I had a different post planned for today, until I realized that I left my tripod at my parent’s house! This is what happens when you’re traveling with a 4 1/2 month old puppy: you get distracted and forget things (I also forgot my computer’s charger cable…). hehe! So until I get the tripod back (or figure out some way to prop up my camera that doesn’t give me a panic attack because it’s not stable), outfit posts may be a bit scarce. Unless, of course, I can sweet talk SH into helping me. I do have a little decorating DIY post planned for Friday, so if you’re tired of these sorts of posts, there is a light at the end of the tunnel…
This is one of those thrifting stories that legends are made of. The sort of finds that I always heard of others making, but never thought I’d run across it myself. I live in a highly populated area with people who generally know the value of vintage things. (Cue sad trombone.) Thrift stores typically price anything “old” accordingly. But somehow, by Providence or fate, I had one of those once in a lifetime thrift store finds recently! Here’s my tale…
Bolstered by a few little vintage treasures I found at an estate sale recently (warning: it’s a video), I decided one Saturday morning to stop at a new-to-me thrift shop while I was out grocery shopping. (It helps to have an incentive to brave the grocery store Saturday morning! lol.) I only had a few moments to do a quick run through the shop and was mainly looking for a frame for my “Keep Calm and Carry On” poster. But somehow I was magnetically drawn to a little corner in the back that had a pile of crafting and sewing supplies mashed together. At first I nearly turned away, until I realized that the rather large box tottering on the top of the pile marked “Patterns: $0.05 each or $2 for all” was stuffed with vintage patterns. Yes, I mean stuffed. Mostly full of mid 50s through late 60s patterns (with one random 40s bedjacket pattern and some rather fugly 70s designs thrown in for good measure), it was full of iconic silhouettes and designs from that era. I held my breath as I grabbed the box and walked as calmly as I could to the register to hand over two rumply dollar bills to the cashier. (Who thankfully was too busy on her cell phone crabbing about her job at the thrift store to notice the treasures I had in the box!)
I kid you not: I got back to my car, safely stashed the box in my back seat and did a little dance and whoop in the parking lot! lol. I dare say any passersby thought I was a bit of a nut clutching a tattered carboard box and grinning from ear to ear. But, dear friends, you surely understand my elation, don’t you?
When I got home I finally took a closer look at what I had: 75-90 patterns (I never did a definitive count–I was too excited!). Smaller in size than I normally wear, but a lot of beautiful styles (and grading patterns up isn’t that hard–just time consuming). So a bunch went towards my personal stash, I passed a couple on to some sewing buddies and saved a few to share with you! Next week I’ll be hosting a little vintage pattern giveaway here on the blog, so stay tuned for that!
I still can’t believe this find. I doubt I’ll ever have another quite like it, since finding vintage pieces is getting harder and harder as more people realize the value of certain things. But like the estate sale I lucked out on 18 months ago, this one will go down as one of my best thrift finds ever (and certainly the highlight of my 2012 thrifting!).
I just had to share that with you! As one of my friends said: there is still hope for good finds! I think it’s just a combination of being at the right place, at the right time and consistency in hunting. So don’t give up hope if you feel like you never find affordable vintage; it’s out there–just hiding a bit! Of course, you can also enter the giveaway next week too for a bit of free vintage!
Thank you for listening to my little tale of mythical finds! (More pictures beneath the cut below…)
Have you had any great thrifting or vintage finds lately??? Let’s spread the good luck tales!
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What an awesome find!! I’m so happy for you and jealous too.:) Thanks for sharing. It was super fun to look through what you found. I’m on my way to our thrift store this afternoon so I’m hoping your good luck rubs off on me.
I had a great pattern windfall of my own last fall at an auction. I got three boxes for $9 and got some really groovy patterns. Not as great as yours and not as many, but still worth writing home about!! So so fun. I remember walking to my car carrying the loot and saying “Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh!!!” I couldn’t believe my luck. Right place at the right time, indeed!!
Sending you lots of thrifting luck!!!
Oh wow–$9 for a box of patterns isn’t bad at all, in my opinion! I think I gladly would have paid $10 or more for the box I found; especially since vintage patterns are getting harder to find! 
♥ Casey
I am literally screaming inside. I would die if I had such a find! I was recently at a thrift shop and was told that since patterns never sold, they ended up getting rid of them! GETTING RID OF THEM?? I couldn’t believe my ears. I am so glad for you, and if you ever want to sell any, I would love to pay what you think is fair for some 1950′s patterns. WOW.
I have, sadly, heard that far too many times when asking thrift shop employees about patterns! :/ It seems their just viewed as “trash”, even though they can be vintage (and goodness knows a lot of thrift stores pull anything that looks remotely “vintage” to place on a higher-priced rack). *sigh* All the patterns that must end up in landfills!!!!! *cries*
♥ Casey
Yay! I’ve never had luck like this but twice I’ve had friends find 15-20 vintage lovelies at a time and they passed them on to me! I have nice friends.
Yay for good friends!!!
♥ Casey
Not terribly recently, but about two summers ago, I went to a rummage sale that advertised, “sewing”. I got there and found two large Rubbermaid containers FILLED with patterns. I tried to contain my glee and asked the man how much he wanted for all of them (I think they were marked $0.25/each). He said, “Oh, I don’t know. $5? They were my mom’s. I’d rather they go to a good home than in the trash.” It was all I could do not to hug the man.
Oh wow! Those are the best sales that vaguely mention sewing and then you make out like a bandit.
I’ve found some great notions and fabrics that way! I think half the time people just don’t want to junk these things since there is some sentimental value, so it’s our luck when we find them. 
♥ Casey
WOW, Casey. You’ve really lucked out. These are so adorable, I’m drooling. Thanks for sharing your great finds!
Wow what a haul… There is nothing like that over here in our charity shops, but hey… Lucky u
That really is an epic find! I really like that scalloped dress you showed. Right now, I really envy you! But, I’ll take a lesson from your thrifting and start a little hunting myself! Just need to find those thrifting places at my place
I’m really happy for you that you came across such a find! Enjoy it!
The best thrift shops, in my experience, are the little charity ones! They tend to have better prices and their stock hasn’t been quite as picked through before hitting the sales floor.
Good luck!
♥ Casey
What a find–congrats! And what a good home for those gorgeous patterns.
Lucky you! I see many great patterns in these photos. Here in Greece is almost imposible to find vintage patterns.
What an incredible find! I can hardly believe you paid $2 for all of those amazing patterns!! I haven’t had any finds like that, but my mom (who is retired and has the time to thrift often) has made some amazing vintage finds in the last year or two, including a pair of vintage men’s suspenders that she found for under $10 and later sold on ebay for $75!
Oh wow–that is quite a find! I’m always tickled when I buy something at the thrift store for a few dollars, only to find it’s worth quite a bit more than I paid.
♥ Casey
Wonderful Casey, this was a long time coming for you. I am so glad and at a steal at 2 dollars. Creative juices must be flowing like mad, can’t wait to see what you make!
Oh yes–I can’t wait to dig into these; although I have a few other things I should sew first. Decisions!
♥ Casey
You are one lucky lady! I have never had a find as great as this one, but I was lucky enough to find some wonderful patterns at a garage sale. Well, actually, I did not find them, my mom’s friend did and she had the person put them on hold for me and gave the information to my mom. I then called up the person hosting the garage sale and made my way to her house a week later to pick up the patterns. I felt pretty lucky about that.
How thoughtful that your mom’s friend was able to have the seller put them aside for you!
I think that’s one of the keys to finding vintage goodies: putting the word out among friends and acquaintances that you’re looking for such and such an item. Sometimes it doesn’t pan out, but often I’ve crossed paths with some wonderful things that way!
♥ Casey
Wow Casey, you were not kidding about your score of the century! Are those doll patterns I spy (and eeee a DOLLY WEDDING GOWN???)?? And a bathing suit pattern? DUDE. The thrifting gods were definitely on your side that day:)
YES!!! Lots of doll patterns in this stash, actually.
There are a couple Barbie/Skipper ones and some for larger dolls like the “Miss Revlon” doll (which I covet… One day I shall find one!). I’m kind of geeking out about the doll patterns, and thinking I’d like to cut out a few Barbie dresses for my repro dolls. *grin*
♥ Casey
Wow – but now where are you gonna store them
? LOL!
Luv, luv luv, the Simplicity 1586 top!
That, dear lady, is the question I am still asking myself! They’re still sitting in their box, waiting for me to figure out the storage situation. I think I might end up taking a reader’s suggestion from awhile back and putting all the envelops in binders, and then cataloging them in archival plastic bags and putting them in boxes. We’ll see though… I need to get some better organization going on my collection since it’s mushroomed in this year!
♥ Casey
Wow you must have been having the best luck in the world that day, super find!
Wow wow wow! My jaw is dropping, what an amazing find! You got more patterns there than I own, period! lol I hope your amazing good luck with rub off on some of us.
I was pouring through the group photos and was going to comment on my favorite… and then that was the first one you showed on its own! With the scallops. I love how the version with the striped under layer has kind of an early European feel to it.
What fun to go through them all!
haha! Well, if you lived closer, I would totally let you come over and raid my stash for patterns to borrow.
The scalloped dress is a favorite too–I think I might be tempted to make that one eventually, with a few modifications (as usual
)…
♥ Casey
Love finding sewing stuff at estate sales. I have bought two boxes of old patterns like this before at estate sales. There is also a store here in Dallas that specializes in vintage clothes and they have thousands of old patterns in their back room. The store is called Vintage Martini at vintagemartini.com. Check it out. I have a book called “How to use, adapt and design sewing patterns”. Are you familiar with it? It looks challenging. Do you recommend a better book for help in this? Also, I thought of you this weekend while watching “the notebook”. I want to make or find a robe like the one Martha Shaw, Noahs girlfriend had on. Have you seen? So, I am on the hunt for a pattern now!! I wish all of us vintage pattern lovers could have a tea party, bring our patterns and ooh and ahh over them!!
I have haunted the Vintage Martini website for years–I love seeing what patterns they list online! I had no idea that they had so many in the store though (but I should have had an inkling since their website is packed with them)… If I ever make it to Dallas, I’m making a stop there!
I have to admit, I have yet to make it all the way through “The Notebook”. I really need to though, since everyone but me has seen it.
lol.
♥ Casey
Did you ever find a pattern to make that robe!? It’s so beautiful!!!
I found a box like this at a garage sale a couple summers ago – they’re so much fun to go through! That one had been in the family for awhile – you could trace the progression over time.
I love those sorts of pattern collections when you can trace decades, children growing, etc. through them! So neat!
♥ Casey
Wow, Casey! You really lucked out! I remember going to a garage sale 2 years ago and this elderly lady was selling 3 moving boxes full of patterns from the 1940′s to the early 1990′s. I asked how much and she said $5 total for all the boxes. I have hundreds of patterns waiting to be used, given away, or sold. I love it! Awesome find!
Oh wow–what a find!!!!! I still am hoping one day I’ll find some earlier (late 30s/40s) patterns at a thrift store. Though I think that time is fast ending… I have friends who have thrifted for decades and tell me stories of finding tons of 20s-40s patterns for mere pennies back in the day. If only I had had an inkling back in the early 90s at thrift stores when I was too busy looking for old Barbie dolls and fun dress up clothes! lol.
♥ Casey
Wow, how amazing is that find! I can’t believe how lucky you were. It was obviously fate that sent you off to look at that store!
EEEEKKK!!! I would have done a happy dance too. And kudos for controlling yourself until you got to your car. I know I would probably have gasped and looked like a freak doing happy/jumpy/claps right there in front of the box in the store. I’m pretty sure I’d also call it “the precious” via Lord of the Rings as I walked out with it.
MAJOR, and I mean MAJOR, HIGH FIVES to you!! Its the stuff dreams are made of.
I seriously came home and did the whole “My Precious” thing.
lol. I think my husband thought I had finally reached the tipping point of my sanity! rofl.
♥ Casey
The imagery of you clutching the tattered box and smiling made me giggle. These patterns look wonderful!
Casey, I am simultaneously extremely happy for you and insanely jealous. What a score. Days like that make me feel happy to be alive (the time I got a $300 Hudson’s Bay Blanket in mint condition for $10? Omg). Yay for giveaways!
$10 for a Hudson Bay blanket?! WOW!!!!
♥ Casey
OMG I would weep with joy if I came across your little haul. They are gorgeous, gorgeous patterns – lucky you. You guys are so lucky over in the US. I’m forever seeing lovely things on the interweb that have been discoved at yard / estate sales and thrift stores. I live in London and it’s hard to find anything, as everyone as you say is in the know about the price of anything that’s pre 1990.
I had a simlar gift from my mother in law a year back, 125 40′s 50′s and 60′s patterns, some with notes written on the front (my favorite is on a nightie pattern that says “do not widen as mumu looks like tent” HAH!) and a majority of the petterns have never been touched. she got it for FREE when helping a friend clean out he mothers garage after she passed. I’ve made a few, but I would love it if you would turn one of these patterns into a tutorial on how to grade patterns, because I’m still not very confident!
Oh neat! I especially love finding notes in old patterns. These don’t seem to have any (though I haven’t been through very many yet), but it looks like she did make most of them up. She must have had quite a wardrobe! (And it makes me feel a bit better about how much I sew… lol.)
♥ Casey
WOOHOOO!!!!! So many congrats on the happy find! Yay for thrifting!
Wow – what a great pattern haul! I can imagine the excitement when you spotted those. It is SO exciting to spot a pile of patterns what aren’t 1990s monstrosities. I had a good haul a couple of months back – I was leaving the shop when I spotted a pile of patterns that had just come in, so I got my hands on them first! Though I had to patiently stand while they were priced up, I’m sure the woman at the till thought I was a weirdo! And only 49p each. I had a similar great find when I spotted a box of patterns on the floor in a thrift shop, tucked under some other stuff.
Oh wow!!! That’s the trick a lot of the time, isn’t it? Finding them first? I have had that happen a few times at the thrift stores and grab things as soon as I see them come out on the floor!
♥ Casey
That is the stuff of thrifting legends. You’ll be old, retelling the story to whoever will listen to the box of patterns you got for $2. Wonderful.
I can totally see myself doing that, as a grey, wrinkled old lady.
lol.
♥ Casey
Wow, that’s one heck of a haul right there fore $2! I do find myself getting disheartened about the lack of affordable vintage, but then every once in a while you do get lucky – and it all builds up into a great collection. In fact I sense a blog post forming…
xx Charlotte
Tuppence Ha’penny Vintage
Yes–don’t give up hope! I mean, Lauren at Dear Golden just found some early vintage at a garage sale recently. I know it’s a bit of a different climate for vintage in the UK, but you never know what might be lurking in some dark, dusty corner…
♥ Casey
I’m so jealous I just might cry a little.
Aw… Please don’t cry!!!
♥ Casey
I never find sewing related goodies in thrift stores (or the good old UK charity shops to me!) in my area. I have to rely on what I can find online which tends to be kind of overpriced and you just miss out on that sheer joy of coming across a treasure! Congratulations you! I would have been screaming about it in the parking lot!
Lucky you Casey! There looks like a lot of stunners in that mix, and it couldn’t have gone to a better home!
And yes, I totally understand you doing a woo-hoo in the parking lot!
Ooh! Be still my beating heart. Those are some beautiful patterns you found for so cheap, Casey! I don’t know which one is my favorite.
I can definitely relate to “traveling with puppy” brain. Getting there in one piece is always a victory.
What an amazing find! I don’t have a lot of thrift shops around my immediate area, but now I must go and check out the nooks and crannies of the ones that are around. What a treasure indeed!
HOLY COW!!!!! !’M doing a happy dance for you!!!! wow i can’t wait to see what you whip up from these!!!
OH YOU LUCKY THING YOU! That had to be in capitals, that’s amazing, and they look so beautifully intact! I have had one lucky find, when my Aunt – who owns a shop in the middle of nowhere in South Africa – had a pile of old clothes and stuff in her shop from some old fellow’s parents. Anyway, I was ferreting through the clothes looking for buttons and my Aunt came up to me with a bag stuffed full of patterns – ranging from the 60′s to the 80′s – and asked me if I wanted to look through it. Yes, there were some terrible styles there but the 60′s patterns had me raving mad. So she gave me the whole bag. I was utterly, utterly gobsmacked and very grateful. I do love pawing through them on a quiet evening…
Oh wow!!! I love those finds that come from the most unlikely places–those are hte best, imho!
♥ Casey
Wow! I am envious, what gorgeous patterns. I love it how you contained your excitement until you left, like you were commiting a crime. I once found a beautiful pattern book full of original 1950s patterns, there was no price on it & I took it to the counter with my heart in my mouth to ask how much it was & tried not to squeel when the woman said I could have it for £2! I treasure it. If my house ever caught fire its the one thing I’d save. Well done & enjoy your patterns!
Funnily enough after I got home with my box of goodies and proudly told SH how little I paid for them, he kept saying “why do I feel you put something over on them?”.
rofl! Can’t help it if they priced the box really, really low! lol.
♥ Casey
You’re so lucky! Who could imagine one could find so many vintage patterns for so little money? You’re almost convincing me to go thrifting. The region were I live is not a good place for vintage, but I’m feeling hopeful after seeing all your finds! Have a nice week!
You never know what you may find in the most unlikely of spots…
♥ Casey
I haven’t had any great thrifting finds myself lately, but I crochet & knit quite a bit and and a lady from my church found about 5 vintage dishcloth patterns at an auction and passed them on to me, (which I was soo excited about), and then my mom and I have been going through her basement to get ready for a yard sale and she found a box full of fabric that she said I could go through and take what I want, because she doesn’t sew anymore. There were tons of vintage buttons, rickrack, and fabric remnants that had been my Grandma’s, and 5 yards of a beautiful burgundy (not sure exactly what sort of fabric it was, I’m fairly new to sewing) that my Grandma bought three months before she died! (it still had the sales ticket on it). So needless to say I was QUITE happy and am looking for the perfect dress pattern
Oh wow!!! What amazing treasures; especially those sewing notions and supplies from your grandmother. I bet those will be especially fun to make something with.
♥ Casey
Oh, and BTW, YAY for you on your pattern find, I would have been doing a happy dance by my car as well!
Just looking at those patterns makes me want to go and sew! Lucky you! Can’t wait to see what you end up making from this lot
Wow, what a great find! Today I went to my local Goodwill and I was pleasantly surprised to find several small handbags that seemed to be authentic vintage. I’m not an expert since I just started searching for vintage items here and there over the last 9 months or so but, two of the handbags that I purchased have metal zippers inside. Also, two of them still have the brand name/tag inside and after a few quick searches online they seem to be common vintage brands!
Oh wow–great finds!!! Handbags seem to be getting harder and harder to find at the thrifts around here (I’ve had more luck at yardsales and estate sales). So congrats on finding those!
♥ Casey
WOW! That is so cool, Casey! I would have done the exact same thing as you. Tried to act like it was no biggie when buying them. i’m always afraid the sales person will say they were mis-labeled or something! So fun. I’m looking forward to your giveaway!! xo
Oh I know–I’m always convinced I’ll get to the register and they’ll be like “oops–we totally mispriced theses. Need to send them back and get them redone!”. lol. Which is probably why when I’m even in a conversation with a sales person at a thrift store and I have something really neat, I try to downplay it as much as possible. hehe!
♥ Casey
What a lucky find and you are so sweet to share the wealth with a giveaway! Can’t wait until next week! I recently moved to Portland, OR and anything vintage is high priced and the thrift shops and picked clean of any good vintage finds. I miss the amazing vintage I used to come home with when I lived in Boston. I may have to move back!
Aw… That stinks when you move some place and the thrifting is only so-so! :/ I know it took me a bit to find some good places when I was in Florida; I ended up having my best luck at shops that were a bit of a drive. So I ended up not thrifting as much, but got some really neat finds when I did!
♥ Casey
That’s amazing, Casey! As I scrolled down I was thinking “surely that’s the end of the goodies” only to find another photo of MORE goodies. And I saw a pattern I recently aquired (Simplicity 5322) in amongst your haul! I was so excited when I bought a box of 25 patterns for $10 and over half of them turned out to be 60′s patterns with couple of late 50′s mixed with the more common 80′s power suits. I can’t even imagine how excited you must’ve been with your find! Well done
Oh wow–that’s a great find on your part too! I admit, I keep pinching myself over how many patterns were in this box. I think my stash just doubled in size! lol.
♥ Casey
Fantastic find! So jealous but happy to know that these landed in great hands!
Last weekend, I went to an estate with my other half, and landed five vintage pillowcases for $2.50. Beautiful, creamy smooth cotton percale, from Dan River, Lady Pepperell, the really good kind of percale that you just cannot buy anymore. The other half bought a lovely vintage Rogers Bros chef’s knife (he’s a culinary arts student, so just right for him). He brought it home, honed the blade, sanded and then polished the wood handle with orange beeswax polish and it looks good as new. Cuts very well too. 
Oh my goodness–I’m so jealous of your finds! Especially the vintage linens; those are getting so hard for me to find, and yet I love them because they are so much better than most of the things you can get today (at least what I can afford…
lol.). I’m still kicking myself for not taking a peek in the linen pile at an estate sale I went to a couple weeks ago. Gah!
♥ Casey
Oh my goodness, what an amazing find. And I got excited about finding 2 60s Maudella patterns for 50p each in a charity shop! I can’t wait to see what you make first. Because the patterns I come across can be quite pricey (and I’m a total novice) I do try and limit myself to patterns I will actually wear, but its hard because I love the history, especially the notes people have written. My husband’s aunt has just lent me (obviousy she can’t part with it) the pattern she used to make the dresses for her bridesmaids in 1959, it is my size so I’m planning to try and make it for myself, it’s just beautiful with a full skirt and a deep v back. She remembers every detail of making them and even used the remaining fabric to make the blouse for her ‘going away’ suit. We had a lovely afternoon drinking tea and talking about her past sewing. Enjoy your patterns, I might be just a tiny bit jealous!
How neat you got to talk to your husband’s aunt about sewing and her memories! I am still sad that although I got a bunch of my nana’s sewing patterns, I never got to talk about sewing to her (she died when my interest in sewing was just starting to go from something I dabbled in, to an all-consuming passion). I think passing down those memories and knowledge is so special!
♥ Casey
WOW!!! I literally cannot believe your haul! and the price….I think I would have fainted! Well done!
Wow – that’s amazing. Really well done. Imagine the person who gave them away wanted them to go to a good home – so perfect!
Now that’s one amazing thrifting find – wow, wow, wow!!! Lucky gal! I can just image the thrill and happiness that must have flowed through you the moment you saw those prices and how quickly you must have grabbed these stellar vintage patterns. So cool, so wonderful, and sooooo much fun – happiest congrats on this marvelous windfall. Fingers crossed that, even with vintage pieces getting trickier to find at a bargain, you’ll have similar days again, too.
♥ Jessica
Thanks for the good thrifting wishes, Jessica!
♥ Casey
What a great find and for $2.
2nd picture-pattern in the middle-I made that dress. That was a look very popular in the late 60s. I feel so vintage.
It’s funny seeing things I wore when they were new and in style:)
Funnily enough, as my mom was looking through these last time she came to visit, she kept saying “I remember making something like this!”. Which I find so neat; I love hearing about how these patterns could have been made up back in the day!
(It alleviates, a little, my constant wish I had a time machine to go back and take a peek at fashion and sewing in the past, as it was happening! 
)
♥ Casey
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