Hello, Thrifter Friends! I have been very fortunate today to be experiencing a really quiet and low key afternoon. I don't have any appointments to run to, any groceries to buy, and no kids to pick up from school. It's the perfect opportunity to sit down with a cup of coffee (in a vintage pink Fire King mug) and catch all of you up on what this Thrifter Sister has been up to.
We'll start out with the big auction site finds....
I got my 6" and 8" Fire King Swirl Jadeite bowls in the mail last week. They arrived packaged perfectly and professionally. But there is one problem. I didn't realize that there are 5 bowls in this set! Luckily, I have a very generous husband who funds my thrifting habits! Although his new motto is that I am no longer a collector, but a seller.
I finally found the Butterprint 442 that I have been needing to complete my set of Cinderella bowls. Lucky for me the seller had it marked as "Amish Buttercup" on eBay so I didn't have any competition and ended up getting it at the unbelievably low starting price. Don't you love it when that happens?
The same seller also had this bowl listed as "Aqua Bowl". Hazel Atlas & Turquoise? Three of my favorite words!
And now for the actual thrifted goodies for the last week
Check out these super cute Better Homes & Garden's cookbooks I found at St. Vinny's. I am not sure if it was originally red, but the checkered binder cookbook in the front has faded to an awesome shade of hot pink. Look at the illustrations! How cute. Better Homes & Garden's always seems to have the best retro cookbooks.
I also found these cute elk highball glasses and this super retro ice bucket in Sister's favorite color! The glasses are really heavy and perfect for an evening (or any time of day) adult beverage on the rocks.
Then it was off to Goodwill. I found this orange rose full size flat sheet. I am not sure if it is truly old but the pattern is very retro. I will be a perfect backdrop for some future blogging photos. I also picked up this vintage-y looking apron. Not sure what I will do with it. I prefer to just wipe my hands on my pants when I am cooking. The juice pitcher has a story behind it. Just that very morning I was this close to buying the exact same one on eBay but it had an orange lid and that would probably drive my OCD butt crazy (er). I picked up the one that matches for $1.99. My OCD saved me about 12 bucks. I have seen this State Capital drink container in quite a few antique stores. I'm not a big fan of the fogged glass so I will end up selling it but for $1.99 you can't go wrong. The little coffee cup in the front is part of a set that I am working on. I have picked up a couple others here and there in different flower patterns. I don't think that they are old but they sure are cheerful!
I found all of these primary bowls in the last week. The most expensive one was the red one for $3.99. Watch for my post on the Pyrex Collective II later on in the week to see what I do with one of them.
I also picked up a few new planters. I just love the bright colors. They can really cheer up the dreary Oregon rainy days. I'm not much of a gardener (or one at all). That is more up Sister's alley. I just stack these up in places that need a pop of color. I also use them to store Q-Tips and cotton balls in my bathroom.
Remember last week when I posted that the hubs bought so much stuff at Goodwill they had to give him a box? Well here is what he brought home. The Verde lid is a double so once I find the dish for that, it'll get sold (I promise!). The Trailing Flowers promotional is an awesome 2-1/2 quart size but it is also destined for the sell pile. I only allow myself to keep the true vintage-y colors like primary, pink, and turquoise, etc. I have to enforce rules on myself. I can't run my family out of their home! Along with the other two Pyrex items, he found a cute Telaflora hand painted colander from 1983 (older than Sister!), the Fire King Candleglow dish, the Mickey Mouse trivet/hot plate, and the cute retro canister. He is actually getting better at his picking. At least he has learned to call me first!
Then it was time for Sister's visit & Brad Paisley. We were actually able to get up early enought to hit some estate sales and thrift stores even though we were out until around 1 am. It just goes to show that you can't keep a good thrifter down! I will post those finds later in the week!
Happy Valentines Day Everybody!
As sister and I get ready for our 5th Brad Paisley concert, I am going to take a few minutes to post just some of my finds for the week.
We had a little bit of time before Maddy's orthodontist appointment the other day so of course I had to run into the Goodwill next to the ortho's office (although I had been there the day before). I found the Kromex grease jar with strainer mixed in with the Pyrex, the aluminum flour shaker with the measuring cups and the lone West Bend shaker mixed in with all the metal candle holders and sconces. Note to all thrifters: Search aisles you would never normally visit. You never know what you may find!
I also found this 1 cup Fire King glass measuring cup and this heavy duty Gemco sugar dispenser. Funny thing is that the hubs found the exact same two things at a different Goodwill last week.
So earlier in the week, my husband saw this Pyrex Snowflake Snack Server/Divided Dish with the two part lid at St. Vincents for $10.00. I told him to hold off on getting it only because they would be changing their color tags in a few days and it would most likely be 50% off. I already have 3 of these otherwise I would have told him to snatch it up at the $10.00 price tag. He told me he hid it really well (obviously not too well because I saw it the next day back on the Pyrex shelf) and that he would go back for it on Tuesday. Well I got there before him on Tuesday and there it was WITHOUT THE LID! I searched high and low but no lid was to be found. The rubber band that holds the two together was still attached and so was the 2/$9.99 price tag. I took it up front and the checker gave it to me for $2.50 so it all worked out ok. I just REALLY wanted the lid! There must have been some tag switching going on because the lid also had the 2/$9.99 sticker on it and what ethical checker would allow just one part of a two part set to be sold?
I picked up this JAS English Pyrex gravy boat and drip tray in Autumn Glory and this cute little turquoise flower platter and a random thrift shop that is closed more than it is opened. The gravy boat was $1.50 and the plate was $.25. Not bad.
Hello, my name is Erica and I am addicted to Royal China Jeannette pie plates. Enough said. There has got to be some sort of program to help me out, right Sister?
That's all for now. I will definitely have more to post later on this weekend. I have a rubbermaid container full of other treasures I have picked up this week plus the hubby just called and said he bought so much stuff at Goodwill, they had to give him a box.
Sister, hopefully we won't be moving too slow tomorrow morning to hold up our quick thrifting adventure!!
I usually don't have very good luck thrifting on Sundays. Everything is pretty picked over and it is usually very crowded. But I figured that the best way to nurse my (slight) hangover from too many Grayhounds on Saturday night would be a little thrifting therapy. So it was off to the Picadilly Flea Market (sans makeup which for me is really rare). Oh how I hoped I didn't run into anybody I knew!
There was a table there about 12 feet long full of Pyrex and this lone Fire King white swirl bowl. Unfortunately, the Pyrex wasn't anything I couldn't live without. It was kind of overpriced for the condition it was in but the Fire King bowl was only 6 bucks. I just won the matching Jadeite one on eBay and hopefully it gets here in one piece. They will look so cute together.
Starbucks coffee mugs are highly collectible for reasons I can't quite comprehend. But I guess to each his own. I'm pretty sure that not everybody would understand my Pyrex collection. Ok, lets get real here. Who wouldn't understand the beautiful, vintage yumminess of Pyrex? You'd have to be crazy to look away. Anyways, back to the mugs. I have had some pretty good luck recently selling these and for $1.00 apiece, I should be able to at least double my money ;-)
This vintage jelly jar glass was too cute to pass up. Sister, if you look closely you will see that that is your's and Brewski's favorite animal.
After walking through Picadilly twice, I had the intentions of heading home. But I thought I would check the Goodwill by my house since they change the color of tags on Sundays.
I have enough Snack Servers/Divided Dishes to last me a lifetime and the Early American is not my favorite pattern. But it had a yellow tag (our local color of the week for 50% off) and was marked $4.99. So for $2.50, I bought it for the lid pretty much since they are so hard to come by on their own.
I also found this Snowflake Space Saver without the lid. I wonder how hard it will be for me to find one? Sister, keep your eyes peeled! Lid #550-C.
I try not to collect Fire King because there is no way possible that my house can hold both my out of control modest collection of Pyrex and Fire King too. But I love this Candleglow pattern and the shape of this utility dish is perfect for brownies. I think there still might be some room under my bed.
Miss Maddy is always begging me to buy these when she see's them in antique stores, but the cheapest I have seen them is $15.00 so no way. I did find these on the odds and ends shelf at Goodwill marked $1.99 apiece. Who buys just one salt and pepper shaker? The clerk agreed with me and gave them to me both for $1.99. Maddy was so excited!
I did so good at Goodwill that I thought I'd try the St. Vincents down the road. They don't change their tags until Tuesday but I was feeling lucky. I'm glad I stopped.
I spotted this 1.5 quart oval Pink Daisy casserole with lid before the doors even closed behind me. I felt like I was training for the Olympic Trials trying to get to it. This is the St. Vincent's that I hardly ever find anything at so I was skeptical as to the condition and price. She's perfect! Not a scratch on her and with a lid! I slowly turned her over and braced myself for the price. I swear the angel's started singing when I saw the $3.99 price tag. Yipee!!
As I was walking to the checkout, I stopped in the glasswares aisle and found all these cuties. $.49 apiece. Not bad.
I am pretty excited for all my finds today. I guess this was a lucky weekend for both of us, huh Sister? Oh yeah. Here are two things I got at my aunts shop on Friday.
You're probably thinking "another pitcher". Well yeah. How often do you find these when the ice lip isn't chipped? And Maddy picked out a cute little baby lamb planter for her collection. I also got the coolest vintage men's Wrangler western shirt. I don't think it was ever worn and it's from the 1940's. No picture, Sister. You will have to wait to see it on Friday at Brad Paisley. Have an awsome week!
The husband and I got out to a few new spots near our home over the weekend and man are we happy we did!
First we visited a swap meet that is a once a month thing in Astoria. We got there right at 9 am and I finally got a little bit of a Pyrex fix. I found this Sandalwood casserole with a lid for $3, a Spring Blossom casserole with a lid for $3, and Matt found this Shenandoah bowl for $2:
I don't think I will be keeping any of these pieces, but would really like to. I am just running out of room!
I made a quick stop at Goodwill and finally found a Far Side mug, which Sister told me to keep an eye out for. I also found a Spring Blossom Butter dish, so I was happy I stopped.
Next, we headed across the river to meet up with a few friends. We stopped at a random thrift shop on the way and I found this cradle:
It came with a clear casserole in the cradle without a lid, but I have 3 different casseroles that fit in it, so I was really excited to find this, and it was only $3. I also picked up 3 more Federal Glass bird cups to add to Matt's ever growing collection.
Finally we met up with some friends, visited Jake the Alligator Man, had an early happy hour (which is never good when I am going shopping,) and then went to the antique mall that Sister and I visited a while back. I picked up a few pieces of Pyrex, but my most exciting find was this owl pitcher that was 40% off. I love it and can't wait to use it for greyhounds when Sister visits!
Sister, how was Picc-a-Dilly this morning? I'm off to serve some treats in my Pyrex for the Super Bowl, so look for pictures in the near future. Happy Thrifting!
Some may be wondering, where has the other Sister been? What happened when she headed South? I apologize for my absence. With a new quarter starting and not a lot planned, I had to step up to the teacher plate and put together a great 3rd quarter for my Middle Schoolers. I have been thrifting a bit here and there, but as Sister has noted, it has been a slow time in our thrifting world. You have to realize that I only have 4 thrift stores in my vicinity, so thrifting life can be challenging. I find myself craving Pyrex so badly that I make poor decisions. Thank goodness Goodwill has an exchange policy!
There have been some great decisions though, and here are a few highlights of the last 2 weeks:
I've obviously been on a coffee cup kick. All of these besides the little brown one will be going online soon. I was really excited about the black Federal Glass Zodiac Mug, but it wasn't Virgo, so it must go. The Kimberly Fire King Mugs are not my thing, but they seem popular. I also picked up a few Glasbake mugs, a very old Old Spice shaving cup, and a comics mug that I've heard can go for a pretty penny online. The brown mug is milk glass, heavy, and unmarked. Any ideas on the maker?
I've been looking for these Libbey juice glasses for a long time and already have the pitcher, so I will definitely be selling them as a set now. These little rooster cups are super cute, and they may be going to my mother-in-law for her birthday (she collects chickens.) Last is this strange little pitcher, Sister, do you know what it is or who makes it?
Finally, a little Pyrex! This Old Orchard Casserole I really like and I know now that this is the one Sister bought with a cradle because it was a promotional a while back. When I finally realized what it was I went back for the lid that had a little chip in it and someone had already snatched it up! Man, was that frustrating, but I will find its lid and hopefully cradle some day! These other two Woodland casseroles with lids I got at this huge red barn flea market for a great price. Alas, I don't need them and the husband says I must sell.
Speaking of the husband, here is his pick from the red barn. He has developed a liking for Wild Turkey, which was Sister and my Dad's favorite. So in honor of Dad he somehow drinks the stuff. This is a side off an old crate that now sits with all his bird glasses on the liquor cabinet. I love it and it makes me think of Dad, along with every other thing in my house! Sister, what do you think Dad would say about all this? You're sick maybe? Miss you Sister, what have you been up to?
I don't know about you, but here in the Great Northwest we are experiencing quite a thrifting drought. Sister and I have not been having the exciting luck that we started out with when we began this adventure. But being the seasoned shopper that I am, I have been able to scrounge up a few goodies this week
The first couple of things I am going to show you were actually thrifted by my husband. But since this is my blog, it counts as something I thrifted, right? He found these cute little Pyrex Oil & Vinegar dispensers at St. Vincents. I never knew I needed these until he brought them home.
I like this pattern of Fire King but I see it absolutely everywhere. I am more into the harder to come across patterns in retro kitchenware. But the hubs is still learning. Just because it says's Fire King doesn't make it rare, vintage, and worth a lot of money.
Funny story about this Anchor Hocking Serva Snack Set. I saw this at a Teen Challenge Thrift store a few months ago when I very first caught the thrifting bug. It was only 10 bucks and I thought I had found something really exciting since it was still in the original box. While at the store, I googled it and found about 40 of them on eBay & Etsy. Not as rare a find as I originally thought, so I walked away. The other day, my husband called me and the conversation went something like this:
Husband: I just found a pretty big score
Me: What?
Husband: I was at the Teen Challenge Thrift Store and they had a in the b...
Me: Snack server set?
Husband: Yes! How did you know? It's still in the original box. It's got to be worth something?
Me: Yeah, about the $10 you paid for it.
How funny is that? So after three months, I still ended up with it. But there is a silver lining to this snack server cloud: after the colored tag markdown, he only ended up paying $3.50 for it. Plus, it actually is pretty cute so I think I am gonna keep it.
Maddy collects vintage figurines and I found her this cute little unmarked dog planter at Goodwill for $1.00. She has got quite the collection. I will have to show you all sometime.
I have seen this Anchor Hocking juice pitcher at a few antique stores. I love old pitchers but I didn't love this one enough to pay what they were asking. Lucky for me, St. Vincent's had this one for $2.50. I don't think it has ever been used and I'm not even sure if it is old. But with two kids who always seem to be thirsty and can't ever have the same thing, you can't ever have enough pitchers. I also found these cute drinking glasses at the same St. Vincents. The two with the wheat remind me of the Golden Wheat Pyrex pattern. Wonder if they are? As I am writing this blog, I just got a phone call from the husband. Seems that he just picked up another one of the Anchor Hocking pitchers at another St. Vincents. Sister, I'm pretty sure you might need one.
I went to an estate sale earlier this week and met this couple who collect vintage housewares. They saw me rummaging through the kitchen for Pyrex (check out what I found on the Pyrex Collective 2), and struck up a conversation with me about what all I like to collect. Long story short, they used to sell stuff at the flea markets in California and for a while had a booth at an antique mall locally. Now they just have TONS of stuff that they want to get rid of. They invited me out to "Pick" in their shed and these are a few of the things I found. I love vintage clocks and this Westclox kitchen wall clock with Bakelite trim was in pretty good working condition. I also found this Pyrex percolator with all the "guts" and this cute set of light yellow canisters. I literally only got through about 10% of the shed since it was SO packed and didn't even get a chance to look in the attic. They are going to have an estate sale this summer so I gave them my phone number and told them to give me a call and that I would love to help them get their sale set up. They were the nicest people and laughed off my obviously alterior motives.
No school again tomorrow so Maddy and I are going to head into town and hit up a couple of places we haven't been to in a while, one of them being my aunt's vintage shop. She always gives me the "family discount" even though I would gladly pay full price. I will keep you all posted. Sister, I MISS U! Can't wait till Brad Paisley next weekend!!
