Staying Calm on Black Friday

I’ve never been one to do in-store shopping on Black Friday. I know some folks love the excitement of the crowds, the deals and the general mayhem, but it’s never been my thing. Still today I decided to head over to my neighborhood thrift store for their Black Friday sale where a small group of us waited for the doors to open. Thankfully, because the store is so small, they were limiting the number of shoppers to 32 at any one time which I appreciated and I found that most of us were keen on social distancing.

My mantra these days is “quality over quantity” and I kept that thought running through my head as I wandered around the store. (It’s too easy to get carried away buying low-priced, low-value things which, for me, just aren’t worth the effort to list and ship.)

What I Didn’t Buy

I spotted a few pieces of metal Judaica, but I wasn’t overwhelmed by the quality of the pieces or the designs, which was too bad as I appreciate Judaica.

I wanted to buy this small Waterford crystal ashtray, but it was priced at $19 and even with 35% off not worth it. (I would have bought it a $5 and under.)

I also said “no” to this handmade “just for decoration” ceramic teapot. It was dated 1978 and signed (Suzanne Poulsen, if I remember correctly) but I found the overall design confusing. You have the shamrocks, the applied yellow flower petals, decorative holes punched throughout and it’s topped with a brown owl that didn’t seem to go with it.

It was quirky, but I didn’t feel in the right way. For all I know this may be worth $$$, but I was happy to pass it up.

What I Bought on Black Friday

I really liked this fabulous hand-painted Talavera pottery serving tray by Hernandez of Puebla, Mexico.

Since the 16th century, Mexican craftsmen have been producing Talavera pottery. This art form has evolved from ancient cultures and influenced the production of pottery in Mexico…True, certified Talavera pottery is produced in the city of Puebla, in the state of Puebla, Mexico however, high-quality, modern Talavera pottery is also available from factories in other Mexican districts such as Dolores Hidalgo and Guanajuato. Talavera is a type of majolica earthenware that is fired at extremely high temperatures producing a very durable product.

Talavera.com

I also found these three wonderful glass ornaments scattered loose on a shelf with other Christmas stuff. I knew these were good so I nabbed all of them. At home I spent over an hour trying to find the maker. Eventually I got it! Turns out they are Kurt Adler Polonaise (handcrafted in Poland) from the 1990s Cinderella collection (fairy godmother, prince and Cinderella). The series also includes a glass slipper, a pumpkin coach and a coachman mouse.

These charming Italian florentine plaques were hiding on a bottom shelf tucked behind other items. Honestly I walked past them three times without seeing them! Finally I spotted an edge of the wood that intrigued me and pulled them out. I love this kind of thing with Old World appeal.

So in all just six things which came to a total of $19.57 and I was happy with everything.

What Arrived on Black Friday

As a wonderful bonus, three mid-century miniature paintings I bought from an eBay seller arrived. Even though I negotiated for these, with shipping and tax I know I paid more than I should have as a reseller. They are signed “V. Weley” about whom little is known. One source states he is Dutch. Regardless he was quite prolific in the 1950s-1960s and these still-life miniatures are not hard to find.

Still they have a naive charm in their simplicity and diminutive size. Might keep these for a while!

In Conclusion

I hope your Black Friday was delightful too. For me it’s always exciting to find a few good things.

Happy (and safe) hunting,

Karen