Fun Finds!

Here are a few of the fun things I've found during my thrift store rounds this week....

Little ornate brass hook for .25 that I promptly glued a magnet on and stuck on my ~new~ magnet board (more on this later!)...

 

I've been trying to get better about recycling and reusing, so I've been turning all the kid's school papers (the ones we don't need to keep) into note paper. Trouble is, it looks messy. I found this gorgeous silver plated notepad holder for $1.00 at The Elizabeth Guild yesterday! It looks so nice on my desk. Now, to find a pretty pen to go with it ;)

Italian kid's shoes for $1.00! May keep for Thing 2 OR sell. Not sure yet...

Next, I stopped in Canyon Collectibles Antique Mall to have a look around and got all this great stuff for only $3.00! Vintage canning jar, hot stone for bread, vintage brass powder puff container, and a tiny vintage brass basket (probably for my dollhouse)...

But! The best part of the trip to Canyon Collectibles was that I walked out with my own booth! Well, actually, a few shelves, but it's a start. I wanted to see how it goes and, hopefully, move into a bigger space soon if things are selling.

And, saving the BEST for last, I now have my very own Vintage McCall's TINY BETSY doll! I stopped in a new thrift store during my visit to Estes Park yesterday. I found those cool shoes there, but not much else. I was at the register to pay and noticed another room that I hadn't explored yet. It was the "boutique" room where they put nicer stuff and charge higher prices. I took a quick peek in and immediately noticed a precious tiny doll that I could not resist. The $10.00 price tag put me off a bit, but I had a feeling she was worth more than that, so I snatched her up. When I got home, I stripped off her homemade frock and noticed she had on a sweet, delicate chemise underneath. Under that, I noticed the McCall Corp stamp on her back and realized who I had found! After a quick search on the Interweb, I discovered that, indeed, she is worth quite a bit more than what I paid. Please meet the newest addition to Dollphinium Manor....

She is in pretty good shape for her age (born in the late 50s, I believe). Her wig is loose and the glue has turned a nasty brown, but the wig is still useable. The homemade dress she was wearing (shown in the lower right of the photo) has stained her torso a light pink. Not sure if I can remove that, but it will be covered with the new clothes I plan on making for her since I already have some Tiny Betsy patterns! Her original chemise, socks and tiny shoes are all in excellent condition. I did find some good repair tips for Vintage Tiny Betsy dolls, so I may get brave and try a few. This is my best find in a long time! I wasn't planning on getting any dolls any time soon, so this was a big bonus all around.

Here is what I found about this version of Tiny Betsy McCall: She is an 8" American Character Betsy McCall produced in 1958...

This isn't the exact version I have, but close enough. I'm still researching.

I <3 her and she looks so cute sitting on my desk keeping me company while I work ;)