Thursday, March 28, 2013

Uru-Haul from Touruguay


I'll start with the highlights of the main purpose of the trip because I know that's what you want to hear about the most and if I don't share it now I may never get around to it.
It was a jam packed "Forced March Tour" of 3 countries in South America.
I spent countless hours (well, we could count them actually) on night buses and super long days of city walking in Santiago Chile, Buenos Aires Argentina and Montevideo Uruguay with side trips through Patagonia and up to Iguazu Falls to name a few. I hope to sort some more images and stories to share with you but getting to the meat of the matter here I am at the Tristan Narvaja Feria that Marina from fancifuldevices had told us about.

My man Cory loves the hunt for cool collectibles just as much as me but he's not as cheap as me and once he gets the idea that he wants a piece, it's pretty much a sure thing that it will make its way home with us.

Imagine street after street with displays such as this!

It made it easier for me to be discerning in my purchases because of the pricing.
South America is a bit more expensive than I thought so I limited  myself to under $5 a piece items primarily.
I was happiest when I found a jumbled up tin full of pieces like this that I could paw through and make piles and offers.
As promised I am going share my haul macro style.

These were a good deal. I ended up going back to this guys table after having a beer at the man-cave bar across the street. He was "mi amigo" by then.

Medallions about up the proverbial yin yang.
I only ended up with a few religious ones as it made it much easier to cull down my choices.


These masks fascinated me

Dude medallions



Once I learned that if you offered dollarses instead of pesos you got a better exchange rate than through the ATM, especially in Argentina. It made for better bargaining power, although I probably lost money after honey ran out of his dollarses and needed mine for his precioussessss.

A spot of color

The large one here I thought to be two hands over a mate cup ( if you look at it upside down) but then I saw it turned like this elsewhere and it obviously means something else...perhaps a military honor.

getting down to brass tags

I love the enameled numbers that they have on everything.
Did my best not to pilfer some big ones that were grave markers that I coveted.
That would have been really bad. I took photos instead.
These are small ones ( not grave markers)

the one on the right opens like a compact

a copper box

small random bits

and these

Hubs gave me the bottom one as a present to celebrate our first date 8 years ago on St. Patrick's day

And while the rusty skeleton keys abounded at every market I only picked up a few special ones.
We went to two markets in Montevideo as well as antique shops near our hotel and then more markets in Buenos Aires in the San Telmo district.

I still like picking up unusual ephemera

and some vintage ribbon rolls

and picking up a few choice vintage photos




Don't you just love this guy?

duuude!

How about this creepazoid mannequin to model your jewelry?

Seen at a market in Santiago Chile


And in the manner of AnvilArtifact's blog I'll end with a couple of animal photos.
This is a guanaco we spotted at Punta Tombo where the Magellanic penguinos live.
I got to get up close and personal with these cuties.

Penguino!

Punk Penguino



35 comments:

  1. what awesomeness kim! cheers to you.

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  2. So jealous of your market haul! Rick & I would have fought you for some of those goodies!

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    1. Believe me there's plenty for everyone there!

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  3. Welcome back! You've been missed! My oh my. What a wonderful adventure! My eyes hurt from looking so longingly at your uruhaul. Great scores, Kim! The medallions and enamel not pilfered tags, and...good grief, all of it is fabulous. Looking forward to seeing how you incorporate all this coolness into your work. Hahaha those mannies and a punk penguin?! Great post. So good to see you back with stories to tell.

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    1. Oh thanks, who knows when I'll get around to using any. I love it when I get multiples of something then I am less reluctant to actually use them! Missed you all too!

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  4. How fun! Love all the old photos and postcards too. Thanks for sharing a little of your trip. I'm looking forward to seeing how you use your new/old goodies.

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  5. Welcome back to the US. Glad you had fun! What a haul!

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    1. Thanks, I'm a little overwhelmed with my stash presently, I seem to be better at collecting than using them.

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  6. Marvelous medals and metals.....not to mention the paper ephemera. I am picturing many collages and jewels with your stash combined with beads and everything rusty. Cool pics....xox

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    1. I'm making it my goal to make at least one jewelry piece and one collage before I head back north. Time flies around here!

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  7. Absolutely mouthwateringly uh-mazing! I'm rather jealous. Your vintage photos are a hoot. Glad you're back :)

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    1. Thanks Deborah, It's always fun to pore through vintage photos in other countries and pick a few choice ones.

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  8. Such wonderful goodies! I don't know about that strange mannequin, though... Looks like a once-in-a-lifetime trip!

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    1. We're fortunate to have several of those sort of once in a lifetime trips it seems. My husband is adept as squeezing out as many experiences possible in a single trip. It's quite a ride!

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  9. What beautiful bits! especially love those enamalled pieces!

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    1. I saw a whole box full of them at the end but the money was running a bit tight by then so I had to let them go.

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  10. jayzuz i wanna cry. i need to go there now for sure. wait no, i have too much stuff! must have more!
    i had NO IDEA about the offering dollars thing. goddamnit! wow. you learn something new everyday. i have to show this to my everyone....

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    1. Yeah they were loving the dollars and some would even give you change back in $.
      Then we thought we were being slick by getting US $ out of an ATM, we were surprised that they gave you that option. Problem is that it spat out 100 dollar bills and you know how hard it is to get small cambio in other countries so we didn't do that again. I ended up getting a nice Uruguayan leather bag that helped to eat up my 100 spot.

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  11. Oohhhh fabulous! Loving the brass tags and enamelled numbers.

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  12. I love that one brooch with the ivory(?)!

    Love your trips to places I've never been!

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  13. Let me tell you though, the way we travel is downright exhausting. I'll elaborate on that in another post.

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  14. I spent ages looking at that 'pile' picture, shopping for the bits I wanted, and then my brain suddenly realised it was just a picture, I couldn't actually have the stuff. Then I got sad. Then I remembered the last time I pawed though a pile of crusty junk like that cause those are my fave too, and I stabbed my finger on a pin, and I was all 'nah blood, no big deal, I'll just paw with my other hand! And then I got stabbed again so the guy gave me a pocket watch back to spoon through with.

    The End.

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    1. I got stabbed a bit too pawing through it.. The ones that were all arranged neatly on tables tended to be priced as antiques but the piles were a better deal.

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  15. when does the selling commence...i’m jealous as hell....urrrr.
    you made it kimmo...touraguay....awesome.

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  16. First Lela mentions using them and now you're asking if I'll sell? We covets them and saves them precioussnesses.

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  17. What incredible treasures!!! Wow. So many beautiful pieces to work with - you lucky girl! Glad you're back safely and that you had such a great trip (except when you got sick) :)

    xoxo Juliette

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  18. Can't wait to see what you'll do with the precioussss.
    Jealous as hell.

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  19. What a Uruhaul...omg. I would have been doing backflips if I could! Sounds like you two had a wonderful adventure. Welcome home!

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  20. Talk about a haul - WOW. I'd be happy just to go on the trip and see new things. You're a lucky person and the treasures just made it all the better.

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  21. Awesome trip, Kim, and and you really did find some amazing preciousssssessss there! Looks like so much fun, and I'd love to see penguins and those little llama-like critters. Any chance that any of those goodies will be showing up in your etsy shop? :~)

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  22. wow!! just amazing things Kim! great treasure!

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  23. Lordy !!Lordy !! ..I am drooling ......:)

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  24. Oh my goodness - is it all over so soon?? What amazing finds!You must have had the time of your life!!!Awwww, and the amazing wildlife too. Fantastic! Can't wait to see more. I think I'd just enjoy oohing and aahhing over my precious goodies too, without feeling the need to do anymore than that!
    Good to see you back home.
    xoxox :O)

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