Sunday, June 27, 2010

Sleepy +Poet = Bargain Fun



Do you love antiques, vintage, or just fun Junque? I do…in fact I thrive on it. You never know when you will need an additional punch bowl, a new set of Fire King Bowls, or even some new plates, silver or what have you. If you read this blog, then you already know I love linens and many other things from the past. Where do you find such great items? Well, let me personally endorse the Sleepy Poet in Charlotte, NC. The shop is located at 4450 South Blvd, opened late Friday and Saturday, for those of you who hate to stop antique shopping at 5 o’clock - (704) 529-6369 for more details. This 55,000 square foot store offers anything you could possibly need, want, or purchase. This mega mart of antiques boasts some of the most unique items you will find in the Upstate/Metrolina area.
So, what have I picked up there? Over the years numerous items for home and office have come from the “Poet.” One of my favorite finds was a steal of a deal – a bridge table with inlaid wood, a shocking $45. You just can’t find deals like that anywhere else, I know, trust me, I’ve done the leg work in South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, and even a few peeks into Tennessee.
So large furniture is not your thing due to limited room in the house? Well, I believe one can rearrange the house to squeeze one more thing in the rooms. Recently, I have come to the realization that I need to build-on to the house to accommodate more furniture. As I shared this with one vendor in the “Poet,” she told me she used to supply extra rooms on homes, but due to the recent swing in the economy, home construction for items was no longer a service. This is an example of what make the “Poet” a great place to shop. You see vendors in the shop all the time and get to know many of them personally as they strike up conversations with those wide-eyed shoppers.
In The Sleepy Poet, you will also find a wide variety of glassware and silver (sterling and plate). I enjoy looking at each piece, and I even have my eye locked in on a beautiful item to hold my decanters, I would love to tell you about its location, but then you might think it would look beautiful in your home too. I purchased 6 embroidered linen napkins on my last visit for $6. Vintage linens for such a price, unheard of! Now, I just have to find somewhere to store them as my linens will soon need a room of their own; maybe if I write her, Martha Stewart will take pity on me and build a linen room for my house. I also procured a tiled tray from the 1960’s, several ramekins for a future dinner party, and a Forest Green Vase.
As you can tell, the shopping at the “Poet” is addictive and easy. A special service unique to the poet is the roving staff. Yes, most antique stores have someone walking around with a sour look on their face waiting for you to drop a piece Fenton; not the staff at The Sleepy Poet, they are there for you. As you pile your treasures in your arms and begin to struggle with them as you walk around the store, a friendly face often pops up to say, “Can take this up front to start of stack for you while you finish shopping? “ What a welcomed relief, as I am extremely clumsy and have single handedly destroyed a display in the local Stein Mart while walking around. I swear I did not touch it ;my sister disputes this statement to this day… If the guys and gals of the “Poet” will walk my finds to the front of the store, who am I to complain? It is just less risk of me dropping something or being accused of such.
Did I mention the clothes? So, Vintage dressing fits you like a pair of strappy sandals fits Carrie Bradshaw? You can’t beat the “Poet.” I will admit, several winter coats in my closet were adopted at The Sleepy Poet. I would recommend shopping here for those readers who attend Retro-Fest in Spartanburg each year. You will out shine everyone.
I encourage you to walk around The Sleepy Poet soon. As you explore the store, be sure to ask for a map, yes you may get lost, but if you are as Obsessive-Compulsive as I am, then you need have a plan of attack for the shop. The map helps in this plan. As you enter listen to the music, I don’t know whose playlist this is, but it is the best music of any antique store I’ve ever entered; Vanilla Ice, to the Beatles, The Eagles to ABBA. In fact I would love to get many of the songs for myself. There are so many different items, I feel like every little treasure I find was personally put there for me; kind of like an Island of Misfit Toys for a Adults, but even better no misfits here it’s an Island of Antique Finds!



Island of Antique Finds…to the tune of Island of Misfit Toys…Just for Fun!



We're at the Sleepy Poet
Here we’re on display
We want to travel with you today
In your car far away!

A pack full of silver
Means a fun time to polish
For millions of girls
And for millions of boys
When you buy something here
The most wonderful day of the year.

A Fenton Compote waits for collectors to shout
"Wake up! Don't you know that it's time to take me out!"
When you buy something here
The most wonderful day of the year.



Finds galore, Greet you at the door
There's no room for more
And it's the cause of joyful calls.

A rocker for Jimmy
A dolly for Sue
The kind that will even say, "How do you do?"
When buy something here
The most wonderful day of the year.

--(this part is spoken)--
How would you like to find a Depression glass bowl?
Or a Vintage bowtie with polka dots and stripes?
Or a punch bowl that still has glasses?
They're all antiques!
How would you like to find a crystal vase? It’s Waterford!
Or a carnival glass flower frog?
Or a gravy boat that’s Sterling Silver?
They're all antiques.

If we're at The Sleepy Poet
We'll miss all the fun with the girls and the boys
When you decorate your house
The most wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, wonderful day of the year!

2 comments:

  1. Thanks Justin for the sweet comments and the HILARIOUS song!! It had the staff humming along all afternoon. We WILL be posting this online for all to enjoy!
    Cheers!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks Justin for the sweet comments and the HILARIOUS song!! It had the staff humming along all afternoon. We WILL be posting this online for all to enjoy!
    Cheers!

    ReplyDelete