Rummage-O-Rama!

Way back when, on Memorial weekend, my friend Caiti and I got our rummage sale groove on and found the largest, most amazing rummage sale I have ever seen.


Now, I have been to lots of rummage sales.  My Momma had me at the rummage sales with her when I was just a little sprite, no bigger than a bed bug (or something like that). I have been around the block when it comes to rummage sales and I have never, never, ever seen a rummage sale as amazing as this one.
Caiti and I stumbled upon this place by chance.  We were out trolling for rummage sale signs out here in the country side where we live.  You see, if people in the country are going to have a rummage sale, they will host it on a holiday weekend when they know there will be more traffic. We ended up driving about 3 miles off of the main road, a little further than I like to go, and we almost turned around and went back, but we decided to press on.


This is what we found.  

 

The owner of this property and all of the stuff within, is Laverne.  I was so in love with her rummage sale I asked her if I could take pictures.  I had to capture this wonder to share with you all.
 
As you can see, this sale did not encompass your average sized garage. No.  Instead it is located inside a pole building the that was twice as deep as your average garage.

 

Inside there is more stuff than they have at the Goodwill.  
Not kidding.  
Not even a little.

Turns out Laverne has her own thrift store right in her very own garage.  
 

These vintage beauties are mine now!

 There were shelves and shelves of household items. Glassware, lamps, nick-knacks, and just about every other thing you can think of.  She also had some antiques mixed in with the rest of the goods.
 

See how excited Caiti is?  
She had nothing on me.  
I may or may not have started to laugh manically in a moment of uncontrollable joy. 

I contemplated purchasing the elephant, but I was looking for an owl so I passed it by for the next shopper.
 

I was surprised and delighted to find stacks of these hand embroidered dish towels on the shelves. There had to be at least 20 sets.  There are probably 8-12 towels in a set. These are the exact same kind of towels that my grandmother used to make.  She even made a set for my sister and I when we were still in high school because she knew that by the time we were married she wouldn't be able to embroider any longer.  Incidentally, they are the best dish drying towels you will ever use. 
I found out that they were stitched by non-other than the now infamous Laverne.  You guys, she's got to be in her 70's.  What an enterprising and energetic lady.  No sitting around watching the Jeopardy and Days of Our Lives for Laverne.  She's making stuff!  And categorizing all of her goods. Plus she must be out shopping,  I mean, where did she get all this stuff anyway?

There was no end to what you may find.  Anyone redoing an old Camaro? Laverne has some vintage seats for you.
 

Caiti and I had to have wandered around looking at all these treasures for over an hour and we didn't even touch the clothes. Which probably take up over half of the space inside.
 

It was a perfect time to break Emma in to the wonders of rummage sale shopping.  She was a trooper.  
I gave the boys each a dollar and told them to have at it. That left me with uninterrupted shopping time.  What a brilliant plan.

Just when we were tallying up our loot and feeling really guilty for all the stuff we were buying at such cheap prices, Laverne mentioned that she had some furniture in the garage attached to the house.  
What?! 
Of course we had to look.
I found this little beauty. A vintage metal and glass table.  Want to know what the price was?  
Laverne told me she'd give it away sell it to me for $3.
Uh, let me think about it for a minute Laverne dear. 
Sold!

 When it was time to load up, we were a little concerned that we would have to leave the kids behind and come back for them later after we had dropped our treasures off at the house. 
Just kidding! 
But it did help me remember why I am fond of my minivan. 4 kids, 2 adults, an umbrella stroller, a large basket, a table, a vintage sled (which she sold for $5!!!!!), 3 vintage tins, and a couple boxes of miscellaneous glassware later, and we were headed home.

Caiti and I got in the van with smiles that stretched form ear to ear.  I don't remember ever having such a euphoric rummage sale experience before.  Not even when I scored a North Face jacket for my son for $15.00. 
We also felt just a little guilty.  
We kind of felt like maybe we robbed Laverne.  
Only, she was the one who was setting the prices.  I didn't even dicker with her.  After all, I only spent $14.50.
So, we let the guilt blow away in the breeze flowing through our rolled down windows and determined that we would just have to go back on the 4th of July weekend.  I mean, after all, the least we can do is support her business.  
Right?
Right.