Walterboro is a cute little Southern town but, sadly, many of its antique shops have gone out of business and the tree-lined main street is marred by empty store fronts. Antique shops seem to be struggling everywhere. At home in New England the same is true. "The girls" and I used to be able to spend whole days driving from one antique shop to the next looking for bargains; not so anymore. Is that true where you live too?
We did find a few shops open. One was located in what was the town's only movie theater back in the day. After the theater closed, the grandson of its original owner turned it into a group antique shop. After hearing stories about the "old days" in Walterboro (and even seeing black & white photos of Grandpa!), we began hunting through the piles of "stuff" in search of ever-elusive Shawnee Pottery miniatures to add to my collection.
And, sitting on an old tray of dishes in the back of the store, I spotted one!
This little two-handled vase is the first one I've found in many years. Score!
And, at $5.00, I didn't even dicker; they're now selling for $20.00 to $30.00 each online.
These tiny (<3")vases and pitchers were produced from 1937 through the 1940's and given away as premiums at stores and movie theaters. (Back in 2011, I wrote a post about my collection, with lots of photos, which you're welcome to revisit here.)
Finding this little vase seemed like quite a coincidence because just last week, Claudia at Mockingbird Hill Cottage, who also collects Shawnee miniatures, posted about two she had just purchased and how hard they are to find. I replied to her post that I hadn't found one since 2011. A few days later, this one appeared, in Walterboro, SC of all places. Karma?
On the way back to Charleston (Mt. Pleasant, actually) we passed this funky barn, "Linda Page's Thieves Market".
After yelling "Stop! Stop!" to DH and encouraging him to take a hair-raising u-turn, we pulled in.
What a fun place!
I loved these big tobacco baskets; great size, color and texture for $30.00. I wanted to buy one of the larger ones for the wall over my couch but finally had to let it go . . . we simply have no more room for "stuff" in the camper. (Tied to the roof, maybe?)
I did buy two rusty old egg baskets to use as Easter decor, a metal tray in which to display all the whelk shells we collected in St. Augustine, and 10 colored glass bottle stoppers. (There's no rationale for the bottle stoppers except that I already have a door knob collections so, for 10 for $1.00, why not?)
Outside the "Thieves Market" was this bicycle. Can you see it? I wonder if the rider is still in the barn somewhere? If so, she must like to hunt for "junk" even more than I do!
Tomorrow we'll load up the Casita and head for Rome, Georgia. Before we do, I'm determined to finish at least one more post about one of my all time favorite places . . . Charleston.
It' s raining in the low country today so I just might get that done!
This post is linked to:
Amaze Me Monday at Dwellings
Nifty Thrifty Sunday at Nifty Thrifty Thungs
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