The Penny Worthy Project

Last week I hit a few garage sales that were all a bust, thankfully I followed them up with a rocking estate sale the next morning bright and early. The estate sale was held at Fuji Gifts but I think we always called it Fuji House.

Fuji House was an institution when I was growing up, if we went to Anchorage we stopped at Fuji. No one carried imports back in the '70s, no one except Fuji anyway. My mom, sister and I would wander through the dim building soaked with incense and wonder at the imports. I would usually spend my hard earned cash on origami paper or little tiny paper umbrellas. I used those for barbie umbrellas but now I know they were drink umbrellas. I wonder what they thought of a 7 year old buying drink umbrellas?

When I heard there was an estate sale at Fuji House I HAD TO GO. When I called the number listed for more information I was told to be there early to get a good number to get in the door "by 7am". I showed up at 6:30 and was awarded number 4 for my early arrival and boy was it worth it. Just stepping back through the door was like going back in time. The place was full of goodies, not many of which I wanted but it felt the same. Only stripped down and going out of business. Being the 4th one in the door meant I got to roar though and grab whatever I wanted, er needed. I tried not to linger at first but to seek out the cool things I wanted, after the first lap I luxuriated on memory lane and tried to tune everyone else out. 

I found some cool things, I bought every single pack of origami paper they had left, 20-30 packets.

 We have been busy making paper boats this week. 

I bought a cup,

 an Otagiri cat cup to sell.

I bought a giant pottery frog which is sitting in my garden, it is a twin of one my mother bought there 30 years ago and still has in her garden. I am nothing if not sentimental. I don't have a picture of it yet. If the wind wasn't blowing 50 mph I'd be out there getting a shot. NOT HAPPENING.

These owls, so so 70s.

And so is that painting behind them, our house, painted from the road in the 70s.

Odd wooden shoes, they didn't seem to belong in the store but there they were and here they are now. Excellent!

What the hell are these? I don't know but I bought a bag full of them. My kids are convinced they will fit over Christmas tree lights.

And a Pennsylvania Spice Cupboard.

It is a reproduction but it's so cool it doesn't even matter. The price tag was 415.00 and dated 1974, almost as old as I am. I got it for much less, I thought about selling it but realized I liked it enough to incorporate it in the new kitchen. You know the one with the four foot long vintage Wolf Stove I bought(ok in the process of paying off)...oh I didn't tell you about that? Whoops my mistake, it's green and vintage and has two ovens, I'll write a post about that one soon enough.

So the moral of this post is garage sales SUCKED and Estate Sale rocked. And for the record it is NOT a garage sale worth advertising if the whole sum of your sale fits in 1/2 of a ten foot long driveway, consists of 3 pieces of overpriced workout equipment and your own truck is being detailed on the side of the driveway. All this does is make me want to egg your house. You've been warned.

Peace and Love--