Oh Stacey that's a cute one! Great story to go with it as well. :-)

Finds like that are so much fun. It's a cutie Stacey!

Lisa

I don't think I've seen that stained glass looking topper before, Lisa. Nice!

Stacey, that is funny about the little mouse ornament.

I hit several thrift stores a few days ago. At the first I found five old Hallmark plastic pins for ten cents each (plus a few Russ and other brands). Also an old Hallmark Betsey Clark satin ball ornament for $1. I think have it already, but it's so cute I don't mind duplicates.

At the next thrift store I found a pin for $1. Wow 10 times the price at the first place. LOL. They had a huge basket full of Hallmark ornaments, but they were all priced between $6 and $10 each and I just thought that was too much for no box ornaments so left them all there. Did find one they didn't realize was Hallmark hanging on the tree - Perky Penguin no box for $1.

Third place didn't have anything Hallmark. Although I did find an old Tom Swift novel that will be a gift.

So not much, but I did have fun, and am super happy with the ten cent pins. I use pins in various ways (on the stuffed tree, on wall hangings, pinned to branches to look like ornaments) so these will get used.

Oh, btw - did see a pin used in an interesting way - they made a little scene around it in a glass ball with a hole cut out to view the scene. Very cute.

Diana, I love the anticipation of finding collectibles I like this time of year, but the pricing can be joy killer! I found quite a few magic ornaments this year, but they wanted $9.99 for them so only got one. Already have it, but it's a favorite so why not?

My husband has a good sized collection of Tom Swift books from his childhood. I wonder if our grandson would enjoy reading them. Will have to ask Tom if he knows where they are.

Lisa

Popped into a different thrift store today and found some bargains:

Hallmark no box ornaments 25 cents each
1977 Joy clear acrylic http://www.hookedonhallmark.com/1977-Joy_p_9253.html
1991 Gift of Joy (with rotating metallic letters) in fantastic condition http://www.hookedonhallmark.com/1991-Gift-of-Joy--letters-rotate_p_2393.html
I've never seen this before and really like it! 1987 Merry Christmas Wooden Block http://tinyurl.com/k3j7fe6
1977 Grandma Moses glass ball (rare) with some spotting http://tinyurl.com/mznhw5vhttp://www.hookedonhallmark.com/1976-Bicentennial-Commemorative-_p_9251.html
Santa button cover (only Santa, no Ho Ho Ho covers) http://tinyurl.com/nneue84
Teddy bear holding star pin http://tinyurl.com/lllg24v

Non-Hallmark no box ornaments 25 cents each
Silvestri large, old-fashioned bear in a red vest ornament
unmarked mercury glass candle clip on...looks a bit like these but with a gold candle not red: http://tinyurl.com/kx4qmhr
1980 Current satin Elf and Chipmunk ornament (too cute!) http://tinyurl.com/mumourp
1980 Current satin caroling cats http://tinyurl.com/pgo5fxv
1979 Current satin parade of animals http://tinyurl.com/ocuouaz
Vintage Avon fabric (double sided) angel ornament http://tinyurl.com/ld5kg54

couldn't find images of either of these very vintage fabric figural pieces:
Made in Japan quilted turtle wearing a top hat
Russ Berrie two mice sleeping in a red (crayon-shaped) box.

Snowbabies acrylic ice ledges in battered box $2.50 http://tinyurl.com/kpjjb3j

(Thanks to Dragon Karen for the tiny url site and tutorial.)

I found the 2004 Disney 102 Dalmations Oddball, little dipper and Domino with no box for $1.07 with tax.

I didn't have it.

Oh Diana, I really like the Current, Inc. satin ball ornament that features and elf and rabbit. It's funny, as I looked at it I reflected on how much I enjoyed artwork by Current, Inc. growing up. And then I realized it IS their artwork.

Lisa

Went to a few thrift stores today. I found:

1976 Soldier Twirl About - 50 cents
Rocking Horse Pin - $1.00
2002, 2004, 2007 Cool Decade - 99 cents each
2000 Daughter - 99 cents

There were a few I passed on - mostly sister, granddaughter, grandson ornaments.

Carol

Found today in a 2.00 bag.

1978 Angel holding star.
1979 Skating Snowman.

I have them both but, really like the older ones and never pass on them.

Dana

Just got home. Found a few things tonight for $2.99 each...

Twirl-About, 1978, no box http://www.hookedonhallmark.com/1978-Dove--Twirl-About--BNT_p_8147.html

Peanuts #2 (Magic), 1992 http://www.hookedonhallmark.com/1992-Peanuts-2--DB_p_11458.html

Mischievous Hiding Elves, 2011, no box, one missing http://www.hookedonhallmark.com/2011-Mischievous-Hiding-Elves_p_33475.html

I plugged in the magic ornament when I got home. It works great!

Lisa

Diana, I love those Current balls, the animals are always so sweet and charming! I'd love to see a picture of the quilted turtle in top hat too.

Lisa, I got the Mischievous Hiding Elves after Christmas 2 years ago but never had them out til this year. They're my new favorite plaything this year! If I ever find them out thrifting, whether single or a pair, they're coming home with me!

Great finds everybody!

Karen

Karen, I think I got six sets of the Mischievous Hiding Elves the year they came out. I haven't played with mine yet, but think they'd be fun too!

How do you use them? Do you put them on the tree or around the house?

Lisa

Right now they are hanging onto the 5 headed floor lamp but they've been moving around a bit, sort of my own version of the Elf on the Shelf. (and since there aren't any kids living here it's only my husband left saying "where'd those things come from?")

Karen

I found a 1979 twirl about - Christmas Heart - in the original box for $2.00. It is in perfect condition.

DeniseC

I thought we were all kids at Christmas!

I'll have to bring my recent purchases closer to my computer so I can share about some of the fun things I found. I went to the store that puts things in bags with other things you probably don't want the other night and got a few nice things there. I took a shopping bag of the leftovers to my local club meeting and offered them to anyone who wanted them and asked that they give anywhere from a nickel to a quarter to go towards our next meal that we're taking to the Ronald McDonald Children's House since I'd probably price things in that range if I had a garage sale and sold them there. I got $1.25! The rest will go to a thrift store to be resold. The place that bags things up has a sign that you can't buy opened bags so I figure they won't take the leftovers at the time of purchase.

Nancy, both of our local thrift stores allow me donate back anything from my current purchases. For me it's unwanted clutter. Value Village even gives me a $3 off $10 purchase coupon.

Lisa

We don't have Value Village here - I haven't seen one since the last time I went shopping in Indy. I found a bag with a hole in it and some things I didn't want along with something I did once at the store where I got most of this stuff, and they wouldn't let me just buy what I wanted. It all had to go back and be put back out for sale some other time. After that I just accepted that I would have to return the junk I didn't want somewhere (after taking out the broken stuff) if I wanted to buy the bags at this store. I just keep a box or shopping bag to put it all in.

One store here lets me donate somethings immediately back, but another has a weird policy that you can't open a plastic bag you've bought until after you leave the doors. The sales clerk suggested just taking my purchases to the car, and then opening up the bags and separating it between what I wanted to keep, and what I wanted to donate back. Then to bag that stuff back up and drop it back off with the person at the door. I thought it was odd (they have bins at the registers of stuff that people have changed their minds about so it should be fairly easy to put items in there) but whatever, at least some items I know I'd never use don't make it into my house.

Karen, I need to find my Mischievous Hiding Elves so I can play with them too!

Nancy and Diana, that would frustrate me too.

I went back out again tonight and found the 50th Anniversary, It's a Wonderful Life ornament for $4.99 and this time it's not broken!

http://www.hookedonhallmark.com/1996-Its-a-Wonderful-Life--bell-rings_p_4071.html

So now I have both, this one and the movie theater that I found last year or the year before...

http://www.hookedonhallmark.com/1991-Its-A-Wonderful-Life--Magic-_p_2418.html

I also found these Krebs Cardinal ball ornaments for $2.99...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/LOT-OF-4-KREBS-CHRISTMAS-GLASS-BULBS-WHITE-FROSTED-SCENCE-WITH-CARDINAL-NIB-/380772691185?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item58a7d22cf1&nma=true&si=V3qSPnlV1y%252BRvlXxBlEx08rPPeI%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

And some Martha Stewart shatterproof ball ornaments for $1.99 from the Confections collection, similar to these but in a matte finish, not glitter - (fuscia, baby pink, sky blue, baby blue and mint green) - for my candy theme tree...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vtg-Martha-Stewa...=item3a8776859b

Also a set of six, soft gold mirror balls and two of these Partylite tealight holders from the Paris Retro collection for $1.99 each...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Used-Retired-Par...=item43c329fa07

I passed on this Hallmark stocking holder/music box for $3.99 but I was tempted...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hallmark-Wind-Up...=item4acbd78c25

Fun night!

Lisa

I found the 1976 dough tree treat reindeer mint with no box for .54 with tax.

I was very happy.
I have the shepherd from that year.

I still need to find the Santa Claus and the angel