Pickin' in New Jersey-Upcoming Garage Sales

Happy Friday!! Here's where I'll be pickin' tomorrow (7/31):

Kendall Park: Multi-Family Garage Sale, 292 New Road. 8am-4pm
Franklin Park: Moving Sale, 118 Columbus Drive. 9am-2pm

Craigslist seems to be experiencing some technical difficulties, but maybe you'll have more luck that I.

Finally...while this is not exactly a local event, Blu Daisy Antiques in Clifton, NJ is having a liquidation sale with prices up to 50% off - click on the link for details. I have seen this shop on-line & just love their stuff...I hope this doesn't mean they are closing! I would take the drive if you love vintage, antiques, and unusual gifts and home decor. Then, if you haven't had your "fix", you can always visit my shop!!

Have fun...maybe I'll see you out there!!

MK

The Golden Nugget - a Collector's Dream in New Jersey

Once again, it was HOT this weekend in New Jersey!! Anyone who spent any time outside knows that it was borderline dangerous. What better time for my sister and I to go to an outside flea market??


The Golden Nugget flea market is right on the Delaware River in scenic Lambertville, NJ, and is one of my favorite places to search for treasures. Parking is a little tricky, especially if you get there on the later side, but I have always found a space, and it has always been worth the challenge. I lost my sister early on - well, I didn't exactly lose her because I knew exactly where she was...looking at all the silver.

There were other booths which had bins of silver-plated flatware for $1 each. We spent a LOT of time there. One of my favorites, however, was N.V. Silver & Antiques, run by Pamela. She also has a store up on a hill behind the flea market grounds. My sister found these items, and the gentleman running the booth was kind enough to let me take a picture (I hope you can make out the gesture that the forks are giving):


My favorite items were the spoon key chains...I bought three! I also picked up a beautiful sterling silver spoon ring, and believe me, I will be going back for more. I have 10 fingers!!


This gentleman specializes in old books. He told me that most of the other vendors will send customers his way, because he is basically the authority in this area. He's there every week.

My favorite vendor at this flea market is a gentleman named Pat. I met Pat when I first began refinishing furniture because I needed vintage drawer pulls, & decided to look at the Golden Nugget.

Pat's booth is a smorgasbord of crystal doorknobs and drawer pulls, vintage drawer pulls, skeleton keys, decorative metal escutcheons (had to ask my sister about that one - it's the decorative plate that covers a keyhole), and many other interesting items.

Pat told me that he has many different types of customers - some buy the keys and other small items to make jewelery, some, like my sister, have antique furniture with locks and no keys. Here's Pat showing her some skeleton keys:

Pat is there every weekend, and I am a regular..he always seems to have something that I need or want. Look for the bins of keys, drawer pulls, and door knobs, and you have found him!

We barely notice the heat, there were so many things to see! We both bought some small, but fabulous furniture, and some collectibles we had to have...a tiny silver-topped salt cellar for my sister and a silver "butler" bell for me. Here’s what the dashboard said when we got back to the car:



The funny thing is...I'm pretty sure I'll be back next week! Maybe I'll see you there...
What did you find/discover/create this weekend??


Mona Kay

Upcoming Local Garage Sales-jackpot in Kendall Park!

Well, it's the weekend, and that means I've been scouring the telephone poles and internet for places to go pickin' in our neighborhood. It may be hot out, but the opportunities are hotter -there are not one, but TWO estate sales in Kendall Park this weekend! There is one on Henderson Road - here's the link to the details:

Henderson Road Estate Sale

The other estate sale is posted all around Kendall Park. The details are:

15 Springdale Road, Saturday and Sunday, 8am-2pm

There is another garage sale in Kendall Park this weekend:

98 Major road, Saturday 8am-5pm

Finally, here are the Craigslist Central New Jersey garage sale listings.

Have fun out there, and be sure to check my blog on Sunday night to see what I've found!

Mona Kay

Vintage HEAVEN! The Tomato Factory in Hopewell, NJ

Did you ever walk into a place and think, "Who here knows me??" I walked into a shop today and literally stopped in my tracks. It was filled with such vintage eye-candy, that I didn't even go right in...I turned around to find the owner and get permission to blog about the shop.



The Tomato Factory is an antiques consortium on Somerset Street in Hopewell, NJ. I have driven through Hopewell many times on my way to Lambertville NJ and New Hope PA, and for some reason, I have never stopped. On a tip from my sister, I decided to check it out today...it goes without saying that I'm glad I did!!



"Vintage" comes in so many forms, from clothing to dishes, to decor, to furniture, and while I love it all, I have developed a real thing for "kitchen vintage". The items in this booth were all so delicious, I actually asked the owner if they were reproductions. They were not, of course. Fritz, the owner who was at the booth today (it's a co-op) told me that he simply collects from EVERYWHERE! He is truly the Keith Johnson of kitchen vintage.



I could (and plan to) spend a whole day looking at the linens alone. I also cannot WAIT to come back and go through the bins and bins of silver! I'll bring my sister along for that, as her collection is responsible for my new fascination.



The Tomato Factory has several additional booths of wonderful items - I bought some beautiful vintage handkerchiefs from one featuring picture frames and small furniture. Check out their website for directions, hours, a list of dealers, and more. I know I'll be going back very soon!!

'Til next time...happy picking!

Mona Kay

Living Green - A Whole New Level

While I finally saw some signs for two different garage sales going on in Kendall Park this weekend (saw them Friday night), I have to admit, the heat kept me indoors this weekend. While I was visiting some of my favorite blogs (see my blog roll) on the left margin), and checking e-mail, I found a video clip which made me think about the different levels of living "green".

I have always thought that the use of garage sale and flea market finds is very "green" - it's recycling with immediate, or almost immediate gratification, depending on the amount of refurbishment required. For those of us who enjoy the refurbishing, it's an added bonus.

However this Yahoo video shows a green lifestyle on a whole different level. What do you think? Could you sacrifice the square footage??

Check it out...I'd really love to hear your thoughts!!

http://vitality.yahoo.com/video-second-act-jay-shafer-20910192

How To Spot a Garage Sale Diva

1. You can’t remember the last time you slept in on a Saturday between May and October
2. You drive through your neighborhood at the end of the week at 10 mph checking out all the telephone posts.
3. No one who knows you asks you what you have planned for the weekend.
4. You completely empty your car every Friday night.
5. “Junk” is one of your favorite words.
6. Friends who own trucks have stopped taking your calls on the weekends.
7. Friends who are searching for something specific ALWAYS take your calls on weekends.
8. Family members hide around mid day when you pull your packed car into the driveway.
9. Craigslist is your best friend
10. You need to have a garage sale for your garage sale finds.



When did you realize you were a Garage Sale Diva?

Happy Fourth of July!!

Due to the holiday (and the heat), I took a vacation from garage sales this weekend...hard to believe, I know! However, I'd like to share a new resource with you, which can assist with either finding or running garage sales: Garage Sale Tracker.

Below is an article from Rich, who writes articles and blog content for their site. His latest article: "How To Find Vintage Goods this Summer" offers advice on some of my favorite topics....and I LOVE the idea of the iPhone app!! Read on:

"If you’re trying to figure out the best way to find those rare vintage items this summer than perhaps I can be of assistance. The best place to pick up on that favorite table, pot, linen, or dress that you used to love back in the day would be to find local thrift shops, goodwill stores, consignment shops, flea markets, and garage sales.
Thrift Shops are great because a lot of these shops offer a lot of charitable donations in return for tax write-offs for the donations. Since the items are donated that means the purchase cost is 0 and thus you get great savings and great finds. Goodwill and Salvation army shops fall under this category. Often times at a thrift or Charity shop you will be able to find retro clothing for .50-10.00 a piece depending on the garment, classic toys, and various recreational items.
Consignment Stores are another great place for vintage antiques and furniture more so than clothing because the bulk of the consignment stores that you may find end up being more geared towards the home furnishing side but if you are looking for a more affordable and unique way of decorating your home than a consignment store will be right up your alley. Also a consignment store will be priced slightly higher than a thrift shop because the items are brought in by another vendor and placed at the store to sell.
Flea Markets are hit or miss these days. As some are filled with sellers who buy items in bulk and just re-sell them as any Wal-Mart or Target may do while others have great vintage finds such as clocks, clothes, furniture, and tons of other miscellaneous items. Also many serve food and act as a large yard sale so they become an all day event.
Finally we get to Garage Sales which are a combination of everything mentioned above. It really isn’t set in stone what you will find at a yard sale except that it’s the best place to find a rare vintage item cheap since there is no over head cost (except for setup time and advertising) but there are tons of great antiques, books, clothings, childrens items, jewelry, and just about anything you can think of at a garage sale.
So to find all of these shopping destinations it is best to browse through the newspaper classifieds as they often list the upcoming yard sales, new thrift shops, and so forth. If you’re an iPhone user garage sales tracker has a garage sale iphone application for finding yard sales, consignment shops, and flea markets that works with it’s website as well. For Goodwill there is a directory of all of their stores: www.locator.goodwill.org

Happy Vintage Shopping!"

I encourage you all to check out Garage Sale Tracker and see what sales are coming to your area, or get help with your own sale.

Have a great week!

Mona Kay