Found Objects are the best objects

Amanda of Soule Mama once posted about being at a rummage sale, looking under the table, and finding a handmade quilt. The price? Uh, one dollar. It was a hold-your-breath moment--she just wanted to hand over the cash, tuck that thing under her arm and escape before anyone figured out what they had. You can read her post here.

Well, I had a similar moment yesterday.

I had to go to the library to re-do my resume and type a cover letter (my brother forgot to add Word to the computer). I opened the door and started the trek to my car, as usual walking past boxes of freebie books that they leave against the wall there. I did a quick glance...
Is that a vintage cookbook? Wait a minute...is that another one?

The ENTIRE BOX was filled with old cooking booklets.

We're talking Found Objects. Free. For the Taking.
Okay, I was almost hyperventilating.
I mean, I'm the type of person who will take one item and leave the rest for other people. But but but...it was vintage booklets people!

My temptation was to grab the entire box and make a mad dash to my car.

Instead, I grabbed the box (uh, one has to call dibs) and calmly (seemingly) walked over the the brick wall to sit with it, and started browsing.

I had to have more than one.

Is that bad?
I mean, someone didn't want them...and I really wanted them...
Hopefully I haven't developed bad cookbook karma.

Anyway, I politely chose 17 booklets and left the rest (a still-full box) where it was.
I can't tell you how many times I thought about driving back over there last night.
Sigh.

Here are just a few pics to whet the palette:

Knox Gelatine...copyright Nineteen friggin' twenty nine!
As Amanda would say, "Oh My".


The New Art, by the General Electric Kitchen Institute, 1936
(click on any of these pics and it will take you to my Flickr page, where you can see additional images)


Carnation Milk booklet for teens, 1967


This ad is from a holiday booklet for a local liquor store, December 1967.

So many more images to post, I'll continue this later this week...
But incredible find, huh?

For the love of eBay

I just got this nifty shoe-shaped wine holder, carved with huts and tiki-stuff on ebay for $1.99.
Even with the $8.95 shipping price, it's still an excellent find.

Swag can be scored in thrift stores, rummage sales, garage sales, and...yes, I think we should include online auctions.
Everything seems to walk through ebay's doors eventually.
Vintage fabric, vintage sewing patterns, out-of-print books, art....
It's really a fun place to shop.