Thriftspiration: A Trip To Yellowstone Park And Beyond, 1957

Way back when in the spring, while I was chatting up a lively vintage vendor at the Columbus Flea Market and found the child's celebrity scrapbook that inspired this post, I also found this incredible travel scrapbook. Documenting a  road trip adventure across the western Unites States, the photos and ephemera inside are in absolutely beautiful condition.  

The travelers include: Sara, Chet, Betty, Estelle...

...Bill, and presumably a fifth person who isn't photographed, but is documenting the journey. And I don't know much of these young travelers, except that their summer wanderlust began in July of 1957...and that Estelle is a total glamazon. I mean, look at that outfit. Oh...and at least one member of the party is from Morrisville, Pennsylvania, as it is faintly written in pencil on one of their motel receipt slips.  

Their travels took them to several diners, motels, drug stores, and several scenic stops toned in sepia. The Grand Canyon, Old Faithful, and many long desert roads in-between. But perhaps my favorite part of this scrapbook isn't the collection of snapshots...but the mementos kept within. 

Matchbooks, motel slips, and menus. Everyone is sure to take dashboard photos of the desert road, and Old Faithful. But only true travelers save the mementos along the way, the little things. And if this isn't a solid entry of Thriftspiration---hitting the open road in search of adventure,  back when a fountain lemonade cost 15 cents---then I don't know what is.

Happy trails, thrifters! 

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The Thrifted Life: A Trip to Amish Country

This afternoon the family took a little daytrip to Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Aside from the roadside scenery of vast farmland, Lancaster is known for a few things.

1. The Amish. The reserved, hard-working and deeply religious folk who toil away to make an honest living with their livestock, wood crafts and homegrown harvest.
2. Antiques. Furniture, decor and relics of field laborers past.
3. Outlet Shopping. From discount socks to designer goods, Lancaster County has it.     

Since my parents aren't especially fond of antiquing, I just admired the drive past the many antique shops and their porch and curbside wares. We, did however stop into a few outlet shops. Since I returned too late to photograph with natural lighting, some of the goods I did purchase will have to be visually supported another time. But I did happen into The Book Cellar...where everything was a cool 50 cents. Here were my picks:



Graphic novel on a weighty issue.






Band journal and 4 Track EP from The Hermans

 


Oh, the controversy!

 

While I didn't want to make everyone wait in the car without me, as this was a family outting, I did have one request: That I could stop into a Goodwill we passed while outlet shopping. While this wasn't a successful hunt because I fell under time contraints, I did manage to track down something that will hopefully be quite useful in the future:




The Goodwill Bargain Room.

 

I was beginning to think that the so-called Goodwill Outlet was the stuff of fiction. But today...some two hours from home, I finally found one. Oh the bins and boxes were filled to the brim, my friends. And the piles were high for the diggin'

Again, being that the family was waiting on me, I just stopped in for a few minutes to see what it was about. Fill-a-bag sales! Stacks of records! Bins of bags and totes! Oh it was magical. I will return again one day, Bargain Room.

What bargains have you found lately?

Odds ‘n’ Ends Thursday: Here’s What Five Bucks Can Get You

On Tuesday afternoon I stopped into one of my favorite thrifts, Impact in Montgomeryville, PA. I wanted to make an entire day of suburban thrifting, but had a last minute change of plans.
This loot will satisfy the urge… for now.

Monster Mash: Sounds of Terror album…. 50 cents

Patti Smith Group: Wave album…. 50 cents

Ripping Yarns by Michael Palin and Terry Jones of Monty Python… 35 cents

Three vintage Deka cups_Two Care Bears and one Strawberry Shortcake… 90 cents

Vintage Polaroid blue flashgun… One dollar

Dory Previn: Mary C. Brown and the Hollywood Sign cassette…. 35 cents

Matryoshka toothpick holder… One dollar




Now for a few field notes:

The vintage 80's cartoon Deka cups and Monty Python Ripping Yarns will be listed in my Etsy shop in the near future.  Otherwise it’s mine, all mine.

A dollar is more than I would usually pay for a teeny, tiny Matryoshka toothpick holder. But I happen to collect Matryoshka dolls, so I gladly forked over the money.

The Dory Previn cassette was bought on a whim for something silly to listen to on the car ride home. It was a judgment call based solely on the album cover and the names of the songs. Something I like to do from time to time with thrifted music. And let me tell you that listening to a concept album set to the score of a failed Broadway revue in bumper-to-bumper traffic was quite the experience. 

I need to get a bulb for the flashgun, which I am eager to try once I get all my equipment together.

And the Sounds of Terror album?



Imagine cheap Halloween atmospheric soud effect CDs…based on horror genre references…with a brief voiceover intro to each track…on all the crackling and popping glory of vinyl. Highly entertaining.

My favorite songs? It’s a three-way tie among “Buried Alive, The Blob" and “Incredible Giant Crab.”  And interestingly enough this album is a minimum $15 on Amazon. Horror! Madness! Terror!



I would like to make a semi-regular "Sounds of the Thrift" posting, especially when it comes to whimsical purchases of bands or albums I know little to nothing about. Of course I plan to include mp3 selctions from Sounds of Terror and Dory Previn for your listening enjoyment.

But for now, I'm pleased with my five dollar finds.

What loot have you pulled in for under five bucks? 

The Week in Review: We're Hitting the Road

In the housebound boredom of being on temporary sick leave, I had the time to evaluate what I own and what I am willing to part with through donations and sales at my Etsy shop. I still have a bit of organizing and de-cluttering to do, though most of the trouble lies in my closet, not my collections. And since I have the rare ability to say that I'm done work at a decent hour tomorrow night, I plan to do two things:

1. Sort through unworn and ill-fitting clothes for potential Goodwill donations and organize what's left into a sensible grouping of pants, shirts, skirts, gym clothes, casual,  professional and party wear.
2. Map out an itinerary of my favorite suburban thrift stores.

On Tuesday, following my physical therapy appointment and a quick stop at the local library, I plan to properly celebrate my newly found freedom from temporary immobility by partaking in a solo Thrift Road Trip. I need to gain some fresh blog inspiration. And of course I hope to find some quirky vintage oddities, maybe stock up on some items for my shop. And....drum roll, please... I am also in search for an assemblage of items for my next Blog Follower Giveaway!

And don't think I've forgotten about The Trading Post idea. That is still very much in the works. So bloggers, readers and friends, prepare your wares for the trading. And prepare your minds for the blowing, by way of future thrift fails, weird and wonderful finds and a miscellany of misadventures!

Garage Sales & Your Thrifty Itinerary

So many garage sales...so little time

Sure, we're called Let's Go Thrifting! but we love all venues for unique thrifty finds, including garage sales and flea markets. So if you're hitting the road this weekend to track down some secondhand savings, make sure you have a solid travel itinerary.

"Gee·sale·er·dot·com" is the premier search engine specifically designed for garage sales. You can search by the sale date, by state, by city and even by local neighborhood. And if you're hoping to hit several sales in one day, their Trip Planner will map out your custom list for easy traveling.

If you are organizing a garage sale of your own, Gsalr is also a reliable resource for free listings. We added ours today and love the idea of being easily navigated.  And all of these features are free!

So say, for example... you should find yourself in Philadelphia tomorrow. Add our sale at 3816 Greenacres Road to your custom Trip Planner map and come on by.

So fill up the gas tank, grab your thrift wish list and get going with a map of can't-miss thrifty destinations.