Huge Haul From St. Catharines

Pops plotting Saturday's garage sales on a map. He takes his sales very seriously.

Hello there yard sale snoopers. We've just returned from a little trip visiting my parents in St. Catharines. I can't say enough good things about my mom and dad. They are remarkable people and have been happily married for over 50 years. I will share some of their collectable objects of desire in a separate post this week. Part of my trip was spent working with my father on research he's unearthed about a very dramatic episode of our family history, which I'm hoping to write a book about. Between trips to the park and the petting zoo, we did some thrifting and went to some great yard sales. I wish Torontonians were as indifferent about a few drops of rain.

At a Goodwill store, I found one little cowboy salt shaker. Three shelves down, I found the matching pepper shaker, as well as a matching casserole dish and oil and vinegar bottles. How lucky am I? They were made in Japan and look to be from the late sixties or early seventies. Originally, the casserole dish was $8.00, the oil and vinegar bottles were $3.00 apiece, and the salt and pepper shakers were each $2.00. The cashier sold me the whole lot for $10.00. Yes!

All of the pieces have these funny markings on them. Ken thinks they are branding marks. He's seen just about every Western ever made, so he's probably right.

Bucking broncos and chuck wagons. It doesn't get more cowboy than that.

Here's the top of the casserole (or is it a crock pot? - I'm bad with these things). I left the tape on for transportation back to Toronto.

I loved this nut bowl made out of a real log. It came from the same GW and cost a mere $4.00. We'll have to buy whole nuts now.
Bottom of dish. Count the rings to see how old this nut bowl is.
Avocado green apple cup I'll use to put pens in. It came from a different GW and cost $1.00. Apples for the teacher...
On Saturday we went to a yard sale being run by a spunky, recently divorced woman who was clearly moving on in her life. Part of her clutter included this contraption above. Turns out to be part of a very old children's ride from Crystal Beach, back when they had an amusement park there. She said she had it hanging in a tree with plants in it.

A very old puzzle.

The candle stand cost .25 and had a retro paint job, although it was new. Dad bought me the braying brass donkey paperweight for .25 from the spunky divorced woman (SDW).
There's a little story behind this old Fisher Price airplane. A few weeks ago, I placed a bid on the exact same airplane at a Goodwill silent auction in St. Catharines. I told my dad to keep bidding on it, but not more than $20.00. He bailed out when it went over my limit. Eventually it sold for $30.00. A few days later my dad found this at a garage sale for .50.

Duncan loves playing with it and I get to soak in nostalgia.
This was my most expensive purchase. It's a beautiful old china plate made in England. I bought it at an estate sale for $10.00. It will look beautiful on our new dining room table.
Back of plate.
From the SDW sale, an assortment of brooches. I love the china flowers. The morning glory brooch and the horse brooch are made of wood. She sold them all to me for $2.00.
SDW's framed silhouettes by local artist Lini Grol (not including bottom picture of church). She sold me the set for $2.00.
I loved that messages were written on the back of some of them.

Little boy and his pack.

Holiday greetings signed by Lini Grol.

Thanks for reading this very long post. Stay tuned for Mom and Dad's treasures.

Until then...

Erin