For August 2022, we asked you to submit your best or favorite miniature treasure found at an Estate Sale. Here are the amazing things people found.
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From Jackie Browder:
This daybed started its life as a yard sale full sized 1/12 scale bed, in very poor condition. I bashed it into a daybed with fresh linens, an inherited hand crocheted doll, pretty wallpaper, a framed print, and a bunca rug that the Zoom ladies taught me how to make.
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From Cheryl Polito:
In Catalina just outside of Tucson there is a second hand shop that is called the Golden Goose. Every time I visit the in-laws I go there with my MIL and explore all the goodies. I have found lots of crafts supplies over the years but one time I went in I found the Layfette Mansion plus three of the House of Miniatures furniture kits. Sorry I couldn’t get the house down and obviously I haven’t made it yet. I paid .50 for each furniture kit and and $5 for the house. Only time I ever found miniatures at the Goose as my MIL says.
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From Barb Antol:
This little clock case is definitely one of my favorite estate sale finds. It was all dirty and dusty and the clock obviously didn’t work, but I thought it was charming. As I recall, it cost me just $3. I removed the pendulum and polished up the case. Inside, I set up a half scale tea scene. Since the clock didn’t work, I set it to the traditional tea time.
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From Sally Lonn:
My husband and I have been all over the world in our travels. I brought back tiny mud people wrapped in a tissue from China, a clay parrot from S. America, a musical instrument from a gift shop in Spain, tiny hand blown animals from Italy, and from Mexico many years ago, furniture, food, pots, copper pieces, etc. and these pictured, a tiny girl from Amsterdam and a colorful rooster typical of those in Portugal. Where do I find them, everywhere...a gift shop, an old antique type store, a jewelry store, or a booth in a market. I seem to find something special almost everywhere we go...and I feel very disappointed if I don't!!!
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From Bev Fleming:
Found this small display case.
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From Carin Shapiro:
I found these miniature picture frames w/ a metal stand in the back to be used at a reception for seating assignments. They are the perfect size 1:12 frames. I used my soldering iron to remove the stand in back so I can hang them on a wall.
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From Rhonda Keef:
A few weeks ago I bid on a lot of over 80 Coptic markers and won the whole lot for $125! Here is the pic.
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From Diane Fisher:
I found this treasure about 5 years ago at an amazing estate sale. Every time I look at it, I discover new details. I love this miniature.
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From Pauline Pire:
Mine are containers I find at sales. Real cute Bunny house that I nearly passed up. My husband found it for 50 cents. It turned into one of my favorite minis.
I put the furniture in it. My Friend Debbie made the bunnies. The big bunnie on the outside is made by
a lady on Facebook. Her site is called "Willow Ways Dolls".
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From Dia Crissey-Baum:
Hi! I've got a great yard sale find story.
I live near a small town in west GA and facilitate a mini club for kids. I was driving down the four-lane to my parents' house and was NOT driving inordinately fast when this bright yellow house caught my eye. A family was having a yard sale in their field (we live in the country) and while I'm always on the lookout for yard sales, this one had a huge, bright-yellow dollhouse right in the middle of it. I had to make a u-turn (it's a divided highway) to go check out this yard sale! It was $10. It looked like someone had used it for a stepstool. The roof was broken. And painted brown with this really thick housepaint. There was no porch. All the brickwork was painted bright red. And boy, was it yellow! But there were also some kid-made artworks taped to the wall that told me someone had loved it in the past. And, our Small Town Mini Club needed a project (we make minis for ourselves, and we renovate dollhouses to give to charities). I took that dollhouse home.
Mini club worked on it for what feels like a very long time. We repaired the roof and staircase, papered the walls, did a little landscaping, and painted it a lighter yellow. It took three coats to cover the bright yellow but it looked beautiful. During the process, a friend from the Atlanta Miniature society passed away and her siblings kindly left her collection to our mini club. We furnished this house from that collection and finished it off with a few purchases made from money donated to our Small Town club. We filled that house to the brim! I had been going to some seminars in Rome for a few months and had met some lovely women working at the women's shelter there. I mentioned to her what we were doing and she was interested. When we finished the house I called her up and said we'd like to donate the house, if they had someone they knew of who wanted it. Turns out there was a family who had just called saying their daughter really wanted a dollhouse for Christmas. We (Small Town Mini Club) brought that house and two boxes full of goodies to her office. I know I wasn't the only one who cried that day.
The first pic below is the "before" pic and the second pic is the "after" pic, but there's so much more to show! For the full transformation story, and more pics, click here.
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From Debby Albert:
This is my find at my favorite thrift store.
The people who work at the thrift store know I love and make miniatures. They save furniture for me. This was in a box of furniture, the only thing I liked and donated the rest to a NAME auction.
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From Brandi Bacon:
About 5 years or so ago I saw a message on FB about someone selling a miniature collection. They had a picture of a storage unit and I couldn’t tell what was in there other than It was a lot and it looked like it would be perfect to use for school art classes. I got a fantastic deal and emptied my van and drove 2.5 hours.
It was the steal of a lifetime- there were Julie Stevens dolls in boxes, almost every set of Debbie Young furniture kits, there were Karen Gibbs full sets. Kits, artist made items, supplies.
I was very, very new to miniatures and had no idea what I had. That “find “ has let me create miniatures for my kids and hopefully someday my grandkids. It gave me enough supplies to teach multiple classes and to date that is over 300 kids. I have taught 3,4, 5th graders. Middle and high school kids. I’ve taught at mini shows and schools and libraries and clubs. Every class has been completely free for the kids and schools.
I have sold the majority of items in online auctions and used the proceeds for classes. It allowed me entrance into the mini community and led me to the most fantastic and interesting artists. It also allowed me to provide artisan made items to children and ignite their passion for art and miniatures.
During Covid it gave me the means to provide art bags to students who went home early and had no access to anything. when I couldn’t teach for a couple years I used the proceeds to teach smaller clubs and provide supplies (even if it wasn’t miniatures) for teachers and kids.
I now have enough basic supplies for about 10 full classrooms (containers, basic landscaping and or structures). I will eventually have the last couple auctions I will ever have and will use the funds for all the glues, supplies, and all that expensive other stuff the kiddos need.
I am hoping to continue to teach for a long time and in conjunction with NAME to start a kids group. My goal is to have all classes recorded so future teachers can use the graphics, course outlines, etc anywhere they are and that any kid who wants access to art and minis can have that access.
Best find ever
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From Paula Francis:
My all time most amazing, best find was a casual stop at a local thrift shop here in Maine. Walking in…there it was, right in front of me, calling my name. A beautifully constructed, one of a kind farmhouse. Only the outside was painted… nothing finished inside, porch in pieces. Put a hold on it, called my husband to bring the trailer right away…and away we went. Not until I got home, tipped it over, did I see the inscription. It was made by a miniaturist who lived and had a shop here in the town I live in…Wells, Maine. His name was Harold E. Woodman, Sr. and he closed his shop shortly before I moved here over 20 years ago. It took me over 16 months to electrify and refurbish it and it has a special place of honor in my home. Some things are just meant to be.
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From Laura Reich:
Christmas just prior to Covid, Davenport, Iowa ran a game to find a hidden pickle ornament in at least 10 different stores in their downtown. I did this (took several hours and one store would not even give me a hint!). Of course, the idea was to find out about what stores existed. One was an antique store that I found several miniature items. And I did win my pickle ornament. I put the items in front of my 1/144 houses to view the size.
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From Jene Bondi: Real Good Toys Front opening shop was my thrift store find. I paid $10.00 for it about 5 years ago. I put in electric tape wire and added a beautiful ceiling. Then i added lamps and went to see how it looked. Whoopsie. It caught on fire. Who knew that you couldn't add a metal ceiling onto of the tape wire??? I certainly didn't. I ran through the real house with my miniature store on fire and managed to chuck it outside. I sold that house for $50. I haven't lived that down nor the chicken fire i had shortly after that....
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From Susie Aguilar: My best find was this Shannon Moore book room box. I have admired Shannon’s creations for many years. I knew I would never be able to purchase one because I’m too budget conscience. Well, I was able to give this one a new home when the family of a fellow miniaturist wanted her treasures to go to other miniaturists who would love them as much as she did. It even came with a Gail Steffy chair with foot stool and a Bespaq wall bookcase. All I need to add was the books!
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From Wanda Waterfield:
While on vacation in Massachusetts about 7 years ago, my husband and I went into an Antique and Collectibles shop with my sister-in-law who loves shopping for these things. While browsing through the store I noticed a large paper bag with a box sticking out of it that I recognized. It was a Lillian August logo. When I checked the box it contained 25 miniature furniture kits from Lillian August, House of Miniatures and more. I didn't even know Lillian August made furniture kits. It had a price tag of $250 on the bag.
I asked the shop owner about it, and he said he picked it up at an Estate sale several months earlier and the first day he brought it back to the shop a customer offered $250 for the works of the kits. He put it in the back room while the customer went to get the cash. She never came back and he discovered the bag in the back room that day, so he brought it out, put the $250 price that she offered and then I walked in. How's that for timing?!
Many of the kits from House of Miniatures, I already owned so I asked if I could buy some of them. I selected 12 kits and we agreed on a price. Then my husband suggested I buy the works and sell the extras to my mini friends at an upcoming Camp Mini Ha Ha. We haggled the price down to $75 for the 25 kits and I got the works! That's $3 per kit!! All pictures attached.
Jackpot!!
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From Vicki Scidmore: What a surprise to see that picture of the Brooke Tucker fireplace set. As you see in the picture, I have that same set bought years ago. I didn’t know it was Brooke’s or even that it was miniature (I thought maybe a picture frame). I see single cranes sometimes at sales. The “fireplace wall” was from the estate sale when the Carmel, CA museum closed and it fit exactly in the room box from a garage sale. Lucky finds all around!
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From Bonnie Cross: Attached is a photo of my log cabin that I found at a garage sale. It has seen a lot of wear, but I absolutely love it!
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