Best Finds of 2022 Miscellaneous

The fun part of reselling is that you never know what you’re going to find out there. Most items don’t fall under neat categories like dolls or plush. The following are some of the best finds of the year in a whole variety of categories.

Lisa Frank is very collectible – especially the older prints. This clipboard was at a school sale for $1. I was concerned it might not sell because it was not in good condition – it had creases in it. But I guess it was a desirable print because it sold in a very short time for $49.

This pink plastic poodle caught my eye at the thrift store. It had a kitschy vintage look. It’s called a Shampoodle and was a shampoo bottle. It cost about $5 and sold for $49.

This bright red bakelite die was at a church sale. It was a large one at about 2.5″ square. I wasn’t sure it was bakelite when I bought it but it was cheap so I took a chance and it tested positive. It sold for $49.

Speaking of bakelite, I found these three bangles at a church sale on a random table. I didn’t know if they were bakelite but they were the right colors and I took a chance. They also tested positive as bakelite and sold together for $74.

I used to pass by these funky looking vases when I saw them until I learned that they are called swung vases and are a collectible item from the 1960s. This pretty blue one was at a church sale for about $5. It sold after a while for $74.

Usually I don’t do well at regular garage sales in my area but this sale was an exception. There was some vintage Christmas at this sale and I saw this Holt Howard pitcher marked at $4. I don’t find much Holt Howard but am always on the look out. I debated keeping this one but decided to sell it for $79.

This weathered wooden bucket was at a church sale for $5. I liked the yellow paint and farmhouse style. I learned that it is called a Firkin bucket and can be collectible. It sold for $80.

My daughter taught me about these vintage handheld game systems called Game and Watch. This one is for a game called Chef. She was able to test it for me which helped it to sell for $85.

I don’t often find Pyrex for a good price at sales anymore. This large green polka dot bowl was at a church sale for $5. It sold quickly for $124.

This dog print by Huneck was $10 at a fundraiser sale. I had purchased a similar print once before and so I recognized it. It took a long time to sell but finally went for $129.

My best find of the year was a vintage soap dispenser. This one was from 1964 and featured a picture of Frankenstein. People seem to be going crazy lately for creepy/Halloween items. The challenge here was how to ship it safely. We were lucky to find someone who was certified in shipping this type of item. It sold for $187.

I would say that 2022 was certainly filled with some unusual and unexpected finds!

Best Doll Finds of 2022

These are some of the best doll finds for the year 2022 from lower value to higher, roughly.

This doll came out of a box of toys at a rummage sale. She had a 60s-psychedelic vibe to her. Her tag said “Roarin’ 20s” and I believe she was from the 1960s. I love her colors and her accessories. She sold for $30.

I had an American Girl doll that I bought at the thrift store for $8. I thought she was a Just Like You doll and I priced her at $39. Someone contacted me (very kindly) to tell me that she was in fact Gwen Thompson which is a more valuable doll. I increased her price to $99. When I got an offer for $65, I took it since originally I would have been happy with the $39.

This was an exciting Goodwill Outlet find. She came out of a new bin. I recognized her as a Byers Caroler doll. She is Mrs. Claus with a basket of treats. She sold for $69.

I was at the thrift store and I saw a doll that I recognized as one of the Ideal hair growing dolls. I thought this doll was Mia but then realized that she was too tall. I learned that she was a Posin Tressy doll which I had never heard of before. She came in her original outfit but was missing one shoe. She sold in a few months for $65.

Another day at the thrift store I saw a bag on the toy wall filled with dolls and cute accessories. I had never seen these dolls before but learned that they were Cherry Merry Muffin dolls. I think the bag was $6. They sold as a group for $64.

I went to an estate sale where the lady was a big doll collector. Many of the dolls were priced at $20 and I didn’t know that much about most of them. I saw the Heidi Ott signature and I knew that it could be a good doll but I wasn’t sure so I waited until half price day. I bought this doll for $10 and she sold for $70.

This next doll was found at a church sale. I had been there for awhile when I spotted a box under a table. When I pulled it out I saw this very pretty doll elaborately dressed and bejeweled. She turned out to be a Queen Elizabeth doll by artist Peggy Nisbet. This was about 2 weeks after the Queen had passed. I think she was $5 and sold for $74.

I was at an estate sale where the prices were very high. They had a few Barbies and other dolls that were new in the box for $10 each. I looked some up and found that this Mirana the White Queen doll from Alice through the looking glass, could sell well so I bought her. She sold quickly for $74.

I have found quite a few American Girl dolls over the years and their prices are going down but I learned that if you find a boy American Girl doll, they can still bring a good profit. This doll came from a church sale. I believe he was $20. He sold for $84.

This last doll is another boy doll who was bought at the same sale as the doll above. I never heard of this brand before but he seemed like a very well made doll. His clothes were very detailed. He was $5 and the brand is Kidz n Cats. He is my most valuable doll find of the year, selling at $150.

Best Plush Finds of 2022

This has been a bumpy year but the finds have always cheered me up along my journey. Here are some of the best plush/stuffed animal finds of 2022 in no particular order.

This purple character is Telly Monster from Sesame Street. Some of the less popular characters can do well if you find them in plush. He sold for a best offer of $42. He is also a puppet. I think I paid $3 at a church sale.

This Eden plush bunny was a find from the Goodwill Outlet. I couldn’t find anything like him but Eden can sometimes sell well for me. I put him up for $50 and got an offer for $45 which I accepted. His buttons are shaped like jellybeans.

This Vortigant plush was a find from the thrift store. He is part of pop culture but I really have no idea where he is from. I looked him up and priced him according to comps. He sold for $74. I think he is some kind of alien. He took several months to sell.

This happened during a tag sale day where I wasn’t finding much. Then I spotted this plush on a table and saw that it said Lisa Frank on the tag. I have been searching for one of these. I paid $2 and it sold for $69.

This was another Goodwill Bins find. It was not in great condition but I have found a few of these Pillow People. There is one shaped like a window which is very valuable because it was on a TV show. This baby version sold for $54 despite its condition.

This item is not a plush but is related to a plush that I am always on the look out for. These are handcuffs for the large My Pet Monster plush. He is a very valuable plush but often is found without his handcuffs. I was surprised to see these just by themselves at a church sale. I picked them up for $1 and they sold quickly for $69.

This pair is from a Goodwill where I rarely find anything anymore. They were hiding in the toy area. They are Romper Room Softies and sold together for $49.

Rushton is a good name in plush but I rarely find them. I found a pair of monkeys with big Rushton paper tags on them for $20 each at an estate sale. I picked them both up. The boy, Zippy sold for $100 and the girl, Tippy sold for $93. These were not very old. The older ones can sell much higher.

This last item came from a sale at a neighborhood yard sale. It was on the ground when I saw it priced at $5 I think. Lots of Grateful dead items sell well so I looked it up just to be sure. At first I thought it was a puppet but then realized that it was a golf club cover. This Grateful Dead yellow bear golf club cover sold for $155.

Hope you enjoyed the list. Hoping for more great plush finds in 2023!

Dollhouse Furniture, Vintage Toys, Mice and MCM figures

I came across a box of vintage plastic dollhouse furniture at an estate sale recently. I would have liked to take the whole box but there were no prices on anything so I just did my best to pick out what I thought would be good sets. I found a set of pink Renwal bathroom furniture decorated with mermaids and under the sea items. Unfortunately two of the pieces have melt marks. Sometimes this set can do well. I found a cute set of green and red Plasco furniture for the kitchen. This also seems to be a popular set. Finally, I also found a group of Plasco living room furniture.

At another sale I found a child’s nativity set by Avon. I have learned that some Avon items can do well so I try to look them up. This seemed to be a good set and it sold quickly for $69.99. At this same sale I found a Fisher Price Fun with Foods chocolate cake and a Dukes of Hazzard play mat. I also picked up this carved wood Russian toy which features a goat and a bear cub.

I went to a sale where the person collected tons of animal figures. I picked up some that had a mid century modern look to me. This included a wooden mouse marked Denmark, a wooden duck and a moose made out of folded leather.

This same person had a collection of furry mice from Germany, dressed in different outfits including a witch costume, Christmas themed characters and a bride and groom.

Those were some fun pick ups from the last few weeks. People seem to be shopping online for the holidays! Yay!

Handbags, Christmas, Dolls and Very Vintage Bits and Bobs

This fall I have seen some good sales followed by a string of sales where there was very little for me to buy. At one of the better sales there was an area where handbags were $3 and I was able to find several Dooney and Bourke bags along with some Coach bags. The Disney Animal Kingdom bag was a find from the bins.

At the same sale where I found the $3 bags was this Le Creuset Christmas Tree candle holder. Some other Christmas finds include this set of 3 push pin and sequin Christmas tree ornaments. They sold quickly for $24.99. I also picked up a wooden nativity and a stained glass holiday sled that lights up. This last find was from the thrift store.

I found a pair of Bitty Baby dolls at the thrift store. They were $7 each. I sold them together for a best offer of $50. I was happy that they came in pajamas. Also from the thrift store was this Robert Tonner doll. Unfortunately she has a broken knee. I sold her as a TLC doll for $29.99. The colorful doll is called a Roarin’ Twenties doll and she is from the 1960s. I love her fun look.

I went to an estate sale that had some wonderful old things but the prices were high. The children’s books were only $3 each so I bought some vintage Little Golden Books including Susie’s New Stove and Ukelele and her new doll. These are books I haven’t seen before and were first editions.

I bought this mini Springbok puzzle from 1968 and this small one room dollhouse from the 1920s-30s. The dollhouse was my most expensive purchase there, at $20. I love the illustrations in the interior.

Those are some highlights of finds from November. I hope everyone in the US had a happy Thanksgiving and wherever you are that you have fun getting ready for the holidays!!

Vintage Christmas, Jewelry, Dolls and More!

I am so grateful that sales have picked up this fall after a pretty slow summer. I have found quite a few fun items starting in the doll category. This lovely Queen Elizabeth doll was in a box of international dolls under a table at a sale. I think I paid $3 for her. She has beautiful clothing and jewelry and is very detailed. She sold for $75 shortly after the Queen passed. At the thrift store I picked up this hair growing Tressy doll which I never found before. I thought she was a Mia doll but then realized she was taller. She is one of the rarer hair growing dolls by Ideal. On the same day I found her I also found a Suzette doll by Effanbee. This doll still had her original hair net and plastic over her head. She sold for $42. Recently at a church sale I picked up a Crissy doll with her original box and outfit. I was excited to find her!

I have also been picking up some vintage Christmas items including a set of 5 soldiers from Japan, a folk art Santa Claus, 2 Christmas corsages and the most exciting find – a Holt Howard Santa Claus pitcher!

There were also some stuffed animal finds. The best one was a Grateful Dead golf club cover which sold for $155. I guess the Dead Heads are playing golf now. I picked up a couple of Sesame Street plush toys too including a Telly monster puppet and a Rosita. Another exciting find was a Lisa Frank puppy dog.

I had another haul of dollhouse furniture. I bought a box for $15 and made several lots to sell out of it. There was a bedroom, dining room, nursery and some baby accessories. There was a dollhouse baby doll too that was from Germany.

Finally I will share some jewelry that I bought. I paid $8 for each of the rings and $5 for each pendant. I believe all the pieces are sterling. I really like the Native American jewelry with turquoise.

Those are some highlights from the last 4 weeks of sales. I’m glad to have had some good finds following a fairly quiet summer. Happy Fall everyone!

Dollhouse pieces, Vintage Holiday, Barbie and More!

There haven’t been many sales for me to go to this August. I have made a few trips to the thrift store. Between a few sales and the store there have been some fun finds. I love dollhouse furniture and found a small box of it for $5 at a sale. The box included this pretty hall tree, a fancy bassinet and a canopy bed. So far I have sold the bed for $19.

I have found a few older holiday items. I picked up a set of Halloween ornaments from Pier 1, an Alice in Wonderland Christmas ornament, an old Christmas card shaped like a cute deer, a vintage tin Easter egg and several Beistle honeycomb Valentine’s hearts.

I picked up two wooden carved figures from different countries. This fisherman was made in Poland and the violin player is from Norway by Henning. That one sold quickly for $54.

I was at a local sale and the lady had some Barbie dolls and a bag of clothes. They were not the oldest items – from the 1960s. These items were from the 1970s. This blonde Barbie is called Pretty Changes Barbie. I found many of her clothes and accessories in the bag. There were several pieces that were described as “Best Buy” pieces when I was researching them. I made a group with those items. I made a small lot of Ken pieces and then a large lot of the items that I couldn’t identify. They may be Barbie clone clothes or clothes for other dolls that are a similar size. I put those up at auction starting at $15.99. So far it has one bid.

Those are some highlights from August. I am looking forward to some good sales coming in the fall!

Tea Cups, Handcuffs, Dolls and Plush Finds

I saw a sign for a tag sale that was not advertised. It was right around the corner from my house. She had stacks of saucers and dishes. Everything was $1. I was looking through the saucers to find any good brands because I thought that someone might have the cup and need to replace the saucer. When the lady saw me looking at the plates she said “I think some of the cups are in that other box.” In another box in a different area of her sale was indeed a box of teacups. Well I spend a little time and was able to put together about six sets or trios of tea cups, saucers and snack plates. Each item was $1 so that’s $3 per set. I will show the ones I have sold so far. The first is by Paragon and features teal flowers. It sold for $49. The second set is a cobalt blue and gold set by Seltmann of Bavaria. It sold for $29. The third set that has sold so far was a Rosenthal trio that sold for $25.

I also purchased a miniature porcelain framed portrait at this sale for $2 and an interesting plate with dragons on it.

I went to a small church sale where I spotted this pair of orange plastic handcuffs that go to the My Pet Monster stuffed animal. I have never found a My Pet Monster but was excited to find these handcuffs because people look for them to complete their Pet Monster. Complete Pet Monsters can sell for over $200. I was able to sell the cuffs for $70. At the same sale I found two Fisher Price Puffalumps toucans in different colors.

I picked up two “My Scene” Barbie dolls with accessories. I purchased them because I thought they were Bratz dolls but found out that this type of Barbie doll can also sell fairly well.

I’ve had some luck at the bins recently with some plush. I was there one day when I wasn’t feeling well so I was only able to stay for a short time, but they had just pulled out some new bins. I spotted these CVS Stuffins Christmas plush in a clear storage bin. There was a lady in front of me. She opened the box, looked inside and then pushed it aside. I pulled out 10 of the Misfit Toys plush and they still had their tags on. This little Penguin plush from Santa Claus is coming to town was in the same bin and is also collectible.

It been very hot in the Northeast lately and not too many sales around. I hope it picks up after the heat wave!

Vintage Dolls, Plush, Toys and Decorative Items

I have picked up some vintage dolls at several sales in the past weeks. This Effanbee Brownie girl scout doll is missing her hat. She is dated 1965 but is fairly common. I am hoping to get about $12 for her. There was a box of Barbie dolls at a sale. Most of them were newer but this blonde one seemed to be a bit older and was wearing some clothes. I was surprised when she sold quickly for $19.99. I found a composition baby doll which I believe is quite old. She comes in a home made polka dot bunting. She is very cracked but for $2 I couldn’t resist her. I also found a few Monster High dolls that were marked $1 each.

In the plush area I picked up two mini Boyds bears with sayings on their shirts. They measure only about 4″ tall. I have found a few My Twinn dolls but I never found a My Twinn pet before. This black and brown dog comes with his tag and collar and is posable.

I have found a few vintage knick knack items. My favorite were these large, 2″ Bakelite dice in red and green. The sold quickly for $50 each. That was a big surprise. I picked up a blue and white salt box and a clear glass dome, shaped like a mushroom that houses a real butterfly with flowers.

Two holiday items I recently found include this Hallmark light up gingerbread house that plays the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy and a pair of plastic chick banks.

I love the mid century modern look of this heavy bowl. I am not looking forward to shipping it. I also picked up this vintage hair styling dog because she reminded me of the purple shampoo dog I sold a little while ago.

Those are highlights from some recent tag sales. I’m so happy the weather in the northeast is warming up as summer begins!

Dollhouse Bonanza, Vintage Toys and Christmas

I went to a sale and spotted a Keystone dollhouse. I used to have one (also from a tag sale) but when a tree came and crushed our house during a storm, it also crushed my dollhouse which was sitting on top of a tall cabinet and I have been hoping to replace it one day. The dollhouse was marked $45 which was a great price and it came with a few boxes of furniture.

The furniture was all plastic. Some of it was Renwal and some was Marx. I believe the plastic furniture dates from the 1960s. I would like to find furniture that is the same time frame as the house which I believe to be late 1940s. So I am selling the furniture. I have a large lot of Marx pieces and smaller lots of Renwal furniture. But I do love it all and if I could keep everything I would.

In another box I found some plastic horses and a figure. I recognized the figure as a character from the Johnny West series of toys from the 1960s. I realized the horses were also from the same family of toys. The horses were marked at $1 each. I’m hoping to sell them for between $15 and $30 depending on the horse.

Another tag sale I went to had some vintage Christmas for reasonable prices. I picked up two table top blow molds and a cute vintage Santa Claus decoration.

I will end with two glass items that I was excited to find. The first is a blue glass swung vase. It isn’t marked but it may be from the Viking company. The second item is a Fenton fairy lamp with a winter scene painted on it. I think I paid $5 for each of these.

Those are the highlights from the past two weeks! Tag sales keep chugging along. Yay!