I was tickled to find 3 ornaments at a flea market this weekend. I got Galloping into Christmas - a tin membership ornament for $15. Woodland Santa (also tin) for $5. and rock candy miner for 7. One vender was a former Hallmark store owner, he was tough to bargain with. Can't wait to go back because he has others I was interested in, but he wanted more than box price and I wasn't sure of current value.

I went by and stopped at a Goodwill store today. Not Hallmark but I found 8 plates taped together, dessert size, and they were of all of Santa's Reindeers, one reindeer on each plate. Not a chip or scratch on them, they were perfect. I got all for $3.00. No tax.
The brand name was Rainbow Mountain.
I give my peanut butter fudge out each year at Christmas and this year instead of putting it in boxes I am going to put it on these plates. Won't that be cute?
Mary

I think that you found something there Carolfs.
The Aluminum trees and especially the color wheels are really hard to find.
Mary

Oh wow, great finds. I would have been happy with ANY of them. Makes me want to go to the thrift store even though it's only Wednesday...

Lisa

Not Hallmark either, but have been thrift store shopping, but was pleased to get 4 bowls of Polish pottery for 2.25 for the bundle, and 4 plates of the same for 2.25

Made my week!I love Polish pottery

Oh LouisaMay, there's something so thrilling about finding a favorite collectible and for a GREAT price!

Lisa

Have a few days off work. Been awhile since I have been too a goodwill/ thrift store. Reading all these great finds has me in the mood to go shopping.

Thank you everyone for your comments regarding when you find Christmas items at your Thrift Stores. I'll have to check out my Stores next week.

Joyce

Dropped by both stores tonight...and they both have begun putting out small amounts of the not so great Christmas stuff. A bit more Halloween too.

The funny thing is...I kept finding things thinking, "Oh, that's kind of cute", only to then realize I donated them around Christmas or New Years...last year!

Did find five of my favorite every day mugs that I break on a regular basis. Stocked up again now. Also a six sided crystal taper holder.

Lisa

They are starting to put Christmas out. One chain thinks they are like estate sellers so they had Waterford one in the box and priced it at 22.98 (2009 one)...good golly...and NOT buying.

I found the whole set of the Carousel Horses with stand. Also a Zibra ornament. What I would love to find is the 2006 Snowtop Lodge ornament! Have you seen the prices of them on ebay? That would be the only one I missed in this series.

Congrats SunnySue, I remember those! LouisaMay, I remember seeing quite a bit of Waterford at TJMaxx last year. Those were new, in box. I think they charged less...

I stopped by a thrift store while running errands today. I was so excited to find this Waechtersbach Halloween mug for $5.99, I forgot to look at Christmas! (In my defense, I had a pizza waiting for pick up).



Looks like there's quite a variety of Halloween themed mugs produced by this company. I really like all but one or two...

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40...oween&rt=nc

Upon arriving home, I found a note inviting me to a neighborhood block party on Halloween night. I'm excited about that too. Hoping, hoping it's neither freezing cold or raining!

Lisa

I found another #1 Mischievous Kittens with the goldfish loose in the enclosed bowl! I couldn't believe when I picked it up and heard it rattling. I've only seen two of this ornament ever, and both fish were swimming freestyle. Does this keep the price of this ornament up?

Enjoy reading everyone's finds. Goodwill charges no tax in SC? And what great prices at some stores, $3 for 6 dishes! I don't know what Polish pottery is but is also sounds like a deal. My stores are more like the estate sale prices. And as was pointed out, the prices here can be higher than they are at a discount store.

Polish pottery, the kind found in the U.S. is made in Boleslawiec, Poland. It now comes in many designs. The original design looked an eyeball sort of and was in blue. Today's pottery has more colors. They even sell ornaments!

Louisa May, This is probably made in Boleslawiec, Poland. http://tinyurl.com/mp5j2n4
Looks to me like there are several stores on Ebay selling this pottery now. It's heavy so it costs a lot to ship it to the U.S.

I've only seen it in Tuesday Morning & Cracker Barrel in the U.S.

I don't know if they charge sales tax at Goodwill in S.C. or not since I never find any Hallmark ornaments there so I never get to buy anything. This time it was a little different. Not Hallmark but.........
LOL.
Mary

Does dreaming of finding Hallmark at a thrift store count? That happened to me last night; been a long time since that has happened.

I was at an estate sale today and had to pass on several Hallmark Ornaments. They wanted $6(down to $3 today) for the Mobo Horse, Superman Lunchbox, Lone Ranger Lunchbox, and I think a few others. They also had at $6.50 each both High School Musical ornaments (in quadruplets), Jonas Brother ornament, and a few other undesirables from recent years. They also had the 4 Reach Carousel Horses w/o boxes for $19 down to $9.50 today. Passed on all of them!

In Mankato this past week I purchased the Hallmark Mitford Max Candy Dish for $1.00 (have it already and don't know if I am going to keep him or sell him in my antique shop. Might be the kind of thing that I could get some money back on) and a Lefton Snowman Toothpick Holder for $2.00! That was a great find! Love the Mitford Snowmen. Here is a picture on Ebay: (The Snowman Toothpick holder is on the far right)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/7-Vintage-Christ...=item4d137ff4cf

is it me our do you just have to buy even if you do not need hallmark finds at yard sale, flea markets and thrift stores, does anyone know of hallmarks anoynomus lol we may need to sign up..

my find this weekend was a 2004 sister at a flea market for 1.00 yeah for me... did i need it no, did i want it yes, did i buy it yes, haha

Technically, that statement can apply to all of us. We don't need the ornaments, but we want them, so we buy them!

I have no sisters. It's kind of a bummer that Hallmark always does sisters ornaments instead of sister/brother or brothers ornaments. Same with always doing mother/daughter. Some mothers only have sons, and some would like to have father/daughter or father/son ornaments. That's why Making Memories is such a good series. You cannot tell if the snowpeople are mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, etc. They can be anything you want.