Unexpected Finds at Posh Thrift Stores

Let me preface this by saying my sourcing this past week has been dismal. It happens. Some weeks you just don’t find much to buy. Well, yesterday after my eldest daughter treated me to breakfast and a good natter, I wandered a few blocks over to my favorite boutique thrift stores. Not that I buy much in either store ever, still they have really good stuff and sometimes you can find a deal.

At the first store, American Cancer Discovery, I bought an old heavy metal flower frog. Not a genre I’ve dealt in much but I was intrigued because this one was signed!

Back at home I found out that Shuko Kobayashi (? – 2001) was “a painter and sculptor as well as an Ikebana master teacher at the Sogetsu school in San Francisco.” This school opened in 1973. I’m guessing this belonged to him and he etched it with his name as any one might do with their tools.

Here’s his signature on a large-scale sculpture dating to the 1960s. The signatures are different in places, but I’m guessing he took more time with the sculpture and did a quick etching with frog.

Okay now…brace yourselves…this is a Chris Efstratis clay face. My husband thought I was crazy buying it, but dang, I think it’s a bit of bizarre fabulousness. Obviously not to everyone’s taste (and I think the store was relieved to see it sell!), but I’ll find a home for this.

Chris’s mugs and such start at $65 with larger sculptures in the thousands.

But my most expensive purchase this day was this fabulous enamel necklace likely from the Egyptian Revival period (1920s/30s). It is so finely done and the enamel is in excellent condition. Within two minutes of stepping inside the Junior League store I had them set it aside for me.

Later a customer checking out saw it by the cash register. The sales clerk said it was already taken by me. And the other customer, who was absolutely swooning over it, turned to me and said “You got the best thing in the store.” Then she went on and on sharing how much she loved all things Egyptian and her husband even joked “cat fight” while looking at both of us. And it finally dawned on me that perhaps she was hoping I would let her buy it. Well, that’s a no. Ironically we both ended up at Trader Joe’s afterwards where the husband and I almost ran into each other rounding a corner and he said “You again!”

Well, the necklace is pretty spectacular. This is a partial mark on it that I haven’t figured out yet. I suspect the metal is likely 800 silver but will test.

Here’s one for sale with similar elements…

Total paid for all three: $94 (without tax). So I paid up, though most of it is for the necklace.

Yesterday reminded me why I love this business and why I love cherry picking items. There really is thrill in the hunt.

Wishing you happy hunting,

Karen