Category: Collecting

Collecting

100 Mile Kan-Okla Garage Sale

Big Red Barn Blog

We went on our last road trip, garage sale of 2022 last Friday. The Kan-Okla 100 Mile Garage Sale. We started in Coffeyville, Kansas, and ended in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. We got a car load of great items, made some new friends, went to some towns we had never been to before, and enjoyed a beautiful day! We took the traditional selfie in Coffeyville and hit the road early Friday morning.

Starting the Day in Coffeyville, Kansas

This sale was very organized and sales were fairly easy to find. We did not leave the road too much searching out garage sales. There were several large flea market type sales, out in the middle of a pasture. Although these are fun and enjoyable, you are less likely to find a great buy there. The best buys of the day were at a “HUGE” garage sale in someone’s backyard just north of Dewey, Oklahoma. We bough a lot of glassware, Fire King Charm, depression glass, Pyrex, 1950s style cocktail shakers, Forest Green Fire King, a Tom’s Peanut Jar, Halloween decor, flatware, and lots more!

Caney, Kansas, to Dewey, Oklahoma

We found the coolest little antique shop in Dewey, Oklahoma. She had things in her shop that we had not seen in years. She had some fabulous costume jewelry, Weiss, Florenza, Eisenberg, Trifari and more. Lots of old jars, Frankoma, crock bowls, linens, pottery, primitives, kitchen gadgets, and more. It was one of the best antique browsing experiences of my life. It’s in downtown Dewey, Oklahoma. On the south side of the street. You really can’t miss it! If you’re ever passing through Dewey, it’s a MUST stop!

Antiques in Dewey Oklahoma

Now for some garage sale pointers. If you are a part of something like this or even are having your own sale, if you do not mark ANYTHING, a lot of people are not going to ask you about a price! My advice is to at least mark a few things so people can get an idea of your pricing scheme. After about two hours of solid garage sales, people are getting tired of asking you how much something costs. They will probably just skip your booth and go on to the next one!

Also, accurate signage matters. When you are going to a long garage sale event, there are many, many choices. If your sign is sloppy, falling over, or gives me NO idea of where your sale is, I’m probably not coming!

We made great buys along the road and our car started filling up a bit after about four or five hours. We brought boxes, crates, and paper to wrap and safely get things home this time.

Somewhere South of Dewey

This was a great day. We bought some very rare pieces of cast iron, fabulous costume jewelry, oil fence signs, tins, hard to find glassware, old jars, tin toys, insulators, and more. Consider checking out one of these sales next year. Oklahoma has a few now and it’s a great opportunity to visit small towns across the state!

Stay tuned for news of the next Big Red Barn Sale! Announcement in the next couple of days!!

Jackie

Collecting

Big Red Barn

Big Red Barn Blog

Summer is a busy time for those in the resale business. We are all busy buying and prepping for fall sales. The Big Red Barn is no exception. We have hit the road this summer and found a lot of garage sales, auctions, tag sales, clean outs, and more this summer.

We hope to have our next sale in mid to late September, weather permitting. This is a preview of the next sale! As well as some thoughts on the business.

Prepping for the Next Big Red Barn Sale

Deciding what to buy is one of the hardest things about this business. I have mentioned in other posts, research is a critical component to this business. You need to be aware of what is hot in the markets and be prepared for it to change in a flash. Although some items remain consistent sellers, other things can go south quickly.

About 20 years ago when we started in this business, ornate glassware such as Fenton and McKee was fetching top dollar. Art pottery, McCoy and Hull, were popular and sought after. And, vintage china patterns such as Noritake or Lenox was also very popular. Today, these items might still sell, but not what they were twenty years ago!

Furniture, Pennants, Signs, License Plates, & More

Garage sale events, like Antique Alley and the 100 Mile Garage Sale, were back this year. We hit several of these as well as other big buying opportunities this summer. We have found a lot of great items to sell at the Stillwater Antique Mall and the Big Red Barn!

Metalware at the Big Red Barn

Fire King Jadeite, Fiesta, and Pyrex are still very desirable and Jadeite and Pyrex prices have skyrocketed. If you find a piece of vintage Pyrex or Jadeite at a reasonable price, do not hesitate to buy it. Pyrex is still rather plentiful, but very pricey. Sometimes you get lucky! I found a box of Pyrex at a recent sale. There were some pieces I have really not seen before (the orange refrigerator dish/casserole). Some of the Pyrex was not quite what I like to sell at the Antique Mall and will be found at the Big Red Barn. Jadeite is also pricey and has become very hard to find.

Pyrex at the Stillwater Antique Mall

Currently, I sell a lot more farmhouse type of items, such as old canning jars, doilies, kitchen gadgets, primitives, baskets, etc. These have been popularized through many of the home renovation shows that feature farmhouse style homes.

Our Big Red Barn sale inventory is a bit more rustic. Shoppers seem to love the eclectic nature of our items. I have tried to give a preview of some items for sale at our next sale. Of course, the Pyrex, is available at the Stillwater Antique Mall! Our barns are getting full. We’ve been sorting, pricing, and cleaning for the past several months.

And, I hope to make a few more buying trips before our sale. Stay tuned!

Jackie

Collecting

Antique Alley – Hwy 11

Big Red Barn Blog

This week, we are in Alabama at the Hwy 11 Antique Alley. It’s a lot like the World’s Longest Garage Sale, but MUCH less hot! It’s held annually the weekend after Mother’s Day and runs from Meridian, Mississippi, to Bristol, Virginia, on Hwy 11. Our first day, we began in Ft. Payne, Alabama, and started south on Hwy 11.

Alabama is beautiful. The morning was crisp, and a little foggy! Once you reach Hwy 11, you’re on the route. It’s very obvious. There are many, many stops with LOTS of vendors set up ready to sell. There’s a little bit of everything from genuine antiques and primitives to toys and new items. Once again, took a morning selfie when we were still very enthusiastic!

This is definitely more of a hunt for items. There are many, many overpriced items. We were shocked by what people were asking for some of the things we were interested in!! But, if you’re diligent and keep hunting, you will find some treasures.

This is a beautiful part of our country. We enjoyed the countryside, old, historic homes, and road side oddities!

It’s always a lot of fun to pick other parts of the country to see what’s different. Cast iron was EXTREMELY expensive the first day. We found a few great pieces, but mostly a lot of items too rich for our blood. We bought some great porcelain hanging lamps, probably the buy of the day and Longaberger baskets, for some reason there are a lot of these in Alabama. We also bought a few smaller porcelain signs. And, a really cool metal Christmas tree to hold cards or photos.

Ft. Payne, Alabama

Day two, we started in Ft. Payne again. We headed north and found some great buys. We finally found some reasonable cast iron to clean and sell, old egg baskets, and Coke trays. We found a lot of old, blue canning jars with the lids.

As you can see, sales are easy to find and generally easy to access. Husband found some great barbecue!

We finished the day in Georgia. We were really tired, but probably hit 50 sales. Made some great buys. Definitely filled the back of the van over two days. Met great people and had some great food!

The highs are obvious! This is a great sale! It’s EASY to follow the route and find sales. No mapping needed once you reach Hwy 11! Prices are all over the place – high to low. If you’re diligent, you will find some great stuff. A few things were less great – some people did not open until pretty late and some prices were really high.

We’ll definitely come again! Happy hunting!!

Jackie

Collecting

100 Mile Garage Sale – Oklahoma!

Big Red Barn Blog

We went to the 100 mile garage sale in Oklahoma on Friday. It was a lot of fun! We had never been to this one before, so it was a totally new experience. I’ll share some of the highs and lows from the trip.

This seems to be completely organized by volunteers. I give it up to them! These signs were everywhere along the route. We have lived in Oklahoma for many, many years and, yet, were still a little lost from time to time. These signs were posted along the route and we were assured that we were still on the route. We took an early trip selfie when we still looked enthusiastic! This is leaving Stillwater on Highway 51, EARLY Friday morning.

Our first stop was Cushing, Oklahoma. There are some very beautiful old homes in Cushing. We bought some old wrought iron hanging baskets, old jars, and primatives. I underestimated the need to have a route planned out in Cushing. We go to several other long garage sales in other states and the route is VERY obvious. In the larger towns on the Oklahoma tour, you definitely need Google Maps and a list. Next year!!

Our next stop was Oak Grove, Oklahoma. It was my favorite stop. They had a lot of vendors set up in a field next to this metal building. We bought some good stuff there – cast iron, my beautiful hat, jewelry, linens, and more. We could have had barbecue, but it was only 9 a.m. and, apparently too early.

We went through Drumright and Oilton, Oklahoma. A little action there. A little advice, do not fall for this when people tell you, “we heard that there are hundreds of garage sales along this road” or “All of the really good sales are in XXX town.” Also, beware of signs that point towards a HUGE garage sale. Sometimes they lead to nowhere!!

We went through Jennings and Terlton. Jennings had a lot of sales right along Main Street. Bought some jars and miscellaneous smalls.

Upon advice from some locals, we ate lunch at the Hickory House cafe in Cleveland. The special was the catfish dinner. It was a great lunch and a great old diner along the route.

After lunch, the garage sales were starting to dwindle and so were we. We ended our day in Yale. Not too many sales there, but still lots of fun.

So, the highs, bought some great stuff, met some great people, had a great lunch, saw some places we had never been before (Terlton and Oak Grove).

A couple of lows, some signage wasn’t great, sales were pretty spread out, and it was a little chilly and overcast. All in all, it was a great day and we’ll definitely go again!

These are some of the treasures we ended up with! Will check in again down the road! Happy hunting!

Jackie