Vintage Luggage Tags & Smoking Toddlers

I've been buying entirely too much paper lately. Here is a small fraction of the 800+ small vintage price tags that I recently bought. I put them in this small fish-scaled planter. It is only about five inches tall. It looks a lot bigger in this picture.

I found these vintage travel tags along with a pair of hotel keys on eBay:

They are from the 1950s to 1970s. I love the cruise line luggage tags.

 

When my in-laws were here in April, my mother-in-law and I went to a barn sale where I found a box of flash cards. There are about 40 sets of small 2" x 3" alphabet cards and one pack of large letters.

On the same day, Mary and I stopped at one of those antique stores that never appears to be open. You know - the kind that is attached to someone's house and you just can't tell if you are going to be raped and pillaged as soon as you walk through the door. And while you are worrying about your safety, you become distracted because the prices are so ungodly high for a place that looks like the living room of that hoarding lady from the Oprah Show. You know that kind of place, right?

Well, this place had a "bonus": a shed filled with antiques behind the shop. There were three reasons why I was unsure about visiting the shed after the owner had suggested it.

1. It was pouring rain.
2. The prices were too high.
3. I like my life and didn't want it to end in a shed, even if it was part of an antiques shop.

Our curiosity got the best of us and we went to the shed. It was crowded with furniture and boxes and other junk. I found a couple of scrapbooks in one of the boxes and paid $30 for both. I usually wouldn't pay that much, but in our brief look at the books, we spotted some cool stuff.

One of the books was filled with Valentines and greeting cards collected by a girl named Dorothea who was born in 1903. She only collected the nicest cards, with doilies and fold-outs and fancy tissue paper decorations.

This is one of my favorites:

Many of the cards are not in very good condition. They have tears or pieces missing here and there. But I imagine that some resourceful and talented artists could use the cards in their artwork.

There was a plastic bag of small floral scrap pieces tucked into one of the books...

...along with 30+ Victorian trading cards. Never glued and in great condition (for the most part). They are all from businesses in the Philadelphia and Montgomery County, PA areas.

Unfortunately, this trading card is in bad shape. The back of the card has an advertisement for a farm machinery supplier in Lansdale, PA.

Nothing says "Buy Our Tractor" like a toddler smoking a stogie and reading the newspaper!

Comments

[jerusalem]

that last one is hysterical. so great!

[Alicia]

Had the biggest laugh over your description of the "never open" antique shop. Have been to a few of those and each time have found at least one wonderful treasure so well worth putting ones life at risk ;0) Have a sudden urge to buy a tractor after seeing that smoking infant, early suggestive advertising me thinks...
Alicia :0)

[suesue]

those antique shops always seem to me that the owner really doesn't want to sell their things-they're just hoarders in disguise! fun finds!! that ad is too wild!

[LillySue]

I am always dissapointed when I check the first couple of price tags and realize I am in a overpriced shop....Hate it! Hate it! BUT.....I love to find obscure shops because you Never know WHAT you will find in them!! Your scrap books were a find!
I hope you have a Blissful Mother's Day surrounded by those who love you!
Blessings~ LillySue

[Cassi]

i hope you post some of your vintage paper goods for sale on eBay -- i love your haul!

[Betty]

What a fabulous find!

[Bren]

What serendipity! I think this individual must have satelite sites in each city. Have a great day and I enjoy your blog!

[Heather]

Looks like the scrapbooks turned out to be a great deal. That is some cute stuff!

[Janice Turner]

Hello,
We have not met, but I do visit your blog often. I come by the route of BellaDella's Blog and she is my wonderful daughter. I enjoy your blog very much. It is my goal to start my own blog soon.

I just love all of your finds and I love the part about going into the old shed out back. I have to much curosity, so I would have had to go in. I have to admit that I am jealous of the two scrapbooks with the cards, as I am a collector of all types of old cards and I just love the ones you found. If you decide to get rid of them, please let me know. I guess it makes me a bad person to be jealous...but you did find some great items. Thanks so much for sharing everything with us.

Have A Great Day,
Janice

[Dime Store Thrift]

Seriously. I am LOVING every single find. Not the smoking toddler, that is beyond creepy, but the rest, OMG. I am drooling.

[Stephanie Howell]

i'm pretty sure i just had a small heart attack. i mean seriously, i'm salivating.

[Kathy Cocilova]

I visit your blog all the time. LOVE IT. Makes me laugh out loud and I usually relate completely with your thrifting adventures. I'm like....been there...done that! Love the scrapbook finds. A great deal for sure. Are you still doing the blogtips? I keep thinking about doing a blog but have not followed through yet. Kathy C (shoeboxmemoriesplus)

[Paper Dolls for Boys]

I can barely stand to read your blog for the jealous reaction I seem to suffer EVERY time I look at your amazing finds. I collect vintage Valentines and ephemera and that little chick is just perfection.

Off to eat a bowl of advil.

[Natasha]

Amazing finds- I know what you mean obout the old shed scare! I once expected the theme from Psycho to start playing at one. But alas my fears were un-waranted, that time.

[viagra online]

I have to much curosity, so I would have had to go in. I have to admit that I am jealous of the two scrapbooks with the cards, as I am a collector of all types of old cards and I just love the ones you found. If you decide to get rid of them, please let me know. I guess it makes me a bad person to be jealous...but you did find some great items.

[Mary]

Love the card with the chick. I love old cards and paper too. You got some great things!
Mary