A Lucky Pick Up - Inside A Vintage 1980s Sad Sam Honey Pyjama Case

There are some things that just totally typify the 1980s for me - one of them is the pyjamas case. No single bed was complete without one. Isn't it sad - do they even make them anymore? I had a plush mouse with a huge skirt (!) to look after my pyjamas in the 1980s. Haha

I was doing my usual stock hunt the other weekend at a house clearance when I happened upon a huge skip bag full of plush. Nothing exciting until I found Sad Sam's Girlfriend Honey - she's huge! She felt solid, so I had a quick peek inside the zip and spotted some real gems. I paid and took her home for a good wash.

The contents were better than I was expecting - vintage 1980s tee shirts. Two of them Snoopy. My favourite!

Have you ever found anything exciting in thrifted items? I've found some great stuff...hmm? Maybe another blog post there :-)

Oh The Places You'll Go Dr Seuss Keepsake for Emmett

I really love Pinterest - I've been a fan since the beginning. An online scrapbook to remember internet bookmarks in a visual way?! I was first in the queue. One of the earliest things I pinned was this brilliant idea, way before Emmett was even born. Unfortunately, like many Pinterest pins I'm not sure my source is correct (feel free to correct me if I'm wrong)

The idea is to get each of your child's teachers (i'm starting with Emmett's nursery ladies) to write a little message in the pages of the book. Each year, you add each teacher in secret and then present the book as a surprise when they finish school or graduate. I'm sure keeping it a surprise will be trickier as he gets older, but I'm going to try my best.

Emmett starts school in September. It's bitter sweet as I will miss having him around everyday, but he's so smart and so ready for school it feels right. I know he's going to love it. We were also one of the lucky families that got our first choice school. I'm so excited.

I bought my special edition in a slipcase on ebay. I also found some really nice covering notes other families have produced here. They are still quite a few listed if you'd like to make this part of your family tradition. Have you started one already? I'd love to hear how it's going

No affiliate links - I just thought it was a really lovely idea and wanted to share :-)

New Financial Year Business Goals 2016-2017

For my I have the start of a new year where I set myself personal goals, but I always like to set myself some business goals at the start of a new financial year which for me is the start of April. Here are my plans for the coming year

• Increase my shop inventory
• Design and have my own pin badges made
• Increase my Instagram followers and continue to comment and interact more
• Build a business website
• Try and blog at least twice a week
• Approach more business' and publications to collaborate with and source toys for
• Streamline my own collections
• Take more pictures
• Research and cost for garden office

How about you? Do you have new financial year goals or resolutions?

My Best Ever Pica Pica Vintage Hauls Part 3 - The 1980s Disney Collector

This was my most recent eye popping find. Last year I happened upon a house clearance sale disposing of a whole lifetime of collecting. The other dealers were most interested in the huge piles of Christmas collectibles and handbags, but for me it was the Disney. The family had obviously been huge fans and were regular visitors of all the American theme parks during the 1980s and early 1990s but what was most exciting for me was the condition. Everything was in it's original carrier bags and there were multiples of everything - not just one keyring but 20 all in a carrier bag...not just one coin purse, but 12 in a carrier bag. Like I said, EYE POPPING. Some of the best items were from this great print range by Australian artist Ken Done.

I bought these spoons because I loved them - I have a pot full. I can't find anything out about them. are they simply teaspoons from the cafes and the collector saved them? I'd love to know

After again making a huge pile of awesomeness came the most exciting news - there was more! I'd been pleasant with the sellers and struck up a conversation. It turned out it had been a huge house - they had another two lorry loads at least from the same collection. Over the next two weeks I proceeded to get two more car loads of stock from them. I love it with my job that I never really know what I'm going to find next. I'm going to put that original 1985 carrier bag in a frame to remember just how great a find this collection was.

Care Bears Sighting - The Supermarket and the Cinema...for £1!

After an especially stressful wrangle around the supermarket with a grumpy 3 year old and a 1 year old (busy day out + supermarket trip = GRUMPY) I totally pushed my luck. I was really happy to find this little bargain in the Tomy Gasha Capsule Toy Vending machines on our way out.

They're about 1.5" tall, flocked and scented. If flocking and perfume scented toys aren't a nod to the 1980s, then I don't know what is?! We got Friend Bear who's Pienapple scented (!) There are 8 different ones to collect. I've since seen them in the cinema too, so hopefully you'll find them round where you live too. I'm saving my £ coins for my next supermarket visit, but maybe I'll leave the grumpy over tired children with Daddy next time :-)

Lucky Dip Club Review - February Unboxing Galentines Surpise Box

When I hear that thud every month of my Lucky Dip Club box coming through my letter box, I go and grab it straight away. I put it up safe away from the sticky fingers of Emmett and Rudie and I save it for a quiet moment with a cup of coffee so I can have a nice long look at everything in peace and quiet.

I was excited for this month's box. Galentines is something I think I heard for the first time last year - it's a basically cute term for sending your girl buddies something at Valentines. Cute, huh? And who doesn't want to let their girl pals know that you love them? In celebration of this, this month's box contains a little set of Girl Gang greetings cards, a GIRLS lettering banner, BFF 2 part keyring, Unicorn and rainbow enamel pin and a note book. The quality of the notepad paper is ace - nice skinny lines (my favourite)

I'm so lucky with my own Girl Gang. I work from home so I have no work colleagues. It can be lonely at times. My pals are totally essential and I'm lucky that we all have the same dorky sense of humour. I feel incredibly grateful to have such good people in my life

If you missed sending your girl pals something on Valentines day, it's never too late. Everyone likes a special surprise in the post :-)

My Best Ever Pica Pica Vintage Hauls Part 2 - The G1 My Little Pony Motherlode

Here we are for part 2 of my best ever hauls of stock for Pica Pica Vintage. This time I was at a carboot sale outside my local area. I'm terrible - I can't drive past a jumble sale, car boot sale or charity shop without stopping for a little peep. I was visiting my Mum in Sussex in 2011. I was already quite satisfied with my finds so far at the sale until I caught a glimpse of all those pony tails all jumbled up in a box together. I abandoned my route up and down the rows and ran over worried that someone else might have spotted what I'd seen. Without digging in the box too deeply, I asked the price for the whole lot. I could have cried. They were all mine. I'd just bought nearly 200 vintage My Little Ponies.

They were all in good condition, and luckily only in need of a little TLC to get them ready for my customers. I really wish I'd taken pictures of them all lined up drying in the garden in the sunshine. It was of my most lucarative collections I've ever bought as there were some real gems including rare accessories and Europe and UK exclusive ponies. All of my collectors were really pleased. By the time I'd finished sorting everything out I even found some ponies were complete with all their original accesories. I still sometimes dream about that find.

Do you have something missing from your collection? Just send us an email vic(at)picapicavintage.com and we'll do our best to help!