Found it at the Market – Brass Menagerie

Hey! Have you heard, brass is back! That’s right those 80’s brass knickknacks are  finding their way back into our hearts and I admit to letting them in willingly. If you are sharing the love I suggest you hit the thrift store because there are quite a few little lost (brass) souls out there looking for a home. The best part about thrift store brass hunting is it won’t break the bank. Today I wanted to share the brass menagerie I have been collecting and let you know that not one of them cost over $12.50. A pretty fair investment for beautiful objects that warm up your home.

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1. Pair of Deer 7″- $5 – These looked great on my Christmas mantle.
2. Pear box 4″ $2.50 – This one almost looked copper once I polished it up.
3. Camel 5″ tall – $3 My husband spent  year in Egypt so I couldn’t resist this guy for the collection
4. Container $3 – Remember the Potpourri days, I’m sure this guy contained a bit in its former life but today I think maybe a jewelry box would be a better use.
5. Pineapple salt and pepper shakers $3 – Pineapples are all the rage but I have never seen any quite so cute!
6. Jewel Box $4.50 – This little box is really a jewel box!
7. 13″ Round Tray $3 – Who doesn’t need a tray?
8. Sea Gull sculpture $12.50 This one I watched and waited. It was at one of those consignment stores that the prices get lower the longer the item is there. It made it down to the lowest price and then I snatched it up! Risky but worth it.
9. Sea Gull Bookends – $6 Well I had the sculpture so the book ends had to come home with me too.
10. Bunnies 5″ $6 – Easter mantle maybe?
11. 5″ Flower Pot $1 – I love plants so these pots are an easy accessory to incorporate.
12. Pair Chinoiserie canisters $12.50 ea. – These are the one of my favorites. I thought the price was kind of high so I watched them for a while until I couldn’t resist any longer and negotiated them down from $15
13. Ducks in a Row – $5 – Can’t resist even a touch of brass.

Are you ready to hunt some brass now?

Here are a few tips.

First, let me remind you this is not what brass looks like out in the wild, I have polished all these pieces and brought them back to their former glory. If you see discolored brass, even deep black spots, grab it, this can be cleaned with a little elbow grease. What you do want to steer clear of are any rusty looking spots unless they are in an inconspicuous spot. Solid brass will not rust so rust spots mean brass plating which is fine but the rust spots are areas where the brass plating has worn off and the metal under layer is exposed, this cannot be polished out. Not sure if it is brass? Look for a made in India tag this is a good indicator of brass. If your set on hunting solid brass try a magnet, brass is a nonmagnetic metal. Finally, here is my favorite way to clean my brass, Bar Keepers Friend which is usually around found in the cleaning section (I go mine at Lowe’s.)

Happy Hunting…