Not that the weather here in Ohio has been cooperating, but yard sale season is starting to heat up and I've compiled my list of things we need to find at yard sales this summer that we can also use to decorate our houses.
Because yard sales are a great place to find inexpensive (ridiculously inexpensive), fun, quirky finds for the home. So without further ado, I give you my . . .
Top 5 Things To Look For At Yard Sales This Year:
Paint By Number Sets
I love a good "tacky" paint by number in a vignette and even more so when done as a whole gallery wall!
Why oh why did I throw away the horse I painstakingly painted when I was ten years old.
Source: Shannon Berry Design
Source: At Home On The Bay
Source: Midwest Living
Pam at Retro Renovation has a nice guide all about vintage Paint By Number sets if you want to know more about them.
Vintage Summer Sports Gear
Don't worry, you don't have to actually USE it (wouldn't want to break a sweat or anything), but vintage summer sports gear is cute to put on the porch or use in the house for a touch of summer home decor.
And for some reason, people at yard sales have no idea how desirable this stuff is.
Anything from croquet sets to badminton racquets to bow and arrow sets are fair game.
My Summer Home Decor post from last year showed a vintage wooden croquet box along with croquet mallets in an olive bucket and
Source: House Of Hawthornes, Summer Home Decor
croquet balls, wickets and goal stakes on the coffee table.
Source: House of Hawthornes, Summer Home Decor
In my Vintage Eclectic Style - Kicking Traditional To The Curb post I show some vintage badminton racquets simply leaning up beside the front door.
Source: House of Hawthornes, Vintage Eclectic Style - Kicking Traditional To The Curb
Or you can throw some shuttlecocks in a truck and call it summer like I did in my Vintage Eclectic Summer Vignette.
Source: House Of Hawthornes, Vintage Eclectic Summer Home Tour
BTW, this is in no way an ad for Coke. I like the stuff, but I really was just using the bottles for another pop of red.
I even used a croquet set on my Summer 2012 Front Porch Decor
Dead Animals aka Deer Heads
Deer heads, antlers, stuffed cats. It's all good.
Although, probably the dumbest thing I ever bought at a yard sales was a set of turkey feet. Claws and all.
So yes Virginia, you CAN go overboard on the dead animal thing. But a good head does look darn cute in a cabin or holiday theme (may they rest in peace).
Source: Maison Douce
Source: Circa34 via Eclectically Vintage
Of course, there's always my friend hanging out in my living room from my Vintage, Rustic, Industrial Holiday Home Tour.
Source: House Of Hawthornes, Vintage, Rustic, Industrial Holiday Home Tour
Picnic Baskets
Yogi Bear had a soft spot for picnic baskets and so do I.
Source: Remodelista
I keep all sorts of things in my picnic baskets and it's rarely a soggy sandwich. They're great for hiding craft supplies and fabric.
Source: House Of Hawthornes, Vintage Farmhouse Storage Ideas
Or for holding a tray of faux caramel apples.
Source: House Of Hawthornes, Fall Home Decor Tour
Wait for it . . .
Thermoses
You knew that one was coming!
Thermoses are just too darn cool and too darn cheap at yard sales not to buy up every single one you find. I like to group them together.
Source: House Of Hawthornes, The Making Of A Vintage Thermos Collection
And sometimes use them as vases like I did in my Valentine's Day Chalkboard Vignette.
Source: House Of Hawthornes, Valentine's Day Chalkboard Vignette
One of my most fun finds this past year was an Aladdin thermos bottle with an original label still attached. You never see THAT!
Source: House Of Hawthornes, Shopping The Country living Fair
Wow, that sounds dorky, but some people love their Star Wars . . . I love my thermoses.
I even made a lamp out of a Thermos jug.
I may have met my match for thermos collecting though with Jann at Have A Daily Cup Of Mrs Olson.
Source: Have A Daily Cup Of Mrs. Olson
So that's my top 5 Things To Look For At Yard Sales This Year, what's on your list?
Like this post? Check out some of these other related posts:
- 40 Yard Sale Tips For Hosting Your Own Sale
- Top 10 Thrift Store Shopping Tips
- A Letter To All Thrift Store Workers
After I wrote this piece some blogging friends decided to compile their own lineup of The Top 5 Things To Look For At Yard Sales. Pop on over and see what made their lists!
Brocante Treasures
My Thrift Store Addiction
Adirondack Girl At Heart
Distressed Donna Down Home
Eddie-torial Comments
Bella Rosa Antiques
Snug Harbor Bay
Itsy Bits & Pieces
Panoply
Monkeybox
Thrifty Rebel
kim
It seems that thermoses are a great theme for several of us.
You do take the prize for the most unusual item tho - dead animals! Cracked me up!
Pam
I never met a thermos I did not love! Or want to buy!
Sharon@BlueWillowHouse
We hunt for many of the same things. In fact it is Friday and I'm writing comments on blogs rather than being out on the hunt. Gotta go.
Pam
I actually missed the start of an estate sale this morning 🙂 Saturday is 1/2 price day so probably better I didn't go today anyhow!
Donna Wilkes
I had to come back over to thank you for letting us use your idea for a blog hop. It is so much fun to see all the different items on the lists.
Pam
You are welcome! And I'm surprised that everyone has such different yet fun ideas for what they look for 🙂
Cecilia MyThriftStoreAddiction
Thanks for the inspiration, Pam! LOVED your list, by the way--happy hunting!
Pam
Thank you Cecilia!
Donna Wilkes
I hunt for some of the same items. I love red things and rusty things. Mostly I love anything with age. I keep a list of items that sell well and keep a sharp eye looking for them. Love this post.
Pam
Thank you Donna, glad you enjoyed it! Red is so versatile isn't it. You can use it for 4th of July, Christmas, Valentine's Day, it never goes out of "style".
Peggy
I look for unique watering cans, still usable ones.
Vickie
I had to see what's in this year to see if my merchandise will sell at my next garage sale, and I'm happy to say I've got a few of the items you've featured. I'll be looking for small inexpensive bicycles at the sales I attend. Happy junking!
Amy
I would enjoy seeing a post on hunting yard sales for things to use in the garden, such as galvanized buckets, the ladders you posted about recently, etc. What have you used in the garden that you have gotten at a yard sale for dirt cheap? Thanks in advance!
Kirby Carespodi
I'm a big fan of picnic baskets, myself! (Though I don't have the thermos collection that you do!)
Linda @ Itsy Bits And Pieces
I love it all, Pam! I can't wait until the sales start here!
Tania
Oooh, I love all your suggestions of things to look for! I'm so excited for yard sale season!
Tania
Erica
Yes to it all, Pam!!! I just so happen to collect vintage camping stuff so I'm off to a good start.
Kim K.
Everything on your list is also on MY shopping list and gets hauled to the Aframe. Nothing like hiding collections at two houses!!
Pam
As long as you don't rent a storage unit for it, I think you're safe from official hoarder status 🙂
Mary W Ferguson
You have some great ideas on what to look for. Thanks so much for the information.
I don;t do them anymore as I am trying to get rid of a lot of stuff and down size.
Enjoy your week.
Mary
Pam
Oh, I'm trying to downsize too, but it's turned into just moving stuff around a lot 🙂
Peggy
Love the top 5 and with Brimfield less than a month away we should find all of these and sell the ones we already have too many of! great post.
Pam
I would LOVE to get to Brimfield one of these days! It's on my bucket list!
Melissa's Antiques
I definitely need to think about what I'm hunting for this summer! The first yard sale route I'm doing is scheduled in 25 days!! Would you care if I linked to your post? Maybe we can get a few other bloggers/garage sale junkies to join us as well?
Pam
That would be fantastic!!!
taryterre
LOVE this. I saw the neatest thermos the other day thrifting. It was yellow so I let it go. Now I am having buyers regret.
Pam
Silly girl! How are you feeling now? Are you back to normal yet?
taryterre
Still struggling with breathing, congestion. and vertigo. How about you?