The Open Corner: July #2

Summer means yard sales. And even though the last neighborhood-wide sales came and went with June, there are still plenty of finds and deals to be scooped up while strolling the area on weekends. See evidence below.

July Artist: Liz Starin

I love yard sales. And thrift shops. And free boxes, and swaps, and Dumpsters. (But not “vintage stores,” which are for amateurs.) Blame the time my parents trash-picked a large bag full of board games, which to my eight-year-old self bordered on miraculous.

Such serendipity abounds in Ditmas Park. So, here are some acquisitions from neighborhood yard sales. Despite my clever title, none of this stuff is junk; it is all treasure:

Wonderful necklaces. The second one is giant wooden beads strung on a shoelace, which makes me think it’s actually a fine-motor activity for toddlers and not a necklace at all. But it gets compliments!

Dresser mirror. My friend Noa and I carried this home in an effort that went unsurpassed until she bought a vintage wooden desk.

Collection of tiny toys.

Set of cast-iron pots, which are best acquired used, anyway. Scrubbing and re-seasoning these made me feel extremely resourceful, like an urban farmgirl blogger.

Paper cutter–I had been needing one. What can’t this neighborhood provide?

Books, naturally. I couldn’t resist History of Lace, which is certain to become indispensable visual reference material.

Rotary phone, my favorite way to make a call. This one is old enough that it needs to be retrofitted with a wall jack.

Did I buy any of these things from you? If so, neighbor, thanks for making my day.

About Liz

Liz Starin is an illustrator living in Ditmas Park. She wants to buy your great aunt’s ugly dishes. You can see her work at lizstarin.com.

What is The Open Corner? Find out here.

Interested in participating? Email Avi here.