Old Stuff, Yeah!

Look! I got some stuff other people used to own from the Alameda Flea Market last Sunday:

I think my Thermos collection is officially complete. All of these are in full working order with no grucky interiors, and I have an urge to find a display case. It’s always cold at night in San Francisco, so they’re useful for bonfires or night picnics in the park, but I mostly think the patterns are pretty. I got two Sunday, and my friend Maja surprised me with two more she found while wandering around separately. Thanks, Maja! ($5 – $16 each)

This fits like it was made for me, and it will be bangarang once it’s ironed and maybe hemmed? Deciding. Do I hem it, what say thee? ($25)

This night jacket is made of that crazy heavy silk that feels like cream on your skin. I drop Hank off at school and then change back into my pajamas, so it’s technically an office wardrobe investment. So that’s a write off, right? ($20)

This is a Dansk enamelware pot, from the sixties I think. They’re gorgeous, and easier to lift and use than Le Creuset. I’d like my cookware to last always, and my grandmother’s arthritis made it nearly impossible for her to use her gorgeous, but terribly heavy cookware later in life. Anyway, they’ve apparently begun to reissue the Dansk enamelware. Mine was $40, but the identical one at Bloomingdales is $172. Bwahahaha.

Oh, hey guys. Are you aware you are the best? Just checking.

A few months ago, I bought Hank a huge set of mostly secondary Star Wars action figures in the 70s carry boxes, but the dealer had pulled most of the main characters to sell them separately. It’s $10 – $15 each for new “vintage look” action figures in stores, so I was avoiding buying the main characters.

We came across these in a case, and I asked the seller how much they were — $3 each. Yessss. I called Hank over to discuss which ones he needed to complete his set, and Hank called over Brad, our personal Star Wars nerd consultant. The guy saw us with our heads together Malta-style and said, “Oh. If you’re buying a bunch, I’ll do $2.” We picked our toys, he knocked a few more bucks off, and then threw in a Gobot Hank was eyeing.

I love how antique dealers soften on prices when they realize you’re buying toys to play with instead of to collect or resell. It’s an instinct that things should belong to the people who will enjoy them most.

I woke up early this morning to the sound of little plastic feet on the wood floor, and Hank whispering light saber sounds. Thanks, dealer guy.

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Antiquing (on Flickr)