Amish Yard Salers, Vintage Metal Lawn Chairs and Q*Bert

I love you, Lancaster County! Even though I have to dodge buggies and roadside horse shit and little children on scooters when I drive through your lovely countryside.

I left the house at 6am this morning to get to a barn sale when it opened at 7am. That's where I bought that white double washtub with lid (always a great seller at the shop). And then I drove around, following signs for other barn sales and town-wide yard sales. I ended up just following the horse and buggies, because THE AMISH LOVE YARD SALES. Did you know that? It is true. Lucky for me, they aren't buying vintage - they are buying kids stuff. In the town-wide yard sale that I went to this morning, there were tons of Amish people wheeling around HUGE wagons filled with pack-n-plays and strollers and clothes. Another strange sight: An Amish woman pulled up to a yard sale on her bicycle, with her baby in the front bike basket. Probably six months old. Not strapped in or anything. No teeny tiny baby bike helmet. I'm not sure if that mom had all her marbles.

This Apple Trail sign was only five bucks. We will be hanging this in our house, to honor Chris' apple-lovin' hometown of Yakima, WA. The previous owner said it was local, probably from a pick-your-own fruit farm.

The set of four metal lawn chairs was $45. INSANE! I have such a hard time finding these chairs anymore. Two are rocking chairs and two are bouncy chairs, and they are all in great condition. The person selling the chairs said that he was originally going to consign them at "some store in Chadds Ford", but changed his mind and decided to sell them at his barn sale.  It turns out that the store was Brandywine View Antiques, where I have a space and will probably sell these chairs. If I believed in that "fate" crap, I would say that those chairs were meant to be at the shop. But I don't.

For $1.50, I bought an enormous bag filled with sewing trim, rick-rack, ribbon (including this wide black grosgrain ribbon that is carefully lined with paper), the Amish tin...

...and three ceramic bells from Poinsettia Studios in California. They are from the 1940s, and are only worth a few dollars each. But they were a nice surprise at the bottom of the bag.

Not only did I get all of those vintage goodies, I was able to score a box of Legos for $3. They went straight to Finn, instead of eBay (these aren't worth as much as the others I have so cruelly stripped from his tiny hands).

And just when you think it can't possibly get any better, I found an Atari 2600 system with five games (including my fave, Q*Bert) in the original box. Five bucks. They usually sell on eBay for at least $40, depending on how many games are included.

It was thirty years ago almost to the day that Atari first entered my life. I know the date because my Mom's birthday is May 3rd. And she was the one who received the Atari - it was a birthday gift from my dad (or it could have been a Mother's Day gift - we can't remember). She didn't want a damn Atari. She probably wanted jewelry or flowers or a night out. What the hell was he thinking? Maybe my dad confused her with an eleven-year old boy?

I am contemplating wrapping up this Atari in some fancy paper and giving it to her tomorrow for Mother's Day. For old time's sake.

Comments

[jenn]

PUHLEEEEEZE wrap it up beautifully and give it to your Momma. That would be hysterical! She might whack you over the head with it but it would be worth it.

[Rosemary]

hahaha, you are a very bad child! LOL!You got some great deals :)

[Anabelle]

I love this post!!! So funny about the Atari! I'm heading to Lancaster next weekend, will have to follow the buggies to the barn sales. :)

[bev b]

Very funny! I believe your mom will Love her Mother's Day gift! It will make her day! TFS...BEv

[gayle]

I'm picking up on a theme here....garage saleing in Lancaster...buggies and horse turds, ...Atari...Frogger......

[Tara @ This Military Mama]

Oh my gosh I want the Apple Trail sign sooo badly!!!!

Love it!!!!

[Jill]

Great story! You could wrap the Atari stuff for your mom, give it to her and then sell it on eBay and she gets the money....
just a thought.

[Wanda @ Just Vintage]

You scored pretty darn good! And that's too funny about the Atari. :-) I'm assuming she has a good sense of humor.

[Alison Shaffer]

those chairs are awesonme. I love old metal chairs. we have some old ones of my grandparents that I treasure. you got a great deal. they were meant for you!