Monday, March 29, 2010

Market Haul: Vintage Maps!

I'd like to announce one of my favourite finds ever!!!


If you've been reading my blog for a while now you'll already know I am a map freak! Well, at a market on Saturday I stumbled across a box chock full of vintage maps. I have come across such things before at dealer markets only to be told the maps cost $3 to $5 EACH! So I was overcome with joy when the lady selling these announced they were 10 cents each!! Looking through the box I realised I liked almost every single one, so I decided to ask for a price for the whole lot.

Answer "Um, two dollars"?

Well you know those moments you wish you'd brought a getaway car with you? You are so terrified the seller will come to their senses before you get out of there! I passed over my two dollars, stuffed the maps into my bag and moved on with a speed an Olympic sprinter would have envied!

Just look at them!

There are over 70 in total making them under 3 cents each!

A few of the many city maps.


So many National Geographic informative maps.

Loads of lovely European maps.

Gorgeous graphics.

There is just too much maply loveliness for me to unfold and photograph them all. There are maps of everywhere from Nepal to San Francisco, Middle East to Canada. Suffice it to say I am a very happy girl :-)

I got a lot of great stuff on the same day so watch out for my next post!

17 comments:

mylittlebirdie said...

oh so jealous they are fantastic!! i know the feeling when you're sure they'll realise how much joy they have just given you and take it all away with a quick price change or worse "oh you know what i actually dont really want to sell those after all"! crushing!
well done, enjoy : )

Alicia said...

these are amazing!! i'm going to have to keep my eye out for vintage maps... who knew how cool they were??

Kate Moore said...

Haul! Score! Whatcha gunna do wif 'em?

Engracia said...

Oh I'm eyeing that Portuguese one with absolute jealousy A, you lucky devil.
Engracia
xx

SixBalloons said...

What a thrill! Any Vancouver, Canada?

iheartsunnydays said...

What a fantastic find! Can't wait to see what you do with them all.

kurrabikid said...

Wow! Must have had the adrenaline pumping indeed!! Good one.

goodwillgirl said...

How fun! I'm thinking maps like that would be great for my boys.

home girl said...

darling i think we need a little talk. that is a lot of maps. where are the maps going to live? how is hubby on this one?! my dad has a major hoarding problem and i questioned his sanity a couple of years ago when he wouldn't let me throw out a plie of 1970's road maps of QLD etc. they are in a box somewhere(he had to buy a warehouse when they bought an apartment to house a lifetime of hoarding - this is a warning!). ok honestly, now i'm feeling guilty and hoping i can find them! they would look fantastic all mounted and hung in a 'map room'. maybe used as wallpaper - that would look FANTASTIC. i'm hooked, love your madness crazy map lady! xx

Leslie said...

Those maps are wonderful. I just love when they have cool graphics.

I laughed out loud at the getaway car comment. Who hasn't had a moment like that.

Evelyn said...

great finds, those maps are wonderful. Are you going to frame them? I have a box full of maps too that I won from auction and I'm thinking of framing them and offering them to my shop, but it's hard to find big vintage frames.. so will see...

Unknown said...

that is a wonderful find!

Thrifted Treasure said...

Thanks everyone, not sure what I'll do with them yet, prob just take them out to pore over when planning imaginary world trips etc :-) SixBalooons - There's one of the whole of Canada and one of Ontario but none just of Vancouver.

Missa said...

Score!

SixBalloons said...

Can't wait to see the all creative stuff you'll be doing with them!

Minnie said...

Oh, what great finds. You even have one of my hometown (Orange County). What is it about old, musty maps that is so adorable? I say this because I share your fondness for old maps with great graphics but can't really explain why to my hubby.

Serena said...

Two crafty things you could do with them is to use them in collage and decoupage projects. They would make really nice backgrounds, esp the ones with the gorgeous graphics :0)