Fall Leaves and Vintage Finds

My job has not left much time for road trips but the weather was perfect and we squeezed in a weekend trip. We hoped the leaves would be changing color and we could combine a little thrift shopping with a little nature viewing. Unfortunately, nature was not cooperating. It was a little early for the color show but we did have a relaxing weekend and found a few nice bargains.

Our first stop was in Attalla. The shop was chock full of interesting items in every nook and cranny. Dishes and pottery were mostly outside on shelves next to the building. When the proprietor realized that she did not have many dishes inside, she exclaimed, "Well, I guess I need to go shopping!" and laughed gleefully! I did find one treasure to take home, a little green and yellow cat planter from the  1940's or 50's.

In Cave Springs, we stopped at an antique car show. Buster thoroughly enjoyed checking out the muscle cars. He picked up some fudge while I wandered around in the Cotton Patch thrift store. I found a green coffee pot and creamer. Although it wasn't a terribly unusual find, I had the matching sugar dish at home and it was only $2.

We moved on to the Goodwill in Rome, Georgia and picked up a LuRay sugar dish in blue. Next, we stopped in Brighton, Georgia at an old schoolhouse that had been converted to a thrift store. I picked up a Frankoma leaf dish for $2 and a gray Ballerinaware bowl for 50 cents. I love restaurant ware and found a platter with a green decorative edge for $1. A platter for a dollar? That was a deal!

Later, we came across the Flamingo Flea Market. The long buildings appeared to be a storage facility in a former life. The interior walls had been removed and were divided into thrift stalls. While there was lots to look at, I only choose a pair of salt and pepper shakers for $1.

Our last stop was at the Mountain Top Flea Market. While there was plenty of publicity, this was not our kind of flea market. The crowd was huge and the rows of stalls seemed to never end. Merchandise, however, was mostly new or fell into categories that didn't interest us - like used medical equipment - wheelchairs and walkers, or tools. If I lived in the area, I would have frequented the produce stalls. There was lots of variety in the produce stalls and many specialty items for people interested in Hispanic food.

We have to be back at work tomorrow so it was time to hit the road south...until the next time On the Backroads with Buster.