Look what I found!

Before I share my bargains, I want to thank Melissa at 320 Sycamore for featuring me today on her fabulous blog!  She is truly inspiring and gave me the courage to start my own blog.  If you haven't yet visited her, please do so soon.  And to all of Melissa's readers, a warm welcome and thank you for stopping by!  I have so much to share with you each day so I hope you will continue to visit often!

I stopped at a couple of yard sales.  At one of them I spotted these...(they are real silver and beautifully tarnished)!

It seems as though the man at the sale is always having yard sales, and he's always selling antiques.  He doesn't price anything so it is a bit difficult. We had a conversation and here is how it went...

Me:  "How much for the silverware?"

Him:  "It's old.  I don't know."

Me: "hmmmm" I walk around to give him time to come up with a price.

Me:  "So, how much is the silverware?"

Him:  "I don't know, what do you think?"

Me:  "I don't know, you tell me."

Him: "I don't know"

Me: "Will you sell it by the piece?"

Him:  "okay"

Me: "So how much a piece?"

Him: "How bout 50cents"

Me: "How bout 25 cents"

Him: "okay"

So I ended up with 20 pieces of silver for $5! (I picked out my favorites from his set)

I didn't want to spend any more than that because I already have these beauties...

We will definately be eating off of them, and if I don't use all of the pieces, I might try to make some jewelry or something with them.

Next, I happened upon this for $2.

(click photos to enlarge)

It is about 16x20 inches (perfect for framing with my collection of garage sale frames), and has six reproductions of rare old botanical engravings.  The original engravings were drawn by a German artist in the 1600's.  It has a copyright of 1970.  It included paints but I got rid of those.  I thought they would be beautiful framed as they are.  The first one is of hollyhocks...

The second one is lilies

Do you know what this is?

ARTICHOKE!  Who knew?

Then Sunflowers...

Daffodil, tulip, and snowflake

Can you believe what I then spotted in my latest Ballard Designs catalog?  THESE!...

                                                                   

They are canvas reproductions of 19th century bookplates for $249 EACH!  Since I got six for a grand total of $2, I think I scored!  I will probably frame them in the same dark frame and group a series of three.  Which three do you think I should frame?