrel is legitimate and has not been (ahem) "enhanced" by a creative taxidermist?
Pam
You know what, I never thought of that!!! Now I don't know. They do "stuff" them after all. Who's to say the taxidermist didn't go overboard down there!
Fonda Rush
When I was on a quilt retreat years ago at a lovely place, there was a very well-endowed squirrel. It would probably put any other squirrel to shame. My quilt friend and I still talk about it. I haven't seen a stuffed critter yet in my thrifting ventures, but I have my eyes peeled for something. Our cats would probably be jealous if we were to bring in another pet! Love the plaid lunch box! And, vintage or not, I can imagine that fold up table is going to be a gem. It doesn't up much room, which is a definite plus, and it is in great shape. You lucky woman! Sorry about the spilled purse, but there was a silver lining to that.
Martha
I love the General Electric Dial Beam Radio. If you care to share info., how much did you pay for it?
Pam
It was around $8. I actually thought it was just a shell of a radio, but then when I got it home I realized it looks like it's all there. I'm just too scared to plug it in yet. I did look online and the vintage radio people say you should warm it up slowly with a special machine if it hasn't been used in a while. Something about preheating filaments and then they lost me after that 🙂
Angela
Love all your things. I had that lunchbox for school.
Wish I could thrift with you.
Sue Pagels
No thrifting done wrong there - it's still a fabulous table and as long as you didn't way overpay, and you like it, all is good! So difficult to tell sometimes about repros but it's all for enjoyment and/or usefulness anyway!
Paulette
If there's anything wrong with your thrifting adventure, I don't want to be right! OMG, Dusty's well-endowed brother...uh, Crusty? Musty?
Fonda Rush
Musty??? Yes!!! Love it! What a scream!