Hit up the local flea market today.

[jglass]

Our local flea market is small so the last time we went there was a few years ago. We decided to go today and I found a lovely crystal crudite platter. The woman wasnt at her booth but her neighbor who was watching it for her sold it to me for a $1. I was a happy shopper lol.
I found three delicate china tea cups I bought for $1 and one guy was selling smaller butternut squash 3/$1. I got 6 of those.

I went to look at this one womans booth and she was so kind to us. She figured out Jon couldnt see and while I looked around her booth she made Jon sit in her seat in front of her fan. She was awesome. I bought a stuffed black teddy bear from her for my collection and an old kitchen knife. She really didnt have anything I wanted but she was being so sweet I hated not to buy something lol. She sold me the bear and the knife for $2 total.

One guy was trying to sell me an old dish of some kind. It looked like a soup turrene but it was alot smaller. He was calling it a gravy dish. It was green and white and looked old. He kept going down on the price but I really didnt want it or have any use for it lol. He saw me eyeing dishes and stuff and was really trying to get me to buy it.

We went to The Grandview Weekend Outlet here in town and I found four cute ramikens with matching plates to put under them for $4.99. They were really cute and probably held 2 cups each. They were lovely fall colors. I hadnt realized the plates went with them. I had seen them back there on the shelf in another small box. The checkout woman was so nice..she told me she had seen them back there and they went with it. She went back and got them for me. Everything at that store is hanging out of its box and all over the place. I always caution Jon when hes looking at stuff to watch and not cut his hands on chipped glass.

That store sells mostly broken junk but sometimes you can find something in there you want
We had a nice time and I found some good deals.

 

[KYHeirloomer]

Sounds like a really productive day, Janie. It's a shame how many people don't realize the great deals you can find at flea markets and the like.

We were in Lexington anyway, yesterday, so stopped in ReStore, the Habitat For Humanity thrift shop. Found a set of six stemware pudding glasses. Not crystal, by any means. But at 50 cents a throw, how could you get hurt.

When you're as into the small plates thing as I am you're always looking for serving pieces. Fea markets, thrift shops, and garage sales are a never ending resource.

 

[jglass]

Your pudding glasses sound like a lovely find.
I love thrift shops.
One booth at the flea market had a very old cast iron tea kettle. It was such a shame. All rusted and someone had painted the outside of it gold with spray paint.

 

[KYHeirloomer]

Cast iron is a real problem for me, Janie. Most of the stuff you find in flea markets and antique malls is either junk (like your tea pot) or priced for collectors.

When I'm buying cast iron it's to use. I'm not looking to hang it on the wall, or display it somewhere. It's going to be flanked by food on one side and fire on the other.

Finding one of those oversized teapots in good shape is a hard search, unless you buy one new. Most of the time they've been used as steamers. That is, they sit on top of wood-burning stoves to put some moisture into the air. As a result, they are mostly rusted out. When one has been painted it's almost a sure sign that's what happened.

Another thing I hate is when people take old cast iron kettles and washtubs and turn them into planters. Not only are they rusted from that misuse, they have drain holes drilled through them. What a waste.

 

[jglass]

That tea kettle was the only piece of cast iron I saw and it was def junk.
Lots of odd pieces of crystal, little tea pots & mismatched pieces of dishes. Some cute pieces but Im like you. If Im buying something it gonna be used. Im not one for sitting knick knacks around. One fella had some pretty bread boxes he had made and some tater bins.