Hard Rubbish....You GOTTA kiss a lot of FROGS before you find your Prince....!

Hello fellow Junkers, Thrifters & Gleaners everywhere....!!

I hope as I type, my words find you all well, safe & HAPPY....!! I've been outside since 6am this morning cleaning, sorting & repairing HR finds & have just popped back in for a quick coffee....I'm getting ready for the Maldon Antique Fair this weekend where I'll be participating as a Vendor so time is of the essence....That being said, as HR is a BIG part of what I'm doing RIGHT NOW, I wanted to share some thoughts with you....

The title of my post is VERY appropro....When cruising the HR I REALLY do spend time looking at a LOT of useless (to me) stuff....Don't get me wrong....I would estimate that the stuff being thrown out is around 90% recyclable in one form or another....There are building materials that could be re-used....Large furniture items that could go to any one of a number of charitable organisations....Clothing & kitchen appliances that could be sold at a garage sale or sent off to Vinnies....There's just SO MUCH waste goin' on it's hard to fathom....!!

Of this 90% though....There's probably ONLY around 30% that's SVJ worthy....And there's a LOT of competition for that 30%.... :o) !!

Some piles like this one are WHOPPERS....

If I was managing a recycling centre & this lot came in there would be VERY little I would send to landfill....VERY little....!

However....These were the only SVJ items I found....It may seem like a waste of time to pick up just a few pieces of crockery but I tend to build collections so these pieces have become part of a much larger group I have here at home....The wooden top was off an OLD stool....GREAT piece of wood which will become part of another stool in the not too distant future....The scoop is a BAKELITE beauty & I ALWAYS pick up coloured bakelite....ALWAYS....  :o) !!

A peripheral glimpse of PRETTY fabric....

Yielded a GLORIOUS boquet which is now soaking in my laundry....!

Alas....A LOT of piles look like this....

This....

And this....!

Then....Just when I think I'll NEVER spy ANOTHER Treasure....E-V-E-R....I SPY this....

DROP DEAD GORGEOUS satin quilt....

**sigh** ....It was NOT meant to be this time....Smelling of SOMETHING evil (let's not go THERE) & torn or chewed at the end....I rolled this one back up & put it back in it's bag of....SHAME....!!

While STILL mourning the loss of the quilt I caught a glimpse of this YUMMY piece out the corner of my eye....

Once....A VERY long time ago....This would have been a mirror....Soon it will become a blackboard or perhaps an inspiration board to pin pics & bits of tat....!

See....I spent a LOT of time yesterday kissing a LOT of FROGS....HR is NOT as easy as it seems....When I DO manage to come home with my van filled with Treasures....I spend DOUBLE the time I did finding it sorting, cleaning, repairing & carting off to storage....Now this is by NO MEANS a complaint....Because I LOVE LOVE LOVE what I do....Just the cold hard facts....As WONDERFUL as it is to discover & glean Treasures from piles of refuse a homeowner does not see the POTENTIAL in....There's a LOT of work that actually goes into the sourcing & continues long after the sourcing is 'done'....If anyone around Melbourne would like to come out into the HR with me for a 6 hour stint to witness first hand the FUN HR is, let me know....I'd enjoy the company....Oh but you have to come back to my place....Help me unload & clean everything....hahahahahaha....!!

Cheers for now & HAPPY Treasure Hunting,
Tamarah :o)