Antique store finds & a Pyrex rant

Yesterday was frustrating. I came home with some good pieces of Pyrex but I paid top dollar for them, and spent the car ride home feeling frustrated and sad instead of happy. I'm just not adjusting to how popular Pyrex has become and how eager the dealers are to skin every last penny out of each piece they turn up with.

At this particular store, not even a year ago I was buying small pieces for between $ 4-8 dollars. Then they started marking the same small pieces $ 12-15. I was still hanging in there at those prices. But yesterday, this same store had almost every piece marked $ 25-30.

Bottom line is - I can't afford that. And if walking through antique stores is going to make me cry, I'm going to stop going.

(Yes, I'm going to go full-blown-tantrum here. It's my blog and I can cry if I want to. lol)

And I blew my entire fun-money budget in one place on 3 pieces. That budget, meager as it is, is what I'm supposed to have to spend over the course of two weeks for every thrift store and antique store I walk in to. Not blow it on 3 pieces the first time I leave the house.

Oh, and speaking of tantrum, did I mention that I saw more pink Pyrex yesterday alone that I've seen spread out of the entire time I've been collecting? One store had several high priced and not the greatest condition pieces of Pink Gooseberry, all of it between twenty and thirty dollars a piece.

Pass. But I sure did sulk about it.

Another store had solid pink & Pink Daisy. I bought the one solid pink mixing bowl they had and left the rest. 

This black Tulip promotional piece is a duplicate for me, but I'm sentimental about the one I have. My husband bought it for me when I first started collecting. So now I have one to keep in my users cabinet.

Finally, this is the one thing I thought I got a deal on. And I guess you could say it's my first Pyrex that is in its original box. It was 8 dollars. Everything is intact including the heat spreader grid in the original sleeve with usage instructions. This is a six cup model.

I have never used a percolator. I'm scared to use it. But I also really want to try it out. I've wanted to try a Pyrex perc since I found the body (but no guts) to the 9 cup model. I also have a Flamewear teapot and tea kettle that have never seen use in my house.

I love everything I bought, and I'm glad to have it. I've just hit a point where I'm having to really evaluate each purchase in a way I've never had to before and I don't like it. Simple as that. It's going to be a while before I develop thick enough skin that I can hold my enthusiasm back when I see a piece until I see the price tag.

I definitely feel like I'm staring down the same collector's dilemma that many others have faced over the years. At what point of the bubble do you just basically stop buying because the prices have clocked up over what you think the item is worth to you to have it?

Hope you are finding better deals than I am!

Happy Thrifting!

Pretty pink on a blue day

My finds yesterday, on a rainy day.

The Pink Gooseberry Pyrex Cinderella bowl is a duplicate for me, and an antique store purchase at 12 dollars. It came from the booth of one of my all-time favorite dealers, so I didn't mind paying the antique store price for it. :-)

And I have a story to tell about the pink gooseberry casserole!

I saw a thrift store employee walking by with the dish in his hands. I really don't recall exactly what I said or did to get his attention. (I think I went a little instinctual at that moment, lol!)

He asked me if I wanted to buy the dish (um....let me think about that. For like....GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME).

Then he was like, you want the lid that goes with that? And I'm like.....compose yourself girl. Stop drooling, tell the nice man in coherent words and phrases that yes, indeed, you would like the lid that goes with it.

He goes back to the back to price it. I stand around pretending not to pee myself with happiness.

And just before he hands me the dish and lets me see how he's priced it, he says something like "That'll be $150,000."

And on some level, my brain is going...uh, that's what I'm afraid of!

But no. The sticker says $1.50

Oh Happy Day! Cheap Pyrex at the thrift? And it's Pink Gooseberry?! So much love!

And I had to include a picture of this ornament I picked up yesterday at Hobby Lobby. Of the 4 they had, this one was only one of two that had the bowl part still intact. I almost bought the other one too, but the beater part was bent and I wasn't confident I could unbend them without breaking them.

Hope you're finding thrifty treats and treasures!

Happy Thrifting!

Today's pretties

 

A few cool thrift finds today. Persimmon Fiesta mug to add to my brand new mug tree I just bought Wednesday. Vintage crinkle cut potato slicer for 59 cents. Cool pink aluminum Frigidaire ice cube tray, missing a section, but I still couldn't pass it up. I'd never seen pink before. It was 99 cents.

And ah-mazingly, I found pink Pyrex. I had this divided dish about two years ago, but I gave it to my mom, who loves pink Pyrex. It was 3.99. I really couldn't believe how cheap it was. It's in great shape, but I had to soak the nonsense out of it to remove a ridiculously impossible sticker from it. Like a Dymo label from 40 years ago. I soaked, Goo-Gone'd it, the works. Only repeated soaking and my pitiful fingernails did a thing to budge it. Sometimes you really have to work for good Pyrex!

The Butterprint casserole was an antique store purchase, but I had to have it because it completes my Butterprint turquoise on white version 470 set!

 The only Butterprint I'm missing now is the turquoise on white Cinderella mixing bowl set.

And finally, seasonal Pyrex. The Autumn Harvest Cinderella bowl was almost not bought. The shine has been dishwashed straight off the finish and there are utensil marks inside that BKF just won't phase. And did I mention it was expensive? Oh well. Addictions are brutal things. They make you hang out in Goodwill Boutique stores with insane pricers, just waiting for them to throw you an overpriced, dishwashed Pyrex bowl in a pattern you don't even like much, and by Josh, you'll buy it.

And finally, finally: the new decorated Pyrex Halloween bowls from this year. This year and last, Target had these bowls. I picked these up to use, but if there are any left I'll probably buy one more of each pattern. Because I'm a junky.

That's all folks!

Hope you are finding great things this weekend!

Happy Thrifting!

Anniversary goodness

Yesterday was mine & my husband's 8th wedding anniversary. (Happy Anniversary, honey!) We celebrated by going to a new-to-us area that had a reputation for being ripe with antique stores - which it was. But as a happy surprise, there were a lot of thrift stores we stopped at, too. Best of both worlds!

First up, Pyrex. Sadly there are no real bargains here. They're all splurges. Pyrex prices around me have gone nutsy-kookoo-cocoa-puffs. I bought the least koo-koo priced pieces of what I wanted and sadly left the rest behind. The heartbreakers of the day for me was a chipped, dishwashed-to-death turquoise baker priced at 15 bucks, and a small turquoise mixing bowl (a 402) for the hold-on-to-your-hats price of 48 dollars.

Four-tee-eight dollars. Pyrex, meet Jade-ite. Jade-ite, meet Pyrex. You two have now traded places.

Sometimes I do more of a happy dance for a spare lid than complete piece!

But I did find spare lids at various thrifts for bargain prices. These guys all ranged from 50 cents to a dollar so I was a happy camper.

Favorites of the day are the two blue-patterned Corning petite pans

And speaking of lids, I ended up picking up a few brand new plastic Petite Pan lids at the Corningware store. Now all my vintage petite pans have snazzy new lids! Just wish they'd had a few of the glass ones in stock. The Corningware teapot, cradle and two glass lids were all thrift store finds.

Fiesta rice bowls (a Dillard's exclusive) & vintage Carnival teacups

Fiesta & other HLC finds, old and new. The jadite-colored Seamist Fiesta cup rack was a 1990's accessory item. The teapot on the top of the rack is chipped, but it was a 1 dollar find at a junkers shop we found along the route. I found a few more 1 dollar items there including 2 Pyrex 503 refrigerator dish lids.

That's also where I got these two melmac guys here. Neither are marked. The harvest gold refrigerator dish is in the style of Lustro ware, but probably isn't. The confetti bowl is shaped just like a Texas Ware bowl I have, but it is unmarked as well. I was really happy to find a confetti piece for a dollar!

This Anchor Hocking Vitrock is the Oyster & Pearl pattern. Thought it would make a lovely go-along to my leaf & blossom Lotus snack sets in some of the same fired-on colors. It was only 8 dollars for the trio.

And finally, a hodge-podge of plates - all of which add to pattern I collect (yes, I'm dish-crazy! :-)

Starting at high noon is a Pyrex dinnerware salad plate. At 3 o'clock is a Petal platter in a lovely blue shade. Bottom plate is Hazel Atlas Ripple salad plate. My husband spotted that one. He's always so pleased when he spots something I think is cool. And I think it's cool that I have a husband who cares!

And finally, the large pink charger is MacBeth-Evans Depression Glass in the American Sweetheart pattern. I have one of these already, but it has a bad spot on it, so it's nice to have another one. It was at another side-of-the-road sell-a-bit-of-everything stores. I considered it a bargain at 5 dollars.

Fun day, very nice trip. The weather was nice and cool and it made for an enjoyable trip overall.

Hope you're finding great things this weekend!

Happy Thrifting!

Retro Workout with Richard Simmons

As you can see, I've amassed quite the little Richard Simmons workout video selection. I've even got an LP, Reach, that I couldn't manage to find for this photo, that has gotten itself buried in my husband's no-discernible-order record collection. I've picked them up for .49 cents or less at various thrift stores, mostly Goodwill.

And before you ask, no, I've not done them or listened to them all. Not even close.

The toning videos require toning bands that I don't have yet, so I haven't given them a spin at all.

I've also discovered that Richard plus Latin music a/o Broadway tunes are a No for me. lol!

Blast off! is my go-to retro Richard Simmons workout video.

But this video here, Blast Off!, is my favorite video. I try to do this one early in my day right after I'm done with coffee. Making it a part of my morning routine helps me make sure I've done at least some exercise that day.

The hook is totally right when it says "Your 20-minute energizing workout video". I really do feel energized after doing it. And clocking in at 20 minutes, it's definitely the shortest of the videos I've done.

It's not a part of the Sweatin' to the Oldies series, so the music isn't what I would think of as hit/popular/known. The songs may be original to the video, I don't know for sure. But I still actually rather enjoy the music. It's the kind of positive-message 'you can do it' stuff that I would typically classify myself as far too (cynical? judgmental? jerky?) to enjoy. But I do. I really do.

What can I say? When Richard Simmons looks me in the eye and tells me "You shined today" I believe him. I believe him with all my ever-cynical little heart :-)

I think it's unfortunate that this video is only available on VHS on the secondary market. A lot of folks I know just don't have VCR's anymore. I'd whole-heartedly recommend it for anyone who wants a good go-to workout video that practically anyone, young or old, fit or not, can just jump right into. I love it so much, I bought a second copy for in case my first one breaks. And if I find more copies, I'd buy them too, to give to people.

I've been thinking about doing a general review of the different videos as I do them, basically just giving information on how long they are, general difficulty, whether they require special equipment, etc. I just hope that if I do that, I won't run off my vintage kitchen friends!

And for those of you thinking Richard Simmons, why I haven't thought of that guy since the 1980's he's still around - Facebook, Youtube, you name it. This cracks me up.

Blessed and Lucky

All thrifted. Amazing.

Get out! Shut the front door! This much Pyrex at the thrift store? You dreamin' girl!

Actually, this is two days worth & from 6 different thrift stores. The large Town & Country oval casserole & the Verde green round casserole were things my husband spotted for me. He'd gone in to drop off several boxes of donations after work, and course he had to take a look around while he was there. He also found a couple of Corningware pieces that I intend to sell. I could not believe the Pyrex was just $3.99 a piece. I can count the number of times I've found Pyrex at this thrift store on my fingers and toes & it's was more expensive than that. I found my large oval charcoal snowflake casserole there when I very first started collecting, and it was $5.99 even then.

This was all found yesterday. Everything in the picture was thrifted except the Butterprint casserole in the dish drainer. It was an antique store purchase for 9 dollars.

The blue tray on the front left is unmarked Anchor Hocking Vitrock. These were decorated in the same colors as my Lotus sets, and I thought it'd make a nice go-along. It, the 503 fridgie lid, and the Butterfly Gold butter dish were 2 dollars each.

The Butterprint mixing bowls were basically antique store priced, but I was thrilled, thrilled, thrilled to find them. I actually have this set already, but I almost never use them, because I think I'm subconsciously squeamish of using the more expensive/higher demand pieces in my collection. Now that I have these as spares, I'm going to feel free to use them all the time. I can keep a set on display as still have some handy to use - best of both worlds.

The kitchy artwork....oh boy. One of these days I will reveal where all this stuff actually goes. I can't do it without showing the full extent of my Pyrex hoard collection.

And of course I can't post it without making it look the best it can, lest it end up on Pinterest. lol!

Look at these little cry babies! So cute.

And finally, I couldn't take a good picture of this mirror without including myself in it, so here's yet another unflattering shot.

The utensils shelf looks like a project someone made & then decided they didn't like how it turned out. It's got some looseness to it that needs to be fixed before I'd trust putting any weight on the spoon & folk hooks.

I love everything I bought, just wish it was a little easier on the pocketbook sometimes. I don't mean to complain, really I don't. It's just that a lot of the 1 & 2 dollar items came from the same thrift store that used to charge 25 and 50 cents a piece for identical items only a year or so ago. I've only been finding a couple of things at a time, if I'm lucky, so the rise in prices isn't as noticeable or bad. But like yesterday when I was fortunate to find many things I really liked all at the same time, the price increases really do sting. It's the same feeling I get every time I go to the grocery store these days. You get less and less for more and more money.

Still, I feel very fortunate & blessed, and happy with my new lovelies.

Hope you're having great luck & fortunate finds!

Happy Thrifting!