I caught the bargain-hunting bug early this season! While walking our dog in the wee hours of the morning, I saw a woman posting an "Estate Sale" sign by a small turn-of-the-century house.
"Be sure to pick up a number at 8 a.m.," she advised. "The crowds will be arriving soon. Doors open at 9." She was right. Lines of people sleuthing for bargains and treasures weaved along the brick walkway out to the street all morning long. As "early birds" exited the house, a woman next to me said, "There goes the cello I saw in the ad." "Look at that brass lamp!" exclaimed another. My heart started beating faster. When I finally heard "No. 88," I doubled-checked the number clutched in my hand and went inside.
If an estate-sale ad lures you in, grab a pocketful of change and have fun! Here are typical items you might find and what you can do with them:
Old canning jars with lids: I quickly grabbed six blue, quart-size jars for 50 cents, perfect for storing and serving olives, homemade salad dressings and salsa. The next day I picked up 20 pint-size, clear jars marked down to a nickel apiece. They're great to use as glasses for ice-cold lemonade or as whimsical vases for garden flowers. When the kids tie raffia around a rim, the country-style bouquet makes a nice gift.
1950s cotton tablecloths: At $6 each, I found one with a bright-red strawberry pattern and another with large, blue tropical flowers. I washed them immediately and hung them to dry under the afternoon sun to bleach out a couple of yellow stains in the corners. They're wonderful for picnics, but I'm also going to drape one around a curtain rod in the kitchen to create a fresh, airy look.
Books and magazines: Find issues from the months and years your kids were born. Look for pullout regional and foreign maps from National Geographic magazines and hang them on your family-room walls.
Tattered picture books are perfect to take on vacation for long car rides and afternoons at the beach. No one will care when sand gets stuck between the pages.
Write Donna with your questions and ideas at www.donnasday.com. Donna's latest book, "Donna Erickson's Fabulous Funstuff for Families," is available in bookstores nationwide. © Donna Erickson
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