Secondhand Happenings {a gently used blog}

The Indiana Flea Market {this weekend!}

2012-02-09T00:48:00.003-05:00

Dear Reader,

I break the long silence that has commenced since the end of yard sale season with some exciting news: Secondhand Happenings will be present at the Indiana State Flea Market this weekend (Friday/Saturday/Sunday) at the state fairgrounds. Sadly, the home of our resale boutique in Northern Indiana closed, so the inventory of Something Blue was starting to become a permanent indoor yard sale in the front room of my apartment. While it was fun for a couple of weeks to have friends over to peruse the selection, I decided that I needed to do something drastic or I'd be on the path to reality television stardom on the show Hoarders. After looking around for Winter resale options, Stewart Promotions' semiannual flea market seemed to be the best bet. This will be my first venture as a flea market vendor and I'm looking forward to experiencing a new side of secondhand.

I hope you'll join me for some the adventure. So much so that if you mention Secondhand Happenings I'll give you 50% off any one item! Held in the AG building, admission is free and there will be $25 gift cards given away every hour. Hours are Friday noon-6, Saturday 10-6, and Sunday 10-4. I'll be tweeting all about the experience, so be sure to follow us at @2handhappenings.

Merchandise will include the typical fare of Something Blue (vintage glassware, home decor, accessories, knick knacks), as well as the goods from a merciless raid on the contents of my home (vinyl, books, more glassware and home decor, nifty odds and ends).

All the best, Laura

Tomorrow's Happenings

2011-08-26T23:08:00.002-04:00

Hello friends!

I've been caught up in the whirlwind that is the Balke Family yard sale, but I wanted to let you know about a couple of Secondhand Happenings going on tomorrow.

To all of our Indianapolis readers, a friend is helping out with a fantastic benefit yard sale to raise money to bring her nieces/nephews home from Ethiopia. Help fund an adoption AND pick up some great bargains?! DO IT. It all goes down tomorrow, 8/27 at 8545 Los Robles Road in Fishers.

To all of our Northern Indiana folks, don't miss our...

And it's all true! The Balke family sale is always a sprawling array of bargains, and we'll be set up tomorrow in Pierceton from 8 to 5 at 208 S. Maple street. Look for our sign off of 13 (it's hard to miss!).

Enjoy your weekend and happy bargain hunting!

-Laura

Laura's Favorite Finds- 127 Sale 2011

2011-08-09T12:21:00.011-04:00

Dear Reader,

With the passing of the biggest event in our secondhand year, I'm left with my findings along the route of the 127, sweet memories, and the hope of 2012 (thankfully next year the sale will fall before the end of the world, so I can go one last time).

A bargain isn't complete until shared (or bragged about!), so today I offer you my Favorite Finds of 2011's 127 Sale, aka The World's Longest Yard Sale.

This wooden crate caught my attention for aesthetics alone, but it was what was inside that sold me on it. There was a paper note on the side that said "knobs, all kinds" and on the top was a blue sticker proclaiming it to be $5 for all!

The contents were a treasure indeed. Now I just need to find that vintage amp in need of a little TLC...

I dug this suitcase out from under a table, and the gentleman to whom it belonged said he hadn't intended it for sale, but had been using it as storage. I offered him $4 and it was a deal. As we made our exchange, he said with a hint of sadness in his voice, "her name was Marjorie". I will treasure it all the more.

I've been after a good weather vane arrow for quite some time now. This particular one met all my weather vane arrow needs, and for only $10!

These signs were a splurge. Not monetarily, but certainly of my space. Even so I couldn't say no to vintage hand-stenciled garage sale signs. If you see them out on the town then you'll know who's sale they point to!

This hand carves dulcimer was my find-of-all-finds! It was marked "$25 firm" but the moment I expressed interest, the lady in charge said "we'll take $20!". I have a standing invitation to come and play at the Junction City First Christian Church once I get it up and strumming.

These yellow apple bowls speak for themselves! I bought them on Sunday, the last day of the sale, so they were half price.

I found this dress at an estate sale in Celina, OH. It fits like a glove! I was told that it belonged to "Mother".

I recently made the decision to store as much food as possible in glass as opposed to plastic, and these glass containers will hasten that resolution.

This was one of my first purchases, which was actually along the Lincoln Buy-Way yard sale, which we followed east until we hit the 127. Can't wait to get stampin' with these beauts.

I bought all of these fascinating old photos for $5 on Sunday afternoon (the box had previously been marked at $10). I hate when the end of the World's Longest Yard Sale is upon us, but I love the bargains those last hours bring to fruition.

With love, Laura

TOMORROW

2011-08-03T23:45:00.002-04:00

Here is a snippet of conversation regarging purse options for the 127:

"Bring them all!"

"Our Motto!"

"Buy them all, too!"

"4life!"

It's Happening, and soon!

THREE. MORE. DAYS.

2011-08-01T23:01:00.003-04:00

Dear Reader,

Well, our Third Annual Yard Sale was a total success! Many thanks to our wonderful shoppers, sponsors and all of the helping hands. We now turn our eyes toward the event of the year... The WORLD'S LONGEST YARD SALE! We leave in three short days!

Tonight the three of us got together to plan our outfits, as every detail counts. Take note of Elizabeth's drawings. This year we plan on being Gypsies and selling things out of the car, so in preparation for the lifestyle, we met at the Target parking lot and commiserated.

We also made music plans, as we will only have cd capabilities while out on the road. We are currently taking suggestions for songs for the 2011 127 mix, please send any ideas our way! (We're looking for songs about secondhand, garage sales, rodeos, mountains, girl time, and road trips. And yes, we already have Raspberry Beret, Secondhand News and Girls Just Want To Have Fun on the list ;) )

THREE MORE DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sneak Preview!

2011-07-31T01:49:00.005-04:00

In case you were thinking about skipping our Third Annual Yard Sale, we offer you this enticing sneak preview:

Win a free t-shirt!!!

2011-07-30T11:42:00.010-04:00

Did you see this on the facebook event for our third annual yard sale!?!

How exciting! Be sure to stop by the front yard of 1636 N. Pennsylvania St. Indianapolis tomorrow (Sunday) to shop, socialize, and sign up to win a free t-shirt from our awesome sponsor Mudlove!!!

[photo credit: Codey Holliday]

Secondhand Happenings Third Annual Yard Sale!

2011-07-29T00:57:00.004-04:00

Dear Reader,

We are excited to announce our Third Annual Yard Sale! This time around it will be held in the front lawn of 1636 N. Pennsylvania St., Indianapolis on Sunday, July 31 from 9 to 4.

Erika and I (Laura, that is) began work on the sale this evening. Our own flair and technique really showed through our tagging stations and pile organization, or lack thereof. Let me illustrate the stark contrast:

Laura's work station
Erika's work station
Erika's clothing piles
Laura's clothing pile
And above is just a peek at all the work cut out for us for the rest of the weekend! It's going to be a fantastic sale, and we kindly request the honor of your presence.

With love, S.H.

Third Annual Yard Sale

2011-07-26T23:25:00.002-04:00

Hey Indianapolis...

2011-07-06T11:39:00.002-04:00

...Check your mailbox. I think you'll be delighted to find two 50% off coupons for Value World in the redplum today! Yessssssssssss!

preparation and planning

2011-07-06T00:22:00.005-04:00

Dear Readers,

Tonight Something Borrowed made preparations for a very special event: The wedding of our friends Mike and Kirsten! We're very excited that our dishes will be a part of their special day. Amidst the organizing and separating, we also made plans for our trip to the World's Longest Yard Sale. The game plan this year is, and drumroll..... to have no plans! After all, you can't really go wrong when you're following highway 127.

with love, S.H.

Favorite finds: 2011 Historic National Road Yard Sale

2011-06-02T07:15:00.000-04:00

Historic National Road Yard Sale: New Paris Ohio to Cumberland Indiana

2011-06-01T20:52:00.008-04:00

Preface: I have had to explain the nature of the "long garage sale" numerous times this week, so for the benefit of new readers and those yet to be enlightened, let me give you a quick idea of what the Historic National Road Yard Sale entails (I must also give a WARNING: here, as such yard sales are highly addictive). This particular sale follows US 40 and stretches from Baltimore, MD to St. Louis, MO. People that live along the route host garage sales, and vendors from all over the country set up in parking lots, or really just about anywhere, to peddle their goods. It's like a diverse neighborhood yard sale that goes along one road, through small town America, from dawn until dusk, for days... In my book, it's pretty close to heaven.

Dear Readers,

Today I woke up at 6am to head to western Ohio. I was so excited to see what highway 40 had for me that I didn't even need my morning coffee to get going. I had heard tell of a barn sale in New Paris, Ohio and decided that it would be a good starting point. I-70 runs parallel to US 40, so I took that to my starting point so I wouldn't have to backtrack and also so that I could head toward the deals at 70 miles an hour. Here is my route, with just a few of the stops I made listed.

The barn sale was fantastic, as they usually are. It was a great first sale and really set the tone for the rest of the journey. From there I made my way slowly back to Indianapolis, stopping on a dime for enticing sales and pulling all kinds of (possible illegal) u-turns. I was a bit limited on time, so I took the liberty to drive right on by sales that looked too sparse or too overrun with baby items.

Now my only other experience with these long yard sales is the 127 Corridor Sale, also known as the World's longest Yard Sale. Comparatively, the US 40 sale was not nearly as dense with sales as the 127. And probably for that very reason, crazy-garage-saler traffic was almost non-existent (this is a huge point in US 40's favor). I'm not sure how much that has to do with the fact that I was out on a wednesday. I did notice quite a few people setting up, presumably to open tomorrow, so I imagine it will be busier this weekend.

One of the couples I bought from told me that the sale was particularly slow this year, which they blamed on gas prices. I kept running in to the same gentleman at different sales who was also westbound, and he complained of not finding anything good at all this year... Which brings me to my own results, which were extraordinary. I was wheelin' and dealin' in the heartland, turning up bargains that could easily compete with my findings on the 127 corridor sale. Add to that the tragically beautiful fate of US 40 itself, once the greatest highway in Indiana which is now home to forgotten towns and derelict gas stations, and the Historic National Road Yard Sale was a grand slam.

I had such a great time that I'm going to wake up at 6am tomorrow to explore US 40 west of Indianapolis. The sale is through Sunday June 5th, so if you're in the area and have a free day and half a tank of gas then you should consider seeing what US 40 has in store for you. I'll be posting my favorite finds tomorrow if you need some motivation!

With love, laura

The Barn Sale that started my day off oh-so-right

Centerville, IN

The classic "sale in an abandoned gas station". This is probably my least favorite type of sale.

I had picked up this EXACT lunch box a few miles down the street for $2. I guess I got a pretty good deal.

This was by far the strangest and creepiest thing that I came across all day!

I pulled an insane u-turn to get to this church. It was worth it.

Historic National Road Yard Sale!

2011-05-31T23:44:00.003-04:00

Dear Readers,

On a whim I decided that I will wake up in 6 short hours to embark on the Historic National Road Yard Sale. I was ready to settle in for a night of working on the many projects that are piled around my apartment, and had just finished a cup of coffee to ensure that I do so, when I looked at the facebook page for the big event. I was planning on going for a couple of hours thursday morning before work, but the secondhand excitement nearly jumped off the screen and I knew I had to be there for the opening day. After all, I don't work until 3 tomorrow and can get a full day of garage saling in before that! I'll be sure to document the sale, which is officially tomorrow, June 1 to Sunday June 5th. Now if only I could undrink that cup of coffee and get some sleep...

My first garage saling of 2011!

2011-05-28T09:03:00.000-04:00

My first true garage saling of the year 2011 happened on May 13. Church sales, neighborhood yard sales, and even the garage sale of antique store owners were taken by storm by myself and a posse of bargain hungry ladies. Below are my favorite finds!

This spoon says SH and was made in 1857. I couldn't help myself.

The young man who sold me this safe told me it was a hand-me-down from his grandfather, but he never used it. (Potential thieves: Don't bother stealing it unless you're after the priceless art drawn by my nephew and the original copy of the novel I wrote when I was 4, which it will contain)

This is my prize possession of the day: a souvenir pillow cover of the bicentennial of George Washington's birth.

Happy memorial day weekend/Saturday garage saling!

-Laura

a friday night in the life of a garage-saleaholic

2011-05-27T21:18:00.004-04:00

It's a friday night in May in Indianapolis. So, after work, I swing by the gas station to pick up the paper. Then I go home and enjoy a leisurely dinner while scanning the classifieds for church rummage sales that may open early (I work in the morning at 9), or sales that will carry over in to the memorial day holiday. Even though craigslist is my go-to sale finder, I still find the 75 cent investment is worth it on the chance that some fantastic sale may only be listed in the newspaper. I really hope that there are enough sales on monday to get this garage-sale-crazed bug out of my system! Last week I woke up at 6:30 am to garage sale before work. I'm starting to think I have a problem. ;)

What's new at Something Blue

2011-05-23T11:11:00.002-04:00

Dear Readers,

Our little boutique at the Blue Lion was dwindling, and without an intervention it would have soon become "Something Nonexistent". We're thrilled with the way things have been flying off the shelves as this gives us the means to offer you more gems. This morning I finally made it up to the Blue Lion with a carload of new items. Below are some of the more photogenic goods, and that's not even everything! Our little corner is stuffed to the gills. Hopefully you can stop by for a look soon.

(I'm not sure whether or not the oil lamp includes three wishes. Maybe it just needs the right person to wake the genie.)

The Blue Lion's Back Room Sale

2011-05-18T21:38:00.004-04:00

For those of you in and around Northern Indiana, we would like to invite you to a special indoor sale this weekend. As most of you know, we have a small boutique called Something Blue at the wonderful Blue Lion coffeehouse in Pierceton, Indiana. The good folks at the Lion will be hosting a sale in the back room of the shop (think of it as a big, clean, weather-resistant garage or yard). The sale will be held this Friday, May 20 (8am-5) and Saturday, May 21 (8am-4). Something Blue will be in on the bargains as well, offering a special discount of 30% off the ticketed price on all of our merchandise during the hours of the event.

What: The Blue Lion Back Room Sale

When: Friday May 20 8am-5 and Saturday May 21 8am-4

Where: The Blue Lion, 105 W. Market St., Pierceton IN 46562

Who: You!

Why: A multi-family sale with bargains galore, 30% off all items at Something Blue boutique, a great cup of coffee, a delicious fresh baked cookie or scone, etc.

And as any good sale in my book simply makes room for more, I have boxes of new treasures to bring to replenish the shelves of the boutique. Dozens of new items will be available the following Monday. I'll leave you with the tiniest sneak peak of the loot.

Manic Monday: ziploc bag cleaning and reuse edition

2011-05-02T19:08:00.004-04:00

I'm not sure if it's thrifty or neurotic, but I've worked a ziploc-baggie-wash-and-hang-dry day into my schedule. Bargain Betty would be proud. And I can finally put those clothes pins we use for display at our annual garage sale to everyday use!

XO, Laura

2011 a new year

2011-04-16T18:30:00.006-04:00

It’s a new year and for me 2011 has brought a new method of garage saleing! You see this year I will become Aunt Erika, so I will actually like the garages filled with baby things! My sister and I adventured out to a suburban neighborhood this morning and found several goodies! My first garage sale purchase of the year was this little hat for a little man named Reese.

We only had a few hours and therefore only made a few stops but look at all that we found!

I personally think our best deal was at the last stop where we got the toy thing on the left and the boppy for $7 total!

Of course all the kids in my life need to have cameras so I had to buy this for a whopping $0.50!

Have you made your first yard sale purchase of 2011? What did you find? Does anyone else have different things they will be looking for this year?

Don't listen to The Haters!

2011-04-14T21:21:00.002-04:00

Don't listen to The Haters. The World's Longest Garage Sale is the best best event of the summer. Worldwide. Of all time. Period.

Though, we do have a special affection for "awful junk", "pawing through junk", and "all that time in the car driving from town to town"... So maybe we're biased.

Countdown to 127!

2011-04-12T13:52:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure it could get any better than last year's adventure (see photos from 2010 below!), but we're still counting down the days until we make our quest to the world's longest garage sale!

Countdown to 127: 113 days, 9 hours, 47 minutes, 41 seconds

The ancient ancestor of Crocs?!

2011-04-10T13:04:00.002-04:00

Hello friends.

Yes, S.H. is still alive and well. We've been waiting out the winter here in Indianapolis, and I cannot tell you the joy that fills my heart when I think of the upcoming garage sale season. I have been frequenting the thrift stores lately, but even thrift store prices seem expensive when I start day-dreaming about church rummage sales. I recently had a heart to heart about secondhand with a new friend, Breyell, and just talking about it made me miss sharing the experience with the blogosphere.

Out and about at my favorite Value World, I recently stumbled upon what may be the ancient ancestor of Crocs. I myself have never put a pair on my feet, and while I understand that a comfortable shoe is more important than a fashionable shoe, I still can't get over the way that they look. I took photographic evidence of the ancestor, secretly wishing that they had died out long ago, before I had to be bombarded with scarring images of them on the street and in mall kiosks.

Tinsel Town and The Salvation Army

2010-11-28T01:30:00.003-05:00

My Dear Readers,

It's finally time to break the silence. I'm sure you're wondering what earth-shattering find would cause me such joy that I had to share it with someone in words and in pictures, and I'm also sure you'd never guess that it was a box of junk tinsel. Alright, I'll back up a little bit.

In honor of black friday, the Salvation Army had a 50% off sale this weekend. Now, the Salvation Army is my favorite place as far as bargains go. Their normal prices are about half that of most Goodwills, and so a Salvation Army 50% off sale is like a Goodwill 75% off sale, only a little more junky (in the best way possible). I made a day of it and visited three of my area Salvation Army thrift stores. While perusing the aisles of the Madison Avenue store (by far the junkiest), I came across a dilapidated box of old tinsel garlands. I rummaged through it for a bit for reasons beyond my comprehension, and then moved on. I was also on the phone at this time, interjecting thoughts about the tinsel in to the conversation. The garlands had a fantastic worn-in vintage feel for something so sparkly and shiny. I just couldn't stop thinking about them. Even so, it seemed like madness to buy a huge box of secondhand tinsel. "That's just what I need, another box of junk", I griped in to the phone. I wasn't even planning on getting a Christmas Tree this year!

So, like the rational shopper that I (sometimes) am, I proceeded to the checkout with all of my fantastic bargains (sans delapidated box). After I had paid, I casually asked the cashier how much they were asking for that box of tinsel. "oh, five dollars for the whole thing" he replied. Considering that I had just purchased a bar stool I actually needed for that price, it seemed a little steep. But at this point, there was no turning back. I hastily made my way to that beautiful, old-and-new, shiny-but-tarnished, mismatched tinsel box and brought it triumphantly to the register. He gave me my second total, which was five dollars and change. Assuming it was five dollars before the 50% discount, I was now shaken at the thought that came tumbling out of my mouth:"TEN DOLLARS FOR A BOX OF TINSEL?!" The poor cashier just stared rather helplessly, as I handed him my card. After all, there was no turning back.

After I got home and turned my apartment into my version of tinsel town, I began to appreciate the crazy gut instinct that led me to such purchases. There are some things (most things, in my junky opinion) that get better with age. And I'm not going to find Tinsel, Aged 40 Years, in any department store this holiday season.

With love, Laura

Our grand opening!

2010-11-16T22:44:00.001-05:00

Check out the grand opening event of our resale boutique, Something Blue!

Something Big... Something Blue?

2010-11-15T20:05:00.003-05:00

Tap tap tap... Does this thing still work?

Well, it's been awhile. We have been busy, busy ladies the past few months. Elizabeth put the hat on of college professor this semester, Laura has been working on a new album, and Erika got married!!! Very exciting things that have the tendency to consume all of our free time. Please know that despite our lack of posts the secondhand fire is still alive and well. We have been thrifting and searching our little hearts out in anticipation of our biggest venture yet- we are opening our very own boutique! The Blue Lion in Pierceton will be the home of Something Blue, a resale boutique offerring a revolving stock of treasures. Now we can have our cake and eat it too, meaning that we can snatch up every bargain we find and pass it on to you. Mark your calendar for friday, November 26, which will be our opening day! To celebrate "black and blue" friday, any purchase over $5 from Something Blue will get you a free blueberry muffin or cup of The Blue Lion's house roasted coffee. Hope to see you there!

With love,
Laura, Elizabeth and Erika

Don't miss this!!!

2010-08-14T12:24:00.001-04:00

Hey Indy! You are not going to want to miss this!

Tweeting our way through the World's Longest Garage Sale

2010-08-04T21:32:00.002-04:00

As you may or may not know, we have a strict no-blogging policy on our 127 trip. However, we have come to the general consensus that we would like to share bits and pieces of the journey with you. So we've finally come around to the idea of creating a twitter account for such purposes (!!!). You can follow our adventures at http://www.twitter.com/2handhappenings! We will make a hasty departure for highway 127 tomorrow night after we finish up with our day jobs.
XOXO, the ladies of S.H.

Our Second Annual Secondhand Happenings Yard Sale

2010-08-03T22:46:00.003-04:00

Dear Reader,
We would like to report the immense success of our second annual yard sale. Not only did we make more room in our lives (and spending money!) for the treasures that await us at the 127, but we also got to see many great friends and good people. It was a whirlwind of a day. We took two rolls of film on a secondhand camera and then, toward the end of the sale, realised that we weren't even sure if the camera worked. While it seems more excited and risky to play Russian Roulette with your photographic memories, I decided to snap a few shots with a digital camera as evidence of the sale's existence.

This year the garage sale was more of a sidewalk sale, as we had no garage

Tara B picked up this lovely little latch hook picture that Elizabeth featured on the blog earlier this year. Get it, girl!

At the end of the sale we decided to try two brand new tactics- sign waving and 50% off. Erika proudly waved her sign, jumped up and down, and danced on the sidewalk.

We had ALL OF THIS STUFF left!!! Our sign wavers did help to clear more of it away.

Elizabeth was a little more reserved than Erika.

Amazingly, this Culture Club picture disc was one of the last items we sold. How it hung around all day until our 50 % off sale, I'll never know!

And now we turn our attention to the 127, which is only two days away...

It's Time to Let the Cat Outta the Bag!

2010-07-31T16:36:00.004-04:00

We've been holding this in so long we are about to burst!!!

We, the ladies of Secondhand Happenings, would like to present to you, something borrowed!!!
Over the past few months we have been collecting a beautiful assortment of dinner plates, dessert plates, silver ware, and lovely little coffee cups. We have acquired 200 complete plate settings at this point, and they are all available for you to rent, as you please!

{photo credit: Megan W Photography meganwblog.com}

In July, we provided 170 place settings for the beautiful wedding of our good friends Noah & Bethany Epple! (hop over to our something borrowed page for images). They had an outdoor wedding with antique table decorations and the settings from something borrowed were a perfect compliment to their lovely day!

We would love to help you set the perfect table for your wedding, birthday party, dinner party, or special occasion big or small!

Be sure to check out our something borrowed page which includes a link to our flickr where you can view our inventory (more images added soon!), and feel free to email us atsecondhandhappenings@gmail.com if you have any questions at all!

The Anticipation Builds

2010-07-27T20:45:00.006-04:00

Preparation is under way, ladies and gents!

Tonight we are bustling about pricing and organizing - and I must say, we are pretty pleased with our offerings. We thought we would give our loyal followers a lil sneak peek of what you might expect.

In the words of Laura K., "I'm glad I'm not going to this garage sale, because I would want to buy so much stuff."

Don't forget! It's all going down this Sunday from 9am to 4pm at 49th and College!

A Front & Back Yard Sale by Secondhand Happenings

2010-07-21T23:45:00.004-04:00

Dear Readers,

The World's Longest Garage Sale is fast approaching! In preparation for all the new junk we will be bringing home, we will be hosting our second annual Yard Sale. Closets have been cleaned out, wardrobes purged, and basement belongings up heaved in our search for the things that we don't need in our lives. Perhaps you need them! We will be continuing traditions from last year's sale, including a Democratic Lemonade Stand and the Gentleman's corner, as well as giving away some fantastic gifts from our sponsors. Don't miss this one day only, Front & Back Yard Sale!

What: A Front & Back Yard Sale by Secondhand Happenings
When: Sunday, August 1 from 9 to 4
Where: 4828 N. College, Indianapolis, IN
Why: Treasures out the wazoo!

Countdown to 127: 14 Days, 00 Hours, 02 Minutes, 45 Seconds

YES.

Secondhand Spotlight: Kansas City

2010-07-19T14:27:00.005-04:00

Dear Reader,
I wanted to share with you a few highlights of a recent trip to my birth place, Kansas City. My family moved to Indiana before my second birthday, and growing up we made several trips back to our motherland each year. Over the years I have come to know and love a few of K.C.'s thrift stores and make it a point to visit my two favorites, The MAJ-R THRIFT and The DAV Thrift Store, every time I'm in the area. A small army of family members usually accompanies me.

It's a family tradition.

I will gladly serve under MAJ-R THRIFT.

One challenge here is that there is no public restroom. Just remember to think ahead, and don't drink a lot of fluids that day if you plan on staying awhile.

My favorite perk to shopping at the MAJ-R is that their clothing is organized by size, and within the size, by color! It's the most organized thrift store that I can recall.

This is my favorite item that I did not purchase at the MAJ-R.

Next up was the DAV. Onward, thrifting soldiers!

Thrifting for a cause!

One unique aspect of the DAV is that there are no dressing rooms. You just have to be creative like Bargain Betty here, trying on a sweater in the reflection of a car parked outside

And now it's time for show-and-tell in the parking lot. I found a planner, a scarf and sunglasses, and BB found two lovely old spoons, and a stainless steel toaster!

If you ever find yourself in Kansas City, don't forget about old MAJ-R THRIFT or the DAV. They won't let you down.

With love, Laura

Wedding bells!

2010-06-30T10:01:00.004-04:00

Wedding season is in full swing, and I came across a fantastic secondhand happening recently at the wedding of Brittany and Wes (Incidentally, I bought a beautiful blue vintage bike from Wes last summer). Brittany's dress and shoes were both found at Value World for the bargain prices of 14.99 and 4.99. Wes' attire was found at an estate sale.

Congratulations to this happy (and thrifty!) couple! As they say, the couple that secondhands together, wears wedding bands together. Alright, so I just made that up on the spot, but maybe one day it will work it's way in to common use.

My 2009 127 Finds

2010-06-16T22:15:00.001-04:00

I have neglected to post some big news: I’m engaged! The past few months have been a whirlwind as Alex and I have been planning our September wedding! Now that I’m [finally] engaged, I can tell you about my 2009 127 finds!

My finds can be summed up into two words: milk glass. As you can see in these photos, I bought quite a few milk glass vases! I plan to fill them all with beautiful yellow flowers and place them on the tables for our reception!

I also found a towel holder thing, some expired film, and two gorgeous Pyrex pitchers! I still have to hang the towel holder in my soon to be apartment, but the film has been used and the pitchers have a lovely home in the kitchen.

My favorite shopping experience for 2010 was when I asked a guy about the price of two vases. He replied with a price I was not willing to pay and my instant response was to say “what?” in a very girly voice… I then told him how the same thing was much cheaper down the street. With a smile he said, “well you should have got it down the street then” I told him I had!!! I asked him if he would make me a deal and threw out some price that was cheaper then what he had said (but not at all cheaper than what I had paid down the street) and he happily agreed with an “oh all right”. By this time several older men were around listening to our conversation. Someone pointed out that if he was “cute and smiley” maybe he could get some better deals! -Erika

When worlds collide!

2010-05-26T00:26:00.003-04:00

Dear Reader,
Laura here. Every now and then two different things that are very dear to my heart are brought together. Usually it is of my own purposeful doing, but the most magical happenings are the ones that chance brings together. As you may or may not know, in addition to all things secondhand, I love to write songs and play music. A couple of weeks ago I received an invitation to perform at the 33rd annual Woodruff Place Flea Market, a legendary event in Indianapolis. I have not yet had the pleasure of attending, though both Erika and Elizabeth were able to enjoy the festivities last year (photos here!). I eagerly accepted the invitation, and will perform at 10:00 AM on Sunday morning, June 6.

All of the ladies of Secondhand Happenings will be browsing around, and we'd love to run in to you! Happy bargain hunting!

with love, Laura

Garage Sale Birthday

2010-05-16T11:14:00.004-04:00

Yesterday was my 25th birthday and I was able to celebrate in a very exciting way- garage saleing! My sister, brother-in-law and I hit up many sales in my home town of Winona Lake, Indiana! I took a few photos that I hope to share with you later this week. My finds? Two Forever 21 dresses, one is brand new with tags still on it ($4 each), Scrabble Jr. for my sister who is going to be a teacher ($.50) and... are you ready... Nintendo 64 with four games!!! ($15) I loved Super Mario 64 when I was younger and am pumped that I now own it! I had to ask the seller to go down on the price and thankfully she was willing! All in all a great birthday! I would like to leave you with a topic that James brought up as we were shopping: When he was little and out garage saleing with his mom, they would ask to use the restroom in peoples homes if he had to go! Personally, I have not done that but what have been your experiences?

Support local music AND garage sale?! At the same time?!

2010-05-06T02:15:00.002-04:00

Dear Reader,
I recently recieved an invitation to a pretty fantastic and worthwhile event from Musical Family Tree. Just thought I would pass along this gem of a garage sale to the concerned readers of Secondhand Happenings:

MFT is an online music archive featuring mostly Indiana bands from the Punk scene through the present. It's also an online community and store.

Time: May 7, 2010 at 8am to May 8, 2010 at 5pm

Event Description:We are going to have an MFT fundraiser/garage sale on May 7th and 8th (friday and saturday) at my house- 8904 Manderley Dr. Indianapolis, IN 46240. Sale times are 8am-5pm both days.The goal is to sell a bunch of stuff and raise some money to pay off the monster credit card bill that MFT has from putting out some lovely but poorly selling releases the last few years. After personally paying $2500 in interest on the card last year I've decided I need some help paying this down.We will a huge record collection at this sale. The collection is from a local DJ and former owner/employee of Second Time Around. There's about 4-5000 LPs, many in great condition and some pretty rare/desirable as well. It's an A-Z of rock with plenty of other genres mixed in. Jorma Whittaker and I are getting it organized for the sale.We will be pulling out much of MFT's backstock and offering it for crazy low prices so we can move it. This includes tons of CDs, LPs and some 45s. Great Indiana stuff, many items not even in the store.

How can you help? Two ways. Donate and buy stuff.If you have some back stock you want to donate, or some old equipment (studio gear, instruments, etc) or even just good garage sale stuff (record players, stereos, TVs, etc) drop it off at Small Box (6332 Guilford Ave 46220) or just bring it by the sale which will be at my house (8904 Manderley Dr 46240 near North Central High School).If you are bringing lots of stuff for the sale please let us know in advance. My email is jebbanner at gmail.com Hopefully we can have a fun time and raise some money to pay off this pesky credit card!

The annual Woodruff Place flea market

2010-05-03T16:27:00.001-04:00

Indy’s best secret is the annual flea market at Woodruff Place. It might not be a secret but I wish it could be… One that only you and I knew of. Click here for all the information!

Here are a few photos I snapped with my holga at the flea market last year:

The winner is…

2010-05-02T20:31:00.002-04:00

Comment number seven: KIRSTEN TORNES!

There was some confusion as to when and which post to comment on so we will be sure to make some changes the next time! We went ahead and counted each comment from both the “who wants this Hair Treasure” and the “giveaway” posts… We numbered each comment starting with Holly as number one and moving our way down (skipping our own comment of course) and when we generated the random number, it was lucky number 7 that popped up! Congratulations to Kirsten and THANK YOU to everyone who participated! We are excited to do another giveaway very soon!!!

Really love Hair Treasures? Take a look at Tara’s Etsy shop!

A special thank you to Hair Treasures for sponsoring this give away! If you are interested in becoming a Secondhand Happenings sponsor, shoot us an email!

Giveaway!

2010-05-01T06:15:00.001-04:00

The comments are in! Thanks to everyone who participated! The winner will be announced tomorrow!

Who wants this Hair Treasure?

2010-04-29T23:33:00.003-04:00

Of course you want it... And now you can win it! Simply leave a comment with your name on this post any time on Friday, April 30, and we will draw one name at random. You could be the lucky recipient of this unique hair treasure!

with love (and luck!),

Secondhand Happenings

Giveaway!

2010-04-27T00:13:00.002-04:00

Dear Reader,

We're very excited about our first givaway: a unique Hair Treasure made entirely out of secondhand items! Now, we know a bargain when we see one, and it doesn't get any better than free. To enter, simply comment on our post at the very end of the month (friday, April 30). We will number each comment throughout the day, and then draw a number at random. Best of luck!

-S.H.

Hair Treasures Studio Tour

2010-04-26T14:00:00.008-04:00

Above are a few snapshots of the Hair Treasures headquarters in Carmel, Indiana. Tara was kind enough to show us around her space and answer our many questions about the creative process, where she finds the unique secondhand jewelry in her pieces, and anything else our inquisitive (read: nosy) minds could conjure up.

Secondhand Happenings: How long have you been making and selling Hair Treasures?

Tara: Since September of 2009. I started making headbands for myself after I moved back to Indiana from Nashville. My first customer was my old babysitter!

SH: Where do you like to look for the vintage jewelry that you incorporate in to your pieces?

T: Flea markets! Nashville has the best flea markets. Here in Indianapolis Stewart's flea market is held every month at the state fairgrounds. There's a vendor there that always tries to get me to buy more from her by sneaking extra jewelry in to my pile. I've also bought bags of costume jewelry at Broad Ripple Vintage for $10 a bag.

SH: How much time do you spend making the treasures?

T: I try to work on something every day. If I'm getting ready for a craft show, then I'll spend hours a day!

SH: Do you have a favorite secondhand store of all time?

T: There's just so many...

SH: I know, that's tough question. It's kind of like asking "what's your favorite band?" (before I could even finish the sentence, Tara enthusiastically answered "Hanson!!!")

SH: What are some tools of the trade?

T: Hot glue! I used to use super glue, but there were too many mishaps. One night at 4 am I glued four of my fingers together. I didn't really know what to do! After alot of washing and scrubbing, I finally got them unstuck. Also, felt, yarn, a digital camera for cataloguing the pieces on Etsy and in my portfolio, and electric scissors my mom got me for Christmas.

SH: Besides your Etsy site, how do you get your pieces out of the studio and in to someone's hair?

T: Word of mouth, craft shows, friends, and special orders. I was recently invited to a bridal shower to create cutomized hair treasures for the bridal party. I brought an assortment of jewelry and my portfolio book. It's a great way to get to know my customers and give them exactly what they want.

(we couldn't help but notice a sewing machine with an adorable dress draped over it, seemingly begging for an alteration)

SH: How long have you been sewing?

T:I got my first sewing machine from my grandma in first grade. I do alot of alterations. Most of the Hair Treasures are hand sewn.

SH: Do you have any advice for others who might like to start up their own business?

T: Don't be discouraged if things aren't going so well, especially in the beginning. If you love it, do it!

Secondhand Store of the Month: Hair Treasures!

2010-04-12T16:37:00.004-04:00

Dear Reader,
we are proud to announce our first Secondhand Store of the Month, Hair Treasures! The brain child of Tara Bender, Hair Treasures is just what the name conjures up: Beautiful, one-of-a-kind accessories to dazzle any head of hair. Each piece is hand made with care, and Tara often incorporates secondhand items. She even does special orders! As our Secondhand Store of the month, we will be visiting Tara's work space where the magic happens. She also donated a very special Hair Treasure, made especially for our first monthly giveaway!

She shared a few words with us about the secondhand items that were used on this unique piece:
"The fabric was given to me by a lady who comes in to Eagle Creek. She has her own interior upholstery business, so she gives me drapery scraps and stuff. It feels like christmas every time she gives me a bag of goodies. This fabric was my favorite! Whoever wears it will be matching someone's curtains somewhere out there in the world. And the piece on the front is a vintage earring that i got at the flea market this winter. I'm not sure how old it is, but it had a screw-on back, and it's very '70s yellowish, so maybe somewhere in that decade."

This Treasure will be given away through our blog toward the end of April, so keep your eyes peeled!

-S.H.

Walking in other peoples' shoes.

2010-04-10T13:57:00.000-04:00

Different people have different thresholds of disgust when it comes to secondhand purchases. I draw the line at undergarments and bed linens.

In the last four or five years I have ventured into the land of secondhand shoe purchases. I didn't walk into this new territory intentionally, I feel as though the footwear has found me.

I really didn't think that I had that many previously loved shoes, but recently I decided to take a lil inventory, to see what I had. Much to my surprise, I found seven pairs. Yikes.

My grandmother gave me these Vans! She didn't like the way they fit. I was wearing them over Easter when I saw her and she was shocked to see I still had them. She thinks she may have bought them about fifteen years ago. I had no idea they were that old.

These K-Swiss kicks hail from Marion, Indiana. A little snug, but definitely worth it.

These lovely ladies are also from Marion. They are missing a strap, but I think it just adds to the charm.

I found these boots in Kentucky on the 127! 75 cents.

I bought these from the same gal in Kentucky. 75 cents.

Grasshoppers from Marion, IN. Pretty sure they had never been worn.

These Keds Essentials are from Indianapolis. A ten year old girl complimented me on them once.

How do our lovely readers feel about secondhand shoe purchases? Yay or Nay?

Go on, I can take it!

With love,

Elizabeth

127 Countdown

2010-04-08T00:18:00.006-04:00

"I believe that thrift is essential to well-ordered living."

-John D. Rockefeller

Countdown to 127: 118 days, 23 hour,410 minutes, 2 seconds

Dottie's Bargain Shopping Showcase

2010-04-06T01:17:00.001-04:00

Dear readers,

As you know, we like to share about our secondhand treasures, but we also really love to hear about yours! My very awesome and thrifty friend, Dottie, recently created a facebook photo album to show me all her Goodwill finds!

Here are a few goodies she found:

I would like to send a BIG thank you to Dottie for creating her “Bargain Shopping Showcase”! Whether it’s on Facebook, your blog, or in our comments, we LOVE to know what you are finding in the world of secondhand! And who knows, we just might have to post about you as well!

The Secondhand Happenings Goodwill World Tour 2010

2010-03-23T16:00:00.013-04:00

Secondhand Happenings had a very eventful day on Saturday. It was half price day at Goodwill, and following the map on the left, we ventured out to eleven different stores. We hit the Castleton Goodwill at 9 a.m. and closed down the East Washington store at 9 p.m. with great success and many a McDonald's sweet tea in between. We took notes after each stop and wanted to share our findings with our readers, to help you navigate the wild and woolly world of the half price sale.

It should also be noted that we were after something very specific: vintage dishes and flatware. Secondhand Happenings is starting up a unique special occasion rental service, offering a bouquet of vintage and antique dinner and dessert plates, mugs and silverware. We have three events on the horizon, so we knew that we had to build our inventory very quickly. The half price day was the perfect opportunity and we were able to add hundreds of one-of-a-kind items to our collection in a single day! We'll have more information on this special service very soon.

And now, on to the World Tour!

82nd Street Goodwill, Indianapolis

We started our day at at the Castleton Goodwill. I could hardly believe it was half price day! We parked the car with ease, took one of the many free carts, and at checkout time there was no waiting in line. Besides the fact that we paid half of the marked price, there were no indications that anything special was happening.

96th Street Goodwill, Fishers

Next up was the 96th street Goodwill in Fishers. This atmosphere was more like the half price days that I was accustomed to: busy and crowded with a frantic feel in the air. Notable moments were sightings of a little girl jumping rope in the middle of an aisle and a grown woman testing out a children's toy horse on wheels. Despite the swarms of people, we only waited a few minutes for checkout and they displayed excellent customer service by paging a "box for dishes" when we were still two carts deep in line. We had great success at this Goodwill and it was apparent that we would need it.

126th Street Goodwill, Fishers

This place was hoppin', and by far the busiest Goodwill of the day. Erika had to create her own parking space. We found the least amount of items here and waiting the longest in line: a ridiculous 50 minutes. A notable moment occurred during the 50 minute wait, during which we were behind a mother and her months-old baby. An elderly woman approached the mother with a pair of pink ruffled bloomers, to which she said "um... it's a boy". I was also able to read "How Droofus the Dragon Lost His Head" by Bill Peet while waiting, which was delightful. All in all, this is the Goodwill that I would be the most inclined to skip on a future half price day.

Noblesville Goodwill

This store was heaven for flatware. At the previous stops, we found knives but very little forks or spoons. That changed in Noblesville! Erika found some neat stickers. At this point we realized that we were beginning to see the familiar faces of fellow half price hoppers. With ease of parking and a speedy checkout, the Noblesville Goodwill has our stamp of approval.

(insert McDonald's break here)

IN-32 Goodwill, Westfield

This store was quiet and easy to navigate. It was a jackpot for plates, and the other customers were very friendly and curious about our designs for our cart full of dishes.

151st Street Goodwill, Westfield

This store has always been a favorite of mine. Parking was a bit troublesome, but the thoughtful folks here provided traffic control! They had a great selection of new items from Target.

N. Michigan Road Goodwill, Carmel

Customer service was efficient but not very friendly. Parking was a breeze. Elizabeth almost bought a record entitled " Exercising Together", an intimate 80's workout regime for couples.

Michigan Road Goodwill, Indianapolis

This store was very crowded and claustrophobic. There were multiple hold-ups in line for no apparent reason. Our cashier scanned and wrapped each item individually, though we tried to protest because of the time and effort it took to wrap them when we would most likely have to unwrap and stack them to fit them in the car. She kept insisting with "I've got a system for this". Liz had a bit of a conflict in the silverware bin with an aggressively shopping personal-space-invader. This Goodwill was also filled with terrible and inconsistent prices. Erika found two of the same vases, one of which was marked .99 and the other 2.99. We left with such unpleasant sentiments about this Goodwill that we decided to take a break and check out the Salvation Army across the street.

Salvation Army

Even after such a distasteful Goodwill experience, this Salvation Army Store left us feeling eager to resume our Goodwill World Tour. Most of the dishes were chipped, dirty and of course discount-free.

(Insert McDonald's sundaes and small fries here)

At this point Erika's car was so full of dishes that we had to go to Broad Ripple, our starting point, and switch it for Elizabeth's dish-free vehicle.

Lafayette Road Goodwill, Indianapolis

We arrived around 5:00 p.m., and it definitely felt as though we were experiencing the calm after a violent storm. The toy aisle was just that: toys scattered all over the aisle. It seemed picked over, as it should at such an hour on half price day. As we exited the store, a lady who was entering commented to her friend "I saw her at the last store".

West Washington Street Goodwill, Indianapolis

We didn't find too many dishes here, but Erika found a desk and chair! They had an unusual amount of new Target furniture here, and very friendly customers and staff.

In the same strip mall as the Goodwill was a place called Somali Coffee Shop. We were in need of caffeine and a bathroom, so we decided to stop in. We quickly realized that "coffee shop" meant "hookah bar". Elizabeth and I ordered coffee to go while Erika went on a hunt for the bathroom. In her bathroom search, she managed to knock down a wobbly door! The coffee was terrible, but the laughs were worth the $3 spent.

East Washington Street Goodwill, Indianapolis

This Goodwill is very special because the blue fluorescent lettering had serifs! Serif Goodwills are extremely rare, with such fonts being frowned upon by the Goodwill corporation. I find them to be friendly and inviting. Erika deemed this the dirtiest Goodwill of the day. It could have been because this was out last stop and our minds were beginning o wander, but we found the most unique items here for ourselves. Notable about this Goodwill were the gorgeous antique plates that we scooped up and the unusual amount of bad parenting that we observed.

After 12 hours of thrifting and hundreds of bargains, we were more than ready to return home. We hope these notes can be helpful to you on your own Goodwill World Tour!

With love, Secondhand Happenings

Business as usual

2010-03-23T13:37:00.014-04:00

Dear Reader,

This lovely spring day finds us together in Zionsville at Eagle Creek Coffee, sitting in a neat line on a comfy couch with laptops open. There is a lot of important business to attend to today. We had the pleasure of running in to our friend Tara Bender, a barista at Eagle Creek and also the mastermind behind Hair Treasures. When we walked in, Tara was restocking a clear glass cooler and all we could see was a silhouette of an adorable waisted dress. We knew it had to be Tara, because we had read about how she transformed a work tee shirt in to a dress. It's a really brilliant idea to bring new life to an old piece.

Hair Treasures is going to be our first featured Secondhand Store of the Month(!!!), which will be in April. She makes lovely hair accessories incorporating vintage jewelry. Keep an eye out for Tara's free giveaway through our blog!

Below are just a few examples of Tara's Hair Treasures:

And now we've got to get down to some serious business.

-S.H.

Countdown to 127!

2010-03-23T13:30:00.000-04:00

Countdown to 127: 134 days, 06 hour, 50 minutes, 32 seconds

2010-03-18T22:52:00.016-04:00

Dear Reader,
First of all we would like to apologize for the lack of posts as of late. Remember when we said that we were committed to more frequent posts, probably? The "probably" is for times like these. We have had some pretty fantastic, life-changing events transpire that have been keeping us otherwise occupied. More on that later- on to the bargains!

Today was a beautiful day for secondhand. Taking advantage of the weather, my friend and fellow blogger Katrina and I hit the mean streets of Indianapolis looking for something to find. Our journey took us to three of the Value World family of thrift stores and one Salvation Army.

Katrina and the linens

What I didn't buy...

What I wasn't going to buy until I saw the 2.50 price tag. As I was checking out, the cashier told me "You'd better not go knockin' on anyone's door with nothing on underneath it! Lookin' for testimonies, HA!".

I stepped on this lovely dish and broke it shortly after this photograph was taken.

New bathroom reading!

Spring dress #1

Spring dress #2

It was a very successful day, complete with lunch at The Donut Shop. Now I've got to get some rest, as Secondhand Happenings has a very busy weekend ahead, scouring all of the Goodwills for dishes (it's a top secret project). More on that later as well!

with love, Laura

Countdown to 127- The Raven's Nest

2010-02-23T19:25:00.010-05:00

Now, I know you may think that the lives of the ladies of Secondhand Happenings are nothing but work, compulsively sifting through junk and wandering through garages and thrift stores (especially during the 127!), but we do occasionally take time out for more recreational activities. In 2009, the World's Longest Garage Sale brought us through the town of Dunlap, Tennessee. We asked the locals what kind of trouble we could get in to after the sun went down and the sales closed up, and were referred to the Raven's Nest. We had a blast, and were able to meet some fantastic natives!

Music was provided by these fine gentlemen

Erika had a very special serenade

Dancing was provided by Secondhand Happenings and this gentleman

All of our new friends!

Countdown to 127:

162 days, 2 hours, 44 minutes, 35 seconds

Heart of the Lakes Antique Mall

2010-02-20T17:42:00.006-05:00

Dear Reader,
I recently had the pleasure of visiting the Heart of the Lakes Antique Mall in North Webster, IN. I've been bargain hunting at this fantastic maze of treasures for years now, and I can always count on finding more things that I couldn't live without. ;)

First, a couple of unique items I did not buy:

Just a little too much something... Feathers maybe?

A town drunk lamp!

And now I'll share with you the lovelies that I brought home:

A wonderfully tinky-sounding toy piano

Oh, but there's more...

This miniature tea set now decorates (or clutters...) my window seat

It went from "cute" to "can't live without" in 2.9 seconds

A lightning arrow from an old farm house

Bloomers!

You really should visit the Heart of the Lakes, as well as their antique mall. I have to make sure my visits are few and far between, because I don't need many more items that I can't live without.

With love, Laura

Reusable Links

2010-02-18T16:03:00.009-05:00

A fun way to reuse wine corks & how to make it!

Collecting & Protecting NYC

Manly dog collars…

Wish we could go thrift store shopping with these guys!

We cannot wait to attend Janelle & Kirsten’s senior shows! You should attend too!

A Sign of Spring

2010-02-17T17:09:00.004-05:00

Every February CIBA, Central Indiana Bicycling Association, hosts a bicycle swap meet and this year it just so happened to fall on the 14th! So, my Valentine and I headed up to the Noblesville Fairgrounds to see what we could find!

Vendors from around Indiana and beyond (we met a guy from Columbus, Ohio) bring their bicycle-related odds and ends and slap them on a table, for a small fee of course. I took some pics with my camera phone for you. (Isn't technology amazing?!)

They were crowding around this table like a school of piranhas. The afternoon was coming to a close so the vendors were wheelin' and dealin'. This definitely worked out to our advantage.

Not only did they have a myriad of bikes and bike parts, they also had a fine assortment of vintage, cycling-related tees and jerseys.

As we purused the swap meet, we were keeping an eye peeled for a lil something to fix up for the coming Spring. I think we were both keeping our expectations low. However, in the second row of tables, we stumbled upon a lovely little frame - a robin's egg blue Schwinn World Sport. The tag said $20, but when the vendor saw us looking it over he immediately said he would take $10. The frame was just my size! After a couple moments of contemplation, we realized we couldn't pass this up. Before we left we also found a pair of Specialized handlebars for $2 and a stem for $5. What a secondhand happening!

They look pretty great together.

Work has already begun on this beauty! And just yesterday we discovered that the frame was released in 1985! The year of my birth! Meant to be.

I found the 1985 Schwinn catalog while surfing net.

I think I am going to look at least that good.

Spring, here we come!

-Elizabeth

Countdown to 127!

2010-02-16T23:07:00.004-05:00

Countdown to 127: 168 days, 23 hour, 50 minutes, 20 seconds

Happy President's Day!

2010-02-15T16:44:00.001-05:00

In the true spirit of secondhand news, the ladies of S.H. would like to misquote President Abraham Lincoln in honor of the holiday:

"You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift"

(This was actually penned by the Reverend William John Henry Boetcker)

We would like to thank Reverend Boetcker for the words of wisdom and Ronald Reagan for attributing them to Lincoln.

Valentine's Day in a Box

2010-02-15T13:21:00.000-05:00

I received a phone call from my secondhand comrades yesterday - a sort of "Come to Jesus" talk, if you will. I haven't been pulling my weight here in the blogosphere, and I needed to hear that, in love of course. And I do have a lot I want to share with you, so here is my first step toward a better blogging record. (Wednesday, I am going to tell you all about my totally awesome, secondhand, Valentine's Day outing!!! Gosh it's good.)

So I was in Goodwill about a month ago, getting a little secondhand fix, when I decided to mosey on over to the fabric section. Usually this section skeezes me out a bit but I thought I would take a quick walk-by, and boy am I glad I did! I found this hook rug kit for one dollar! Just in time for V-day!

Upon purchasing this gem and taking it home, I realized that the little latch hook tool was not included. So, I went online and found out that you could buy the little guy for a couple dollars at Joann Fabrics. So I trudged on over to Castleton only to find that I had to buy an entire kit just to get the tool. $6.95 mind you! I thought I would share a photo of the unfortunate packaging. I admit, the packaging from my Goodwill find is nothing to write home about, but it is bad in an endearing/charming sort of way.

This is the little guy I needed.

And the finished product! (I decided to omit the lace.) I must say, I really enjoyed the latch hook process. Have any of our beloved readers given latch hooking a try? Do tell.

With love,
Elizabeth

Reusable Links

2010-02-11T16:34:00.000-05:00

“You mean the world to me” re-use an old map for gift-wrapping this Valentine's Day!

Lovely Craigslist Chairs

A Perfect Match: a great way to re-use old matchboxes found via inchmark

Old sweater New sweater found via A Penny Saved

[something fun even though it's not secondhand]

Snowy Secondhand Adventure

2010-02-10T23:08:00.000-05:00

Over the weekend we had a beautiful snowstorm here in Indy so we, the ladies of Secondhand Happenings, decided it was only fitting to go on a snowy secondhand adventure! Our quest: go sledding with primarily secondhand items. In order to make this an official SH outing we stopped by Value World to pick up some much needed items. After finding some waterproof clothing, we searched the store for things we could use to ride down the hill on. I already had a secondhand blowup sled, Elizabeth found a roasting tray, and Laura purchased a cafeteria tray. Here are some photos and a video from our adventure:

To view more photos from our adventure visit our Facebook Fan Page!

Countdown to 127- Sno Balls

2010-02-09T11:17:00.000-05:00

Secondhand Happenings recently had a very fun, snowy outing, but as with almost everything, it left us longing for the 127. This past year, the World's Longest Garage Sale introduced us to a new tasty treat: New Orleans style Sno-Balls. Let's make one thing clear: a Sno-Ball is nothing like a Sno-Cone. The ice is shaved, so finely that you could very easily mistake it for a snow ball with your choice of flavor syrup drizzled over it. In the middle of a hot, southern summer, there's nothing more refreshing.

Countdown to 127 (and New Orleans style Sno-Balls!)

176 days, 11 hours, 12 minutes, 23 seconds

Pre-Spring cleaning!

2010-02-05T21:17:00.000-05:00

Ah, February... My month for cleaning and organizing with all the ferocity of spring. I paired down my closet last week, and ended up with a whole tub full of goodies for the second annual Secondhand Happenings garage sale. (I'm thinking second secondhand is something like a golden birthday.)

Also, I finally took down my beautiful Christmas tree, though I saved the wonderful secondhand jems I accrued over the season for next year!

With love, Laura

Reusable Links

2010-02-04T20:47:00.000-05:00

In effort to become a better secondhand resource, we will be posting weekly links to other blogs and websites sharing creative reused items! Let us know what you think about these links!

Button Rings by Janelle

Old jars make for beautiful storage

How to turn your 3-year-old into Robin Hood by Raechel

News Paper Headband

A DIY: gift bow from magazine pages

Bottles and Numbers

Egg tray paint found via The Haystack Needle

Favorite Etsy Finds- February 2010

2010-02-01T22:02:00.000-05:00

Top row from left: 28 children’s novelty valentine cards in original package, letterpress typeset printers blocks wood type letters 4EVER, and society girl proper fuschia pink dress

Middle row: CUB printing press number 8406, fire king red soup bowl, 1970s leather hooded brick red jacket, 1950s semi long white valentine mad men evening gloves, and red elgin travel alarm

Bottom row: texas wood wall hook, vintage heart locket, and 1951 ABC alphabet reading book

The Boxing Day Soiree!

2010-02-01T15:55:00.000-05:00

Perhaps you were able to attend the first annual Boxing Day Soiree. If so, you may recognize yourself in one of the photos below. If not, take heart: We'll do it again next year! A good time was had by all with some amazing live music, delicious Blue Lion beverages and free Secondhand Happenings buttons.

Greeting(card)s from Countryside Antiques

2010-01-29T00:00:00.000-05:00

Dear Reader,

Every time I go secondhand shopping with Bargain Betty, it's as though her very name precedes us and leaves bargains in it's wake. At Countryside Antiques in Larwill, IN, I found a bag of nearly forty unused vintage greeting cards for the incredibly low price of two dollars! That works out to around a nickel apeice! A few of them are already on their way to some very special recipients.

That's right, how about a line from you? ;)

With love, Laura

Favorite Etsy Finds -January 2010

2010-01-27T19:42:00.000-05:00

Top row from left: vintage gray shirt dress with white baby doll collar, vintage set of eight corelle winter frost white cups, and snow white vintage rose studs

Middlet row: 1940s charcoal wool car coat faux fur funnel neck, 60s winter hat, and 1933 polar map pages

Bottom row: WEISS blue circle brooc, vintage dress trench, stacking soup bowls

127 Countdown!

2010-01-26T12:56:00.000-05:00

"I've been so lonely for rummage sales" -Bargain Betty

Countdown to 127:
190 days, 11 hours, 1 minute, 13 seconds

Bargain Betty and the Great Book Rescue

2010-01-25T12:25:00.000-05:00

Dear Reader,
I recently had the chance to catch up with Bargain Betty over a cup of tea. As you may or may not know, Bargain Betty is a secondhand mentor and hero of mine, practically raising me in the art. And goodness, did she have story to tell! A friend who works at a local library had tipped her off that the library was about to throw thousands of books into the dumpster. BB has a great love in her heart for old books, and was able to organize a rescue. She called up a few friends who would be interested, including the owners of a fantastic used bookstore by the name of Pete and Freddy's Pages Aplenty. The books were stored in the library's dark basement, and the rescue party had to sort through the books with the help of flashlights after the sun went down. Together, they were able to save over forty boxes of books! I have a soft spot in my heart for library bound editions, and took a few snapshots of some of my favorites, as well as BB in the process of cleaning and treating the books.

For library editions, she first carefully removes any stickers or markings. Then, she uses Goo Gone to remove the adhesive residue. She then wipes down the book covers with a lint free cloth.

Thank you, Bargain Betty, for saving these lovelies from the dumpster.

With love, Laura

Business as usual.

2010-01-24T04:27:00.001-05:00

So you may notice some changes...

We avoided sleep this evening to refresh some things around here. In the process, we have consumed forty-two pixy stix, not kidding, we counted. (See below for evidence.) There were also some pizza rolls thrown into the mix, but its all a bit foggy right now...moving on...

There is plenty to be looking forward to in 2010, dear followers. We would like to be a bigger and better resource for you. We are also committing to more frequent posts, probably. And last but not least, we have started a facebook fan page. We would be honored if you would join us in that corner of the internet.

Thank you for reading. We are looking forward to sharing our secondhand adventures with you in 2010.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-26T02:16:00.001-05:00

I hope you had a very merry Christmas! I wanted to share my Christmas sweater with you...

I purchased this wonderful thing at the Salvation Army thrift store in Canton Ohio a few weeks ago. I was in Ohio visiting my sister and needed the sweater so that i could attend an ugly Christmas sweater party. If you are ever in the Canton area, this is a "must visit" thrift store! They have a huge selection including a section just for vintage clothes!

As you can see from this photo I was very excited about my find!

My sister and her friend also found some sweet sweaters! Sarah is a golfer which is why we think this was made for her!
This is something we didn't buy... but maybe should have!

Secondhand gifting 101 with Bargain Betty

2009-12-23T00:51:00.000-05:00

Dear Reader,
As Christmas quickly approaches (as well as the 127! Well, sort of...) we have been combing the thrift stores around town for gifts. We can't write about them just yet because we don't want to spoil any surprises, but thought it would be nice to dedicate our weekly countdown to 127 to the subject of secondhand gifts. Today I had the opportunity to speak over the phone with Bargain Betty, a seasoned secondhand veteran.

Secondhand Happenings: Bargain Betty, thank you for taking the time to speak with me during your holiday preparations.

Bargain Betty: You're quite welcome!

S.H. Do you think that there is a better selection at a thrift store or garage sale than at a department store?

B.B. Oh yes! and way cooler stuff.

S.H. What is your favorite secondhand gift you've given?

B.B. I don't now, I buy so many of them! Probably an out of print Edgar Guest book I found for my son. That's my favorite, when you find something you can't get anywhere else.

S.H. I hear that you know a family who only exchanges secondhand gifts.

B.B. Yes, they are happier than anyone. They find better quality items!

S.H. With December being so far removed from the garage sale season, where have you been shopping lately for gifts?

B.B. Well, you look all year. By December you should have most of your shopping done. But I always love the Goodwill!

S.H. What is one item that you would not give secondhand?

B.B. Underwear. That's about it.

S.H. Is there a difference between giving a secondhand gift and the practice of " regifting"?

B.B. I think the reason people regift is because people get so much stuff they don't need or even want. In this culture we are overrun with stuff in our own houses! I don't care if it's regifted or used, if someone really wants or needs it then give it! If you don't care about it, it's not much of a gift.

S.H. Bargain Betty, thank you for your words of wisdom.

Countdown to 127 (And shopping for Christmas 2010!)

224 days, 22 hours, 49 minutes, 5 seconds

Boxing Day Soiree Buttons

2009-12-22T02:49:00.000-05:00

We made our first run of secondhand buttons from scraps in the craft drawer. Would you like one? Just come to the Boxing Day Soiree sporting something secondhand and you can take your pick!

Thrifty trimmings!

2009-12-21T00:26:00.000-05:00

The other day my secondhand sister Elizabeth stopped by, fresh from goodwill! And she was bearing trimmings for my tree!

We've been shoppin'!

2009-12-16T17:08:00.000-05:00

For a little event called the Boxing Day Soiree!!!
Secondhand Happening will be providing secondhand door prizes/treasures for this lovely event! We hope to see you there!

Countdown to 127: 231 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, 19 seconds

Drop it Like it's Clock

2009-12-08T19:34:00.000-05:00

In the last post I mentioned that I have been collecting bell jars for the past couple of years. The 127 seems to be teeming with them. I brought home five from our trip this past summer, most of which were covering not-so-charming anniversary clocks. After purchasing these beautiful glass domes, I would carefully pack them in the trunk and discard their gaudy metal and plastic entrails onto the backseat. "What should we do with these?" asked the ladies of Secondhand Happenings. Well, drop them, of course! The concept is simple- when the feeling strikes, pick a clock and drop it, leaving its fate in the hands of the next passerby.

Countdown to 127: 239 days, 1 hour, 54 minutes, 12 seconds

Secondhand Home Decor

2009-12-04T16:18:00.000-05:00

A couple months ago, I decided our mantel needed a little dose of autumn. I have been collecting bell jars for the past couple years (many from the 127, more on that later!), and I recently came across the inspiring work of Katie Runnels. Long story short, I found all six of these green glass bases in one Goodwill stop. I then shopped around and found little odds and ends I could use in my jars.

• a secondhand book called, "Animals Are Like People".

• a metal scrubber

• a pale pink plastic table cloth

• cellophane wrapping paper

• a dollar general plastic bag

• arm floaties

• a hula skirt

This is what I came up with:

I also made a lil banner of leaves for Alex.

must...shop...secondhand...

2009-12-03T00:15:00.001-05:00

All three of us have felt the undeniable urge to thrift. Erika even had dreams of garage sales. We had to have our secondhand fix, and we all knew where to find it. Many places to find it, actually. S.H. hit the streets of Indianapolis and made out like bandits. More on the bargains later. ;)

Countdown to 127!

2009-12-01T21:39:00.002-05:00

127: Accommodations along the way

If you decide to make your 127 excursion more than a day trip, which we highly recommend, you will quite obviously need to find some sort of accommodations. In our experience, the hotels are generally booked with all of the traffic. Sometimes we make our reservations ahead of time, but we also like to just wing it and see where the road takes us.

This year we had a close call in Tennessee, when we decided last minute to stay in the quaint town of Dunlap which only had two hotels. We arrived at the Mountain Inn and Suites and they only had one room left, which happened to be the jacuzzi room. Oh the poor, distraught ladies of Secondhand Happenings. ;) We couldn't turn it down! The Mountain Inn is highly recommended. Reasonable rates, lovely rooms, and a free breakfast at the restaurant next door.

Another fantastic option is sleeping in the car. Hotel de Helfrich ,as we like to call it, is Elizabeth's station wagon. The back seat flips down and it's just comfortable enough to be sleepable. We spent the evening preceding our 2009 trip at the northernmost point of the sale in a church parking lot.

Awake, alive, and ready for garage saling!

Thank you, Fayette United Methodist Church, for the use of your parking lot. (get it? misteaks?)

Hotel de Helfrich has such a lovely view!

Girltalk

They look like little car sleeping angels...

We quickly warmed to the idea of a jacuzzi,

And also a king sized bed!

Countdown to 127: 246 days, 1 hour, 19 minutes, 5 seconds

A Secondhand Holiday

2009-12-01T01:42:00.000-05:00

Dear Reader,
Today I bought a real live Christmas tree. Now, I know what you're thinking- it could not possibly have been secondhand! While this may be true, I do feel that the circumstances surrounding the purchase were very similar to that of a garage sale. Also, as this is the first Christmas tree I have had in my adult life, I have no decorations at all. I have decided that the tree trimming will be a season long process and only secondhand items will grace the tree's lovely boughs. I will keep you all updated with each new development!

In the spirit of thrift, we used the leftovers to decorate the mantle. The search for secondhand holiday cheer now begins!

-Laura

127 Countdown

2009-11-25T08:55:00.001-05:00

Countdown to 127: 252 days, 13 hour, 57 minutes, 47 seconds

Farmer's Kitchen

In 2008, I hesitantly followed Laura and Liz into Frankfort Kentucky’s “Farmer’s Kitchen”. I was hungry after looking through yard sales all morning and was nervous as to what this diner would have to offer. I studied the menu, and decided on a ham and cheese sandwich with sweet tea. After devouring my sandwich and gulping down several glasses of tea, I had to admit to my friends… they had picked out a great place to eat! We were not able to stop at the Farmer’s Kitchen this year because of the time of day that we past through Frankfort, but I would recommend it to a hungry 127 shopper! -Erika

“We Do” Secondhand

2009-11-20T15:04:00.000-05:00

A few months ago I had the awesome opportunity to photograph the wedding of my extremely creative friends Matt and Beth. The couple nicely incorporated several secondhand items within their wedding, creating a fun and unique environment throughout the day.

Beth’s light blue clutch belonged to her grandmother
The couple used vintage luggage to create a 1950's feel
Friends and family searched high and low through yard sales and thrift stores to collect enough dinnerware for every guest, saving the couple hundreds of dollars by not having to rent any
The tablecloths were borrowed from different friends, which also saved them a lot of money… Beth’s mom stitched a line of thread in the corner of the cloths, using different colors to distinguish who it belonged to
They used old Coca-Cola bottles filled with black sand to hold the table numbers
A stack of vintage mugs welcomed the guests to help themselves to coffee and tea

Business as usual.

2009-11-17T21:56:00.000-05:00

Dear Reader,

We, the ladies of Secondhand Happenings, are reminiscing about recent finds and thinking of future bargains at our monthly business meeting. We are enjoying cold gingerales at Erika’s grandparent’s house, laughing way too hard and trying to get down to business.

This is what business looks like:

As the garage sale season has come to a close, our hearts turn toward the 2010 season. And more specifically, our holy grail of all secondhand happenings, the 127 Corridor Sale! In anticipation of this world-renowned event, we will be posting a weekly countdown, along with some of our favorite 127 moments and insider tips.

We will also be taking our treasure hunt indoors, to the fantastic antique and thrift stores in and around Indianapolis.

Countdown to 127: 260 days, 1 hour, 54 minutes, 32 seconds

We love you.

Weekenders!

2009-11-03T17:17:00.000-05:00

At our first stop in Alabama on the 127, we came across a sale that was selling peaches and weekenders. Evidently, these folks had acquired a "truckload" of these cotton dreams referred to as weekenders. The weekenders clothing line is only supposed to be sold at parties, much like tupperware. These cotton polyester blend garments come in a myriad of styles and colors that you can mix and match to your heart's content. Laura and I both bought a couple pieces at $1 each. The sellers of these fine pieces could not stop bragging that, "Usually, you can only get these at parties! This is a steal! You can mix and match 'em!" How could we resist?!

My favorite weekender piece is this incredibly large red turtle neck shirt/dress. I wore it to work today.

2009-10-30T12:14:00.000-04:00

I’m hoping to visit Goodwill tomorrow morning to find some goodies for a Halloween costume! What are you going to dress up as?

If you are making your own costume using anything secondhand, we want to know about it!

Please send photos and your story to our email: secondhandhappenings@gmail.com

Optical Popsicle!!!

2009-10-20T13:45:00.000-04:00

Hello! Some really special people here in Indianapolis have recently combined their powers to form a sort of artist collective called KNOW NO STRANGER. This Friday and Saturday they will be presenting a one-of-a-kind visual experience...OPTICAL POPSICLE!

Secondhand Happenings is honored to be a sponsor of Know No Stranger, so we are giving our loyal followers a lil break on the already low cost of this mind-blowing event!!! The first 20 people to show up with this coupon will receive the $2 discount! Get em while they're hot ladies and gentlemen!

(Below you will find the details of the event from their facebook event page. Also check out their website for a lil trailer!)

---- FRIDAY, October 23
---- 8:00PM - 9:00PM

---- SATURDAY, October 24
---- 3:30PM - 5:00PM

Know No Stranger proudly presents Optical Popsicle!

Optical Popsicle is a visually tasty experience for all who attend. enjoy shadow puppetry, skits, videos, music and even a celebrity ghost appearance! Artists, students, friends from different parts of the country are coming to Indianapolis and contributing to help make this show one-of-a-kind... and really awesome.

For pricing, discounts, or any other information about Optical Popsicle, visit http://www.knownostranger.com/optical-popsicle.php - If you have any questions about Optical Popsicle or KNS, e-mail us at purplepeoplemeeter@hotmail.com

Invite your friends! Thanks, everybody!

PS - AN IMPORTANT NOTE:
Both Optical Popsicle shows have limited seating. The earlier you arrive, the better chance you'll have of getting a seat. When the number of people in the audience maxes out (according to fire regulations), we will have to turn people away. Be early!

127: Polaroid Snapshots

2009-09-28T17:24:00.000-04:00

127 from the view of my secondhand Polaroid camera…

2009-09-22T11:53:00.002-04:00

Dear Reader,
Greetings from Tennessee! I am on the road right now, playing music from town to town, and we made a noteable stop in Chattanooga. Noteable especially for Secondhand Happenings because we performed in a fantastic resale shop called Collective Clothing . Not only was it a great space and a nice little show (Many thanks to the owners, Travis and Sondra), but I was perusing the many nooks and crannies all evening and found a few gems to take home with me.

Bro. Stephen

Frank Schweikhardt

A good friend of mine has been after a string tie for months now. Luckily, Collective Clothing had a little bit of everything!

I couldn't resist this fantastic piece of luggage. Though I do not own a hat fancy enough to merit it's use as a hat box, I'm envisioning using it for weekend getaways.

I forgot to bring a sweater with me on this tour, and so I had been borrowing Frank's flannel and looking so grunge I was nearly addicted to heroin simply by wearing it. I was very thankful when I found this jean jacket at Collective Clothing with which to warm my arms.

And I found it just in time for a rainstorm! What luck!

We also visited a very well organized thrift store in Chattanooga called America's Thrift Store. They had all of thier televisions tuned to the same station, just like an electronic store would.

It had a desolate warehouse type of feel. Could I have found the Wal-Mart of thrift stores?

God bless America.

-Laura

Highway 38 Sale

2009-09-18T18:18:00.001-04:00

My first yard sale of the summer started with quite the adventure as Laura and I made our first trip to the annual Highway 38 sale!

Along with our yard sale finds we also found some awesome places! We were ecstatic to discover a candy shop!

As we were driving down the road we passed this young man. He was jumping up and down screaming his heart out, “fill a bag for one dollar!!!” So of course we had to stop and fill a bag! I put in 2 green planters pots and a sheet of American flag stickers.

I grew these in my planter pots!

As we were about to head home we passed a carnival in a parking lot! It was awesome!

-Erika

127: favorite finds!

2009-08-12T19:52:00.001-04:00

Dear Reader,
As you can see, I picked up quite a few items at the 127 sale. I won't bore you with all the details, but I would like to share with you just a few of my treasures.

Garage saling is hard work!

These two looked like good people to have hanging around the house.

bodacious clip on earrings from the '50s! At $1 for the set, I couldn't pass them up.

What type of occasion do you think would merit such earrings? I'd like to wear them out at some point in my life! ;)

Plain old luggage on the outside...

...Party on the inside! The couple from which I bought this gem told me that if I were to DJ a sock hop, this is what I would use.

Arrow clip ons and matching bracelet!

The ladies were kind enough to show me just exactly how to wear the arrows.

Looks like I have my ear pierced twice, now doesn't it? Fooled ya.

I already own this on DVD, but we went to a sale inside of a real castle (true story!) and I couldn't resist.

I didn't need this blue Samsonite luggage...

...Until I saw the inside of it!

How about you? Would any fellow 127 shoppers like to share their finds?

With love,

Laura

Been there, done that. Gonna do it again.

2009-08-11T10:30:00.001-04:00

Dear Reader,
We return triumphantly after conquering the World's Longest Garage Sale! Our treasure hunt led us through 654 miles of sales in Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama. Along the way we acquired amazing finds, great new friends, and some stories you may or may not believe! Over the next few weeks we will be unpacking our journey, both literally and in words and photographs for you, our Reader.
with love,
Secondhand Happenings

We're off!

2009-08-06T20:41:00.000-04:00

Dear Reader,
The day is upon us! We've been anticipating the 127 sale since we returned home last year. After jazzing up Liz's station wagon, we're all ready to go! Over the next four days we'll be gathering not only treasures, but plenty of material for your blogging pleasure. It's going to be a success, we can feel it in our bones! Now off to McDonald's to fuel up. ;)
With love,
Secondhand Happenings

Snapshots of the sale!

2009-08-05T21:34:00.000-04:00

Dear Reader,
I'd like to share with you just a few moments of Secondhand Happening's first annual yard sale. One reason that I love to host yard sales is that I like to see where my treasure/trash is going to end up. If I spend enough time with just about anything, sentiments start to attach to it. Take this sweater, for example. I picked it up last summer at the 127 Corridor Sale (aka the world's longest garage sale). Over the past year, it spent alot of time in my closet and a little time warming my arms. Another girl named Laura found it at our sale and decided it would be a good addition to her wardrobe. She works in a very chilly library. I'm thrilled that my burgundy cardigan has found a good home!

The Lemonade Stand Boys arrived just in time!

Once again: the importance of a fanny pack.

The people, lobbying for sweeter lemonade.

The boys preferred their lemonade bitter, the people wanted it sweet. Democracy, anyone?

Yard sales are hard work!

McDonald's makes everything better.

And now that I've cleared that junk out of my life, I have room for all the new treasures that await me at the 127 sale. We leave tomorrow!!!

-Laura

It's time for bed...

2009-08-02T21:21:00.000-04:00

Dear Reader,
In the past 24 hours we have tagged, set up, hosted, and torn down the yard sale of the year! Perhaps you were there? I must say that our one day event was quite the success. Not only did we have an incredible amount of traffic, but we sold over half of our inventory and exceeded our monetary goal! The sale was such a success that we must go directly to bed. You may have noticed that sleep was not included in the description of the past 24 hours. Thank you and goodnight!
-Secondhand Happenings

The Word is Out!

2009-07-31T18:23:00.000-04:00

YARD SALE

Sunday, August 2nd! (one day only!) 8am to 4pm

Over 100 Records • Vintage Clothing • Costume Jewelry
Inventory from Antique Store & Many More Treasures Waiting to be Found!

5138 Broadway Street, Indianapolis, Indiana

This is the cat's meow.

My car smells like an antique store,...

2009-07-27T23:08:00.000-04:00

and I feel thankful.
This past Saturday, Laura and I made a trip up to Sweetser, Indiana. What would we be doing there you may ask? Well visiting the Backburner Press, of course! The Backburner Press used to share its home with Sweetser Antiques, Etc. The owner of this cherished establishment happens to be a dear friend/mentor of mine. He was kind enough to pass on a great deal of inventory from the antique store that was no longer of use to him. We are exceedingly grateful! The whole experience was rather surreal.

And the best part is...this Sunday, August 2nd from 8am to 4pm at 5138 Broadway Street, these amazing finds and more will be available at the Secondhand Happenings 1st Annual Yard Sale!!! Hard to believe, I know. More details to come, so check back soon!

First secondhand purchase for the new house!

2009-07-20T23:06:00.000-04:00

Dear Reader,
I did not intend to do any garage saling this past weekend, but sometimes garage sales just happen to you. I was driving along, minding my own business, when I saw a colorful, attention-grabbing sprawl of a sale. I quickly pulled in to the drive to see what it was all about. "See anything you can't live without? Besides me?" boomed the host's jolly voice. Considering that only days before I had moved from a small apartment to a spacious house, I was ready and willing to find something. This ornate frame and portrait caught my eye immediately- I couldn't live without it! The host of the sale said that she had no clue as to the identity of the four subjects, but it appears to me that it could have been a double wedding. I'd like to get house family portraits taken, replace their photo with ours, and hang it up in the dining room.
-Laura

"I've got lots of junk you need"

2009-07-11T17:25:00.000-04:00

Dear Reader,
Laura here. One of my personal highlights of the garage sale season is the pilgrimage to Pierceton, IN where I assist my mother in hosting the annual Balke Family Sale. This year's sale was nearly seamless, excepting a bit of rain this morning that pushed our opening from 8 am to 9 am. With the help of an amazing tent courtesy of James Townsend and Sons, not even the weather could stop us!

Signage is key. young children, say a nephew, will also help bring in business.

My mother, veteran garage saler Kathy Balke, taught me everything I know about secondhand

Many thanks to Cydney and Lauren Townsend for setting up this lovely tent!

A fanny pack makes an excellent cash box!

The Hydrangeas were quite the topic of conversation.

It was a fantastic sale! Now time to clean up the leftovers...

it's coming...

2009-07-06T16:42:00.000-04:00