Finding the Inner Child

As I mentioned in a previous post, I have morphed into a thrifting, picking, crazed, treasure hunter feeding my booth in an antique mall. At the old age of 60, I have discovered a new passion, and I feel as if I am a little kid again. Yesterday, I was knee deep in a storage shed 'picking' old wooden school chairs and desks from an assortment of trash. I came home with a van full of dirty treasures including a 1960's radio in wonderful condition and a school desk and chair from the 1920s complete with hole for an inkwell. Then this morning, I woke at 5:30, too excited to sleep. Walked and fed the dogs and horses in below-freezing temps, piled into the van before my husband (and the sun) was up, and headed to an indoor yard sale.

My adrenalin was pumping as I hurried into the church hall. I'd never been to this particular venue and figured it would be filled with kids' clothes and old purses. But when I walked inside, the first thing I spied was BREYER HORSES!

I galloped over to that table like my horse Relish races to his grain bucket. Right now, my booth does not have a horse 'section' but I have been slowly collecting an interesting array of horse stuff to create a nice display. I have vintage Thelwell books, hunt scene place mats, a needlepoint hunt pillow and a brass horse towel holder (don't ask.) But I was missing Breyer. My own collection suffers from chipped ears and broken legs (from hard riding) and I really didn't want to part with them. So finding Breyers with good prices was a treat. The problem? My heart took over my brain.

I wisely picked three horses still in boxes as well as a bag of miniatures (I knew not all were Breyer in the bag, which was okay because they were all cute.) I unwisely did not check the name of the horse on the box with the horse inside the box until I got them home. Um. Snookered.
I have the horses, and I have the boxes, but they don't match. And really, I am happy with the price, and as my husband said "It was a ten dollar mistake, so who cares" but oh how I wish I had kept my head and scrutinized each horse and box. If I'm going to be 'good' at this business of thrifting and picking, I have to make smart choices. Fortunately, I redeemed myself at the same yard sale with a Winnie the Pooh jewel box full of the complete set of Madame Alexander Wizard of Oz dolls (McDonald's happy meal prizes in 2007)that are absolutely adorable and worth four times what I paid. In the end, it did balance out.

So if anyone needs a box for Polo Pony No. 733. I've got one. And what in the world is "Bareback Riding Gift Set"? I couldn't find it online, so have no idea what should be in that box, but I know it's not the prancing pony I found. Or if someone wants to sell me polo pony 733 or Bareback Gift Set, let me know. Hey, let me know if you are ready to sell any of your horse statues, china horses, stuffed horses, Billy and Blaze books . . .you get the picture. I have a home--and love-- for them all!