Truckin' and Junkin' - July

The Swap Meet at the Great Oregon Steam Up this year was not as amazing as it has been historically, or as I had hoped. It was easy to find good junk, but hard to find the good deal. The vendors all knew what their stuff was worth...and some thought  they knew what it was worth. Regardless, it was fun to scrounge around and see some neat things, get some ideas, and learn a little.

 To no one's great big surprise, I was able to come home with a few finds. Last month, Eric got me an old hardware scale, and last weekend I found an old kitchen scale to befriend it. The cow creamer was a bonus  for only a $1.  I believe all of my "weighing" needs are well taken care of!

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I wasn't sure what I was going to do with this old grape crate when I was paying the guy for it, but I was sure I could put it to good use. From Lamont, California to Warrenton, Oregon, it now holds our movies.

 Could you believe it if I told you that an old garden rake head was on my "list" of things to find at the swap meet? Well, it was, and I did find one! Actually, I found a whole pile of them, but the one with rusty, red paint was an easy pick for me! Again, I wasn't too sure what I was going to do with it. I knew I wanted to hang it on the wall, but not sure what I was going to put on it. Wine glasses? Candles? A picture frame! Perfection...for now.

I love all of my finds, but I think one of my favorite things about the swap meat is the thrill of bartering! I get a great adrenaline rush! Don't you start laughing! I am very methodical about my methods. For instance, when I am going after something, I purposely take out the exact amount of cash I am going to offer. Then, when I ask, "Would you take...?",  I hold out the money, just tempting them to go on and take it! This tactic has proven to be widely successful!

Do you like to barter??