No Estate Sales!

It's time again for Metamorphosis Monday and Thrifty Treasures! Please join our hostesses for the respective events: Susan of Between Naps on the Porch and Rhoda of Southern Hospitality. Please take time to leave appreciative comments for Susan and Rhoda. They both give SO MUCH of themselves to educate and entertain us week after week! Let's visit as many of the participants as we possibly can!
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There were no estate sales in my area this weekend … none!

So … what’s a bargain-addicted boy to do?

Hit the local thrift and junk stores of course!
I’ve purchased some of my favorite things at local Goodwill stores. It pays to go often, keep an open mind, know how to identify items you collect, and pay attention to what’s on sale. It’s also a good idea to visit antique shops and malls to get an idea of typical prices (and to do searches on eBay and Replacements.com for the same reason). Then if you see something you need or want, in good condition, and for a fair price … you’ll know to purchase it without hesitation!

What do these items have to do with each other? Not so much actually. They’re sort of a “best values” still life. The sherbets cost 25 cents each … and they’re vintage Heisey crystal from the 1950’s. The pattern is “Tempo.” They match some water glasses I picked up at a recent estate sale. The small sauce/gravy boat is also a vintage item, made by Homer Laughlin. I collect restaurant-style ironstone, and this will blend in perfectly. It cost 50 cents at Goodwill. The “Tempo” sherbets came from a wonderful local junk store that carries merchandise purchased from storage auctions. You can read about those in THIS POST. The owner threw in the vintage damask cocktail napkin and the rolling pin ( FREE is good!). I used a similar one while making homemade buttermilk biscuits this morning. This one’s slightly larger. You can’t have too many rolling pins, right?

Here’s an overview of what I purchased for a total of just $25:

Popcorn and a movie!!!

The DVDs were $2 each. The Sheridan silverplated julep cups each cost 50 cents. The hand-crocheted afgan, the plastic popcorn boxes, the cocktail shaker (with a jingle bell in the lid --- FUN!), the ceramic lidded pie plate, eleven vintage Salem China platinum-rimmed white bowls, and the tall champagne flutes totaled $6.

At thrift/"junk" stores, I often ask if it’s OK to start a pile of items I want and then, when it’s time to check out, ask the total price for everything. It seems to work better that way. Generally, if it’s a privately-owned shop, the more items you buy, the better the prices will be. If you’re a regular customer, shopkeepers know they’ll keep you coming back if they offer you the best possible deals.

The two hardcover books were 50 cents each. An extra pair of pliers is always a good thing to have around. I don’t usually look at shoes at thrift stores, but I noticed these classic tassel loafers were by Johnston & Murphy, and the soles were barely scuffed. Yes, I gave them the sniff test, and they smelled like leather (new leather) … which is what I was hoping! The black nylon camera bag, a Mozart CD with companion booklet, two Heisey sherbets, pliers, damask napkin, shoes, and rolling pin totaled $4.50.

From Goodwill: Vintage aluminum casserole dish with lid, $2.49; vintage crystal sherbet, 25 cents; tall wine glass, 99 cents; low wine glass, 49 cents; “Claudia” crystal water glass with diamond ball stem, 49 cents; Homer Laughlin sauce boat, 50 cents; silverplated napkin rings (new in box), 99 cents.

I have a set of “Claudia” water glasses. They were made in Eastern Europe and are discontinued. It’s always nice to have a spare in case of breakage!

The M. C. Escher art book was 25 cents at a different charity thrift shop. The cocktail shaker still had the Pier 1 price tag on the bottom … $15!

I’ve watched two of the three films, and enjoyed them both. At $2 each, it’s cheaper than a rental!

I polished one of the julep cups for you (using Wright’s silver cream, of course!) so you could see how nicely they’d shine … and with very little effort! They’re all engraved with a cursive “B!” How perfect is that? Silversuperstore.com offers a set of 4 Sheridan mint julep cups for $49.95 (suggested retail, $80), and charges $34.95 to engrave 4 cups. I think I did OK with 4 B-cups for $2 … do you?
Here’s a closer view:

I collect vintage aluminum items. I’ll show you some of them in an upcoming tablescape.

The casserole dish (dirty, but in great overall condition):

Here’s a closer look at the bowls. Often, a standard place setting of china doesn’t include a soup/salad bowl. Buying them separately to match your pattern can be expensive! Extra bowls come in handy for serving first courses or desserts. With the white-on-white scroll pattern, these should mix-and-match nicely with other white dishes (with or without platinum rims).

Another overview:
I included this image primarily because I thought the unintentional capture of the plates’ reflection in the glass door of the china cabinet (upper left) and the shadows of the wine glasses looked interesting.

Are you ready for the “Metamorphosis?” In the final pictures, you’ll see the aluminum casserole dish, the julep cups, and the Heisey sherbets polished, cleaned, and ready to use. I’ll add a glass insert when using the casserole. Did you know Wright’s silver cream works great on aluminum? It had some discolored areas (and something that appeared burned on) … and it polished up beautifully!





Well, those are my thrifty finds for this week. Tell me about yours?

Of the items I showed you, which did you like best? What was the best overall value?