Ironstone Archives | ConfettiStyle

My Recent Thrifting Finds–Thrill of the hunt!

April 19, 2018

Happy Thursday friends. This week has flown by but as promised, I’m back to share my latest thrifting finds with you. Last week the hubs and I shopped Scott Antique Market and I popped into one of my favorite flea markets.

At Scott, I stopped by to see ‘my guy’ as I affectionately call one of the dealers. His treasures aren’t displayed in a fancy way but are simply strewn across tables for you to rummage through. It’s definitely the thrill of the hunt in his space.

As I walked from table to table I didn’t see much at first but then I came across this blue and white jar. It already own another one just like this and since they are both missing their lids I’m planning to use them as flower vases.

Another great find were these gorgeous English Ironstone transferware plates. I paid $15 for the set of 8 which were all in perfect condition. These will be perfect for a fall or Thanksgiving tablescape.

These art deco Black Tiara Glass Candleholders were just $5.00. They will be fun to use with my black and white dinnerware when setting the table for entertaining.

.This last piece I scored at a flea market/thrift store I shop at often. It was sitting outside with a couple of small tables stacked on top of it but it immediately caught my attention. Hello gorgeous bamboo table for only $30!!! The table was in great shape and just needed a quick cleaning. Right now I have it on my side of the bed as a night stand but I have a couple of other places it might work too.

Shopping antique and flea markets are one of my favorite things to do especially when I come across great pieces.

If you want to brush up on your thrifting skills, read my post on 10 Tips for Shopping Flea Markets Like A Pro.

Happy shopping!

The Ones That Got Away | Thrifting Regrets From Round Top

April 18, 2017

We’ve all been there…shopping at a thrift store and coming across an item that grabs your attention. You approach the item, give it a good once over and then rationalize the decision to purchase it or NOT. The piece looks great, has so much potential and is priced right but the voice in your head says no.

You walk away.

You leave those amazing pieces behind and can’t stop thinking about the ones that got away. That’s what happened when I was shopping during my trip to Round Top and the Hill Country. I walked way!!

Before I show you the ones that got away, let me point out a few things…

I consider myself a seasoned antique/vintage/thrift store shopper. I can tell is a piece is quality and know if something is over-priced or priced right.
One of my rules for thrifting is to buy it if you love it. Even if you don’t have an immediate idea where something will go in your home or how you’ll use it, if you love it, you always find a spot.
Another rule I have is to not overthink a purchase…if you gut says yes don’t let your mind talk you out of it.

So if I could click my heels and transport myself back in time, I would have bought these items when I was thrifting at Round Top…

…

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What I Bought At The Round Top Antiques Market (and a few other places too)!

April 7, 2017

Happy Friday friends. As you read this the hubs and I are headed back to Atlanta with my mom in tow. She’ll be visiting us for a week or so before heading back to Oklahoma.

I wish you could see our car….it’s loaded to the gills with luggage and the vintage finds I picked up at the Round Top Antiques Market and beyond. If you’re wondering what I mean by beyond, here’s the scope. In addition to shopping Round Top, my travel buddies and I, Marsha, Wanda and Sherry also stopped at antique stores, flea markets and Goodwill stores during our road trip. It was a thrifters dream.

Before I show you some of what I purchased, I wanted to share a bit more about our trip.

We left Dallas at 6:30 am on Saturday morning and made the trek to Round Top. Dallas to Round Top is a 3 hour drive so we had time to chat and plan our shopping strategy for the day.

Once we made it to Round Top we spent the day shopping then drove to Saledo, TX where we were staying the night. We stayed at the Inn On The Creek which is an adorable bed and breakfast. I share more about the inn next week but here’s a little glimpse of this charming spot.

On Sunday morning we left Saledo and headed to Waco for more shopping and finally made our way back to Dallas last Sunday evening.

Two days….lots of shopping and a whole lot of fun!

Now let’s get to the really fun stuff…what I bought.

If you remember from my previous posts, I had a list of items I was shopping for including ironstone, blue and white pottery, old design books and vintage jewelry. Although I wasn’t able to find everything on my list, I did find some plus a few things I didn’t have on my list.

WHAT I BOUGHT IN AND AROUND THE ROUND TOP ANTIQUES MARKET…

I had pretty good luck in the ironstone category. I found this pretty ironstone pitcher at a thrift store in Waco and it is in great condition.

I’ve sold several ironstone gravy boats/creamers in my Etsy store recently and was hoping to find some new pieces to add to the shop. This one has a pretty leaf and vine design on it and it was only $5.00.

This 3-piece English ironstone sugar/creamer set was a great find at a Goodwill we stopped at. And you won’t believe the prices–$5.49 for all three pieces.

I found this large ironstone bowl at Round Top and love the softly scalloped edge. It’s a great bowl for fruit or serving salads or pasta.

Another Goodwill score was a set of Federalist Ironstone cups and saucers. I’ve never come across this brand of ironstone before but couldn’t pass up the set which was priced at $5.49.

There were two of these blue and white gravy boats but one had a chip so I only bought the one. And it was less than $6.00!

My friend Marsha grabbed this blue and white vase but offered it up to me. #goodfriendssharetheirthriftingfinds

I found these blue and white bread plates at another thrift store for just $1.99 each. They are English transferware from Lochs of Scotland.

One of the booths I stumbled upon a t Round Top had bins of vintage lace for $1.00 per bundle. You know I had to add a few to my collection.

I was excited to come across a dealer at Round Top that was selling design books for 50% off the marked price. The books I purchased, were published between 1993 and 2008 and cost $6.00 each.

I spotted this beautiful silver-plated bowl in an antique store in Waco but it didn’t have a price tag on it. When I took it up to the counter to check the price I was expecting them to say something like $48. I was surprised and thrilled that it was only $12! #winning

One of my favorite finds was this cute elephant planter/vase. There were people around me when I spotted it so I played it cool and grabbed it when they weren’t looking.

Thrifting tip: be ruthless in the pursuit of a unique treasures

This cute plaid ice bucket and glass set (6 glasses) was a find at an antique store outside Ft. Worth. What a fun set for someone to use for summer entertaining.

These are just a few of the items I purchased on the trip. I’m coming home with tree boxes full of goodies, most of which I’m planning on putting my Etsy shop. I’ll be sure to let you know when the items are available. If you see something you’re interested in, just leave me a comment and I’ll email you the price.

Before I sign off, I did want to share an unexpected find.

Last night we stopped by my cousins’ house. I’ve been in her house many times but didn’t realized she was a blue and white collector. She has some beautiful vases, ginger jars and a full set of Blue Willow Dinnerware. When I spotted it, I commented how I’ve been looking for Blue Willow chins. Then she said something I didn’t expect…she said I could have it.

I’m happy to say that I am now a proud owner of a full set of Churchill Blue Willow dinnerware.

As I pointed out in yesterday’s blog post, it pays to go off the beaten path when antique shopping in and around Round Top.

Until next time…

5 Tips For Shopping Round Top Antique Market {and a few gems I spotted}

April 6, 2017

If you’ve been following me on Instagram you know I was at the Round Top Antiques Market last week. And boy was it a blast.

I know you’re dying to see what I purchased but that will have to wait until tomorrow. I’ll show you what I bought along with more highlights from my trip.

Today I want to share some tips I have for shopping the mega Round Top market in case you ever want to attend.

If you’re never been to the Round Top before let me give you a few market stats…

The Round Top Antiques Market has been going on for 20+ years.
The show originally started in a single barn facility and now spans miles and miles over several towns.
The population of Round Top is just 99 but during the market season the number of people in town swells in to the 1000’s.
There are over 350 dealers at Round Top (actually, it feels like more than that).
Dealers comes from all across the US and the world. And some dealers even bring containers full of European goods to sell.
Several venues charge a fee to get in (usually $10 or less) but the majority of shopping sites are free. Parking is free in most cases as well.
The market is set up to accommodate cars, vans, trailers and even small trucks and buses.
Shipping services are available if you happen to find a furniture piece that won’t fit in the back of your car 🙂
Lots of the items are Round Top are EXPENSIVE but don’t let that scare you off because there are tons of affordable items too. There really is something for everyone.

SHOPPING ROUND TOP ANITQUES MARKET

#1. Plan To Spend Multiple Days Shopping. There are two major Round Top Antiques Market shows each year, one in spring and one in the fall. Each show last 5 days with many of the vendors actually setting up shop and selling a week or two before the official opening date.

The show spans over several miles with venues set up all along the main route and off the side roads.

Because the number of dealers is so large, the range of items that you’ll find for sale is beyond the imagination. There is literally something for everyone and items are every price-point.

In order to see all that Round Top has to offer, you need to plan for 2 to 3 days of shopping. Map out the areas you want to visit ahead of time based on the kinds of items you’re shopping for.

#2. Know What You’re Looking For. Everyone that attends Round Top has their own shopping list in mind. While many people are looking for large furniture pieces others like me are looking for smaller collectibles.

To keep me focused on what I’m shopping for, I’ve found it helpful to make a visual shopping list with photos.

When you make your shopping list, take time to study the types of items you’re looking for. If you’re a real collector, you want to know the real thing from a reproduction. And even though many of the dealers are selling authentic vintage and antique items you will run across reproductions, found objects and even a few ‘garage sale’ type finds.

#3. Wheel and Deal. If you’re not a natural born negotiator, make sure you have someone with’you that is. Like all flea markets and antique shops, the dealers are ready and prepared to negotiate price. So as not to offend a seller, you always want to ask for a better price in a polite way. I’ve found that asking the question, “what’s the best price you can do” always gets some type of discount. If the price still isn’t what you want to pay, throw out a price and see if the dealer bites.

Tip: If you see multiple items at one dealer that you are interested in, ask the dealer what discount they could offer if you purchased them all. Typically dealers will knock 10% to 20% off the price.

#4. Go Off The Beaten Path. One of the things we discovered last year headed to Round Top is that there are lots of great antique shops in the small towns outside the main market area. Most of the shops had a great selection of small items like collectibles, tabletop items and small furniture pieces. And the prices were more reasonable than the what you find at Round Top.

** Favorite local shop: Whistle Stop Antiques in Giddings, Texas

#5. Plan To Have Lots Of Fun. There is a lot to see and do in Round Top so a fun time is guaranteed. In addition to shopping, make sure to visit the ‘city center’ where Royers restaurant and pie shop are located. And keep you camera handy to snap photos of the beautiful farmhouses and churches as you pass through the city.

I’m already looking forward to attending Round Top again next year because there’s still so much to see and experience.

all images by ConfettiStyle

My Latest Thrifting Finds

June 20, 2014

It’s Friday and I’m so, so happy!

I told you that during our vacation last week we squeezed in some thrifting and hit a few antique and thrift shops in Jacksonville and St. Augustine, Florida. I had a few things on my shopping list and while I didn’t find everything I was looking for I did score a few nice pieces.

On the list:

Ironstone

Brass

Vintage Linens

Small Accent Furniture

Vintage Decor Book

This is what I found…

A malachite ice bucket that was a real bargain for $4.00

Ironstone Sugar and Creamer for less than $10

a ironstone casserole dish

a cute clove leave shaped brass planter

and this amazing brass stool. If you follow me on Instagram you saw the post where a friend found this stool on-line selling for $225.00. I paid $20!

Thrift shopping in the Jacksonville area was great. There are lots of shops with a vast array of antiques. If you’re in the Jacksonville area, be sure to check out these shops:

Antique Market of San Jose

5107 San Jose Blvd.

Jacksonville, FL

Avonlea Antiques & Design Gallery

8101 Philips Hwy

Jacksonville, FL

Fans & Stoves Antique Mall

1059 Park St.

Jacksonville, FL

5 Points Antiques

1046 Park St.

Jacksonville, Fl

Southern Crossing Antique Mall

2718 Park St.

Jacksonville, FL

Rusted: A Vintage Market

1523 San Marco Blvd,

Jacksonville, Fl

The thrill of the hunt never gets old. What’s on your thrifting list?

Shopping with ConfettiStyle

August 26, 2013

I’ve been hoarding some of my recent vintage finds and finally found time to get them added to the ConfettiStyle Designs shop. In the shop you’ll find home décor items, tabletop serving pieces and accessories, milk glass and ironstone and lots of other pieces that I think are pretty great. Here are a few of my favorite items.