What a website!

I just found this incredible website tonight
 http://www.poshgirlvintage.com/?typefilter=labels_id&labels_id=55
for anyone into vintage clothes.

Collaborating is a Nice Word

Big News for us tonight! - Nice Sale Today and Grandma's Treasures in Livingston will be collaborating. This means I will working at and have a storefront presence on Livingston's Main Street at Betty Lahren's store - Grandma's Treasures. Don't worry! Betty will still be working but the store will have more regular hours with me around. We're going to kick it all off with a HUGE CHRISTMAS SALE. Stop in - Betty is offering 50% off many many items, starting this week. If you have been checking something out at Grandma's Treasures - this might just be your lucky week! I'll post photos tomorrow.

Poker Chips from the Travertine Bar in Livingston, Montana

I have been told the Travertine was located where Nevins Glass is now. That was before my time. Here are two boxes of poker chips from the Travertine. They are made of clay. You can see they are in really nice condition. The matchbook however is pretty worn. These are being offered for $75.00. 

Found: Henry Wallace Speaks, The Movie

I was going through a box of antique photographic equipment today and came across a few 16mm movie film canisters with the old Eastman Kodak logo on them. Inside I found two movies. The most interesting one is Henry Wallace Speaks. Wallace served as the 33rd Vice President of the United States under Franklin D Roosevelt from 1941to 1945. The movie appears to be an original run or a very old copy.

TIME Magazine named Wallace as one of Americas worst Vice Presidents:

"A colleague once described Henry Wallace as "a person answering calls the rest of us don't hear." Wallace did indeed feel a calling: the Iowa-born son of a former agriculture secretary declared his greatest aspiration was "to make the world safe for corn breeders." - thats TIME writing, not me. 

America's Worst Vice Presidents

This movie could be interesting. I can't find any reference to it on the internet. The canister is a little beat up but film itself  looks like it is in great condition. 

There was also a 16mm movie Killers in the Insect World. There are a few copies of this floating around. I found one on eBay. I'm not as excited about that one. The last canister was empty.

I sold all of my projectors. Rats.

I'll have to find a home for the Wallace footage. Thoughts?

The Rustpeddler is Kickstarting

If you know me, you know I am all about recycling, repurposing, just finding a use for all of the STUFF we all have. I hate for anything to go to waste.



For any of you that don't know her already,              
meet Sarah Homans, one of Livingston's finest creative forces.

Sarah makes some of the most beautiful jewelry I have come across - she is one of those people that can make anything out of seemingly nothing. And she's a wonderful person.

"Like a nervous twitch, I've been bending down and picking up these objects for as long as I can remember. About 10 years ago, I decided that this collection of mystery metal/found objects needed to be put to good use: wearable art."

And it happens right here in Livingston! I would encourage you to take a look at her Kickstarter campaign - right now :)! Then, make a pledge. You wont regret it.

Click Here  Sarah Homans, The Rustpeddler's Kickstarting Campaign to read more and meet Sarah.

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Every piece I make is different- even if I'm following a general design it is very important to me that each piece has its own "soul."

Nice Sale Today Joined Facebook Tonight

Ok - so maybe its not earth shattering news. But for all of you that catch my blog, now you can find me on Facebook too. Don't forget to "Like" my page. They tell me that helps. Thanks!

https://www.facebook.com/NiceSaleToday?ref=hl

Antique Handy Button Machine - Sold!

Another great placement happened today. The Handy Button Machine stayed in Livingston after all. It found a new home at Guthrie Lane Clothing. http://www.guthrielane.com , thanks to Angie Devine. I can't wait to see what she does with this fantastic find.

Her clothes are the finest!

Antique Handy Button Machine, One Step Closer!

There's something about old buttons... 

They are pretty! The button machine in my living room made all of these. 

I've been working on this project for weeks now in my spare time.

Cleaning and sorting... I'm the first to admit, the job is not perfect, 

but its in a LOT better shape than when I found it.

I took a lot of pictures tonight. There is a lot to this inventory to look at.

If you are looking for a handy Button Machine, you should call me at
 406-224-1559. I will be putting this on eBay or Craigslist soon if I can't find a
buyer through my blog.

There are a lot of dies and the machine too. I will be adding photos of them tomorrow.
Everything is included, including all of the cool cigar boxes.

Table full the first time...

And another table full...

This is the total of the button blanks ( backs, fronts and pieces) all boxed up.

Thats a lot of buttons.

The cigar Boxes alone can sell for $15 each on eBay. I am estimating there are 45 of them.
thats $675 in boxes in a perfect world...

Here are the parts to make buckles. I have not attempted one of those yet.

And here are the cutters for the fabric. 

The old display boards...

button examples

belt buckle examples

I'll be back at it in the morning.

See you then.

Driving the Dump Truck - Homestead Cabin at Old Chico

Sarah sent me this photo today and it cracked me up. It was fun taking it for a spin around the cabin. I think Gus was jealous I got to drive it.

Antique Button Machines - The Handy Junior and Floor Model with Dies - Be sure to read this all the way to the end!

What are the chances I would find not one, but TWO Antique button machines in our small Montana town? I've been buying and selling antiques for years, and I have never come across one of these until this fall. Of course, my father knew immediately what they were and knew they were a terrific find. He is the greatest.

The first one sold one eBay. It was a fantastic collection. Here are pictures of just a few things I sold with the machine.

The lady that bought it was thrilled! She said: "I Love Love Love this machine!! It is far better than I expected!! Awesome eBayer!!"

This next button machine is even better... I am getting it ready - cleaning it up and making an inventory of what is in ALL OF THESE BOXES! Its amazing really.

I have just begun the cleaning so this is the before pictures. I have not moved the machine into the house. I'll add a photo of that when I do.

You would get a better price on this if I didn't have to sell it on eBay. Contact me if you are interested. 406-224-1559

The One Room Schoolhouse at Old Chico, Montana

I had a great time spending the day at Sarah Muller's property last week. Sarah lives in the most lovely cabin located in Old Chico, Montana. Old Chico is considered a ghost town by some, although there are a certainly people still living in and around the area. Along with her cabin, she has two vacation cabins on her property, an Airstream and a sheep wagon. Her next project is renovating the old schoolhouse and its outbuildings.

Take a break and look at the property here: http://www.homesteadcabin.com. The website is worth the look and if you are looking for a Montana get-a-way, it is certainly worth a stay.

Wednesday I got to go through tons of old papers, books, flashcards, posters and odds and ends in the building. It was full of insects, mice droppings and dust, but I think I got it all cleaned and organized so Sarah could make sense of it.

Next week I'm going to go back and help her start the remodel. How fun! I'll keep you posted as it progresses.


Here is the outside:

Here is the inside:

And here is a silly picture of me at work:

And here is a nice picture of her sheep wagon:

Check out her website for more information.

117 South C Street, Livingston

WOWZA! This sale came up fast! I didn't even get a chance to take pictures! I was officially hired on Thursday of this week to clear out and prepare 117 South C Street for its "next adventure". The owners of the house needed this done - and done fast. I whirled in on Friday, thinking I would sort and sell what I could to a few people in town who buy a lot from my sales. But alas, it was more than they could handle. What to do with a houseful of stuff? The good news was C Street finally opened up for car traffic Friday afternoon after 6 weeks of heavy construction. I called my dear friend, Betty. We rolled up our sleeves Friday night and got to work, scrubbing and shining what we could. George came over and did what he does best  - sorting and organizing. It was a late late night. Saturday was a first for Nice Sale Today - I called it a

Flash Estate Sale

No rows of tables and no price tags. And while I can't say its the way I like to do a job (After all, I am a Baker, I like things "just so"...) but everyone who came seemed to love it. There was more traffic than I would have imagined. We'll have the door open tomorrow too, just in case you want to stop by and find a treasure. There is still a lot that needs a home. The local Senior Center Thrift Shop will benefit from the remains of this sale.

Sorting Into Piles

Clearing, sorting, and organizing - Its fresh on my mind after our friend Claire posted on Facebook. She was wondering how much that type of service is worth. It opened up a great thread. If any of you Wisconsin people (Madison specifically) need a hand getting things organized, contact me for her information.

To thin out and declutter your home,  I recommend  sorting everything into piles. Throw away, recycle, donate, give and sell.

There are fantastic options in Livingston for donating. The Community Closet http://communitycloset.com/ and the Senior Center http://www.livingstonmontana.org/living/senior_center.html are my two regular drop offs for donations. There is also a yearly garage sale for the Park High School kids that are trying to raise money to go to Japan through the Sister Cities Program http://www.livingstonmontana.org/living/sister_city.html. Once a year the Park County Environmental Council holds an electronic recycling project http://www.envirocouncil.org/. I believe it's the best way locally to get rid of all of your broken and outdated computers, TV's and the like.

I don't throw much away. You'd be amazed at how much you can recycle. Don't forget, all of your metals can be sold at a good recycling center. I have used Pacific Steel and Recycling in Bozeman. Its a bit of a drive, but if I'm headed over to do errands in the "Big City" it sometimes pays for my gas and groceries! http://local.yahoo.com/info-17102587-pacific-steel-recycling-bozeman.

About a year ago, I started a project where I would try to give something away every day from my house. Its not as easy as you would think. Some days it might just be something little, a pencil or a something tiny. Other days, I would try to give someone something of real value. This was all in an effort to re-enforce lesson "It is better to give than receive". It is true. It made me feel wonderful, although I would say the neighbors were probably thinking I was a little nuts after a while. I think it stopped when I tried to give our truck away. George put a stop to that pretty quickly. I understand... but still it would have been fun. In retrospect, I should have truly enlisted the help of my family.  Maybe I will reinvigorate that project.

As for selling, George and I are pretty good at holding sales. This is the season for sales. If you want to get rid of things and draw a crowd, people are out on Saturday mornings. A gentle reminder, everyone is having a sale, so don't out price things. Give me a call if I can help.

Taylor Mott Queen Sized Headboard - Bird Sculpture for Sale

To say the least, I was surprised when this appeared at the estate sale I was working on last week. Thinking back, I'm not sure why - the owner has so many amazing pieces of art throughout her home. 

The artist, Taylor Mott is a native Montanan who now resides in New Mexico. He has an impressive list of gallery representation. If you are not familiar with him, he is easily found on the internet. 

This is a one of a kind headboard with hand cast birds. They appear to be little kestrels or falcons. It was being sold at a heavily discounted price of $1600 at a shop in Bozeman. The owner is now asking $900 for it at this estate sale to keep it from going into storage. She is heavily downsizing. 

Call me at 406-224-1559

10th Street, June 8th 9th and 10th

Here's a little preview of the next sale we are helping with. It will be held at 216 South 10th Street - Friday from 4pm to 7pm,

 Saturday from 8am to 3:00, and Sunday 8am to ? 

There are a lot of wonderful antiques and treasures here. 

The owner is an artist with fabulous taste. 

I think you are going to love this sale.

Can't wait to see you!