Road Trip to Detroit-Part 1-What I Had to Leave Behind

Home sweet home! We have finally returned from our road trip adventure from Tampa to Detroit (and Canada)! So good to be back home, happy to have survived the ride home (more on that later).

First of all, WOW, did I ever miss a Detroit garage sale! I don't even waste my time going to garage sales here in Florida, but I could have spent my whole life going to garage sales in Detroit. Typically most of the sales are from Thursday through Saturday and they go from 9-6. For three whole days! And so much great stuff too!

The sad sad sad reality is that I couldn't buy everything I wanted to. Our road trips purpose was to bring back all of my dads artwork out of storage and a family bookcase (along with our luggage and whatnot for a family of 4). So as much shopping as I did (oh boy, A LOT), I had to leave so many treasures behind. Heartbreaking!

One of the sales we went to ("we" meaning my group of besties from Detroit. 3 of us in 2 cars following each other around to garage sales), My one friend stopped at this one sparse crappy looking sale, and my friend and I thought she was nuts and we were going to stay in the car. Until she pounded on the window and said, "this is the type of sale that has good shit that they don't even use, c'mon!" so we went, and boy was my friend right! It was being hosted by a drunk man that was smoking and missing his front teeth, but he was pretty awesome, his garage was full of vintage goodness, and a random Barbie Doll, which he admitted that he stole when he worked at Sears 20 years ago, (haha old man!) So I did pick up some goodies, but this is what I had to leave behind:

Mid Century atomic star keyboard! Only $3!!! Seriously, I had to leave this behind...walk away from it.

And another goody I had to leave behind:

 

Some sort of record player...Bye, my friend. You would have been so awesome in my shop....

 

And then there is this:

 

Yep, a mint condition vintage Schwinn bicycle. The price was only $60, but they said they would take $40 for it. Leaving her behind was perhaps the most heartbreaking of all.....Such a sweet beauty....

Now here is another cool mid century item that I had to leave behind...Not as heartbreaking but still sad to not take it home with me:

Mid century white leather storage ottoman...$1. The picture makes it look like it was in rough shape, but in person it was wonderful, it just needed a little cleaning. I guess someone else gets to clean it in THEIR house.

Very sad, very tragic....heartbreaking what I had to leave behind! But with that being said, I did purchase an incredible amount of amazing items that just about made my head explode with sheer vintage glory! You will have to wait until my next blog post to see the goodies that came home with me, jammed in my truck on the way home with the art, bookcase, luggage and drafting table! Oh what, I didn't mention the drafting table? Okay more about the "drafting table" in the next blog post. Oh, the drafting table....

I have made the decision to fly to Detroit next year for shopping. Apparently Southwest airlines lets you bring 2 luggages for FREE plus a carry on, so I am going to go with 2 empty luggages and come back with them filled to the brim. I think its a great idea and well worth the plane ticket! Anyone want to join me?

How has your summer been treating you? Any good finds lately, or slim pickings? Oh so good to be back home!

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