It’s been too long. Too, too long since I have written. I’ve started to write many times and then the energy to continue just disappeared or I realized it was past my bedtime. (I’m only 31, but if I should happen to stay up past 10:30 on a weekday, I’m beat. I have become old!) Working 40 hours a week plus trying to squeeze in eBay/etsy when I can has become a tiresome routine. I get so caught up in researching items to find comparable pricing/good titles that before I know it, I’ve spent an hour just on one item. Of course, often times while researching I find something else that peeks my interest and then have to research that… if only there were more hours in a day!
I have so many blog topics running through my head, from my love/hate relationships with yard sales to the best estate sale that I have ever been to, that I just need to make the time to sit & write. And so, with that, here I am at work using one of my 15 minutes breaks to start the writing process.
I am obsessed with the Free section on Craigslist. Well, maybe obsessed is too strong of a word…. Nah, it’s the right word. I look at the free items on a daily basis and even look on listings nowhere near my area – as in, I’d have to take a road trip or a plane to scoop up the items. It is unbelievable what people will put out for free on Craigslist. From normal items like household appliances to rotting meat, which is geared towards hunters… I hope! Some people list one itty bitty item while others list sidewalk length’s full of miscellanea.
I’ve only actually picked up one free item on Craigslist – my first mannequin torso which you can read about here. This lack of actually getting free items doesn’t deter me from my daily perusal of listings. For the most part, my local area isn’t overflowing, or even nearing the brim, of items that I would want: vintage Christmas, vintage holiday decorations, and pretty much anything vintage. While I wouldn’t be partial to driving 20 minutes or so out, it’s always the thought of “Well what if it’s gone by the time I get there?” But, that is followed with the thought of “What if it’s still there?”
So, while I wait to score more free stuff on Craigslist, I figured that I would share the free finds that I would have loved to pick up, albeit distance and bad timing.
Christmas blow molds, how I love thee! Here we have some free Christmas coupled with a weed whacker, sand filter system for a pool, and in the lower right corner either a badminton racket or one of those badminton bug zappers. Put those items aside and cast your eyes on the blow molds! People either love them or hate them and I love them, especially the older kinds. The full bodied Santa looks like he would be more suitable for indoor use, while his Santa friend on the right seems to have lost something important. How Santa misplaces his lower half is beyond me, but I'm sure I still could have found a great use for him. The Noel candle is a classic & fortunately I'm lucky to have two Noel candles that are my mom's. But, it would never hurt to have a third!
In the mood for some cooking? Stop on by and load this retro wonder into your truck for free! I have no idea what the condition was of the inside of the stove or if all of the burners were still there, but does that matter? This piece is wonderful on eye appeal alone and with a little cleaning and fixing of that right shelf, the possibilities are endless. A beauty like this would be great in a kitchen for storage and display. Have an antique shop or rent a space in an antique store? A stove like this would be a great eye catcher to draw more people in your booth as well as "setting the scene" for selling vintage kitchen items.
I don't think that I have to explain why this is a great find. A vintage typewriter can be used for so many things, from a simple decoration to a prop, to even reselling the keys for crafters. While this model does not hold a large monetary worth, it still is a great vintage find for free.
Another wonderful blow mold that found its' way to the Free pile. How could anyone not want this beauty is beyond me. It may not light up, but there is still plenty of potential. Give Santa and his trusty train a fresh coat of paint and he would be as good as new.
I don't think that I have to explain why this is a great find. A vintage typewriter can be used for so many things, from a simple decoration to a prop, to even reselling the keys for crafters. While this model does not hold a large monetary worth, it still is a great vintage find for free.
If you have never checked out the Free section of Craigslist, do yourself a favor and head on over & see all that awaits you. When looking, think of all of the possibilities! Items, such as the stove & typewriter, can be great finds used for scene setting in antique shops or even for those engaged in theater. Think outside the box when scavenging. Often times we think of only what we ourselves can use the item for or for reselling, but there are many more possibilities out there for these tossed away treasures!
