We think Easter collectibles are sweet! Bunnies, chickies, and eggs! When we were little our Mom made us elaborate baskets that always featured a wonderful bunny. Kitty still collects them and has cottontail bunnies in her boudoir. So we couldn’t wait to shop the flea market for more darling spring treasures!
With Easter right around the corner, the antique faire was all done up with baskets and bows. So pretty! We were on the lookout for eggcups to fill with flowers for Jennifer’s dining table. Kitty found a funny one with legs and feet, but it seemed kind of odd for a centerpiece. Jennifer discovered several with rabbits and ducks holding the eggs, but they were priced at $20 each! She went with pastel ones painted with polka dots and tulips and managed to get all six for $24.
Our favorite ephemera vendor Gus had all kinds of Victorian postcards including an image of yellow chicks descending from a blimp! Kitty bought four featuring dressed-up ducklings to use on a wreath. Jennifer picked out ten to clip on a ribbon across her mantle. We overheard another shopper saying she likes to transfer the pictures onto pillows as baby gifts. Great idea!
In the afternoon, we saw a gal carrying a chocolate bunny mold and she directed us to that booth. We loved the classic metal molds with their big-eared bunnies, but they were too spendy starting at $50 and going up to $450. We’ll stick to eating the chocolate bunnies instead.
The next find was more our speed: a table full of homemade Easter crafts selling for a buck apiece! They were made by breaking real eggshells in half and perching a fuzzy chenille chickie or bunny inside. Each was covered with sparkly glitter and sequins. Irresistible! We bought one for inspiration so we can make our own.
Cheaper By The Dozen
We love a good Easter egg hunt, especially when it means looking for vintage candy containers shaped like eggs. German paper-mâché ones from the 1950s are expensive, but their delightful scenes make them worth it. In mint condition they can cost in the hundreds, but we’ve seen a nesting set of three for $30 and individual pieces for $15 to $20.
Lithographed tin eggs from the same period are just $6 each, and at that price you can get enough to fill a whole basket!
Chick Magnet
Every once in a while we come across a flea market find so kooky it stops us in our tracks. So when we spotted a loony wind-up toy with baby birdies and jingle bells, we had to ask the seller for an explanation. This rare spinning toy, called “Mechanical Hungry Chicks,” turned like a merry-go-round as little chicks popped out and bobbed up and down, making bells ring. The umbrella top was missing, so Kitty was able to get that crazy contraption for only $35. When she got home, she found a mint version online for $170. Glad we stopped to ask!
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