Antiques on a Budget; some Tantalizing Tidbits on Antiques and Collectibles

Here is the down and dirty on some affordable collectible categories.  I can still find handmade Barbie dresses and Barbie style dolls for under $15, maybe a dollar or two at sales and thrift stores.  A lot of good dolls and toys from the 90s and earlier appear for a dollar or two, even Hot Wheels, Mattel toys in general, Fisher Price, vintage plastic soldiers, action figures, and porcelain dolls.

There are still baseball cards at there for pennies, along with bubble gum cards.  Wheat pennies can cost, well, pennies.  So can stamps, international and domestic.  Later carnival glass is pretty, and can be found for under $20.   I love milk glass, the grapes and cable pattern, especially.  There are pieces out there for $5 or less.  The same is true for various makers of Blue Willow china.  Old Havilland is around for a dollar or two at yard sales, and so are cups and saucers.  American china is often a good find at thrift stores.

Vintage plush animals, especially characters, are out there for less than a dollar.  You can still find Care Bears and Pound Puppies  I also see more people buying Beanies and Cabbage Patch Kids, as well as Precious Moments. These have been slandered as collectibles, but don't give up on them. They are a good buy, and are coming back slowly in the collectibles field.  Many people still like them, and are scooping up the bargains.

Vinyl records are a good buy, and old photographs, too.  You can find good Valentines for under $10, sometimes, for pennies as well. 

There's a good FB group called Thrill of the Hunt for reference, also ThriftyFun.com.  Below are some of my bargains.

Very Early Barbie Clone with white eyes and clothes, several tagged Barbie/Mattel.  Case is Barbie.  Under $15 from Church Rummage Sale.

Close up of Barbie Case

I loved Betty Furness, who talked about collectible and fashion on The Today Show.  This is a kitchen thermometer, found less than $1 at a yard sale.

German Porcelain Bibelot, Victorian, $5.

German White Bisque or Parian Cupid, Victorian, under $15.  Maybe a place card holder.