Dirty Vintage Treasures Done Dirt Cheap

July's Brimfield Antiques Show was uncomfortably hot, but offered plenty of nostalgic looks at childhood classics like Gumby and Pokey...

And Buster Brown and his dog Tigh...

Buster Brown throw rug

Of course, no day out in the country would be complete without...

Shouldn't the last word be "COOKIN'"?

I also found a few bargains I couldn't pass up, beginning with a great selection of picture frames. Prices ranged from $1 to $5 each...

13 1/2" x 17" blue painted wood, probably 1920s

13 1/2" x 18 3/4" gold leaf painted wood, age uncertain

9" x 10 1/2" silver art deco, wood, probably 1930s

8" x 10" tropical green painted wood, age uncertain

Then, because I can never have too many skinny ties, two for $5...

The tie on the left is All Silk, and has an interesting geometric horse pattern...

I also found this "new" looking checkbook cover on a friendly $5 table, which might be from a 1970s Sears catalog, or similar...

The most interesting "Why Did I Buy This, and What Will I Do With It?" item was this industrial looking light. The dealer told me it might have been inside a chicken coop. I asked her if it worked, and she said she wasn't sure, so she reduced the price from $15 to $10. I liked its minimalist design, and the attached swivel clip makes it especially versatile.

Industrial light awaiting magic

I ended up clipping this to the ceiling light fixture in one of my closets, which hasn't functioned in quite some time. I ran an extension cord along the inside of the closet, which is plugged into another extension cord in the room that operates by a button you press with your foot. Yankee ingenuity at its best? Yee haw!