I Wish I Knew Who These Belonged To!

Today's find kind of made me sad, what I found in the bottom of a bin at the Salvation Army store: A whole family of handmade knitted Christmas stockings. Someone worked long and hard to make these. I can't imagine the number of yarn color changes required in each of these patterns.

I hope they were enjoyed at least for a time by Jon, Michael, Lisa and Julie; kids happy to run downstairs and check to see if Santa had come. (That's how we knew he had come, because when we went to bed, the socks were empty, if we woke up and they were hanging full, then we knew he had been there!)

Two boys and two girls. Did grandma make them ? Did the kids know they were throwing them in the bin destined for the thrift store? Didn't any of them realize what a treasure they were losing? Would one or even all of the kids kept them, had they known they were going to be thrown out? Or was it a case of a divorce, and dad kept them in the attic for years, hoping against hope that the family would be put back together again? I never will know.

It makes me realize, though, how something can mean so much to one person, and not to the other, even though that other person is in the same family. I also thought about how life circumstances can dictate that it's not possible to hang on to all that might be sentimental to us. Perhaps these stockings weren't worthy of packing and a long trip to another state in a major move. Sometimes what is precious to us is funny to our children: I should be prepared for "the wordless look" someday when I offer them something sentimental: the expression that seems to say "and why would I want that?" so I need to be prepared for my treasures to someday be tossed.

These are highly collectible, and will most likely sell. But as I washed these and hung them on the line in my laundry room to dry, I couldn't help but wonder what their story is, and the route they took to our house.

I hope these make someone happy, someone who collects vintage Christmas and there's a possibility they may end up in Oregon or Oklahoma, or Massachusetts, but they will be far away from whom they were intended for and far away from Jon, Michael, Lisa and Julie.

"THE PRICE IS RIGHT"

Sold for $15.50

Sold for $1.99

From the bulging picture file on my computer named "EBAY" come two pictures and two stories. Well, actually I have over 1400 pictures in that file, listed on the same day and sold just hours apart and show you that you just NEVER KNOW. I mean, a bunch of plastic from Tupperware the late eighties? Who knew?

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The top picture is a set of Tupperware stencils from the late eighties, still in their original bag, never used. PRICE: .25 cents. My kids used to play with these, back when kids still picked up paper and pencils to play.

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The lower picture is of a very old (or vintage as they say on eBay) kitchen prayer plate that your grandma could have had in her kitchen when her kids were growing up. It was made in Ohio and had a stamp on the back with the town's name. PRICE: $1.00

Stinky Pete....I love you!

Every now and then I like to do good deeds. I do! Really, and to prove it I am going to tell you a story about a cranky old Prospector Disney created named Stinky Pete.

I rescued Stinky Pete from the side of the road....he was sitting in a driveway real close to the road one very, very hot and humid summer day. Two moms, sisters, were "helping" their sons have a toy sale. I took pity on them and felt sorry that of all the beautiful weather days we'd had this summer, these two had chosen the hottest, stickiest, most horrid day to sit out near the asphalt road selling the toys their offspring had agreed to part with.

There was a lot of Disney stuff there and among other things, I spotted him! I picked Stinky up for mere cents, and he got washed and put in the inventory of eBay stuff I have in the garage.

One day I finally got around to looking his kind up on eBay and LO! Stinky was a valuable find! I called Luke in to look because I could not believe my eyes....Stinky had been bid up to $25! So, I hurried outside to take a natural light picture of MY Stinky, hoping to make him look more handsome and even more valuable than the $25 Stinky.

It must be my gift....? and if I do say so myself his portrait turned out to look quite handsome! I listed Stinky hoping for at least $25. I started him out at $2.99 and someone bid on him almost immediately. This is a good sign, people, if you want to know. A very good sign. And the bids continued.

Well, two days ago, the auction had ended, quite happily for me. And I sent Stinky to live with his new owner in Canada, and said new owner was willing to part with $35 plus around $4 in shipping to import this bad dude into his country and his home. I don't get it. But I like it. Really well.

I do love Stinky Petes and if you happen to have any of these odd looking, mean old prospectors from TOY STORY 2 laying around your house that need a good home, I will bring him here, love him, launder him, and pose him for a portrait and put him up for AUCTION! No telling where yours may end up living!