Today I'm doing triple duty, combining posts for 30 Days of Junkin' plus Show & Tell Friday and Frugal Fridays.
Show & Tell Friday is hosted by Kelli at There Is No Place Like Home. Click here for a list of this week's participants.
Frugal Fridays is hosted by Jessica at Life As Mom. Click here for a list of this week's particpants.
Building Your Collections at Garage Sales, Flea Markets, & Thrift Stores
Almost everyone collects something, from handmade baskets to kaleidescopes to flower frogs (yep, flower frogs ... those thingies used to anchor floral arrangements, before the advent of floral foam). And a natural extension of having a collection is to display it in your home, which adds character and tells your visitors a bit about you. To learn more about floral frogs, visit Lori at Katie's Rose Cottage and Margo at Margo's Junkin Journal.
It's an accepted rule of thumb that three or more of anything qualifies as a collection. Items look great displayed in groups of three, five, or more. What you display -- and how and where your display it -- is completely up to you and your own sense of design and decor.
For example, many bloggers collect pretty plates, and I'm seeing more and more online photos of plate collections displayed not only in the kitchen and dining room, but also as a focal point over the fireplace, and on walls in the bathroom and bedroom.
Plates and bowls can also be used on tables and countertops throughout the house ... lying flat to hold potpourri, seashells, candles, or jewelry, or displayed on a stand as an anchor or focal piece in a themed vignette. Mixing and matching dinnerware is popular, and is a great way to beautiful tablescapes for a holiday or company dinner, or a romantic dinner for two. (Blue Pyrex "Butterprint" bowl photo via Confessions Of An Apron Queen).
A very popular -- and affordable -- item to collect is kitchenware made by Pyrex, Corelle, and Corning. Pyrex and Corelle are both Corning products, and there were often coordinating pieces produced for specific patterns under two or more of the labels. For example, many familar patterns of Corelle dinnerware (such as Spring Blossom/Crazy Daisy and Butterfly Gold) had matching Pyrex mixing bowls and covered casseroles.
Corelle is lightweight, thin, and stacks easily, and is known for being extremely break-resistant. Many of the older patterns are still very popular and highly collectible. Corelle has been the most popular brand of dinnerware for more than 30 years, and they are constantly updating their patterns and designs. Whether you prefer vintage or modern designs, there's bound to be a Corelle pattern that you'll enjoy. Thrifted Corelle is a great substitute for paper plates: it's outdoor-friendly, sturdier than paper, and greener than paper and foam plates that go straight into the landfill.
Corning also produced dinnerware under the Pyrex, Corning, Corningware, and Corning Centura labels, for both home and commercial use, sometimes in the same patterns as Corelle dinnerware, and also in patterns unique to the Pyrex or Corning label. One of my favorites is Corning Centura April Tulip (shown above), produced from the late 60s until 1972. It's an embossed white plate with a cheery band of spring-colored tulips. This pattern is also available in solid white.
Corelle and Corning dinnerware pieces -- plates, bowls, cups and saucers -- can be found for as little as ten cents per piece at yard and rummage sales. Pyrex bowls and Corningware casseroles can often be found for just a dollar or two, especially if you're purchasing a three or four bowl set that has a missing or chipped bowl.
Never pass up a favorite pattern because the set isn't complete ... eventually you'll come across the missing piece at another sale, and you can complete your set. Corelle, Corning, and Pyrex can also be found at most thrift stores at affordable prices.
In addition to being a collector, I also sell Pyrex, Corelle, and Corningware on eBay. This photo shows just one small pile of what I currently have on hand, waiting to be individually photographed and listed. When I'm at a garage sale, I always ask the seller: "Do you have any Corelle or Pyrex you'd like to sell?" So many times, they say yes and take me right into their kitchen. Many sellers tell me they didn't bother to put out partial sets of bowls or dishes, because they thought no one would want them.
The same is true for covered dishes missing their lids ... I buy these with or without lids, as my local Goodwill usually has tons of glass lids that are missing their bowls. Last summer, I purchased a box with more than 2 dozen glass lids for Pyrex and Corning, for just 2 bucks! I brought them home and matched them up to 10 or 12 bowls that needed lids, and listed them on eBay right away. Bowls with lids sell for more money online (and at flea markets and antique malls), so I always buy inexpensive glass lids when I find them.
Corningware "Grab It" covered bowls are a high-demand item, and they come in a variety of sizes. I recently bought 4 round 12 ounce Grab It bowls, with lids, for 50 cents each at a garage sale, and sold them for $26 (plus shipping). The oval Grab Its pictured here sold yesterday on eBay for $53. Kinda makes you feel like running to the kitchen and checking your cabinets, huh?
Here are links to my two favorite websites for info on Pyrex, Corning, & Corelle:
Today's question: What is your favorite Corelle or Pyrex pattern?
Please leave a comment, and be sure to let me know if you have any specific questions about the wonderful world of junking.
If you'd like to share a post about junking, just follow the directions below. I've created a button to place on your blog, so please grab a copy, tell your friends, and jump right in.
How to Participate in 30 Days of Junkin' ...
1. Write a post about junking on your blog, or link to a post you've already written. We want to hear about the hunt and the rewards ... where you shop, how you do it, and what you do with your goodies. This is a celebration of All Things Junk, so please share your treasures as well as your tips.
2. Place the 30 Days of Junkin' button at the top of your post.
3. Add your permalink using Mr. Linky. Please do not link until your post is up.
I encourage everyone to share at least one post celebrating junkin' during April, any day you wish. Once your post is up and linked, you can grab a copy of this badge for your sidebar. Please link it back to my main blog addy ... http://auctiongirlvintage.typepad.com
