Monday, February 14, 2011

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)

27 comments:

  1. Once a year we have a city wide "free" pick=up...and you should see all the great stuff and ALL the Pickers! It's just AMAZING and a little Crazy! Of course I'm out there with the rest of them!
    deb :)

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  2. When my cousin moves back to Mebourne and I go visit her, I am so spending 6 hours in the HR with you.

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  3. Tis hard rubbish up Brissy way but everything is so wet from the floods and rain sigh~!
    Snakes also have been known to slither into boxes etc looking for shelter uggg!

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  4. Nice wooden piece, I found the same thing, exactly the same, but in beautiful of green patina paint, with the mirror still intact...I think your idea of blackboard is wonderful, it will look great.....cant wait for hard rubbish in my area, they skipped last year..aaahhhh

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  5. I will have to come with you one day soon too. I can't do the 6am start though. It would have to be more like 9:30 because of school and kinder drop offs.
    Was so great to see you the other day!!! Made my day. And silly me forgot to get a photo with you. Next time.
    Hope you have a very successful time at the fair. x

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  6. Ahhhh, the shame of leaving that quilt there.... but ewwww, I hear you! Love the mirror that will be a chalkboard!

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  7. You are a brave and artistic person!!! I love treasure hunting too...love to see the beauty in what others might have thought was garbage! Can't wait to see some 'afters' of all your new treasures!!

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  8. Great post! Love the 'bag of shame'. You are brave opening a bag or two - I must say I am a very fleeting 'shopper' 1. Because i am a little self-conscious and 2. I am scared of what i might find if I look too hard. 3. I usually have a tribe to help me....

    This is a great 'look harder' reminder...
    Tah

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  9. It IS a lot of work. The fun part is the other people we get to meet while working a show...and the thrill of the find!
    Debbie
    P.S. Such a shame about that quilt!!!

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  10. Oh, I'll gladly go 6 or 12 hours with you...just a tiny problem that I live in Annapolis, MD USA...
    oh well, great job finding great stuff!

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  11. If I were near Melbourne, I'd go in heartbeat! And I wouldn't even mind unloading and cleaning.

    That old frame will be great once your done with it! And who throws bakelite away??

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  12. Thank you for taking us along, looks like a lot of picking to me. You get the picker of the year award. Love the former mirror.
    Margo

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  13. At least you have weekly access to hard rubbish. I wish-oh-wish people regularly and legally put junk out at the curb. You have a weekly trove, huh? You're a lucky grrrl, with a unique eye!

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  14. SO fun when you finally find that special piece!

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  15. Oh yes!!!!!!
    How I love a hard rubbish! All the cleaning and 'fixing' is a lot of work. All my oppy finds usually need a good wash/repair etc, but by no means as much as some of the hard rubbish items.
    But do you think I can stop myself!
    ;)
    Luurve the fabric find - how has it fared after the soak?

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  16. I am so jealous, we don't have HR here..you can't even find "keepers" at our small local tip anymore because you have to have a scavengers license, insane.

    I would come with you any day!

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  17. I have to say I have never done this! Looks like fun and I love what you have discovered. That wooden mirror frame is delicious! I can see it as a blackboard too!!
    Hugs
    SueAnn

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  18. ok, you are on! I'll even help with the cleaning/sorting. Dont believe me do you ;0)
    bad luck with the eiderdown but love that old mirror husk. I hear Mont Albert was pretty good the last few days.
    alicia

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  19. Love the wood pieces you found, and I always pick up bakelite too-=)! Happy dumpster diving!!
    Hollie

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  20. loving the big piles!!! germany was THE BEST for hitting the big junking piles and holland too!!! i also had the best junking when i lived in Georgia!!! now that i live in northern maryland, i just can't find those piles anymore....boo hoo.
    shame bout the pink quilt!! i remember once digging in one of those 20 foot long piles back in the day w/a dear junking friend of mine and spotting a rat....scary thing....we waited 5 minutes after getting over the heebie jeebies and kept right on plundering. how sad. that is total junking addiction right there!!!!
    hope you have fun with that mirror backing!!! awesome find.
    take care
    sue

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  21. I wish to mention the importance of what you are doing. Although fun and profitable..the "big picture" is the value to our humanity.good job you!

    xx
    z

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  22. All I can say is that you must have kissed a lot of frogs because in all the years I have known you, you have found some pretty amazing pieces!

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  23. Nice diving!! Most fabulous.

    xox jeanne in MN USA.

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  24. Wow, I'm glad there are people like you my dear to pick through the rubbish to help people like me find a keeper! I'm not sure I have what it takes and would gladly pay the extra to have the spiffy cleaned up end product...but that's just me! ;-)

    I thought the piece that was once a mirror was one of those hymnal thingies you see in a church where they change out the page numbers and hymn names from week to week. Hmm, maybe I should go to church more often if I can't tell a mirror frame from a hymnal thingie...just sayin'!

    I hope you have a wonderful show, wish I lived much closer than a half a world away!

    Kat :)

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  25. I think I would have taken the pink satin quilt home and washed it in vinegar then a mild soap. It looked really gorgeous

    Janice

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  26. You should check out my husbands blog Brisbane MFP and hard rubbish....he takes picks of some really fun and surprisingly artistic piles of rubbish...he is on my side bar...and he is definetly one of your kind xx Katherine

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