Frugal Finds at Garage Sales!

My cousin Kris and I decided to go around the North Shore area this past Saturday morning to see what we could find at garage sales! In our pictures, you can see our masses of loot we accumulated! We had a great time, spent about 4 hours shopping and scouting and had some great finds for a total combined amount of $19.25.

Our first find was a box of plates with artistically designed Chicago scenes. I saw a box that told they were from Marshall Fields, one particular design of a Christmas at Daley Plaza (my favorite time and place in Chicago - the Christkindlemarket). I was thinking about offers when the lady said, " You can take them all for ten dollars". Sold! I packed them up into a printer-paper box and set them aside. Right away, a little black camera caught my cousin's eye....as an aspiring photographer, the little Brownie Target 6-20 was a diamond in the rough...and it was hers for a mere $3! When we got home, we did some online research and found that the plates were worth about $10-30 a piece, and I had 9 of them! They were from annual releases of a Limited edition from Chicago-based artist Franklin McMahon. Score!

A cute little German-looking music-box caught my eye as we were leaving, and interested me even more when I turned it over and learned that it was made in West Germany and had Reuge Swiss movement, (a company that creates music boxes and still exists today). "How much for the little music box?" I asked. "3 dollars" she replied. I handed over three 1 dollar bills and it was mine!

A while later, we came across a woman selling the lot of her Antique Booth...I saw a broken 3 Tier serving tray (something I have been wanting ever since having High Tea at Harrod's in London this summer!). "How much for this thing?" I asked. "How about 1 dollar?". And I carted it away....knowing the fix would be easy for my handy husband and some JB Weld. When we got home, Jon fixed it up right away and it looked very elegant,...just like Harrod's in London! Now all I have to do is have a tea party! It even fit our white Crate & Barrel plates! (see below)

The last item was .25 cents at an Estate sale.....a 2-part Tube Cake Pan that my husband has been wanting for a couple years now. He "borrowed" his mother's Angel Food Cake Pan when he moved out to Chicago and never gave it back...now with my 25 cent purchase, he can finally have his own pan and return the original to his mom!

My last purchase was a game I had on my Christmas list last year and didn't receive. It was "Tangoes" a competitive Tangram game that retails for $9-20 on Amazon.com. I scored it brand new in mint condition, never played for $2!

All in all, Kris, Jon and I are going to hit up some more local sales to see what history and deals we can find in Chicago-land! We had a full day of fun and adventures for less than $20! Now, that's frugal!

Fixed 3-tier Tea Tray!