Antique Resale Shopping Down Hwy 421 Jasper Co & Hwy 2 Porter Co Indiana Junkyard Gypsy Style

This time of time of year in northwest Indiana can be kind of gloomy & cold.  We’re usually hoping for a bit more spring like weather to push us past the wintery doldrums, but that 

con hog Puxatony Phil pulled a fast one on us this year,

 stole our early sunshine & headed for the Bahamas!

With no garage sales in sight for weeks & weeks to come we headed out to some obscure resale and antique shops hoping to score some better deals than in the pricer stores

 where they tend to get more foot traffic.  

All bundled up, we scraped the frost off the windows & headed south down Hwy 2 towards Hebron, Indiana.  Our 1st two stops being at the downtown junction of Hwy 2 & State Rd. 8 sit adjacent to one another; Andrea's Gift And Thrift & Goodbuys Secondhand Shop 

Andrea’s shop was extremely well organized & tidy & crammed pack

with a wide variety of items.

I picked up a few St. Patrick Day items here.

However, someone forgot to tell the sic delusional girl

 that this was a santa bear elf NOT a leprechaun!

Mom found a set of sealed twin sheets for $5.00 that she needed for an air mattress, so she felt like she had scored a good deal.  Diane was interested in New York drawing kit, but they said they never negotiate on price, so that ended that purchase. Never understood small, single owner stores not negotiating a buck or two when they need to move 
SO Much junk.

Keep the stock fresh & moving - right?

Which is what Goodbuys Secondhand Shop 
 is doing next door.  

This was my 1st time there.  I was really pleased with the selection & prices.  Very friendly & helpful. I don’t normally frequent antique shops, but I could definitely see that changing with Goodbuys being a regular part of my junking haunt.  You can get a really good feeling for the the items they carry in their store through their Facebook page, 

as they photograph most everything in the store. 

I Just about fainted when I stumbled across this beauty!

My best find of the day - No, my best find so far for 2019!

Just a stone throw down the road, next to the school is a 1893 victorian home built 3 years after Hebron became an “official” Town.  For probably the last 40 years this structure has housed & served as mini town museum housing the owner operated  

Old Farm House Antiques.

Owner is super friendly & helpful. 
 Prices are spot on retail or over.

 But the eye candy always makes my visit a delight.

 

Continuing on Hwy 2 out of Hebron, we kept going straight on 421 into Demotte. 

 Downtown, close to the post office is Sell it Again.

 

Individual booths, I always like that, so you at least get a chance at finding a deal here & there. They also have a great catalog of store items on their Facebook page. Eclectic mix of a lot of different type of stuff, even big architectural pieces like fireplaces, windows, letters & signs. Or like this chalk dog, which I keep thinking I want to go back & get. 

 I don’t know, what do you think?

Maybe if the booth owner comes down a bit.  Hummm?

I also happen to run across this complete Pink Vintage Round Wedge Spice Set adorned with fruit and the stoppers! 

Always seems like the pink ones are incomplete &

 people are selling individuals wedges to complete a set.

Next we head further south to 

 Jasper Junction Thrift Store & Flea Market 

Hwy 231 & 14 right before Rensselaer.

Had we have known it was 50% off 1st & 3rd Thursday of the month we would have purchased more, but we didn't find that out till after check out. They also have 50% of clothing Tuesdays, 25% off for Seniors on Wednesdays & 25% for Veterans on Fridays. However, these discounts only apply to the thrift store not the individally owned booths.

We finished off our day with lunch in Rensselaer, jumped on Interstate 65 and headed north back home.  Spent a $100 on the excursion & got some much needed inspiration to get me past my groundhog let down.  Nasty varmint! 
Hopefully spring is around the corner, 

but for now I have new things to list for Easter!

Happy Junking! 

Curating Displays While Shopping for Vintage Collectibles

Sometimes when you're out junking, you discover when you get home that you've actually been curating items that work great together.  When I picked up the Pink Sea Shell Trinket Tray, the shopper next to me gasped.  Yep, I scored it first! *Big Smile*

I never imagined I was going to pair it with the adorable Josef Original Rose Garden Series porcelain doll figurine.

I just had everything spread out & they were in close proximity to one another.  I thought how cute would that look sitting on a little girls dresser.  So I looked around a bit more and realized the lotion I just purchased had some pink in as well.  I grabbed the Mariah Carey perfume bottle & the White Dasiy Brooch I already have listed
 & Waa-Lah!  I have a cute little dresser display.

The Black Monarch Tiara Indiana Glass Candlestick Holders

 that I spied at one yard sale, matched up perfectly with this beautiful green glass vase with black trim purchased from a different garage sale.

  Candle holders are made for tapers but it didn't look right with a 3" tall vase.

  I love hunting for vintage collectables.
  It's extra fun when you find out you've curated a couple of little ensembles at the end of your shopping trip!

Do you find yourself doing this unconsciously?  Or is more like we're just drawn to things we like, so the probability is the we'll run across matching decor from time to time?

Celebrate your State

Find Your State by Clicking Here

I'm so digging these Rustic State Bottle openers!

Like how cute are these?  These would make a great gift.

I'm thinking about getting one for my Dad's Bar for Father's Day.

This is Our State

Find Your State by Clicking Here

Yeah, not as Sexy looking as Texas but then what State is?

Of course you really can't take my opinion on this one, I'm kind of partial to both States.  Native Hoosier & I Adopted Texas as my 2nd home after living there for 10 years.  

 Support Small Business!

Kata Woodworking is an online Amazon Handmade Business

Father's Day is Sunday, June 17th 2018

  Kovel's just reported on Oldest Message in a Bottle Found

How Exciting! The person who discovered it didn't even know until after the sand had dried!  Then they saw this rolled note with a string tied around it - what would it say?  Save me I'm on a deserted Island?  I'm sending this to my One True Love?  I'm washing away all my sins & here they are?  I'd be like so angst ridden to read the long lost secrets & discover some long lost lore.  

So she carefully unrolls this note in anticipation of being the recipient of some heartfelt news. 

And Low Behold... it's from the Germans!  Oh My some Nazi Secrets! NOPE ~ No such luck just a German naval experiment from 1864 to 1933 to study ocean currents!  Dang!  Something truly historic that will be put in the Australian museum, and that is Awesome - since one of these hasn't shown up since 1934!  But Gosh she must have been bummed :(    Weather charting isn't Romantic or Mysterious.  It's not Kevin Costner 1999 Message in a bottle ~ (sigh) 

 or even Jim Croce 1973

I'm thinking she was pretty heatbroke over a Darn Weather Chart ~ "Please fill out the Form & Return the German Naval Academy"!  More than 600 bottles have been returned, the last one in 1934.  So this really is a Big Deal and it still pretty cool.  I don't know if she got any compensation the article doesn't say.  But I think she she should just for her mere heartbreak.  Check out the link at the top for the formal story from Kovels.

Ciao, my Cheeky Thrifters!  May your bottles be filled with more than Weather Charts!

 

Fishers Renaissance Faire

Once Upon a time, during a Chilly cold morning, Nancy & JunkYard Gypsy put on their snugly warm sweatshirts & boots & drove 3 hours to Fishers, IN. to attend the Fishers Renaissance Faire.  It was a nice relaxing drive, down the back roads of Hwy 31 looking at beautiful fall foliage.  After some much needed coffee, chocolate milk & a doughnut, we found ourselves provided us with the stamina to deal with "Matilda", Nancy's new GPS system in her brand new (like less than a week old) Jeep Laredo.  Matilda failed & jammed.  However the "Navigator Gypsy"  in me, managed to maneuver us to the proper location just in time to catch  the Queen & the Green Leaf Man celebrating the only bit of sun that we saw that day. 

We fell in love with his boots.

On the drive home I thought for sure we were headed in the right direction, till we saw the sign for Mexico.  When the nicest police officer pulled us over speeding in Atlanta I knew we were lost.  I never knew there was a Mexico or an Atlanta Indiana, but we found them.  The officer walked over smiling!  When was the last time a police officer approached you all pleasant & happy?  For me it's been, uh? Never!  I asked if I could take his picture, but he said that probably wouldn't be a good idea.  I even explained to him that car's computer said the speed limit here was 45.  He said he understood but he still had to issue us a warning.  Then we found out he was from New Mexico & asked his How & Why he came this Podunk part of Indiana!  He told us I don't remember ~ but it was the best time I ever had getting pulled over by the police! 

Should I Empty Vintage Boxes?

I just ran into some old vintage boxes the other day & I didn't pick them up, because some of them were partially open & basically still full. I wish I had seen this article from Antiques Roadshow.

Click here to read the Full Article

 So it basically says to make sure that you empty them if they are already open, have holes or leaks.  Otherwise, if they are perfectly sealed, it's fine to just leave them as they are.
Another good point they made in the article was to add some structural support to the inside of the box to help it keep it's shape.

Boston Red Stockings Baseball Cards

Worth One Million Dollars!

She's gonna keep em'  ~ That's cool, but I hope she realizes her kids are going to sell them.  I say, sell Granny, take a trip around the world & kick up your heels!

Doing Sushi 70's Style in a Rad Retro Red Sweater Coat

While out antiquing in St. Joesph, Michigan with my best girlfriend we stopped in at Elephants Breath.  Good thing it started raining while we were in there, because we couldn't stop gushing at all our Awesome finds.  Like this Red Sweater Coat from the 70's.
A rad, retro find for sure!

And what better to place to wear it than out out for a night of sushi at Kona Jack's Fish Market and Sushi Bar for the best sushi combo of  tuna, yellowtail, salmon, shrimp, octopus and eel.  Followed by some more eel, yellowtail & beef tataki.  Drooling while I write this.  "Sushi Every Day" < should be a song!

Love all this yummy goodness.  Reminds me of Stan's kid's making sushi dinner for us.

What a treat that was!

I so want to have a sushi party, and have each guest make their our own sushi roll to share.  Think I'm going to look over PunchBowl's site for idea's on how to host a sushi party.

Back to the red sweater dress coat.  It came with a matching red knit belt, but I thought it looked better with these rad 70's belts.

 The Alligator belt was the choice for the evening.

Then again I kind of like the Jeweled Urim/Thummin aspect of the Aaron Breastplate.

Which one do you like best?

Ciao! JunkYardGypsyStyle

Autumn Trees ~ Poetry of Fall Colors

Photo courtesy of Mark Bass - Celery Bog, Lafayette, Indiana

Tweed Poncho Villa Goes Out to Lafayette Eatery

Threw on my vintage poncho & headed out to have a lovely lunch with my friend at the Buttery Shelf Eatery.

Beautiful day to wear my vintage tweed poncho

This quaint Victorian home, dressed in colonial decor, sits at the corner of 10th & Main street in Lafayette, Indiana.  The tables are all dressed with pewter plates, goblets & pitchers.

Loved the small intimate rooms, but it was so quiet, too quiet in fact.

They really could use some soft music playing in the background.  And as cute as those pewter goblets are you'll be hard pressed to get more than two sips out of them.  So make sure you've beefed up on your arm curls for lifting that pewter pitcher.

We both ordered the pot roast special and it was delicious, but they served it with instant mashed potatoes.  Wait staff was very nice, but service was surprisingly slow.  Especially since we ordered a special that was already prepared.  No one checked back till we were 3/4th's of way through with the meal, even though they weren't that busy.  When we got ready to pay our bill they didn't have any change, so they told us we could have it for free.  Really?  No Really!  What else can you do when you open up business with out a bank?  But we had enough ones to get them started.  It's all for a good cause, because they always give a portion of their proceeds to some charity work in town.  Plus their prices are awesome, only $12 for two people.  You can't even eat at McDonald's for that price!  Buttery Eatery is only open from 11 to 2 on Sat & 2 other days during the week.

 Bit of JunkYard Gypsy Style to match up with my Vintage Tweed Poncho

Ciao!

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Picking & Junking ~ A BeeHive Teapot / Tea Kettle Is it a Rare Antique?

I've been sitting (well, Not literally) on this

Beehive teapot or Tea Kettle if you so choose,

since my trip to Davenport, Iowa.  When we went to go see the "American Pickers"(Antique Archaeology)

 from the History Channel.

Whom, we didn't get to see :( 

 Mind you Mike, Frank & Danielle were all in town that weekend, but they're such big Celebrity's now,

that you only get to see them at paid events or perhaps if they are Picking at your door.

If they are picking at your door, YOU have a Serious Junking Problem!  Just like We Do, since that's why we picked Davenport, Iowa for a mini vacation.  And guess what we did while we were there?  Yep, we went Junking!

OK, so we went River Boat Gambling Too!

Lost our butts, but whatever, we had fun.

Of course I found (just by chance mind you) a town wide sale just over the bridge in Milan, IL.  I know it just sounds wrong, doesn't it - especially being from Indiana.  What's even worse is I found an auction house that was having a sale that night, that we went back to later that evening.  Yes, Saturday night, on our vacation & we're spending it at an auction house.   What's really bad is we got like this VIP treatment.  I didn't find this out till much later, because the rest of the gang had already signed in & I'm by nature such a lollygagger.  So I'm signing in, like 30 minutes later than everyone else & they ask me if  I'm with the Indiana Tour Group?  Which I say No, not knowing what that is or who they are & thinking it's Ironic that there is a group of people from Indiana that are here in this small little town on a Saturday night to attend this quaint, but podunk Auction.  So after checking in the one of auctioneers, stops me as I'm leaving.  Mind you he's kind of cute, and said "Hey, I hear you're from Valpo.  I'm from Valpo too!  And you know the Birkey's (family name)."  Yep, lived next door & around several of them.  They're like a plague up here in the region.  Not a bad thing, love em dearly, but just saying, you can't grow up in Porter County without knowing a Birkey or two or at least hearing about them.  Now Led Zeppelin Dazed and Confused is rushing into my head; how the heck does he know all this? So I locate the  family, and find out that our whole life history has been has been shared with the auctioneers & we're all blood brothers now.  Good thing cause, cousin Tom is spending like BIG Time & doesn't hurt to be noticed.  Did I mention I was out with professionals?  Tom ate up ALL the jewelry, like gosh, $400 worth?  I don't know, but he got just about all of it.   Let's just say it took him several trips to the car to carry it all out.

My partner in crime, whom I sat next too all night was this lady from Davenport, Iowa who said she does a lot of shows (guessing fairs) in Chicago.  We kept bidding on the same items.  Meaning I was driving up her price.  Bless her heart, she bought me several items to take home with me. "Oh here, you just take this girlfriend, I didn't want this part of it anyway"  Saw her & her hubby loading up many items that they had won that night.  Heck, she even had me go check up on him at one point, to make sure he was doing their business right :0

So anyway I snagged this antique, guess I should say vintage, BeeHive Teapot or Tea Kettle.

I think it's from the 1950's, but I'm not quite sure.  From my research, I think It might be a McKee.  It has a BakeLite knob. The ribbed glass handle & body is marked from a 4 cup to a 10 cup level. The bottom is very cool all dimpled for heat transference & marked USA GlasBake 104 on the bottom.

I did a Google image search for a BeeHive Teapot & I'm not seeing a thing, but then again with them trying to cut out the small independent business owners, I'm not surprised.

So I'm hoping someone see's this, and has some more information that they can swing my way.  I think it's just adorable.  I use to sell Princess House & they had a glass teapot with an infuser - which everyone thought was so cool.  Just a new take on an old idea.  Soon this old tea kettle / tea pot is going to find a new home, since I don't drink tea.  But feel free to grab yourself a cup and check out the related articles on teapots, and If you have any information on this quirky old pot or if you just like old teapots, please leave a comment, & I'll join you with a cup of Java.

Ciao Caravan Cruisers!

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