I’ve been keeping an eye on this spot in Saint-Michel for a month now. I found some clothes and vintage junk there, and while none of it was super exceptional it was evidence that someone might be cleaning out a house. I didn’t see anything there the next few weeks (perhaps due to Christmas, and the bad weather) but there was a big pile out on the curb this time around!
There were four bags of clothes, all of which I threw into the car. It was too cold to bother sorting through them on the spot. I looked through the bags yesterday at the garage, and from what I could tell (my knowledge of fashion is pretty limited!) it seems like a good batch, featuring lots of 80s fashions in nice condition. I don’t have any pictures, but if there are any particularly noteworthy pieces I’ll mention them in a future blog post.
Otherwise, I found some quality vintage junk, which you see below!
I took these pictures using my new garage setup. My goal was to show a lot of different stuff at once, including things that probably wouldn’t have made the blog otherwise. You’ll be able to see a lot more detail if you click on the picture and zoom in. I’m reasonably happy with how the photos turned out but I think there’s room for improvement, whether by tinkering with my camera or upgrading to something fancier. If you have any relevant photography tips let me know!
I found a small collection of dolls here. I don’t think any are particularly desirable, but maybe I’ll start a doll box and see what happens when yard sale season comes. There were plenty of Staedtler Mars Technico lead holders here (perhaps the most I’ve ever seen in one spot) as well as drawing leads. I think those are used for drafting, and they seem to sell for around 5-10$ a piece on eBay. I think I have eight, and I’ll probably try to sell them as a lot.
There were a couple of really old photos. One is captioned “1931” and was probably taken at a school.
I thought that vintage flyswatter was a fun find; it’s not something I find very often. It was made for “Les Produits Myst-Air Inc.” The metal doohickey near the top-right is a vintage fry press. I almost threw out the parts (they were thrown in a different bag) but I figured out what they were just in time. The Expo 67 souvenir map is quality yard sale material. The box at the bottom left held a bunch of keychains and office supplies.
I like these vintage plastic boxes. The logo on the top says “Hole in Head” and “Don’t Bite,” which is a little odd. This old cigar box was the only thing I found when I searched those phrases on Google, so maybe this colourful box held cigars at one point.
My favourites things here are the two vintage Calgary / Stampede Beer labels. I’d guess they’re from the 40s or 50s and they’re lucky to have survived their trip to the trash bag unscathed. Some beer labels go for pretty good money, but I’m not sure what makes a particular label more collectible than another – perhaps an auction is the best way to get them out the door. That typewriter paper is mostly there and mostly empty, as are those vintage bank notebooks on the bottom right.
I’m excited to go back here next week. This place provided some interesting old junk, some of which was new to me. Of course, I’ll let you know how things progress!
What’s it worth?
Sometimes I’ll save something but wonder if there’s actually a market for the thing. I don’t like holding onto to junk that’ll never sell and takes up space until I figure that out (ie: after a few yard sales). I thought it’d be fun and maybe helpful to post these questionable items here and ask you readers what you think.
Today’s item is a Le Creuset dutch oven I found in Westmount. It has a bit of chipping to the enamel (mostly around the edges) and the inside shows some discoloration and wear. Otherwise it seems like a solid piece. However, I’m not sure if people buy cast iron with worn out interior enamel. What do you think? Let me know in the following poll, and in the comments below!
In other news I started a few more auctions this week. Those bakelite beads (minus the red ones – I’ll explain later) are for sale again, as are those fortune cookie boxes I mentioned in a recent post. I’m also auctioning off a whole bunch of vintage batteries, for which there’s a surprisingly strong market. Anyways, check them out if you’re interested!
Links
1. Facebook page
2. My eBay listings
3. Etsy store
4. Kijiji listings
5. Contribute to garbagefinds.com
6. Follow me on Instagram
Email: thingsifindinthegarbage@gmail.com. I often fall behind on emails, so I apologize in advance if it takes me a while to get back to you.