I woke up on this beautiful Saturday morning, blogged for a while, did a little housework and then ran out for a quick thrift store run. Four stops later, I came home with four bags of loot. After years on the thrifting trail, I’ve learned some tips and tricks to help you make thrifting work for you. Here are my top FIVE treasures to never pass up when thrifting!
Vintage Corelle Dishes,Corningware & Pyrex Bakeware:
Older Corelle & Corningware is excellent quality and the vintage prints are irresistible if you love farmhouse style items. An extra bonus is that older Corningware is stovetop safe, but the newer ones are not! Here’s a link to help you spot these sweet dishes!
Cotton Blankets:
I found my first batch of these at an estate sale, and I’ve been hooked ever since. After a little online research, I have found this style of blanket described as hospital style, waffle-weave, or 100% cotton blanket. These blankets only seem to get better with age, so buying used is a great alternative to newer versions. It’s hard to describe the perfection of a well-worn cotton blanket, but the comfort, weight and softness just can’t be compared. My whole family loves these blankets year-round!
Heavy, high quality cookware:
Never pass up cast iron, enameled cast iron, or heavy duty stainless steel cookware. I’ve blogged before about the golden day when I walked through Goodwill and stumbled across a Le Creuset pot in perfect condition for $8. I don’t want to brag, but it was certainly one of the highlights of my shopping career. I have since found a handful of these pots in varying conditions but all have been restored to complete usefulness with proper care. Even pots burned badly can usually be saved by boiling with a scoop of Oxyclean in the water (check out my before & after pics below). Cast Iron can be restored with these tips.
Wooden Chopping Boards, Spoons & Bowls:
Older wooden chopping boards can be restored using mineral oil and often are higher quality than current ones. To take care of your wooden chopping boards, avoid cleaning with soap and never place in the dishwasher. Check out this video for utilizing wooden kitchen items to their best potential, including an awesome recipe for cleaning wipes. While you are perusing the kitchen aisle, keep your eyes open for Cutco Knives, which are amazing quality and have a lifetime guarantee.
Copper & Brass Items:
Copper and Brass were out of style for awhile but are starting to make a big comeback. These items are gorgeous, last forever and can provide that perfect unique conversation piece in your kitchen. Rather than buying these new at William Sonoma, find them thrifted for a tiny fraction of the cost!
What are your must-buy items when thrifting?
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Welcome to Bargain Babe! I’m Mara, and I’m so glad you’re here. I am an obsessive bargain hunter and penny pincher, and I am determined to live a full life without EVER paying full price.
Great list!! I know what you mean about the Corningware. I grew up using it on the stove all the time so when I got married it was one of the first things on my registry. After we got it, I realized it was not stovetop safe. (Wah!).
Regarding the Pyrex though, I’ve heard some of it has lead in the glaze and should be avoided. Have you heard anything about that?
That’s exactly what happened to me with the Corningware, from wedding registry to disappointment! Fortunately, I’ve collected enough vintage pieces that I can pass along my new ones. They just don’t make ’em like they used to, huh?
I vaguely remember hearing something about lead in Pyrex, but I buried my head in the sand and didn’t follow up. Is the lead issue in old or new pyrex or is all of it a problem?
Thanks for your comment Christina!
Just an FYI: Corningware re-released some of its old-style dishes. They are called Pyroceram and they’re stovetop safe. They’re more expensive, of course, so it’s still preferable to get the vintage stuff if you can find it.
I had no idea! That’s really great to know, I will keep my eyes open for those, thanks Mara.
Check out this site. shopworldkitchen I got a lot of my pieces from them. You can also find replacement covers. Prices are not bad.free delivery.
I came across a vintage one in a thrift store that has metal of some sort fused to the bottom….I’m 63 but don’t remember that style. Seems it would have been some they should have stuck with!
The ones with the fused bottom are designed for microwave use if I remember right. I know I had one that was supposed to be for the MW, but it broke in the MW.
I personally would not use one of these in the MW, I think the idea was to concentrate heat at the bottom in order to brown meat, etc. it was a failure for me.
Those are made for the microwave. You heat it empty in the microwave for 1 1/2 – 3?minutes then it gets hot on the bottom (it should glow slightly red on inside of dish) so you can brown foods. Add food and microwave for recommended time.
I still have a MW ‘searing’ plate from the 1970s. I used it just last week and it works perfectly for searing a piece of salmon or a steak! Heat in MW for 3 minutes with a pat of butter which will brown immediately, then put the meat on top for 1 minute each side. The metal insert is not visible. It is inside the ceramic plate. I love it. Wonder what the resell market would be????
Corning had a line of cookware called Rangetoppers. Corning top and sides with a metal fused bottom. They are NOT to be used in the microwave. This is noted on the piece itself, just under the handle.
No, I’ve never heard that! OMG, is that true, I certainly hope not!!!
In the 70’s I had a brown glass saucepan that I had to use this wire thingy underneath it because it couldn’t sit directly on the burner. I believe it was either Corning ware or Pyrex, but it was a really long time ago. I don’t have it anymore so don’t know if I gave it away or it broke. Also the old PYREX(all capitals) is the old stuff made in the USA. I had a clear rectangular baking dish that I had forever. One day I had made some roasted veggies in the oven and I took it out and placed on one on my burners that I had used for frying salmon. Apparently the burner was still warm because the dish just cracked. I searched in flea markets for an old PYREX one with all caps just like the one I had before. Only problem the one I found is cloudy and I haven’t found a product to fix that.
Maybe you could try Bar Keeper’s friend and a Mr. Clean white sponge? Supposed to be safe for glass.
2 different companies. Corning licensed the product and the newer product is not made out of the same Material. I have my mother in laws original sets of bowl and casserole dishes. Everyone ask me why I don’t by newer products. I also have a complete set of Lifetime pots and pans. Luckily there is a local store and if a handle burns or falls off I just go get a new one. Heavy and in great condition, stainless steel pots and pans.
I could have written your reply! I have my mother in law’s original Corning Ware and also her Lifetime pots and pans. Both have lasted and been used for many years! I had heard the glass changed as well and started looking years ago for the original Pyrex baking dishes , pie plates etc.
My bf uses a product called BrewRite to clean hard water deposits / lime scale out of his coffee maker. The main ingredient is baking soda but just using baking soda didnt clean as well. I got the my glass coffee pot uncloudy with this product. Might work for your cloudy glass.
Try using denture tablets in water let it sit and it will clean everything. Also for cleaning silver and other metals…. soak in lemon juice( must be real lemons ) and baking soda
Denture tablets are also really good for the plastic aligners by Invisalign. I soak mine in them every morning and it keeps them sparkling clean.
DON’T SCRAPE CLOUD OFF! The clouded rectangle bakeware was designed that way–it had a “coating” to keep food from sticking to it. It actually worked. I took extra care not to cut or scrape deeply on my “clouded” Pyrex, I still use them.
I COME FROM THE AREA WHERE CORNING WARE WAS MADE! IT HAS NEVER HAD LEAD OR ANY OTHER ELEMENT IN THE MAKING OF IT. IT IS CERTAINLY OVEN SAFE! MAYBE THE REAL EARLY DISHES AND BOWLS WERE NOT, BUT THAT WAS TAKEN CARE OF MANY MANY YEARS AGO. CORNING STILL MAKES WONDERFUL ITEMS AND HAS SOLD THEM ALL OVER THE WORLD FOR MANY YEARS. i KNEW MR. A. HOUGHTON WHOS’ GRANDFATHER STARTED CORNING GLASS. IT THEN BECAME CORNING INC. THEY ALSO OWNED WORLD KITCHEN WHERE ALL THE PRODUCTS WERE SOLD. MANY OF MY FRIENDS WORKED FOR CORNING GLASS AND FOUND IT TO BE ONE OF THE BEST COMPANIES IN THE US TO WORK. ONCE YOU WORKED THERE, YOU STAYED UNTIL RETIREMENT.
Beautiful thank You for sharing Diana 🙂
I went to a garage sale and found a 3 piece set of X-Lg nesting pottery bowls, $10. And at the same place a 2 piece set for $5. No chips or cracks. You have to watch because they can be pricy. I use bleach water on mine, then soap and water. I found a carved wooden bowl, about a 6 quart size, $2. Cleaned it, and LOVE it as a center piece. Hubby hated 2nd hand stores and garage sales, until one day I found a Humidor, I wanted it as a bedside table, $20, looked online, the same one $1,200. YUP, best deal I ever made. We found an Original Oil painting of a seascape, not a print or copy, $5. You just never know.
WOW on the humidor. That is amazing! I should perhaps have mentioned art because I have seen some really interesting art and even found some old ugly pieces that were perfect for new projects. I do love how shopping used tends to spark creativity. My husband is not usually a fan of yard sales or thrifting, but he knows it’s a favorite activity of mine and ever since we found a HUGE collection of comic books (I want to say we paid $60 for many boxes of old vintage volumes) he has been more willing to join me. Thanks for your comment Dee!
What I look for the most is craft supplies. I have found $90 of yarn, still in the skeins for$12. I find wooden shapes, jewelry for wreaths and sun catchers, miniatures for magnets, silverware for wind chimes and so much more. As a person on a fixed income I wouldn’t have anything f it weren’t for y many, many “second homes”!!!
thank you for posting this…i too am on a low fixed income…i could use any tips you might have, or anyone might have. thank you so very much.
Today I went to Goodwill and bought two pair of summer shorts. They were marked at $5 each and at the cash they gave me another 25% off so it only cost me $7.50. I also like collecting old tea cups and decorative plates. I found a beautiful Christmas plate from Bradford Exchange for only $2 at a church bazaar. I really enjoy looking at old vintage china plates and tea cups and snap them up whenever I can.
I look at the pictures to see if they are on real canvas and buy them to repaint over them….lots cheaper than buying new canvasses. And if it was good enouogh for the old masters well…
I buy vintage pyrex baking dishes. One that I bought I used it to heat soup in the microwave. NOT at the level of the soup the whole dish separated and luckily I saw it before I tried to bring it out. Could have been a nasty burn
Re humidor, I found a great brand new table top humidor for $3. Carrying it to my car, I met my nephew and showed him the find. He was really excited and offered more money. No…..I will will it to him when we pass. My husband really likes it and uses it to keep his cigar stash.
A friend of mine’s mother purchased an ugly old painting at a thrift store, because the frame was in great condition, so she planned to use it to frame a different piece of art. When she went to remove the frame, she discovered there was an original portrait painted underneath the ugly painting. Turns out it was some rare painting of some historical figure (I forget who now). She paid to have the original restored, and turns out, it was actually worth thousands and thousands of dollars, even with the removal of the top coat of paint and the restoration to the original piece. I think she paid maybe $5 at the thrift store, a couple hundred (if that) for the restoration, and could sell it for mega money if she wanted. It’s now hanging in their living room, because it’s a great conversation piece. So, you just never know what you’ll find!
That’s an amazing story!
What a lucky find. That’s a lot more fun than buying brand new!
FYI Using bleach on pottery is not a good idea. If there are unglazed areas ( like the foot) or crazing, it can let the bleach water past the glaze.Beach will eat the clay and at some point you may find your bowls literally fall apart. I did this with an old antique yellow ware bowl before I knew it and about 5 years later I went to unpack it for my fall display and it literally fell apart in my hands.
The newer Corning Ware that is Pyroceram will be marked as made in France as it is no longer made in USA. That stuff is great Freezer to open flame of a gas stove, under the broiler, in the microwave.. Pyrex may have a lot more pretty patterns and colors, but Corning is the work horse!
Was raised on them…. Gotta love work horses!
I have a lot of both. I have been the Corning Ware quire a bit lately. Love them. All of it. I’m a big fan of vintage. This was really fun reading all of this.
Recently found two wonderful pieces at the same yard sale. I aquired a vintage glass bowl by “Fenton”. Got home and found exact dish online. Price $75. I paid $1. What a find. As I was leaving spotted this unique knife out of the corner of my eye. It was a “Cutco” chefs knife. Got it for $1. Original price is $150. I love a good yard sale. Happy saling everyone.
Just want to let you know, in case you are unaware, Cutco is manufactured in NYS & when necessary, you can mail 1 or all of your Cutco knives to them & include a check for return postage. They will sharpen & polish blades & handles for free.
True. They have a lifetime sharpening warranty.
I love Cutco. If you can find them. I just Got a brand new petite chef knive after I sent it in for sharpening.
For free. They replace them for free…
Whoa….that’s amazing!
I sent several knives to Cutco for sharpening. My favorite little paring knife had a broken tip. I brought them 15+ years ago. When they came back to me they all looked brand new. My little paring knife was broken no more!
I have a cutco paring knife and the tip Broke on it. Where do I send it to be replaced and or sharped. Email me at the address below jackieroberts346@icloud.com. Thanks for your help..
I once came across a gal who had Pampered Chef stoneware. They were well seasoned so they “looked bad” to the untrained eye. (Yeah! give it to me already seasoned!!) She wanted $1 a piece. I couldn’t do it. I told her I would give her $2 a piece and to please hide them under her table until I got back. I left there with 12 pieces, a large roaster, casserole dishes of all sizes etc. I also scored an Emile Henry covered baker dish and 3 beautifully glazed German Waechtersbach bowls for $8 total at agarage/estate sale. Again, they had no idea what they had.
I’m just not sure about using other people’s “seasoned” stoneware. I’d rather season my own.
My daughter and I are big thrift store shoppers along with my mother!!! The other day we stopped in at a local store to check out what was new. My daughter had been looking for a wrought iron patio set for her screened in porch and wanted one in good shape but not real expensive. To our delight they had one and it was just what she wanted at the perfect price $30 for the table and 4 chairs. We kept looking and she found a BRAND NEW Pampered shelf cookie sheet still in the box!!! SHe ask how much it was and the guy said oh you can have it since you bought the patio set!!! She and I were thrilled at her bargains!!!! DEAL OF THE DAY…we always say!!!
Michelle, YES! Pampered chef stoneware should go in the category with dutch ovens and cast iron! Love that stuff and re-seasoned is all the better! I have found more Pampered Chef than I can store so I have sometimes left it on a shelf. My theory is that people who aren’t really into cooking pick them up at the parties and then later donate when they go unused. Their loss is our gain!
I found by accident if you leave stoneware in your self clean oven it will restore them back to new and you can re-season them!
Wow, that’s good to know! I guess I need to get over my fear of the self clean function. Thanks for the tip!
I’m kinda worried that the intense heat with the self clean oven would crack Pampered Chef stoneware. Has anyone tried it?
I’m thinking that if I only paid a couple bucks for a piece that looked really bad then I might give it a try.
Well, apparently “Colleen” did, as she said she discovered it “accidentally”….sounds to me like she forgot her pieces inside when she ran her cleaning cycle.
I “self cleaned” my PC pizza stone, it came out looking brand new. I re seasoned it and am using it as before.
I would also be worried about the Chemicals Absorbing into the stone because you’re not even supposed to use soap because it absorbs into the material
SMH … what chemicals? You don’t use chemicals during a self cleaning oven session!
I also forgot to take out my pizza stone when I turned on the self clean feature and the oven locked and I figured there goes the pizza stone. To my surprise it came out like new no dark stains from use. I had tried to clean it by scrubbing and and could not get the stains out. This worked great!
Yes. It worked beautifully! I too was afraid to use the self clean function. I got brave and set the oven to”self clean”, I left my large “Pamperd Chef” stone in the oven. The stone was totally black on the top. It came out looking brand new! And, good as new too.
I used to sell Pampered Chef in the ‘80s/‘90s and we were trained to tell people to re-season their stoneware by running it through the self-cleaning function on their oven.
I have done that with my cast iron skillets too. They turn out great then just season them again!
My father used to work at a glass-manufacturing plant where they had ovens that fired at very, very high temperatures. My mother would give her cast iron skillets to him to take to work and put in the ovens when she wanted them cleaned/made new again. She would re-season them when she got them home again. …oh the things we do for our cookware! Lol
Love your blog! My daughter and I are frequent thrift store shoppers. I scored a Le Creuset skillet for 20 bucks. Although I thought a bit pricey for goodwill, I googled the original price and it was 175 dollars so I thought I could splurge on the 20 I spent! Also, found several Longerburger baskets for 2-4 dollars a piece! Of course plenty of vintage corningware and pyrex over the years. Love love love thrify store shopping!
Nice scores! Glad you didn’t pass up that Le Creuset skillet. Thanks for commenting!
another set to look for is the Copco enameled cast iron cookware. I had a whole set I bought new some 40 years ago…I absolutely loved them. they are much like the le creuset, but are Danish I think.
I found a very dirty, disgusting Le Crouset cookware piece, for $8.99. I cleaned it and it came out beautiful. Found the same one online for $295.00.
Maybe you Le Creuset fans can help me out. I own three pieces and have used them over past 15 yrs. They have developed thin spots in enamel…you can see the cast iron in several spots on bottom. Is there any way to have them repaired? My family misses stews and roasts from the big blue pots!
I’ve had good experiences with Le Creuset’s customer service. If you contact them, they will likely ask you to send photos of the pots. If they determine the pots were not misused, they will replace them for free. However, if I remember correctly, I had to pay to return the old pots. Still a heck of a lot cheaper than buying new! Plus, they let me choose the color. I didn’t have to replace with the same color. That was just a fun bonus:-)
I also love thrift stores. I found a pair of Izod shorts at Goodwill for $7. I refuse to pay the exorbitant prices that retailers charge for golf clothes!
I got one at a neighbors yard sale in florida . It did not have the lid and i bought it for $1. The next week my neighbor came over with the lid and gave it to me . I was thrilled. She had been looking through her cookware and found the lid.
Thrift store “art”work tends to be fairly awful — many sad eyed puppies and murky seascapes. But if you keep your eyes open, you can score some beautiful and elaborate frames. Throw the puppies and the sailboats away, keep the frames.
Very good point. Some artwork is so hideous we buy it and let the children
Redo it. They used mod podge and sticker letters to makeover this .75 “decorative cat”.http://pin.it/QTSZJXG
Your redo was so cleaver….but the cat was so sad I may have put it in the guest room just as is with a very bright repurposed frame…so cute.
You might want to look up artists names and dated if you find signed originals. I’ve found old well known artists painting. Worth many times the secondhand prices.
When I moved into my 1952 apartment building, an artist resident had her artwork hung throughout the hallways. Not all of it was very good, but it brightened the place up. She has since moved, and now I have a mission to find garage sale art more to my taste to hang on all those empty picture hooks! Max price I’ll pay on average is $5.
Another great deal at thrift stores is MIRRORS! You can spray paint the frame any color or metallic! All my mirrors have come from yard sales or thrift stores priced at $3 to $10. I even painted one stained mirror with black chalkboard paint and the frame turquoise!
Carol
Reading your comment, I’m thinking that I must have just popped out from under a mushroom…I’ve been living in the dark, it seems. Love your idea about painting a mirror with black chalkboard paint. I’m drawn to old mirrors…and have a few waiting for makeovers in my garage. Oh, happy day!
any glass shop will recut a mirror, even bevel the edges. i bought an oval carved side table with a missing glass top for $1 and had a $1 mirror cut to fit for $5.
I found a piece of scrapbooking paper that complimented the colours in my bed room. I put it in a dollar store frame and it looks really nice in my room. Much cheaper than buying artwork and easy to change if I tire of it.
I pick up so much cast iron cookware at the flea market for 5 bucks a skillet! I love thrift stores!!!!!!!!!!!!
I always buy Tupperware no matter where I find it. No matter how old, I have never had them not replace the item if damaged, even the ones I got second hand. My mom gave me her old canister set, and I got all new lids for it because the old ones had cracked. I picked up a couple of cereal savers that had cracked lids at a thrift store, and the ones that were no longer available, they replaced with larger cereal savers.
Do you contact Tupperware directly or do you have to go through a sales rep?
You can call them directly! You do have to pay for shipping though.
If you call Tupperware directly, they will find a local person for you to work with because your piece will need to be verified whether or not it’s a warranty issue. Otherwise, feel free to contact me! http://www.newimpressions.biz
Do you have the phone number to call Tupperware for replacement lids? I have asked so many times on the website, I’m sure they’ll know me if I ask again!!!!?????
I have had no luck with Tupperware replacing lids to older Tupperware that have cracked. Tupperware says we don’t make those anymore. Also be careful. Older Tupperware contains BPA.
Very good point about BPA!
Great post and also enjoyed all the replies!
Keep your eyes open for Lenox at Good Will or garage sales. Apparently people in the South have no idea about Lenox. I got a 10×12 gorgeous wedding frame for $2.00 at Good Will brand new!
Joyce, I am a 68 year old “Southern” male and I am very offended when people make remarks insinuating “southern” people are dumb or ignorant. I am not one for “PC”, you need to check your “holier than thou attitude” at the door.
Good grief..not everything in life is a slight. I. too, am a ‘Southerner’. And a New Englander and a Northeaster. No, wait, that’s a storm…and an American… A lot of people everywhere don’t understand the value of different things. Why not get a sense of humor or go to a website that encourages every slight so yiu can fight back. Bless your heart…see…smile…you survived…
If you spent most of your life living in the South, you would understand. I agree with the gentleman. Nobody likes to be presented as ignorant, no matter what. This girl did know about Lenox. I was born in LA and raised in MS. I’ve lived as an adult in The North, South, East, and West, thanks to my military career. I have found ignorance knows no boundaries. I’ve encountered it in all four corners of this country. Even in the comments that you made. Apparently, you haven’t lived in the South long enough to know, we are a very proud people. And furthermore, this isn’t about being pc. It’s about minding your manners, and using those manners to build up rather than tear down.
Good reply
Well said Susan. I’m from the South, and I have to say that I am offended. I despise when non-Southerners discuss us with an air of superiority.
omg!!! your comment has nothing to do with the subject matter! Go to a website or blog that is is discussing prejudice and state your fight there!!!
Thank you. I have lived in 7 states: Hawaii, California, Oregon, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania. It was a little offending reading the post about “people in the south” I grew up in Nashville, loved it! And now reside in Pennsylvania. I have found much ignorance in states outside of Tennessee. And I have had beautifully brilliant friends, the smartest of my friends collectively, call the south their home.
Amen.
Thank you Susan.
VERY well said. From a fellow southerner from the great state of Alabama!
I don’t think the lady intended to offend but I do agree with the gentleman’s point of view. With all the hatred in the world that we are seeing on the news it’s important that we are politically correct. Unfortunately racist is still alive and well.
You are way too sensitive. No one took that comment wrong but you. You need to check your attitude not her. I grew up Southern as well, so don’t go there.
Good Grief ! It was just a comment. Im a southern gal and i took it as not everyone knows the value of everything. Dont believe she meant it as a slur to Southerners. Just a comment folks.
Wow, people in the South sure are sensitive!! =)
Larry, I love your reply. I’ve lived in Northern California my whole life, except for 2 years in Fort Hood, TX.
To be perfectly honest, the dumbest people I have ever met… are Californians. Sadly, most of these people just don’t get it. 🙁
My grandparents were from OK & Arkansas, and, to me, they are the smartest people I have ever known. 🙂
Hi Southern Gentleman….maybe she didnt mean it the way you think. Different regions of our country have different shopping styles. or at least i want to think that…lol. Have a great night everyone.
Highly offended by your comment about “Southerners”! We Southerners would never be so rude as to make such a comment! At least we have manners, something for which you are surely lacking!
Who is the one lacking manners? Not he, but thee.
Stereotyping is never good manners.
I agree. It is never a good idea to make comments about people from other areas. No matter how well intended you might be, someone is bound to take offense.
?
OMG !!!
you Americans need to lighten up
This is my first visit to this site and I was enjoying the thrifty tips. Now, I am amused and put out that the comments went south! ? I usually just skip over off topic comments but I have to put in my 2¢.
When I was a child my family moved from Illinois to Arkansas. It was a move that amounted to 400 miles. I was referred to as a “damn yankee” for YEARS! As a matter of fact, there was a very hateful, threatening and racist billboard at the intersection of the 2 main highways in Bentonville. That’s right, home of Wal-Mart!
Back in Illinois, well it wasn’t any better. Every year when I went back to visit I listened to hillbilly jabs, was teased about the word y’all, taters, etc. So, as far as I’m concerned, everyone has the ability to be a jackass! It would be great if everyone treated others the way they would like to be treated, but they don’t. Let’s face it, sometimes if it looks like a duck, sounds like a duck, acts like a duck…It’s a duck.
I agree..
My granny was born as a Baptist in Culpepper, Virginia in the late 1890’s. She grew up very poor in the post-carpetbagger era and often went hungry. As a young woman, she fell in love with a good man with good prospects except for a few little problems – he was Catholic and even worse – a YANKEE!!!!. But they persevered, got married, moved north to Camden, NJ, (when that was a good place to live) and had five children including my mother, who was raised as a Catholic but married a Presbyterian – and that was tough in those days too (1941). They raised three of us and we all turned out well enough I guess. We all married into different religions just like my parents. I’m Presbyterian and married a non-practicing Catholic, my sister became a non-denominational Christian and married a Jewish man and my brother has married 4 times, the most recent a Catholic!
I guess I’m saying that we all are HUMAN BEINGS, whether Catholic or Jewish, Northerner or Southerner, it doesn’t matter – God loves us all and we should at least treat each other with courtesy and respect.
So to everyone who has posted any sort of comment about Northerner vs. Southerner – may God bless you with peace, tranquility and the love of family and friends, now and for the rest of your life.
You are ALL worth being loved.
If everyone just followed what you said the world would be a bette place.
Thanks for posting
Cathy in Canada which is definitely North
Very well written Grandma G, thank you!
Barginbabe Loved this article about thrift shopping. I just found a beautiful oval mirror with a dark brown frame….. I always think mirrors tell a story ok kinda silly, but they’ve seen a lot….Haven’t hung it yet because it’s very heavy & the hubby says we’ve got to pick the perfect spot ?
(Personal Post: Are you from LA? Think we went to school together. Will contact you on social media. )
Well aren’t you special !! Enjoy your frame 🙂 maybe post a photo of it so us Southerners will know next time we go into Goodwill what to look for !! Bless your little heart !
hahaha! (transplanted “yankee”).
Leave off the comment about including all southerners deficit in knowledge because you found one store in the area that gave you a bargain .. therefore all thrift, yard, and garage sale folks below the Mason Dixon line are below average intelligence. I couldn’t believe a person that started her statement by b r aging about a great bargain, we all do . But, had the audacity to add that one sentence about people in n the South.
We have an old saying: (AMERICAN BY BIRTH! SOUTHERN BY THE GRACE OF GOD!
Lol. Born south of the Mason Dixon Line. Raised in California and Seattle. I’ve lived in Texas and have been in New Mexico for the last 41 years. My ancestors helped found Virginia, New York, Rhode Island and Massachusets colonys. I’ve seen great folks and stupid folks from coast to coast. We’re a great nation. It is sticking to the union of a nation once divided, that has made us a great nation.
I’ve found wonderful secondhand stores and markets from coast to coast. Lets revel in the great bargains we find while supporting great organizations and good folks.
I’ve been widowed twice. I met husband # 3 selling at a flea market. I bought some tools, stayed to visit and went to dinner with him. That was my best find at a sale. We’ve been married 9 years. He just had his 80th birthday. I’m 71 and were still happy. He even gets up early to make coffee and serve me coffee in bed most mornings.
Its not where your born, but what you become as a grown up that matters.
I collect copper items, train memorabilia for my husband and crockery. 2nd hand stores are great sources for inexpensive gems that we enjoy.
That was my best find at a sale.
Love this!
He sounds like he’s a great find. You did well.
My late husband brought me coffee in bed for 20 years and would sit beside me watching me sleep and tell me that my face was beautiful in the morning light. Gosh, I miss that.
Maybe I should shop the flea markets for more than antiques. ?
I’m as Southern as they come, I recently bought 15 pieces of Lenox from a Yankee who moved to the South and didn’t have a clue as to what she was selling. Guess u don’t know the difference between a Yankee & a damn Yankee either. .A DAMN YANKEE FORGETS to go back home, Offended about Southerners, your right, at least we know social graces and hospitality, how about
you ¿¿¿¿
Best quip yet! U geaux girl!
20 years later.. I’m a damn yankee and quite happy to be in the south. Yes, I can identify Lenox. 🙂
Mississippi gal here. I do know about Lenox; have purchased as a gift. After reading all the comments, started to just leave and be silent. But then what the heck! Nobody likes being thought of as ignorant. Joyce’s comment just did not sit well with many of us, no matter how she meant it. That generalization of people is an attitude we all should work on changing.
Nah, it’s all good! I found a great Lenox deal I’m in SC.(and from here as well) LOL Purchased a napkin holder that was pewter-in the box – napkins never opened pewter weight included for $1.68. Googled the item and I apparently saved $107.00! I think it’s probably Estate donations…I’ve also purchased a mink stole (initials monogrammed)SAX Fifth Ave OMG gorgeous for $50.00 – the relatives just do not want the things I suppose! Even though I’ve got my own to wear to the black tie events, just could not pass that up! Best deal EVER was the Lenox China. 10 piece place setting, full – demi cups -cake plate -veg. Dishes – now I’m bragging which is not ok….LIKE NEW -ROMANCE ? 1936 retired…be still my ♥️
How insulting, “people in the south don’t know about Lenox”. My family has been collecting Lenox forever. My mother even bought a complete set (a few pieces at a time) for my niece when she was only 2 years old. Now that is a beautiful set of Moonspun by Lenox and my niece is a nurse with a family of her own.My set is “Solitare” One of the other things that my mother taught us to appreciate is quality glassware and other American and European bands which shout “quality”. I am also a fan of “Fiesta” both vintage and newer. Collecting should be fun as well as finacially rewarding. As a fourth generation Floridian, many of us are very sophisticated, especially when it comes to antiques and collectibles..So watch out at the next garage sale or flea market, you just might run into a Southerner who really knows what they are doing. Bless your little heart.
I am a Southerner and I must tell you all of the folk I know and come in contact with are very aware of Lenox because many of us own several pieces. Don’t know what Southern region you were speaking of.
Hi I live here in Charleston SC and we have a Lenox factory and connecting store here. We definitely know our Lenox, Waterford, Silver, Charleston Iron Gates and many more first class items. Have you never been told about the genteel southern and our plantation homes that are breathtaking. Make time and come down for a visit. I think you will be enlightened and delighted with our warm hospitality.
Larry, when I read Joyce’s comment, my impression was that Lenox just had not gained popularity in the south. I had no impression that people in the south were ignorant until you said that. I really don’t think that was Joyce’s intentions at all.
That’s what I assumed too Shelly
Yes me too. This ‘southerner’ only knows Lenox as an air conditioner…
Yes–I didn’t feel there was any intent to cause insult. Touchy! And off-topic.
That was how I felt about the comment. I just thought it wasn’t well known in South. Then they started commenting about something completely off subject. I really enjoyed the post until all the race issue.
I will say when I read it I knew that she was wrong. I am from Texas and am well aware of Lenox and have been most of my 66 years. I would say that I have always viewed Lenox as good quality, but not of the same quality as Royal Dalton, Johnson Bros, Villeroy and Boch, etc. My mother had beautiful antique Flow Blue China. She collected many brands and found it at thrift stores, antique malls and little country places. I still look for it and find it at thrift stores, where the value is not known.
Thank you for this article. I love my Corning ware from the early 70s and my Pyrex from 1971 – shades of avocado green! I am looking for a small size as I broke the pot but have the lid. I’ll find it eventually!
I was in a Goodwill and found my Villeroy and Boch dishes – a whole set. Unfortunately I didn’t need ANY! It was a fabulous bargain!
How did this become a race issue?
Not race….but rather regional. It is rude to say such. Btw those who don’t get the “bless your heart” reference….well…bless your heart…
I am baffled! I was enjoying. Then suddenly someone turned it to the “Ugly”! Such a shame. Pitiful!
This southern girl agrees. Having manners goes a long way in life.
Same goes for this Canuck, who has never heard of Lenox, or Southern personality styles.
Shelly, that’s exactly how I read her comment too ,- as though they’d (southerners) be unfamiliar with Lennox – period-(maybe it was never distributed there?) – not that they were too ignorant (the sitherners choice of words) to recognize something of value…. that of course everyone’s else would DEFINITELY know was valuable (NOT!)
Only the self described southerns took that meaning from the comment.
I personally hate Lenox and wouldn’t but it at any price
Amen Larry! I live in the South and yes Lenox is something we do know about. I personally don’t care much for Lenox and maybe that’s why she thinks the South is dumb and back woods, because we sell it at yard sales or thrift stores. joyce needs to try not to insult other groups of people and rely needs to apologize.
So I go to a lot of estate auctions and have found some really great buys on things there too, so don’t forget to check auctions out too.
I always forget about auctions, and I’m a little intimidated to try them while I juggle the three kids (somehow I am afraid I will accidentally bid on something while I think I am scratching my nose….was that a Dick Van Dyke episode?) Definitely something I need to look into….
We started going to auctions a little over a year ago. We like to go when we don’t have anything to do all weekend. After going several times we got to know people and wind up having a good time even if we leave with nothing. I have been a thrift shopper my entire life. I have now turned my hubby into one as well after seeing the stuff I get at great prices, plus you get to browse all the cool and neat old and new items.
Would somebody please inform this ignorant outsider, what is “Lenox”?!
Lenox china is an American bone china line. They used to have an outlet in Pennsylvania. Excellent quality, beautiful patterns
Lenox is a brand name for thing like fine chinaware; ie, dinner china, figurines, etc.
Everybody knows, we in the South, prefer Waterford! Let those “Northern Folks” snatched up all that Lennox they want!
That name I know!
So true. Lenox seems common to me.
I can’t stop myself….perhaps you saw a different post than I did? I didn’t see where ANYONE said Southerners were “dumb and backwoods”!!!! All she said was that, apparently to her, some folks in the area where she found her treasures weren’t aware of the value of them.
While I am not an “official” Southerner”, I grew up outside St. Louis, MO., lived in Dallas, TX. for a number of years and was married to a Native Texan for 32 years…& when I say “Native” I mean he was an enrolled Choctaw…..IF we choose to we can ALL take offense at an offhand comment….I don’t have the energy!!!
I’ve lived in St. Louis county for 73 years. This Northerner vs. Southerner feud is stupid and boring. Please get back to the original topics.
I’ve gone to garage sales and estate sales for the past 35 years or so and really enjoy them and look forward to Saturdays for that reason.
Frying pans by a particular mfgr. have been mentioned and I have not heard the name before at all. I didn’t even know that a mfgr.’s name was on cookware but now I’ll look.
I’m still trying to figure out if I’m Northern or Southern!!! LOL
I agree with you. Give the lady a break, ENOUGH PLEASE!
My mother-in-law still says word and comments that are not appropriate–we gently inform her and LET IT GO!
Please let it rest–and go back to finding treasures. ENOUGH PLEASE!
I pick up stoneware bowls whenever I see them. I’ve got more than I can use, more than I have room for, but I love them.
I think it’s probably more of matter of taste than anything else. I do know what Lenox is but it’s not personally my cup of tea, so I have passed it up. I’m sure there are folks who don’t realize it’s value, or some who donate unneeded items without a thought. Southern or Northern, those folks who just donate items regardless of value are the ones we can thank for half the items in our home!
I started going to auctions since the auction house was down the street from me maybe 4 years ago. I really didn’t know anything much about any company until then. I recognized things I grew up with back in NY but didn’t really know names. Since I acquired so much and wanted to sell on Ebay I have learned a lot! And I’m 62. I have a good eye for things of value and my thrift store best find was a signed print by an Indian artist (whose style was highly unusual). I paid $20 for it and found the prints were sold for $500-600 a piece! I sold it on Ebay for more than $250 to a woman who had grown up in the area and knew the guy. He had only been painting for 5 years when he accidentally shot himself. He used to go into her mother’s restaurant. His name was Jerome Tiger.
When I moved back to NM recently I was shocked by the high prices at Goodwill. Now that I am back in the midwest-yeah! I don’t think it is a matter of one group not knowing what they have-just not their style.
Maybe you donate something special to a thrift store because you no longer have an attachment to the item and someone else may appreciate it more.Not ignorant, generous. As for the bargain price, the thrift store paid nothing and felt like passing the bargain along. Not ignorant, just one of those rare but fair thrift shops=PRICELESS.
Thank you Colleen. This is exactly how I feel about it. It’s the thrill, the discovery as well as letting those items have a new life via the mantra “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure”.
How wonderful it is to recognize that someone could replace a broken piece or even complete their “prized” dish set from the donation you made of a long forgotten wedding gift.
Kudos to those that donate & share…and good luck & happy hunting to us all.
My best thrift store finds are seasonal decorations, Farberware pans, children’s books (I’m an elementary school librarian) and Corelle dishes. Love, love, love thrift stores!!!
Whenever I go to Goodwill, I have somewhat of a system I follow as I work my way through the store. That’s when you know you spend too much time in there. 😉 I always look through the craft supplies (SO MUCH cheaper than buying full price, but I only buy things I know I’ll have a use for), then do a quick check of the furniture section. Most of it is outdated/damaged or dirty beyond repair, but every once in awhile, you can find a really unique piece for a great deal. Once, I found a huge antique framed mirror that perfectly matched my bedroom and fit right above my dresser for maybe $10. It’s also worth it to dig through the bedding section. Again, most of it is not anything you’d want to bring into your home, but as mentioned in the article, 100% cotton blankets are not uncommon. I’ve also found some very high quality sheets in excellent condition that would have cost a fortune to buy new. Band tees are fun finds if you’re into music. Also, the clothing/swimsuit, shoes, and backpack sections often contains brand-new pieces from Target because they donate their unsold clearance items to Goodwill. You can find their items all over the store, but those are some of my favorite things to look for. Then of course, just checking the decor area for anything really unique and fun!
Regarding Target donating items to the Good Will, Good Will actually purcheses the items by the truck full at a set price. That is why the Good Will does not discount those items for senior discounts.
Do you know how to bring back old tarnished copper? I have a 30 year old tea kettle that I don’t want to part with but it looks awful.
Any tips would be greatly appreciated.
Cathy
According to Martha Stewart, all you need is a lemon and coarse salt: http://www.marthastewart.com/270759/polishing-copper. If you try it, please let us know how it works!
I use two things to clean tarnished copper; first, I coat the item with a thick layer of catsup. Yup, it doesn’t even have to be name brand, the walmart brand will do just fine. Let it stand for 15 minutes, then rinse thoroughly. Most of the tarnish will wash right down the drain, but if necessary, the catsup application can be repeated. When I’m satisfied that most of the tarnish has been removed by the catsup, I make a paste of cameo copper cleaner and a little water. Apply the paste with a microfiber rag and it will clean up the last of the tarnish. Rinse and polish with a dry towel.
Thanks for the detailed instructions! That’s a great tip.
Thank you! I have a wonderful little copper watering can that belonged to my mother. I’m going to try the ketchup solution to clean it.
I’ve used egg whites, vinaigar, corse salt, and lemon juice this is how I learned to clean them in France when I was a teen as a dishwasher
I found catsup works well on my 20 year old copper sinks.
Soaking in vinegar is good too.
A soak in tomato juice and then a good scrub and polish will bring back the shine!
Bar keepers friend
Make a paste with vinegar, salt & flour & apply to your copper item. Let set for at least an hour, then rinse off thoroughly. The flour is to help keep the vinegar from running off before it has done its job. I did this to an old copper bowl with brass trim that I found. It was solid black & I had no idea it was even copper at the time. Now it looks new.
I bought almost all of my nursing school text books at Goodwill for about $4 each. Brand new they average $150-$200! I can’t even fathom how much money I have saved. School is expensive enough.
I LOVE thrift stores too. I am amazed at how much good and really good china can be found there! I now have a huge…and growing collection of Pfaltsgraff Yorktown China that I use every day. Most pieces were 50 cents each at Goodwill. Salvation Army and Habitat Restores are also great places. I was surprised how much China was at the Restore. My latest finds have been leather skirts at Goodwill. Some are “maxi” length and are great for making bags and accessories – at $4.00 each!
Oh my gosh…..I have done this as well ! Just looked at the piece as a piece of fabric to be recycled into something else !
my best deal ever was my Tiffany bracelet for 50 cents. looked it up online, is a 400.00 bracelet
I’ve found lots of great deals at flea markets/garage sales/auctions, etc. But my dream is to find a tiffany- a tiffany anything… sigh. Good find!
I buy tupperware because I have an unholy talent for melting holes in it. It’s a gift. Small appliances, like a griddle, a crock pot, and a hand mixer. I am successful with vacuum cleaners. I bought 2 in the past 2 years which I cleaned and refurbished and they now service our home and beach place. I have the web page of an online vac parts company and have refurbished these and others from the thrifts in the past 25 years. I always search for gardening stuff and tools too.
I need that website!
I have 2 cast iron skillets how do I get them clean,I have an elective g
Ass cook top and they smoke up my kitchen.I put them in my oven at 500 degree but still smoked things up.I have 2 big ones and 4 small ones.Help
For just basic cleaning , I use a little soap( I know taboo! ) and water and scrub! , then I dry mine really well, put back on the stovetop , turn on the heat to about medium low add my bacon grease or lard rub it in and leave it on the heat for 5 minutes, wipe out the residue and let cool down 🙂 I never have issues with my seasoning being stripped unless I do a high acid dish, I season everytime I use mine! You can also use half a potato and salt! Love that method!
It sounds like you might have grease build up on the outside of the pans… back in the day they used to burn the pans in an outside fire (campfire pit) by burying them in the coals… if you have a fire pit or a BBQ grill you might try setting them on and just letting them stay until the coals cool down… wash well with dish soap and a green scratchy pad, then season as normal… hopefully this will help.
Had grease build up on the cooking surface of my favorite cookie sheet. Thank you my teenage grandson. I thought it wouldn’t hurt to try WD40. Sprayed the entire surface, let it sit a half hour. Then used a little elbow grease+Mr. Magic (Magic eraser). It worked. One of my favorite cleaning supplies.
And bring along a tape measure and measurements of places you want to fill up with thrift store finds (window curtains, shelves, reading nook, etc). Great ideas for what to keep eyes open for! I find lately, at least in my neck of the woods, that some independent re-sale shops are on-to us and our bargain hunting with prices for certain things getting higher and higher. But, like anyone with a talent for patience, the diamond-he-rough is out there. I was looking for a vintage Kenmore Sewing machine, and in the last 6 weeks, came upon 3 of them in pristine condition totaling less than $70 for all three! I’m still in disbelief over the finds! Keep your eyes open and be patient! Have a wonderful Holiday, everyone!!
Antique cast iron skillets for $5 and less (Wagners and Griswolds!), Pampered Chef, Laura Ashley sheet sets (new in package stil retailing for over $130- bought for $8!) old ceramic pie plates (with the recipes for the pies on the inside- I grew up wth them but Moms started to get old and crack so o found a complete set after only a couple weeks of looking to replace her two she only had- she was on cloud nine at Christmas time!) designer boots (new at the time but worn down to nothing over the years- new for $300, bought slightly used for $12), and a (legitimate)Coach purse (last years design)with the dust bag and receipt still inside for $5 at a garage sale. I haven’t been shopping in a while, I wonder what I’m missing now!
I found a Calphalon soup pot for $6!
I purchased a lovely, light blue flowered Laura Ashley curtain set with valance and had the perfect use for them. I removed the door to our bathroom in our camper (we always use the facilities at the campsite) and hung one curtain with a sash on the side. The other curtain was cut to make curtains for the windows and cover the valances over the windows. The remaining valance fit perfectly for the window by the dinette table…all for $6! It really brightened up the camper and made it look “glamper” and not “camper”. I love thirfting and do a lot of DIY projects so am always on the look out for something to repurpose.
Rusted cast iron griddles can be resurrected to brand new condition! Put on goggles & rubber gloves & gently place the griddle in a plastic bucket filled with about 1/2 can of Draino. Let sit for a few days for the rust to be eaten off the cast iron. Gently remove the pan from the solution. Discard the Draino water (down the drain). The pan will look brand spanking new! Next “season”the griddle as outlined above! My favorite pans are labled “Griswald” on the bottom. Each sized “Grizzly” is numbered on the handle 1-12. My husband & I have collected the entire set of 12 from garage sales, antique stores & auctions! Now I collect them for friends. Absolutely love them!!!!
My favorite finds are Hobnail milk glass items and if its Fenton the find is like discovering pirate booty. I have collects whitemilk glass mini lamps, a frog vase and mini vases. My ultimate finds have been my Fenton 1950s blue milk glass cream and sugar set. I paid $1.00 for the set at an estate sale. Last year I found the matching cruet for 80cents at a Good Will. It was too good to be true, especially when these items are rare at thrifts stores in LA. Sadly it had crack in the handle but I just couldn’t bare the thought of it getting trashed. These items end up getting thrown away, so I took it home and it’s holding my vintage earings.
I just started collecting milk hobnail pieces. I noticed some are ‘whole’ milky white while others look ‘skim’. Does this say anything about the quality of the piece?
Vintage sheets! Lovely patterns, and they are nice and broken in!
Along the same lines, vintage tablecloths can be a great find.
These are such great thrift store tips. Some I knew about, but many new tips. I am ready to go again. A point to add about Good Will and Salvation Army is that they don’t charge tax either as they are ‘true charities’ and senior citizen days also help!
Strange. I can’t speak for the Salvation Army, but our Good Wills do charge tax. They also issue cards to senior citizens for 10% off every time you shop. There are no senior citizen days. When I use my 10% off card, then pay 7% tax, I’m only saving 3%.
I love to collect fireking glass bakeware and bowls. It has a pattern too. I even found a cake server. Some are tinted light blue and it’s called sapphire.
So funny you mentioned some of these items as I totally feel the same way! Been thrifting for many many years and couldn’t agree more with you! I love the old casserole dishes and the blankets are amazing! Even the ones in not so good condition can be refurbished into other things. Not always keen on cookware from the thrift but for sure I want to add things like a sifter, a colander, baking essentials like a good rolling pin and so much more! They were made so much better back then! I’m always on the look out for cool cutting boards and copper is plentiful in my stick but I still buy more as I love it and figured it would make a comeback! Thanks for the post!
Rinse the cotton blankets in white vinegar.Works every time for me . If that doesn’t work there is a product called. Odoban. It is awesome. I use it to clean my Pomerania’s little accidents.
Where can you buy Odoban? I wonder if it would clean my golf visors?
Loved your list! I look around our Good Will from time to time and have had some great finds!! A pure silver sugar and creamer bowl was my best yet! I love buying good wine glasses! You can find some really pretty expensive wine glasses for $1. They don’t have to match. I have all different patterns. Also, I love buying homemade knitted or crocheted blankets. It pains me to see these treasures in thrift stores. I know they take such a long time to make, and it is becoming a lost art. I have bought several over the years and have kept a few and given others to nursing homes or homeless shelters. I have usually paid $3 or $4 for them.
I am a born and raised southerner I am very knowledgeable on all different styles of glassware, my husband purchased storage units for years and I have sold Lennox as well as others . I have northern friends that pick at us for our accents, sometimes I make mine worse and make up words,except me for who I am not where I live ignorance isn’t from the place you come from but how you were raised.
Old dishes contain lead in the paint. I love the other items you recommend but that’s a dangerous recommendation. http://www.creativegreenliving.com/2015/10/how-bad-is-lead-in-vintage-pyrex.html
My exact reason for not buying old beautiful bowls. And for tossing my grandmother’s so that nobody would poison their family with them.
My must buy item at Thrift Stores are eyeglasses. I have found authentic Gianni Versace, Kate Spade, Armani, Christian Dior, Ray Ban, Maui Jim, Ralph Lauren, Burberry, and of of course reading glasses like Foster Grant, just to name a few. I pay anywhere from .79 to $2.00 a pair. One of my biggest scores was a pair of M1/12K , (yes that’s 12 karat gold), from the 1920’s spectacles. I paid about .60 for them, value is approximately $165. They came inside a huge grab bag of glasses for $10.00. The 1980 Gianni Versace sunglasses ended up being worth about $500. What’s old is new again!
It is great to bring in the frames and have my own prescription put in them. The rest I sell on eBay.
My family thinks I am crazy, and you can hear the disdain in their voices, for shopping at thrift store. I get a huge kick out of it and have had my own little business on eBay for the last 18 years. I also sell on Craigslist. Tomorrow morning I am selling a large sailboat painting for $10.00 that I only paid a $1.00 for.
I have bought a lot of art from thrift stores. Found a signed Christopher Bloom and his students signature he was obviously teaching. Paid $7.50 and sold it for $75. Works for me!
My website is not up yet, but you can find me on Instagram at texaspathfb .
Wow Debra! That’s such a great tip and I would never have thought of looking at eyeglasses! Thanks for this idea, those are some great finds.
When I was first out of college I was pretty good at hitting thrift shops, buying things I knew had a much higher value than what they were listed at, and then selling them on ebay. I used to make my car payment doing that. Since the recession it’s not as easy to do as it once was.
I also love shopping at thrift stores. Do you know where I might find a vertical wooden piece for displaying tea cups?
I wonder about buying wooden cutting boards. Love the idea but you don’t know what was cut on them previously. What if someone used them for raw meat? Since you recommend not using soap (agree with that!!), am I possibly going to get sick? Thanks!!!!
I think a little bleach or hydrogen peroxide would take care of that if you were really nervous. There’s research that shows that cutting meat on wood cutting boards is perfectly safe (possibly even safer than plastic cutting boards), thanks to wood’s natural antibacterial properties. This link might be helpful: http://lifehacker.com/5847591/10-stubborn-food-myths-that-just-wont-die.
I have three wonderful cats, (five at one moment in time. All rescues!) I look for small glassware bowls- even Crystal. Glass doesn’t breed bacteria, unlike plastic feeding dishes. Cost is usually a quarter each. All animals deserve to be loved. One way is to keep them healthy. P.S. the bowls are washed with each use. I wouldn’t like to eat off of dirty dishes either. A little off subject, but what about the Segway.???
Today I was at one of my favorite thrift stores for their monthly 50% off day and scored a Guardian Service canning stock pot/ Dutch oven, with the glass lid! I was thrilled to add another piece to my Guardian collection! Thanks to thrifting, none of my four kids will ever need to buy Pyrex or Corningware!
Wool/flannel skirts and cable knit sweaters. I love to turn them into throw pillows for the winter.
Ooh, that’s smart!
I have also used 100% wool sweaters for sewing crafts. I felt them in hot water then cut them into squares to make scarves and blankets.
Winter Sweater arms into leg warmers !
My brother works for Goodwill and keeps his eyes open for Tupperware, Corelle, and vintage tea sets. You would be amazed at how much Corelle makes it to our local Goodwill stores. Don’t worry, I pick them all up. A bonus is finding them on 50% off shopping days! My old casserole dishes (non-lidded) were only $1!
I love that goodwill now has an online auction/shopping site, too. We have gotten seveal stainless steel pans this way that are in fabulous shape for a fraction of the cost of new.
I love to buy useable antiques for the kitchen and agree with most of your list. I wouldn’t, however, buy used cotton blankets. We have one and no matter how much I wash it, it has a funky BO smell.
Also, like the other person commented, wooden boards are poreous and who know what’s lurking on them….even if cleaned it still gives me the willys.
I like kitchen gadgets. The old ones last forever. The bowls are great, too, but getting hard to find.
Beware of sales; often the prices have been changed.
We like to look for these style of bowls! I have a set but find it amusing to see how many sets are out there in the thrift world 😀
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHvS3VSL_0A
Well I am from NW Wisconsin (pronounced WIS not WES) and live in NE Minnesoooooota. The backwoods ppl here don’t know their CUTCO from the Dollar Tree. I found Three pieces at an estate sale for 50 cents each! I snapped them up and sent them into the factory for the lifetime guarantee replacement. They sent me three brand spanking new utensils! Serving spoon, slotted spoon, and hamburger turner. Each valued over fifty dollars!!!!!that estate sale person really screwed up! And I made out like a bandit! Anyone offended here?
Dear Maureen from WISconsin ( is there another way to pronounce it?) I think I love you.. 🙂 Don’t you know we as a people(speaking the human race) are supposed to get offended at everything and then make those that offended us apologize?? I prefer to think ” Idiot” and scroll on by. I guess being raised Catholic I am used to people saying things that are offensive and not even realizing it ( Oh those Catholics…insert remark here) No one is perfect ..everyone has opinions.. and if we all realized being offended is a part of life and how you handle it shows your true personality we might all get along a wee bit better..
Now that said.. to everyone here ” Bless your heart”
I found some “gently” used Pampered Chef cookware at a resale chain. There was an 8qt, 3qt and 1qt pots with lids. A 12inch pan -we call a chicken fryer- with a lid and an 8 inch pan that the 8 inch pot’s lid also fits. There was just some easily removed marking on the bottoms. Total price I paid was $75.00. Best bargain I’ve ever found. Best cookware I’ve ever owned.
Nice score!
Tupperware has a life time warranty. If they don’t have the mold for that exact item anymore they will send you the closest thing to it. Sometimes people get rid of it because it has a small crack in it. You can pick it up for cheap then find someone who sells Tupperware and they can get it replace for you!
Books are great thrift store finds! My daughter loves to read and can stock up on a bunch of books for a few bucks! I told this to a friend of mine who’s a teacher and she went and stocked up at a consignment sale for the reading center in her classroom for a few bucks! Can’t go wrong there!
How to and DYI books are my weakness.
Great list. I love, love, love old cotton blankets!!
I look for Waterford. The etched mark is sometimes hard to find, but you will know it when you look at the pattern and by its weight. I’ve purchased several pieces for very little money. Vintage doll furniture is a find, too. I sell one or two pieces on eBay, I recover my costs, and keep the best to use myself or to give as gifts.
I scored a Waterford wine decanter at Goodwill. Oh to have that feeling everyday! Such sparkle and weight! 🙂
I once found a Waterford cake cutter at a thrift store, and I tried to act casual but my hands shook as I paid the $8.00 for it. I was afraid that they would realize their mistake and grab it back from me. I looked it up on the Waterford website and it sold for $210.00. I was on cloud 9 for weeks. I still get giddy every time I use it. I love dearly love Waterford. As a young woman planning my wedding, I saved for a year to buy 2 champagne glasses for our toast. There is nothing else that compares to real Irish cut crystal glasses.
My family are avid thrift store shoppers! We all have stories to share about our treasures we find! My latest was a tiffany crystal paperweight. Ive recently started to collect metal, copper or brass vases and containers. They thought i was nuts, i see from your article, these are all collectible again! Whose nuts now! They are really beautiful aftet polishing!
I to love thrift stores but when dismantling my mother-in-laws home there were two Hollywood Regency Style Pair of Brass Cream Colored Stiffel Table Lamps. My sister-in-law said to send them to Goodwill. I asked if I could have them. I was pleased to find that they are worth $1400. Now I think I got the steal of a lifetime. Hey watch what the family has before you toss. It could be a great deal you are tossing.
I love thrift store shopping…I do look for antique/vintage items and I used to take my grand daughter with me when she was about 3…of course my daughter would never shop there…so they were moving away and my daughter went to donate things she didn’t need or wanted to take with her….while she was talking to the lady about her donation my 3 year old grand daughter say with her hand on her hip….MOMMY why are we at Granny’s store….so now our thrift store is known in the family as Granny’s store….and my daughter now has 4 children and this is her fav place to shop 😀 BTW I am from the north ….northern Canada cheers eh
Here in the UK we have Pyroflam which is the stuff that can be used in the oven and top of the stove. I bought myself a set years ago and it’s so versatile. I don’t think people in our thrift shops realise what it is and how expensive it is. I always look out for it and buy it if it’s a suitable piece for me. I love thrift shops.
If you are trying to raise children on a tight budget as we did with our grandchildren, always look for shoes and jacket/coats, &other things. I can tell you that we found brand new big name shoes at a tiny fraction of their original price; we paid $5 for shoes that cost $75 or higher in a retail store (Walmart price was $60). We also found several pair of on-line skates for $2-3 and all they would need were new strings and/or some TLC cleaning and you would pay $100 or more in a retail store. So I always look for shoes and more for growing kids. Thrift stores are a regular treasure trove for growing kids needs or wants.
I have a friend who always checks the forks/spoons/knives jumble, looking for real silverware. She OFTEN finds silver pieces in the jumble, which she buys and uses for fancy dinners. It’s fantastic that they don’t all match.
Or you can string the flatware to to make a lovely Rain Chain. Check the Pinterest site for more rain chains ideas and how 2s.
I also purchased some odd silverware pieces at a thrift store–mostly serving pieces. I had the place sets, but ran out of funds before I could get the service pieces, i.e., pie server, cake knife, large serving spoons, sugar and creamer, etc. So I have found most of these pieces at thrift/secondhand stores and my silverware service is now complete. No, it does not all have the same pattern, but it is all a floral design so I don’t let it bother me. I use it frequently and enjoy it, and always feel good about the bargain pieces from the thrift store!
And once again a perfectly good comment section about “Thrifting” has turned into a “hurt my feelings” post!! I’m out!!
I love finding Pampered Chef as a consultant adding items to show off for cheap is nice! My favorite find was a deep covered baker for $6. My grandma collects teacups and we have got some for $1 that were worth $90. My grandma collects mustache cups and we have found a few! I have found some brand new clothes for my daughter for $1 and craft supplies for cheap! Dang now I want to go thrifting!
I love the nested Pyrex bowls. Something I have recently discovered is Hazel Atlas dishes. I am particularly interested in the Crinoline scalloped dishes. But, I haven’t been able to find them in any antique/thrift stores. Is anyone familiar with these?
https://www.etsy.com/listing/502639804/reduced-hazel-atlas-crinoline-aqua-cups?gpla=1&gao=1&&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_us_a-home_and_living-kitchen_and_dining-dining_and_serving-other&utm_custom1=91636ac5-af3f-4899-8450-9c92131935e5&gclid=CjwKCAiAqbvTBRAPEiwANEkyCK0-5z90IBinpkVqhKTGcRBAxdQ5r2KlXP3q8-pBRrJR9WbCi0qcbBoCggkQAvD_BwE
https://www.etsy.com/listing/527952674/vintage-1950s-hazel-atlas-pink-crinoline?gpla=1&gao=1&&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_us_d-home_and_living-kitchen_and_dining-dining_and_serving-plates&utm_custom1=91636ac5-af3f-4899-8450-9c92131935e5&gclid=CjwKCAiAqbvTBRAPEiwANEkyCLViZOtU0jvdKUaSrpQv-4pw4H1NU-P5nfnAjOrNOlxCMLTokPzzyhoCbxEQAvD_BwE
I wonder how many gasped upon reading that someone threw away her grandmother’s bowls for fear of lead poisoning?
This has been interesting reading and great ideas.
I love the thrift store idea but every time I go all I see are single stem clear flower vases, some plastic flowers, truly awful stuff. Maybe I go on the wrong day after all the good things have been purchased. However I want to share something I actually witnessed about 4 years ago. Let me first make it clear this was not a Goodwill but it was and is the same kind of store. After having a yard sale, we had a good bit of things left and I hauled them to this place. We had a French provincial bedroom suit, some lamps, baskets, etc. I was directed to the back of the store for drop off. They helped me unload, all was well. As I walked inside the receiving area I was amazed at how large this place actually is. It was full of enough stuff to furnish a home, everything you would want and very nice things. That was in the back, now let us go to the front of the store, junk, really the junk. I have been to that store several times in the past few years and I have to wonder what happens to the great things that I know must always be in the back. Are they selling it to people who own antique and second hand stores? I wish I knew. I ask but the girl said she didn’t know.
Someone told me once, yrs ago, that they pull their antiques in order to get better prices for them. No idea if that’s true,or where there.
Having connections with people who work at or managed thrift stores, I can tell you that stores are now having people come in to look through their goods and spot the treasures, which are then pulled from the floor and posted online so they can be sold for a more “realistic” price. It makes it harder to find bargains (I collect Depression glass and old cookbooks, both of which I’ve gleaned from Good Will and other thrift stores for next to nothing), but in all fairness, when something is donated to a thrift store, it’s being given to a charity (just like a financial donation), and if we begrudge that charity receiving as much income as they can to support their cause, why are we shopping there and supporting their cause ourselves? As much as I miss the great finds I used to get at my local thrift-store-turned-junk-clearance-center, I can’t wish them bad luck in raising money – that’s why they exist in the first place.
Books, folks, books! I love finding leather bound and hardcover classics, and famous modern authors for a fraction of bookstore, or even ebook prices. And, of course, book cases… Now if I could only find a bigger house to keep them all in!
My latest Goodwill finds ? 2 beautiful long wool scarves at $3.50 each, one was a Coldwater Creek brand, the other had a J.Crew price tag of $59.00 ! Score ! Also found almost new sports jerseys $4-8 each . (Small women like me fit in the boys X Large ) Retail new is around $50 – $ 75 ! I’ve found Macy’s jeans with tags still attached ($10.00), a Columbia rain jacket for $12.00, almost new cute , sturdy winter boots for $15.00, a cashmere sweater, $8.00 . Women’s Nike leather soccer shoes (no cleats , can wear anywhere) $15.00 ! Retail $75-100. Almost new toys and clothes for 1 yr old granddaughter. Nice white dishes, serving ware, etc. I only buy good quality items,and I dress very nicely , so every week it’s a new treasure hunt at Goodwill !
Wow really was.enjoying reading the comments.in here till I got to the all the fuss about southerner etc. I am think it’s just a matter of whom is doing the pricing that day. I have traveled.alot and have found some store.that don’t know certain name brands and some that know them all.
Enjoyed everyones info. Thanks
Hi there. I am sooo addicted to thrift store shopping! It sounds like you are a fellow thrift store lover. I agree with your list of thrift store ‘must buys’. My list would also include clothing (just not used underwear). Would you be interested in writing (or sharing one you’ve already written) a post as a guest on my blog? I’m always open to collaborating with other like minded individuals 🙂
Oh my word…… I can not believe the list of comments pertaining to the word “Southerner”. I just wanted to know what everyone else looks for at a thrift store and I wanted to hear amazing stories about out of this world finds. Geee willy winkers – we now have bickering adults worrying about who is more intelligent at the great divide we call the Mason-Dixon line. Drama is out of control here – Let’s keep drama in the theater. Now what was your greatest find in a thrift store, boutique or shoppe?
No matter where you live or what culture you grew up with, all of humanity is made up of a varitable cornucopia of people with all kinds of differences. That’s what truly makes the world go round. Variety IS the spice of life. We need stop adding so much Cayenne Pepper into the mix. By the by, I know I read “southerner”, but I didn’t see the word ignorant.
great post.
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I love to shop thrift stores. I’ve found several great items. Recently I bought a Saladmaster stainless steel frying pan and even better, an electric frying pan with lid, in mint condition that had never been used. I paid $6.99 for the electric pan and it’s valued on EBay for over $350!! Not too shabby.
Wow, that’s quite a score!
Wonderful listing. Gonna try some from thrift stores.
Unfortunately my local goodwill has raised their prices so high on most things that often you can buy them new for the same price. A couple years ago they had a worn old couch that they were selling for 175. As if they didn’t get all their product for free! And their cast iron skillets cost the same as new. My favorite finds there are the bags of towels and rags – assorted towels, washcloths, dishcloths and like things. a garbage bag full for seven dollars. I have bought those for 4 times over the years. Always meaning to use them for just cleaning rags but end up adding most of them to my supply of towels and cloths, because they’re almost new. I also love browsing the book section first – i often find a great non fiction or how to book there.
I agree, prices at thrift shops have really gone up! I think overall garage sales and Craigslist have much better deals. You might enjoy this: Are Thrift Shops Becoming a Rip Off?.
This week I found a small cabinet with drawers. I enjoy cool old items to help me get organized.
I think my best treasure at a Goodwill was a large Royal Doulton Tobey mug for 2.49; it was rather ugly and obviously the pricer did not know the value. I sold it for a measly $40 to another dealer who priced it at $75 and it took a long time to sell at that price! I now love going on a Sun. or Mon. when last week’s tags are $1; scored 3 $10 pictures recently, mainly for the nice frames for other pix. Last week I got 33 skeins for $3-6/skein yarn in 2 bags for $6. Will keep me knitting scarves for the church bazaar! Love finding craft supplies in thrift stores–need to stretch that retirement income!
I have been lucky enough to come upon beautiful 100% silk scarves from time to time for about $3, as well as a cashmere shawl for $8. When my daughter’s boyfriend needed mugs for his apartment, I found a nice matched set of six ceramic mugs, good brand and perfect condition, for $4. I also always look through the CDs. They are usually $1 apiece, and if I see an artist I’ve heard of and been curious about, I spend a buck to give it a listen, figuring I’ll give it right back to the thrift shop with my next donation if I don’t like it.
I also found some really cute Christmas plates and bowls when we were dividing our time between two houses, and I didn’t want to spring for all new stuff for the “second kitchen” that would eventually be the only kitchen. They weren’t the fancy ones like Spode or Lenox, but they were nice and I didn’t have any guilt over paying a few bucks for something I’d only use a few times a year.
My exchange student lucked upon a gorgeous oversize ceramic teapot to give her “host sister” (my daughter) for Christmas; I think she paid $6. Then she found a Cuisinart tea kettle for her “host dad” (my husband) for $8–these are usually $40 or more new. She loved hitting Goodwill and thrift stores with me–she had a small stipend of spending money each month, and the thrift and consignment stores helped her stretch her dollars.
If you host exchange students or take in foster children, the thrift stores are great places for them to shop for the things they want, and good places for you to get the things that they will use for only a brief time. My exchange student needed winter jackets, boots, etc., and she came from a hot country so she would only need these things during her exchange year.
I have a neighbor that is like a grandmother to me who collects Precious Moments figurines. She absolutely loves her collection. I have found her a few at yard sales and thrift stores. I did not realize that the older ones have a nice value. So, now I look for them for her. She is like a child at Christmas when I give them to her.
While shopping at the goodwill on my birthday, omg I found the largest all clad roasting pan for $10.00!! I was in shock as I could tell it was hardly used and in perfect condition. Happy birthday to me!!
I rarely read comments but I was so drawn to of all the exciting finds. I’m not an avid thrifter but I’d like to be. I’m a stay at home mom of surprise triplets so used but quality items really grab my attention. With the kids being little it’s hard to get in to the stores to look around as often. So instead I use Craigslist and similar apps. They’re especially great for kids stuff and furniture. What an age for thrifting! Thank you for the article. I’m inspired to be on the lookout for old kitchenware.
Congrats on your triplets–you are SUPERMOM!
Oh to have been a better thrifter when my 3 sons were little–hard to believe Borders could go out of biz with me as a customer! 🙂
I buy blue jeans at the thrift store. Since I ride and take care of horses, I see no reason to pay $30 to muck out paddocks! I’ve also had better luck finding tall sizes there’s.
I totally agree with your list I do find it hard to find undamaged cutting boards and we never have cast iron pans. I find alot of cast iron frying pans and pots and garage sales.
Kijiji and facebook marketplace are good sometimes
Cutting boards? Hell no. Bacteria gets in the wood and bleaching wood you eat off of does not seem like a good idea.
5 items to not buy at a thrift shop?
1. Used underwear.
2. Shoes. (Feet need special care and buying old and used shoes don’t help).
3. Mattresses (while i dont buy into that 8 year ad campaign but there may be some truth to it. Pee stains? Bed bugs? I know they disinfect them but do i REALLY want to trust that? Uhm, no)
4. Software, computer items. Usually way outdated and barely work on win 98 systems.
5. Broken Dollar Store items. Seriously? WHY do they keep broken dollar store itms on the shelf?
I don’t think I’d buy a wooden cutting board from a thrift store either, nor would I clean mine with bleach – very bad stuff!
However, I DO clean my board with hydrogen peroxide. I lay a white towel or some paper towels on the board, pour on enough peroxide to make the towel wet and let it sit for ten minutes or so. I remove the towel, wring it out and set aside. Then I use a blunt instrument such as an old metal or hard plastic spatula or even an expired bank card to scrape off the layer of “gunk” that the peroxide has loosened. You’d be amazed what scrapes up! Then I wipe it with the towel and leave it to dry. The end result is a clean, smooth and odorless board. I’ve been doing this for many years and had no problems. Peroxide is safe and harmless to both people and the environment. I often clean up my countertops with it after handling uncooked meet. And if someone in the house is sick, I wipe down various surfaces with it too (doorknobs, spigot handles, and such as well as countertops). It helps prevent the spread of germs and is very inexpensive.
I found a Cutco Chef knive for 60 cents. I own a set, so I knew what it was.
Please be very careful when purchasing vintage items due to lead! If you are curious read here for some tips…http://tamararubin.com/category/leaded-pyrex/
What an enjoyable post! I too love garage sales and thrift stores. My latest obsession is souvenir dinner plates. I have them from several different states, world’s fairs, and national parks. I’m furnishing a vacation home, and my mismatched plates are so cute and unique. I pay about $1 each when I find them. I avoid those with metallic trim as they’re not microwave safe.
I love this!! We found a pyrex glass bunt pan for $1 at the flea market!! It is neat/different looking and I love finding good finds like this. My Kitchen wall is decorated with all our cast iron we use. (My husband can not pass it up!!) Huge, little, even spoons/forks. Hubby went to the next door neighbors and SCORED with a HUGE cast iron dutch oven with lod for $10!! It needs reseasoning but is great! I just inherited myfamily farm that my great grandparents raised 15 children in. I am excited to what I will find! I found 3 cast iron pans so far and a few glass milk jugs. Down in the holler I found OLD peanut butter jars i brought home and made drinking glasses. I LOVE it!!!
I love the things I have from my grandparents. Some I use all the time. We have found some antique glass bottles, some are soda bottles, in the holler behind an old house next to us. I have large blue Mason jars that were my great-grandmother’s. The old things make my heart happy. ?
Can’t believe that my drawerfuls of Corning ware, that I got as wedding presents) are now considered “vintage”! Don’t have much luck with our Goodwills, mostly new cheap junk, but our Salvation Army stores have the real bargains. The best one I’ve been in was when I was visiting Stavanger, Norway. Loaded with beautiful handknitted Norwegian sweaters (retail-400+), linens, German & italian wools, etc. All my souvenirs came from there, packed in compression bags. Everything cleaned up beautifully. My money went to a good cause and brought home beautiful things and good prices.
Lots of good tips here!
I am currently in Stavanger for a couple weeks! Do you remember the name of the thrift store or where it was located?
French Canadian girl, here (Montreal); one of my best find was a huge bean bag for 15$ (value is at least 100$), and also some awesome Sorel winter boots for 20$.
I’m always looking for clothes for my 4 years old daughter at our local Renaissance (a branch of Goodwill, I guess, since they use their logo), and even though she actually wears 4T, I have a box full of 5, one full of 6, one full of 7+!! I can’t pass a good find (Renaissance prices items by size for kids, from 2-4$, up to 12Y, brand doesn’t matter!): Zara, Mexx, Souris Mini, Levi’s, H&M, Guess… She wears almost all «used» clothes, as well as shoes. I don’t really know how I do it, but I have an eye for brands, even before looking at the tag!
My boyfriend loves board games, so I try to find old ones that he used to play as a kid. Some toys are worth it (Corolle dolls, My Little Pony…), as they can get pricy when bought new.
Some clothes or bedsheets/ curtains/ tableclothI buy for the fabric, and make new items or costumes out of them.
Wow, Sorel boots for $20! That’s quite a score.
Born & raised in the south, we are used to being jabbed at or should be. Many are surprised we wear shoes much less read blogs or have internet access. I’m familiar with Lenox but it never appealed to me. Prefer Waterford. Some of the nicest people I’ve known are damn Yankees and southern hospitality only applies if you’re from the south in some parts. Regardless I love a deal and think people need to be more respectful and less sensitive all the way around. Interesting reading though. God bless all of y’all!
I have loved thrift stores and yard/rummage sales all my life. Right now my favorite used items are picture frames with mats inside. I take out the picture, wash the glass and reuse them to frame my own art work. If I bought new frames I would have to charge more for my art work. I also wear aprons because I’m messy and get new ones at thrift stores. Buy lots of books I use for art ideas from flowers to landscapes.
Some people need booze or drugs to get high, I just need a couple hours in a thrift store and I am “flying high”.
Tina from Kansas and Iowa
I buy sheets for .98 to 1.98 to use as drop clothes! I use them when I’m refinishing all the great furniture I find there. One of my best finds was an original Le Creuset 3″ deep fry pan for $1.98!! WOW!
Loved your post. My find was an old oil panting with a baroque style frame . Five dollars!
I too have a “system”for browsing .i truly get zoned out.
The main thing I CANNOT not buy is Guardian Service. My mother had just three of the trip-corner pans while I was growing up. I did not understand how great they were until my mother-in-law gave me the roasting pan. I fell in love with it! They are the most amazing cookware. My only problem is I honestly own too much of it but I still buy it.
Yes, ive purchased the above plus older furniture. I think its much better made than the new cheap furniture of today. Frames are more unique and way cheaper.
I have to mention when someone says, “bless your heart” in conversation that is not pleasant, it is NOT a compliment…Google it.
Well, hello fellow treasure hunter! I’ve been swapmeeting, garage saling, and thrift storing since I can remember! I love it, love it, love it! You truly do find some beautiful old things. Meat grinders, carnival glass (not so much any more) glass grape clusters, atomic furniture (also not so much now) fabric, fabric, fabric! Craft items and stainless steel bowls and silverware are abundant out there! Towels, which I recycle to make dish towels. The list is endless! I hope heaven has a thrift store!
I have my mother’s old RevereWare pots and pans. They’re stainless steel with copper bottoms, at least as old as I am (I’m 67) and in near-perfect condition (unlike me!) You can scrub them with anything and not ruin them. The copper bottoms still clean up beautifully. I use them regularly and would never part with them. As others have said, some of the old stuff is much better than the new.
I love old RevereWare! You’re right, the new stuff – even really fancy, expensive cookware – just isn’t the same.
Subscribe me to this blog please.
I did not have time to read all of the messages. They were a lot of fun to read. I am 65. My mother said to always test the pottery – bowls etc, for lead. They make a little stick device and it works wonders. A lot of old pottery had lead in the clay. There are some foreign countries that still use it. I love pottery, but I always test it!
Your mom was smart! I think it’s worth doing this with dishes from the Dollar Tree as well. I never quite trust those.
I’m enjoying reading about all the treasures found at thrift stores. It’s such a thrill when you find one! I have lots of acquaintances who love thrifting but some people I’ve encountered have the strangest ideas of what thrift shopping is. I once showed off a pair of $5 Bass loafers to a coworker and her jaw dropped. She couldn’t believe I got them at a thrift store. Do they think it’s dumpster diving?!? 😀
I am a concert pianist and need formal black dresses……and find wonderful dresses at my local thrift stores…….at a fraction of the cost of new ones……many have never been worn…or maybe only once…….
My best find was way back in 2004 when I found a very nice, practically new espresso machine for $5!!! However priced it obviously didn’t know what they had. When I looked it up later it was worth over $400 back then. I was ecstatic & used it for many years to make my home-made mochas. It was really rare back then to have a portable espresso machine.
My kids grew up wearing nice looking second hand clothes. My daughter, who’s 18, still enjoys the hunt for clothes that are cute or can be altered for her petite size. Thanks for this column. It & the majority of its comments, were great to read!
good to see another like minded person. i loved my corning ware bowls, but now down to only one
the other item you may find useful, as i do is the splade. i was given a set for my first wedding along
with the bowls and over the years they have been lost or just disappeared. however, now i am well
into my sixties and have the shakes, i find using a splade (fork / spoon like utensil) a blessing, at least
i can get the peas to my mouth now.
stay safe everyone
My finds are Coach purses in near perfect or perfect condition. I just let 2 huge ones go to a consignment shop that I paid $20 a piece for. They were valued at about $450-500 a piece!!! The other Coach purses that I have are smaller, but are in almost perfect condition and I paid less than $20 a piece for them!!! They are $300 a piece brand new!! I found one on base at the thrift shop that was only $10!!! My wallet I got for free from a good friend who knows I love Coach.
The things I find a lot are yards of fabric, nice shoes, brand new games, and sometimes DVD movies!
I have made many things from the fabric I have found. A couple days ago I found a ton of different fabrics that I will be using to make pioneer skirts and aprons and bonnets.
I found a pair of brand new Birkenstocks and Sanuk sandals. Even Asics running shoes.
I have found games like Settlers of Catan, Qwirkle, Telestrations, Ticket to Ride in brand new condition.
One day I found almost all of the seasons of Psych and the whole series of Full House!
Thrifting is way too much fun!!
My son goes for the books! Still working on my daughter!?
A couple of years ago I walked into our Goodwill store just to look around. The employee had a cart full of items she was putting out. You know the large zippered, clear vinyl bags that a full size comforter set comes in? She had two of those in her cart stuffed full of yarn. The yarn was packed in tightly! For $5! I saw the price tag on one skein and it said $12.49. As there was so much yarn, I only grabbed one (What was I thinking?) When I got home, I poured it all out on the floor. There were a number of skeins of yarn marked $44.79, $34.99, etc. ALL totaled it came to over $1400 worth of high quality specialty yarn! I love to do weaving so this was a huge boost to my stash. Still kicking myself for not grabbing the second bag, too. HA!
I always check out luggage for lightly worm duffel bags for storing camping gear and college age kids moving stuff. I have found great REI duffles for less than $5.00. I also pick up antique glass candy dishes that I fill with candy and give as gifts.
Pampered Chef baking stones. I buy them whenever I see them at thrift stores. Great prices and are awesome to bake with!
My best find was a 10 x 12 ft hand tied silk rug for $30! No idea of the original cost but it’s beautiful in my bedroom and feels incredible to the bare feet! I couldn’t buy a brand new low quality rug for three or four times that!
Well, I was really enjoying the thrift store blog until someone made an innocent comment about Lenox in a southern store and it seems the comment stirred up too many emotions about being from the south. I too am from the south and didn’t take offense at all….lighten up!
So much fun reading about the great finds. I look for older Pyrex items. I have a Pyrex baking dish – a little smaller than a 9×13 – probably an 8×10? It was my mom’s and I’ve used it for years. She had it as long as I can remember – she passed in 1965 and it was a clowdy finish then – I’m 74 and so it has to be about my age – maybe 70. I’ll pass it along to a family member someday but I still use it a lot. Just picked up a casserole dish – sort of straight sided, glass Pyrex about 3 or 4″ deep – probably holds 3-4 qts. It’s one of the older ones – got it for $2. at a thrift shop! Yay – score! LOL Thanks everyone for the great ideas of what to look for.
I’ve had lots of vintage dishwater from my grandmother, but as for using it, a lot from the 30s have lead in them. I’ve had Harlequin, Depression glass, Fiesta, etc. As for selling, if you sell locally, the market for these is really depressed. I’ve sold thru Facebook, Craigslist, not eBay. Values in these markets are lower than people charge online in vintage collections. The difference is that you don’t wait forever fro make a sale like you might thru Etsy.
My thrift store obsession is leather accessories and purses. Since I live in an area that has a leather working school, I can often find student leather projects and accessories that are better than most high end leather bags at a fraction of the cost.
Wow, I bet you’ve made some great finds!
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Try to find LODGE cast iron pans and bakeware. A chef sent a letter to lodge. He told them that he uses a lodge skillet in his work kitchen. It’s been used by his family for ONE HUNDRED YEARS.
I love my Lodge skillet! I wasn’t lucky enough to find it in a thrift store, though:)
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