October is not just the start of "Spooky Season", it's also the start of blow mold season! Like me, you may have fond childhood memories of these lighted plastic pieces glowing in windows and yards during the holidays. Halloween and Christmas are by far the most popular holidays for blow molds, but you can also find Easter, Thanksgiving, even the Fourth of July.

The blow mold process is similar to that of glass blowing. The first plastic blow molding machine was developed by Enoch Ferngren and William Kopitke, two inventors who sold the equipment and patent to the Hartford Empire Company in 1938. Blow molds started gaining popularity in the 1940s, and have been produced

ever since. 

 

Here are a few of my favorite Halloween blow molds 

 

 

Like many collectibles, older designs can be harder to find, and it seems that prices have risen significantly in the last few years. There are multiple clues to look for when determining your blow mold's age. Many blow molds are marked on the bottom with a company and even a year. More common brands found in our area include Empire, Union Products, General Foam Plastics Corp, and Bayshore. If a blow mold has a barcode, it was likely made in the 1970s or later. The light cord can't always be used as a dating clue as those are easily replaceable and available for purchase at stores like Walmart or Michaels. 

This website is a great resource for dating your blow molds: https://blow-molded.com/

New blow molds can still be found today at stores like Lowes and Ace Hardware.

~ Mallory ~  

 

Mallory's instragram is Secondhandchic_pgh and you can follow her here https://bit.ly/3QvcwWi , between blog posts.  She also makes some of her finds available for sale, check out those offerings on https://linktr.ee/Secondhandchic    

 

Check out the weekly estate sales at  -  PittsburghEstateSales.com

Plan and prepare to pick

 

October 14, 2022
I usually limit myself to choosing two or three estate sales to visit a month. I aim to be intentional with my picking; to leave each sale feeling satisfied and excited to add new pieces to whichever collection I’m expanding that day. When I was growing up, my grandmother was very intentional with the sales that she chose to visit, which might be where this habit comes from. Once I’ve selected the sales I hope to visit, I make a plan. This plan usually involves cleaning out the back seat of my car and laying a shag tarp down in hopes of finding a beautiful new armoire or loveseat for my living room. Next, I set a budget for myself. It is so easy to get overwhelmed when you’re visiting a sale. Definitely do your homework before you go to see which payment methods they accept. To keep me on budget, I’ll usually take out some cash and limit myself to the amount of bills that I bring.  

Now that I’ve got my money together, my car is prepped and ready for any transport I need to do, all that is left is to make your short list of ‘wants’ or what I refer to as ‘Not Leaving Without’.
Usually you have an idea of what is going to be featured at a sale, but it can be overwhelming once you arrive. Have a short list of ‘wants’ or things that you should keep an eye out for. This list should act as a guide for you. Think about the pieces you already have at home. What’s missing? What needs something new added to it to complete the final look? What could use a vintage scarf lining to spruce up the fall decor in your home? Be intentional with your picking!

 
I have found the majority of my most treasured pieces through estate sale picking or thrifting. It is crucial that you keep your intentions set and your actions focused on getting done whatever job you came to do. By setting a budget, prepping, researching, and creating a short list of ‘wants’, you alleviate more time for picking and less time for what feels like aimless wandering.

 
What is your pre-picking ritual? Do you make a plan to hunt or are you a “decide in the moment” type of person?

 
Be thankful, be kind,
-Kat W.

 

My family and I love to travel, and we are sure to check out a thrift store or two on our journey. We've even planned a few trips around a flea market! Here are a few of the places we've visited on our travels:

Rogers Flea Market - Rogers, Ohio; Fridays & occasional Saturdays

https://brimfieldantiquefleamarket.com/

Many Pittsburgh shoppers and sellers make the journey to this massive indoor/outdoor flea market. There are over 1,600 seller spaces available, and on a beautiful summer days, this place can be packed! In addition to the usual antiques and collectibles, you'll also find new goods, fresh fruits and vegetables, meats and cheeses, and more. There is also a huge variety of food vendors to choose from.

Brimfield - Brimfield, Massachusetts; 3 times yearly

https://brimfieldantiquefleamarket.com/

The size of Brimfield is absolutely mind boggling. You could spend an entire weekend here and not see everything. We even spotted a couple "picking celebrities" while there, including the hosts of the tv show Oddities.

Elephant’s Trunk -  New Milford, Connecticut; weekly

https://www.etflea.com/

This charming flea market has 500 vendors, including antiques, food trucks and farmers. You aren't likely to find new goods here. Elephant’s Trunk is often featured on Flea Market Flip.

Shipshewana Trading Place, Shipshewana, Indiana; Tuesdays & Wednesdays May - September

https://shipshewanatradingplace.com/flea-market

Billed as the largest flea market in the Midwest, Shipshewana is in the middle of scenic Amish country. We checked out this spot on a recent trip this summer. We may have visited on an off day, but were disappointed by the overwhelming amount of sellers with new, made-in-China-type items. We were in and out in just over an hour and likely won't be returning.

Picking while traveling is a great way to find unique items you may not find at home, and you'll have a cool memento to remember your trip! Some of my favorite things include a well-worn plaster whale from Connecticut and a framed floral print purchased in Ohio.

Do you like to 'pick' on your vacations too?

~ Mallory ~  

 

Mallory's instragram is Secondhandchic_pgh and you can follow her here https://bit.ly/3QvcwWi , between blog posts.  She also makes some of her finds available for sale, check out those offerings on https://linktr.ee/Secondhandchic    

 

Check out the weekly estate sales at  -  PittsburghEstateSales.com 

Hey Pittsburgh bargain hunters and pickers!

My name is Katlyn, but I go by Kat! I’ve lived in Pittsburgh my whole life; I’m even a Pirate’s
fan! Some of my favorite memories as a child are from my regularly scheduled Sunday visits to
Trader Jack’s Flea Market with my grandparents. The first Sunday of every month my Pap and
Gram loaded all of the kids into the Buick Minivan and shuttled us to Bridgeville. I remember
thinking that the massive lot full of vendors was overwhelming. I made a pact with my cousins
that one day we would go up and down every single aisle, inside and out, to make sure we didn’t
miss anything. Every turn held another secret treasure that I had to uncover! We would arrive
with our own allowance or earnings from cutting the grass, no doubt just a few crumpled one
dollar bills in a crocheted beaded handbag.
My Pap always approached the flea market with intention. He knew what he was looking for..
Whatever that was. He found unique or misprinted license plates, leather collectible jackets,
Olympic Games memorabilia, and of course, his tapes. Pap LOVES his movies. My Gram’s eye
for catching real jewelry and custom, antique pieces was what made me dream about this Sunday
every day until it came. I love jewelry. I used to work at a jewelry store, I collect vintage
costume jewelry and brooches, I LOVE jewelry. Still to this day when I stroll the aisles of thrift
stores, estate sales, and flea markets alike, I always search that ziplock baggie of tangled jewelry
for a hidden treasure. Some of my favorite pieces in my jewelry collection are ones my Gram
found or got for me.

 There are so many helpful hints or mantras that my grandparents taught me that ring through my
ears each time I make a plan to pick. Back when my grandparents found sales, they sourced them
from our local newspaper. No photos, just descriptions. Gram used to tell me that there were
certain words or phrases to look out for in listings, ones that made the sale seem like a
‘must-visit’ in comparison to other ones listed for that day. Any post that described a sale as a
lifetime accumulation or from a well-traveled veteran, you knew to make a trip to the MAC
machine before visiting the lot. Some of the best antique European furniture we have found were
shared in a newspaper listing describing the pieces as romantic, ornate, intricate, family
heirloom, original fixtures, atelier, or even opulent. These words have stuck with me and still
follow me each time I visit a sale; it reminds me why I fell in love with picking.
What kind of memories do estate sale picking, flea markets, and thrifting bring up for you? If
you’re new to the game, who did you start with? Have you been visiting Trader Jack’s since
opening day almost thirty years ago? What’s one of your favorite finds, or your own self-created
mantra?
Be thankful, be kind,
-Kat W.

 

Hello everyone! My name is Mallory, and I've been thrifting and going to estate sales as long as I can remember. I worked at a Goodwill in high school and college, and it really expanded my knowledge and reinforced my passion for second hand treasures, and I am excited to share some of my adventures with you.

August brings one of the busiest picking weekends for me. Three of my favorite sales happen to occur around the third weekend of August every year.

I start with Cranberry Community UP Church's Closet Classic on Thursday. To enter Thursday's "pre-sale", you pay $5 and donate one canned item for a local food bank. I normally don't like to pay pre-sale fees, but I usually find so much at this sale that it is worth it to me. This sale is huge; it is two floors, indoors, with everything from collectibles, books and furniture, to lots of clothes and accessories. The sale is very well organized and they often restock each day. This sale is two weekends - on the second weekend, all items are half off Friday, with a bag sale on Saturday.

Friday is time for Divine Grace Parish Festival and their massive White Elephant sale (pictured here). The festival is held at the St. Ferdinand Church in Cranberry on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. There are three huge tents housing furniture, holiday items, toys, collectibles, jewelry and more. The festival also offers food, games, and live music, so you can easily spend hours here. I often go back a second or even third time, because you never know what will be uncovered as the sale goes on!

On Saturday, I head to Amish country for the Route 208 "15 Miles
of Treasures" sale that spans from New Bedford to Volant. You can drive along the beautiful countryside, stopping at sales along the route. You can also stop in New Wilmington or Volant to park your car and stroll through the town. This sale is popular, and can get picked over fast, but I love traveling backroads and discovering new places, so that is more than enough reason for me to make the trip each year.

Here's more information on each of the sales I mentioned above:

Cranberry Community UP Church's Closet Classic: http://ccupc.org/closet-classic-clothing-ministry/

Divine Grace Parish Festival: https://www.butlereagle.com/20220811/parish-family-festival-back-after-two-years-2/

15 Miles of Treasures: http://www.livenewwilmington.com/15-miles-of-treasures-yard-sale-aug-13th/

Mallory's instragram is Secondhandchic_pgh and you can follow her here https://bit.ly/3QvcwWi , between blog posts.  She also makes some of her finds available for sale, check out those offerings on https://linktr.ee/Secondhandchic    ~ PittsburghEstateSales.com