Sunday, April 26, 2009

Church Rummage Sale

Here are some snaps from the Westview Presbyterian Spring Sale. 
The Royal Wedding picture book sitting sadly in a box. I remember waking up at the crack of dawn and watching the wedding with my mom at our cottage. The bride wore white and our carpet was a purple shag. 
Toboggan shelf
Organ donation
I bought this plant stand for $2.00. I've already painted it black. I think white pots will compliment it nicely. 

The smart neighbours decided to hold their street sale the same day as the church rummage sale. Perfect weather, piles of clutter everywhere.

Beyond remaindered 

I never liked General Public. This reminds me of preppy Leasiders for some reason. 

I bought four vintage cookbooks, two sets of vintage Italian postcard sets, eggshell blue vintage egg cups, and a painted china dish. The Better Homes & Gardens Holiday Cook Book reminds me of some of the cook books my mother had around the house when I was growing up.

Close up of postcards. 

The Holiday Cook Book is filled with photos of happy women preparing meals for swinging '60s people. The emphasis is on international cuisine. No one throws a good luau anymore. The man pictured above at least cold have changed out of his office clothes into something a little more casual. 
Birthday cake barge. 

Does anyone  play Bridge anymore?

Bonus: found items inside a cookbook included ESL notes, questions about Aesop's Fables, and hand written ingredient lists

Mable Hoffman, author of Appetizers. Don't be fooled by the soft-focus smile. All of her recipes involve torturous bread folding and cutting. 

Told you.

Flaming Mocha-Pecan flan from the Sunset Cook Book of Desserts. Classy.


I scooped up three charming vintage children's adventure books including Treasure Island. 


A throne of bargain children's books for my classroom. 

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Early Yard Sales in East York

Welcome to Toronto Yard Sale Snoop. I love yard sales, church rummage sales, and low end estate sales. I also love reading yard sale blogs. Last year, I became a fan of the blogs Yard Sale Addict and Yard Sale Bloodbath. I couldn't believe that anyone had the audacity to take pictures of people's clutter. I secretly wanted my own yard sale blog. And now - here it is. Below, you'll find pictures from two sales last week in my East York neighbourhood. At first, it seemed odd asking people if I could take pictures of their sales. Later, I looked at the pictures of the weird, random things that were being sold and I realized that we're all equally demented. I have no idea if anyone is reading this. If you are, I hope you enjoy this seasonal insanity. 
At the first sale, I found leopard print dining room chairs adorned with yellow butterfly lights. 
The seller became noticeably sad when I told her how vividly I remember the Lennon shooting even though I was a child. I hope it did her some good to get rid of this morbid memento for $5.00 
Obligatory box of LPs. 
Bob Marley snack table. 
At an entirely different sale, a pair of new empty nesters seemed happy to let my son rummage around. The man  inflated a musty trampoline, that looked like a large inflatable bed. Duncan had a blast.
Mass-produced art leaning against a birch tree. 
Bird bath 'o stuffed animals. Points for merchandising. 
Bag of rodent accessories, soon to be enjoyed by Rosie, the beloved gerbil in our classroom. I only paid $1.00 for everything. 
Cranium, Therapy, and a horse. What does it all mean?

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.