This Weekend’s Vintage Finds: 2/8/2010

Once a month — the first Sunday of the month to be precise — is the much-anticipated pilgrimage to the Alameda Antiques & Collectibles Fair. My friend Krissy and I were especially anticipating it since we have both ramped up our vintage sewing since the last time she was able to go. We arrived at 7:30, and, unlike all our other trips, were far less methodical — zigging and zagging through rows in no particular order. I’m not sure if that was the reason we both scored so many finds, but it was quite a vintage bonanza!

The biggest scores came from the booth that we now lovingly refer to as “The Scarf Table!” Its name suits it well — it was consisted of, among other things, two large tables filled with scarfs and types of linens. Everything at this booth was $1. Silk scarves, vintage slips, fabric, vintage nylons in boxes, linen napkins, aprons. You get the idea. EVERYTHING WAS A DOLLAR!

In all, I purchased 34 items from the scarf table booth. Here are a few of my $1 favorite finds.

These scarves:

I’m big into scarves nowadays since I’m regularly setting my hair before bedtime. And, an even bigger scarf development,  I finally had the guts to wear a head scarf ala Rosie outside my home. So these were a great score. I bought a couple more but my daughter stashed them away somewhere before I took the picture. Each were $1 a piece.

About 3 yards of this vintage cotton fabric that I’m planning to use for this glorious 1960 bathing suit pattern that I’ve had in my stash long before I thought I could ever make a bathing suit. All three yards for $1!!

Four slips, also $1 a piece, these two being the most interesting. Two out of four still had their original price tags on them! And yes, they need a pressing.

This cute little purse for — you guessed it — $1! It can use a bit of a cleaning and some leather polish. 

I bought this other purse for $1, but not at the same booth. I absolutely love it now, though I was a bit “meh” at first. The gold chain threw me off. It’s so tiny and cute. I’ve had to wrestle it away from my two-year old daughter.

And now for the non-$1 item — deals nonetheless.

Fabric!

From the same seller, I was able to get these three pieces of fabric (each about 3 1/3 yards a piece) all for $25. That’s $2.50 a yard! They’re all cotton and sort of like feedsacks on yardage steroids

This gorgeous linen was $8 for five yards!

This fabric — I believe it is from an actual feedsack based on its feedsack dimensions — for $6.

I’m going to use it to recover this purse I found for $10.

These darling German glass buttons were 5 for $1 but the vendor let me take 8 for the same price.

And finally, my absolute favorite find of the day, these vintage Rockports, I bought for $10. I’m so deliriously in love with these shoes (even though they need a bit of TLC) because, as a mom, I need comfortable shoes that I can actually wear on an everyday basis. Even though, as Rockports, they’re not actually authentic to the era, they’re pretty close to a lot of the shoes I’ve been researching for casual wear.

Oh my goodness, I love Alameda Antiquing!