Monday 30 August 2010

Going, Going, Gone!

1970's California Maxi (£5 from a Mind Charity Shop), 1950's navy raffia handbag (50p from Saturday's Church Jumble sale), Earrings (Pressie from Cheryl)


This was last night's outfit. Our friends, Liz and Al, were holding their annual Elderflower Champagne soirée at their beautifully restored toll keeper's cottage and we stood by the fire pit under the stars, shivering until the early hours with a banging rock soundtrack and delicious platters of homemade vegetable curry. Needless to say neither of us were up for Bank Holiday car boot sale antics this morning.


Whilst perusing the local paper over elevenses I spotted an advert for a Bank Holiday charity auction at a nearby church hall and as viewing didn't start until 1pm we decided to go and take a look. 


We paid 30p for a programme, inspected the goods on display in the auction room and marked off the lots we were interested in. Bidding kicked off at 2pm, Jon took charge of waving his arm at the auctioneer and here's what we snaffled:

A Venus dressmaker's dummy for £1. Can you spot the film we're watching on the TV this afternoon?

Four pieces of 1960's Hornsea pottery £3. I'm loving The Partridge in a Pear Tree butter dish.

A 1950's Crinoline lady chromed cake stand for £1. I'm going to use this as a display piece on my dressing table.

Four vintage clocks, all in perfect working order for £1

My favourite piece has to be this gorgeous 1950's Terence Conran for Midwinter vegetable dish. Plant Life is a rare and desirable pattern and usually sells for around £85.

How much? A bargainous £3.

(We also bought a Flymo garden vacuum for £3 but didn't think it worthy of a photograph.)

Hope your Monday was equally productive.

39 comments:

  1. I love this dress, you are so lucky to look good in maxi's. The champagne sounds divine, i'm so looking forward to having a drink when bump is here!

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  2. Bargains galore!!

    Dress makers dummy was a find, and so was the pottery and bits and pieces.

    DO I spy Cliff Richard?!? Summer Holiday is my guess. I watched Ghostbusters II great film.

    xxx

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  3. Really lovely outfit and last night's entertainment sounds right up my street.

    I'm well impressed with your excellent buys at the auction thanks to Jon's bidding skills! The Conran piece was an absolute steal, was your heart racing during the bidding? I love the Hornsea pottery though, especially the butter dish. Those patterns make a change from the usual brown patterned Hornsea that you normally see about.

    Really Vix, you and Jon are truly a pair of bargain magnets!

    P.S. I think the film is 'Summer Holiday' with my Mum's favourite - Cliff!

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  4. Well done, I swear you guys live in bargain central... how on earth do you do it? xx

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  5. Dear Vix,
    what amazingly brilliant bargains!
    I've never actually been to an auction but I never thought that such lovely items could be had for so little money, even cheaper than car boot sale prices...the ones I frequent anyway. The dressmakers dummy was a complete steal at a quid and as for the clocks...how much? 25p each, UNBELIEVABLY GOOD!
    I went to tiny local car boot sale this morning & came away with three pairs of vintage shoes for £3.
    Your cake stand as a display on the dressing table idea is pure GENIUS!
    ...xXx

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  6. Fab haul, Vix. Didn't to so badly myself with the bargains this weekend, but nothing as tasty as that cakestand to be had and I love the Midwinter veg dish. Bang on!. x

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  7. Vix that dressmakers dummy is the best bargain ever! Love your other finds too xxx

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  8. WOW! Lovely finds! You are so fortunate to live in an area with so much thrifting potential! I will be sure to look up local auctions, as you've snagged some real bargains.

    Lou x - craftyandquirky.blogspot.com

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  9. What a great haul! Yes, I did spot the film! Good old Una. xxx

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  10. I lobe the hornsea pottery pieces u bought..cant believe u got such good bargains!!

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  11. amazing cut that maxi dress has.

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  12. May I say I am truly besotted with your cake stand and think it will look fantastic as a display piece, I have never ever been to an auction of any kind, but this one sounds so exciting, and such reasonable and bargain prices!

    The dressmakers dummy has always been a dream of mine to own one; £1 sure is a snip.
    We went to my Mums for tea today and she was just watching this film when we got there- Summer Holiday of course :) xx

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  13. All I can say is how do you do it? xxx

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  14. Brilliant buys! I love the ceramics, and the dressmaker dummy! x

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  15. Hi there-wow, you scored big time with these auction bargains, your crockery pieces are all just soo lovely indeed! Your dress is amazing too!

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  16. The Terence is lovely. Sounds like a brilliant night. Your outfit is fab. xx
    http://www.weshopthereforeweare.co.uk/

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  17. amusingness! i just adore the dress so much!

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  18. the auction sounds amazing, everything you bought was just so cheap! what a brilliant bargain with the dressmakers dummy. oh my, i am so jealous of all of your wonderful finds. before i had my blog, when i started the charity shop/car boot thread, every day you posted, i just couldn't believe your finds! i'd complain to my mum about why couldn't i find anything as cheap as you! hehe :)

    love, jazzabelle. xxx

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  19. Impressive how you mustered the energy after such a night, Vix. Looking beautiful as ever, and I always wanted one of these dummies. Great buys! xxx

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  20. Funnily enough I've just opened a bottle of my own elderflower champagne! - Love those bargains, especially that cake stand. xxx

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  21. I'm just crazy about that frock!!
    Such great scores!!I love the cake stand and the Ternece Conran dish!I've never been to an auction either,have always thought it would be interesting.
    Sounds like a lovely night at Liz'!
    LOVE Helga xxxXXXxxx

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  22. You're so knowledgeable about vintage design - I wouldn't know a valuable piece of pottery if you threw at me. How does one come to recognize these types of things?? Or is this your line of work? Love the gingham!

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  23. oh and between you and Cloud of Secrets you'll be having me do away with my heathen ways and start hanging around churches on Sundays to stalk the jumble sales!!

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  24. Love the dress maker dummy Vix! Wish we lived in the same country we could go thrift/charity shopping together. :)
    xxx

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  25. Lovely vegetable dish! And your outfit, as always. You always find such great things!

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  26. I love your gingham maxi, I can almost see you crossing the prairie in a covered wagon!

    I've never been to an auction but I see you've got some great finds. Love the pottery you picked up esp. the butter dish and the vege dish. Love the vintage clocks too.

    That looks like Cliff Richard on the TV. Haven't thought of him in ages, what is he up to these days I wonder?

    ~Bonnie xxx

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  27. I just wanted to say thanks so much for stopping by my blog! Oh, and you are certaintly not ignorant for not knowing what homecomming is! It's just a silly American high school tradition.

    During the fall football season every school has a homecoming game, or their last game of the season. To celebrate the last game, a school has a dance for all grades to attend where girls get dressed up in fancy dresses and boys in dress clothes, too. It's really a blast!

    And I've got to say I LOVE you 1970's gingham maxi! It's so, so gorgeous and you totally rock it ;)

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  28. I can't get over all the great finds you find :)
    LOVE the dress form. I'd love to have one, especially at a thrifter's price ;) I should hit some auctions. Never considered it really. At least in Cincy. I went all the time back home.
    Rod is out of town for a whole week and I needed some alone time to just "be" and not be responsible for anyone else. I need that sometimes ;) He was beginning to "parent" me, which I rebel against as most kids do. I started calling him "Daddy" and he got the clue, tee, hee :) Here's to a great week. Gonna have a frozen veggie pizza, sew, read and may even do it naked ! ;)

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  29. There is no way my Monday was as productive. I just want to say:

    shut up!

    get out!

    You are a deal huntress bargain finder extraordinaire! WOWS to you. Gosh, I thought I was good!

    Seriously, I am moving to England to study under you. I shall be your protégé. You shall be my mentor (but not in the Highlander sense, more so in the style/shopping sense...though the Highlander sense would be cool too). It will be lovely.

    ps. sorry for the vague allusions to the 90's tv series/movies...Well, only kind of sorry. I really liked that show.

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  30. This dress is just perfect on you !

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  31. Love the dress, the dogtooth-style is fantastic!

    You've just won my giveaway, Vix!
    xxxx

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  32. Ah, you had me at the phrase "toll-keeper's cottage". You do have the coolest sounding friends!

    That sounds like my kind of auction! I'm always scared of going to "proper" ones cos everything is so pricey but you've managed, as always, to bag some incredible bargains. The partridge butter dish is my favourite.

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  33. Elderflower champagne soiree. Last year's vintage or even a little older?

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  34. You seriously are blessed by the bargain Gods!! Love the cake stand and how you intend to use it.

    ...oooh... you look like a damn sexy Dorothy!!

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  35. Dear Vix, that dress looks great on you. Sounds like a good night. I've never been to a boot sale in my life as I'm never up on time. I've been looking for a butter dish for a while, that's a really nice one.

    I love your blog! I'm so nosey, I love to see all your bargains xx

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  36. i want to see the garden vacume. i dare you to take an ordinary item and match a vintage outfit with it. i want to do a post of me like digging in the dirt with really expensive shit on.

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  37. The clocks! The cakestand! Your gorgeous swanning-about-in-the-garden dress! What a fantastic day to spend with your honey:) xo

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Lots of love, Vix