Posted by I love watching YouTube videos of resellers when they are out and about thrifting and antiquing. And while some stores they visit are a bust, more than not, these sellers manage to find lots of goodies. Tons. And it’s fun living vicariously through them because, frankly, I’m not buying as much these days. While I don’t do videos, I thought you might enjoy seeing the things I turn down (and why) and what I did buy recently at my neighborhood thrift store.
Barware tends to do well for me so I was tempted by these vintage silver-plated metal wine glasses but they were priced at $6.00 each or $48 for the lot of eight–which is a bit pricey for a reseller! Plus the amount of time and effort needed to polish these to an acceptable level for listing photos would be tedious and costly. (I use Weiman’s Silver Wipes which cost 50 cents a wipe! That’s $4 extra dollars if I only use one wipe per goblet.) PLUS there are a lot for sale online. And lastly I have a nice set of four in my store now that have lingered forever! So everything pointed to leaving these behind sadly.
This 1950s made-in-Japan ceramic nursery planter ($4+) was cute but has never been the type of thing I sell or personally decorate with. Kitsch is not for me. And honestly it’s likely only worth about $10 to $15. So no.
There was an interesting group of hand-painted Japanese tea cups, but I have found tea cups in general to be a hard sell right now. Are they selling for you?
I love crystal items and this rose bowl was heavy and nicely cut, really beautiful in a fresh modern way, but unsigned. (Likely newer and Polish. Priced at $8+) I came back to it twice but in the end I didn’t buy it. If it had been signed Waterford or similar I would have, but unsigned it’s a harder sell.
These vintage Chinese souvenir terracotta warrior figures ($8+) were in my cart for a split second. A Google Lens search showed other folks had them listed online from $250 (!) to $20 for this same set. (On Amazon they sell for $27.99.) And there were a lot for sale online. Gobs! In the end they went back on the shelf.
Back at home I dug into the solds on Ebay and found these terracotta figures do sell, but not for much. Recently they sold for $13 and $14.
I love 1800s engravings and was super excited about this one by Thomas Shotter Boys (1803–1874) titled “Hyde Park Near Grosvenor Gate”. But I had a couple of problems with it. One the frame was much newer, cheaply made (thin cardboard backing) and did the print no favors. Two it looked authentic with the naked eye but I didn’t have my loupe with me to help me verify its age. Three it was a generous size. (Not easy to ship.) And lastly it was $15. Now if the frame had been old and good, I would have bought it. If I had wanted the engraving for myself I would have snapped it up. If it would have been cheaper it would have stayed in my cart. This was hardest one to leave behind. Would you have bought it?
This huge carved teak medallion (24″ diameter) was stunning. From the back you could see that one small piece had been glued back in place but the repair was not noticeable from the front. Online listing prices for similar pieces varied from $200 to $300 and this was priced around $20. For a hot minute I considered buying it, but then came to my senses. Shipping would be a nightmare!! If I had an antique booth, I would have grabbed it in a second.
This hammered brass compote (for $5.20) was heavy and had a fresh, contemporary feel but I saw it had finish issues and then I realized it might not be solid brass, but was likely metal with a brass finish. Alrighty then. Not the quality I want so I left it behind.
What I Did Buy Recently
I rather liked this small, hand-made (signed) ceramic pot hand-carved with naive dancing figures all around it. I am buying less pottery these days because it hasn’t been selling as well for me, but this piece ticked the quirky box and I think should find a home.
I am not a figurine gal at all, but this hand-painted ceramic cat by Jenny Winstanley was rather special and her work is ever so collectible. Winstanley produced a variety of cat figurines starting in 1958 and though Jenny has passed, her son continues the family business. The figurines are in sizes from 1 to 8 with 8 being life size. Mine is a 3 and 10″ long.
But my hands-down favorite recent find was this huge solid brass candleholder (likely from India) with delicate etching. This was just incredible, but it was also 26.5″ tall. Oh jeez. Shipping again would be problematic likely requiring construction of a frankenbox–and I am so over doing that. But then I discovered it unscrewed into two pieces. Perfect! I quick snatched it up.
It is quite tarnished and has a few specks of paint on the base and wax inside and I debated whether to polish it or not. (I have smaller brass candlesticks that I use and personally I prefer a darker patina.) Restoring it to a high shine would require the purchase of a non-abrasive brass polish and several hours of work so in the end I’ve decided against that. It is a good thing just as it is and obviously a new owner could choose to polish it themselves.
Total paid for all: $18.48.
So even at my small neighborhood thrift store some interesting items still appear on the shelves, though not all are priced with “meat on the bone” or are easily shippable things. I will never have the big hauls my favorite YouTubers do but enjoy finding a few things now and then.
Wishing you happy hunting.
Hunting for Vintage 