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Yard Sale, Thrift Store, Junk Heap Shopping (Part 1)


Rachel Perlow

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At a garage sale being held by an elderly couple moving from a house into a condo, $5.00 for the following:

Monster-size pot for canning, complete with racks and original manual

2 china caps w/ metal stands and wooden mashers

Jar tongs

Assorted jars, lids, caps

Mind you, had never canned anything in my life before, but for $5.00, at the height of berry season here in the PacNW, how could I go wrong?!

agnolottigirl

~~~~~~~~~~~

"They eat the dainty food of famous chefs with the same pleasure with which they devour gross peasant dishes, mostly composed of garlic and tomatoes, or fisherman's octopus and shrimps, fried in heavily scented olive oil on a little deserted beach."-- Luigi Barzini, The Italians

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Car Boot Sale: Could someone define this one for me? I've heard of it on BBC-America, but it sounds to me like shady dealings out of the trunk of a car.

You got it! Kinda like you see in most citys where a guy has "deals" on VCRs or such.

Living hard will take its toll...
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Today I found these items all at the first sale I hit at around 9:30 this morning. I stopped there via road signs on my way to a couple of sales advertised in the paper. These were the best, and only, buys of the day (all polished up for your pleasure, they were quite tarnished):

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WM A Rogers, silver plate chip & dip tray, about 12" diameter ($6)

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FB Rogers Silver Co., plate, small tray, about 9" long ($2). It feels heavy for its size, I wonder if it's quadruple plated or sterling (doubt it)?

i6082.jpgi6083.jpg

Some sort of mold, holds about 4 cups. Anybody know what this is for? There was no tarnish so I'm sure it's not copper or brass. But I picked it up for a dollar, so we're using it as a Jello mold tonight!

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i6082.jpg    i6083.jpg

Some sort of mold, holds about 4 cups. Anybody know what this is for? There was no tarnish so I'm sure it's not copper or brass. But I picked it up for a dollar, so we're using it as a Jello mold tonight!

Rachel,

My mom has the same one. She uses it as a Jello mold. She puts marischino (sp?) cherries in the round "bumps". Very '50's!

Lucy,

That picnic basket is a treasure. What a great find! I hope you got a good deal on it, too.

 

“Peter: Oh my god, Brian, there's a message in my Alphabits. It says, 'Oooooo.'

Brian: Peter, those are Cheerios.”

– From Fox TV’s “Family Guy”

 

Tim Oliver

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Rachel:

Another excellent place to get nice silver for a song is to hit the thrift stores and hospital/Junior League/Etc. thrift shops in the higher rent districts. I go to a couple of thrift stores out on the Main Line west of Philly (home of mansions and setting for The Philadelphia Story) and have made out like a bandit on silver pieces, gorgeous vintage barware and even a couple of vintage watches! The key is to go where the rich folks put their stuff out to pasture in the name of "charity". :cool:

Katie M. Loeb
Booze Muse, Spiritual Advisor

Author: Shake, Stir, Pour:Fresh Homegrown Cocktails

Cheers!
Bartendrix,Intoxicologist, Beverage Consultant, Philadelphia, PA
Captain Liberty of the Good Varietals, Aphrodite of Alcohol

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Here's the Jello I made in that mold...

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Top to bottom: Watermelon, Lemon/Lime with then without yogurt. I wouldn't use watermelon as the red layer in any future Jello mold, way too orange. It is sitting on a glass cake plate (in case you thought it was directy on my countertop!)

I like the idea of putting cherries in the bumps. Next time.

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Biggest yard sale score for me: an ancient but fully-functional hand-crank pasta machine with a full complement of cutting attachments, $5. I like it especially because it's constructed of heavy-gauge steel; the newer ones seem to be much lighter in construction. I've pressed miles of fresh pasta with this thing.

enrevanche <http://enrevanche.blogspot.com>

Greenwich Village, NYC

The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don't want, drink what you don't like, and do what you'd rather not.

- Mark Twain

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Today, Sara Moulton on FoodTV was talking about how she brakes for garage sales. She buys various molds.

She made Lemon Madelines with lemon vodka syrup, and Burnt Orange Panna Cotta in garage sale molds.

Sadly, no watermellon Jello. :laugh:

Carpe Carp: Seize that fish!

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A car boot sale is essentially a multi-family yard sale that's someplace else (like a nearby parking lot).  Per husband, "people don't sell stuff out of their yards - they take it to a car boot sale."  Apparently it can sometimes be stuff that's fallen off the back of a truck, but it's not a given.

The ones I've seen are mostly held in open fields. They are called car boot sales because the items are transported in - and sold from - the boot of one's car, i.e. what we in this country call the trunk.

we call that a flee market. Used to go to one years ago in an old drive-in theatre

another at a k-mart parking lot on sundays. It's like they swept up the garage or basement into a couple boxes at brought it all down to the flee market.

I heard they have a really good one in paris called La Pouce. Someday..........

When My daughter was in high school her best friend went on a Field Trip for Paris (of all places, can you believe it) and I begged and pleaded with her to go to La Pouce, but she spent her free time in a bar, apparently no age requirement. Thought it was a really dorky think to do, go to a Flee market, when there are all these bars to go to for heavens sake.

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My favorite find came from a flea market...a big box of old Gourmet Magazines from the 40s and 50s for $5.00. My set is almost complete to the present, stored in library magazine holders in a tall book shelf custom made to hold them.

Or they would be, if I had my stuff out of storage.

Sigh.

My instructor from school gave me a huge box of gourmet and bon appetite from the 60 - 90's. Can;t seem to throw them out, but don't find them too relivant.

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No, it was watermelon themed. Watermelon jello (which isn't red enough), creamy lime jello for the white rind, clear lime jello for the outer rind. :laugh:

Rachel, that jello looks downright amazing. :rolleyes: If you put something dark in the holes, they'd be the seeds. Like black cherries.

Edited by bleudauvergne (log)
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I'm always surprised that people hold garage sales on Fridays. You'd think most of the customers would be at work. But I passed a sign and followed it, which let me to buying a never been used, new in box, Pampered Chef Stoneware Loaf Pan. I paid $5 which was probably too much, but it was early in the day and the sellers don't seem to want to haggle until they've been sitting outside in the sun for a few hours. Anyway it retails for ~$20, and it would make a nice shower present for someone if I don't get around to using it.

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i6080.jpg

WM A Rogers, silver plate chip & dip tray, about 12" diameter ($6)

Wow, I'm pretty sure I used these when I was catering. I think it was the shrimp cocktail tray.

Herb aka "herbacidal"

Tom is not my friend.

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ooh... cookware finds, how I love them! some of my (recent) best, from carboots and charity shops...

kenwood stand mixer, 1970's brown/orange version, about $35

sunbeam mixmaster stand mixer (with mincer, juicer and a bunch of other stuff) $7

lots of brown bag cookie art/pampered chef cookie molds, including a lovely square shortbread mold with flowers/fruit around $4 each

a mixed bag of silver plated cutlery inc two sets of shell spoons and servers $4

a canteen of cutlery (various mismatched bits) $3

a really cool old spoon with embossed fruits on the bowl and twirly cake tester $.75

silver plated biscuit server with twirly handle $.40

3d mickie mouse cake tin, like the lamb cake tins (which I'm desperately searching for, anyone know a source in the uk?) :blink: lol, not sure about this, it may be a good thing or just more trouble than it's worth for a 3d mouse! $.90

I have a serious thing for old cutlery.... just love sitting polishing it, no, you're right, I don't get out a lot, lol

Spam in my pantry at home.

Think of expiration, better read the label now.

Spam breakfast, dinner or lunch.

Think about how it's been pre-cooked, wonder if I'll just eat it cold.

wierd al ~ spam

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most of my cooking gear is second hand. not so much from garages, though, as from flea markets, small thrift shops (is that correct english?), salvation army etc.

includes lots of cast iron (raw as well as enameled), copper, ss pots, knives, gadgets.

christianh@geol.ku.dk. just in case.

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