Saturday, May 30, 2009

Vintage Pyrex and Tupperware Joy

Kick up your heels for deals!
Today was an up-and-down day as I scoured sunny East York for cool stuff. Hold onto your moth balls... Here we go!
Porcelain leg hooks from the ultimate vintage yard sale. Frothy details towards the bottom of this post.

Sombrero parked on matching Hyundai. 
I was excited to see the Main Street Multi-Family sale back again. The street seems like a mix of old timer East Yorkers, young families, and funky single people. The leader of the communist party was even out selling hotdogs at the end of her driveway. A bit of a capitalist venture? Anyway, there were no yuppies selling high end cast-offs for high end prices. Just eclectic clutter priced right.

At the Main Street sale, we met loads of great people. One family was selling off their entire collection of hamster cages and accessories. I complemented the father on this cool Christmas "candolier" in its original box (above). He told me how he remembered his mom getting it out every Christmas and placing it in the window. He also pointed to an insanely large novelty whiskey bottle that tilts. He said his father used to actually fill it with whiskey and pour drinks straight out of it. He told me his father died last year and they are now getting rid of his belongings. We bought this heavy wooden and bronze cannon from the family for only $1.00. If you had an intruder in your house, you could throw this and cause some serious damage. I wonder if the cannon belonged to his father too. Chin-chin dad!

Another great sale on Main Street. We were greeted by a chorus line of bundle buggies. How they amassed such a collection is beyond me. Note, Duncan in the mirror. In the corner, you'll see a glimpse of my bike which was laden with bag-loads of yard sale booty once again. 

I loved the people at the bundle buggy lover's paradise. Running the sale were a pair of elderly East Yorkers and their wise-cracking middle-aged daughter. The father had this amazing workshop in his garage. He had dozens of old tools hanging everywhere and he even had a small TV set perched in the top corner. He showed me how he can turn it on with the flick of a light switch. Above: a $7.00 wheelbarrow filled with thermal lunch boxes. 

Still, from the bundle buggy people: a crate-load of vinyl, including Swan Lake in Stereophonic Sound. They had really cool old clutter here, including several cameras (one even still had flash cubes in the box). I bought a few things we'll get to later. 

That's So Raven game: possibly the most exciting thing seen at the Girl Guide yard sale.

We mainly bought toys for Duncan at the Main Street sale. Somehow we made it home on the bike. Duncan wanted to show Dad his stash and play with everything when we returned. I slipped back out to an outdoor church rummage sale at Woodbine Heights Baptist Church. When I got there, I discovered a selection of unremarkable newer items being sold by Girl Guides. I didn't find anything I wanted or needed. The sale is much better when the congregation clears its collective clutter.  

Enough to make you go vegan: One of the Girl Guides was selling a bag full of realistic-looking kittens that appeared to be suffocating in a plastic bag. Possibly one of the most disturbing things I've seen at a garage sale. 

Crestfallen, I peddled down my street to St. Luke's annual parking lot sale. I could hardly bring myself to go. It's a vendor's sale and each year it's the same old over-priced flea market junk and tables of not great jewelry and beauty products baking in the sun. I cut across the lot looking for something good, but nothing was to be found. Just as I went to unlock my bike, I saw a sign indicating that church folk were selling things in the basement. I descended the stairs in hope. When I got there, I discovered the usual array of tea towels and picture frames. I did manage to score this cute bluebird (above).

In the basement, I also found these Tupperware beauties. Aren't the colours pretty? I also bought three picture stands and a hanging plant hook. A friendly lady shoved everything in a bag and asked me for fifty cents for the lot. 

I would have been happy with my cheerful Tupperware containers. A meagre $5.00 was all I had left in my wallet. A sensible person would have called it a day, but I remembered that there was another street sale in the Donlands area. On my way there I saw a sign for a yard sale on another street. Much to my delight I was greeted by a table of old kitchenware, including loads of vintage Pyrex, most of which, I grabbed. My biggest score was this 1960's "Made in Japan" Atomic platter on a pedestal. It only cost $1.00! See its underbelly in the picture below. 



Gorgeous Pyrex bowls. I just can't get enough.

Cherry red Pyrex dishes. I sensed the woman selling these items had been a crazed collector, but reached a stage where she realized they were taking over her house. She seemed slightly sad to see them go, but I told her they were going to a good home. Maybe one day I'll be going through the same thing. For now, I'm just happy with my bowls.

A fifty-cent vintage Bayer Aspirin bottle from the Pyrex Lady sale. 

We don't really use shot glasses, but I couldn't resist Pyrex Lady's chic Canadiana shot glasses. 

Vintage duck vase that hangs from wall (from Pyrex Lady's sale). I think I gave her $4.50 for everything pictured above. 

My booty from the bundle buggy people: A jade green Tupperware box. I already have a set of these, but I couldn't resist another. I also bought a very old beater, the seahorse comb, and decks of vintage game cards. Everything cost me $2.00.

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About Me

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I'm a slightly off-beat Toronto-area teacher who enjoys writing and photography. I come from a family of collectors and now I'm dragging my own family around to yard sales. It's just a bit of fun. Enjoy the scenes.