Goodwill, Badwill, Questionable-will

by Katy on October 25, 2016 · 13 comments

My mother and I squeezed a couple of Goodwill trips into yesterday’s Birthday Day of Adventures, and although the thrift stores had some great pieces, the good stuff  had already been sold! Like this groovy midcentury Bassett dresser. I could have flipped this piece on Craigslist in a heartbeat! Although I was driving my Prius, which wouldn’t have exactly accommodated the approximate eight-foot length. But why quibble about details . . .

Bassett dresser

And this vintage Thonet rocking chair. In almost perfect condition and priced at only $19.99! This one is going to haunt me for awhile. Here’s one on eBay for $450.

 Rocker

Of course, there was yet another icky targeted savings bank. I’m not sure what kind of “fund” needs to be started for a potential princess. Probably for a divorce lawyer. Yeah, that’s it.

Princess Fund

What did I buy? This vintage Descoware enameled cast iron saucepan that I snapped up for $6.99. These two pieces were actually in different areas, but I knew they were a single set.

Descoware maple leaf saucepan

In excellent condition, so hopefully I can quickly turn it around on eBay.

pan and lid

No surprise that I bought this set, even though this candle stand had a pretty strong reaction about it!

sad candle stand

Admit it, you’re making this face right now.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”

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{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }

JD October 25, 2016 at 5:34 am

I had to laugh at the candle stand’s expression. Good eye for detail, Katy!
The princess jar is for the girl who wants to attend the University of Georgia and be homecoming queen? I can’t figure out why else the “princess” on top is a bulldog….
It’s too bad you missed out on the furniture. Our local Goodwill has almost no furniture these days, and what they have is often cheap new furniture. What a letdown.
I haven’t thrifted in a couple of weeks. I suppose it’s about time to go again. I really should have gotten a picture of the Jesus statuette, portraying him with frizzy blonde crimped hair, that was there last time I went to Goodwill.

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Bee October 25, 2016 at 6:48 am

Maybe the bulldog is protecting the crown — and the divorce fund? Few young princesses know that life steals your crown eventually. It is better just to abdicate.

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Krystal October 25, 2016 at 7:08 am

I would have driven to Portland to buy that dresser from you. Seriously.

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Mrs. Picky Pincher October 25, 2016 at 8:50 am

OMG the candle stand face! Great find!

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Monica October 25, 2016 at 11:32 am

Katy, an almost identical dresser is currently listed on eBay for $399! Now, I need to talk my husband into selling our mid-century modern bedroom set (which was his mothers while growing up) so we can use the funds to buy a set of our very own!

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JD October 25, 2016 at 12:28 pm

I wish there was a good market for cheap-brand 1960’s dishes. My mother-in-law had a double set, several of which are broken, of course.

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Ruby October 25, 2016 at 2:10 pm

Have you checked out Replacements Ltd. to see if there’s a demand for the dishes? There are people out there who want to complete their loved one’s set of dishes, no matter how little they originally cost. I sold my mom’s set of cheap grocery store china some years back and made enough to make it worth the trouble. Not a big amount, but it got the stuff out of my house and put some money in the fund to replace our washing machine.

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Ruby October 25, 2016 at 2:15 pm

I had not been thrifting in well over a month, and then last week the first cold snap hit, two pairs of my pants developed holes in the legs, and I had a Saturday free. So I hit up both local thrifts and a twice-a-year consignment sale that’s awesome, and came home with:

1. New stuff: a collar for the puppy we’re adopting this weekend and flannel pajamas still in the package (for me).
2. Slightly used stuff: a fluffy throw to go in the puppy’s crate, three pairs of jeans, five shirts/blouses, a heavy winter nightgown, and three sweaters.
3. Spent $52. Mission accomplished on spiffing up my winter wardrobe and getting ready for Puppy.

I love thrift stores!

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Glenda Beauregard October 25, 2016 at 3:04 pm

I work at a Goodwill. It’s one of the most rewarding jobs I have ever had. I love the stories like this. The reactions of some customers when they find something that looks like junk to some, but is priceless to them makes my job even more enjoyable. Thanks for being a Goodwill shopper. If you are ever in the traverse city area, stop in. There are 2 store’s to shop!

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Gina in KY October 26, 2016 at 2:16 am

Thanks for the laugh on the Princess Fund need!! I think you nailed it!

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WilliamB October 26, 2016 at 6:10 pm

I had two beneficial thrifting experiences last weekend, although in neither case did I get what I was looking for.

At Goodwill I didn’t find Halloween costume pants, but I did find a charging station that I liked better than the one I had. $4 was sufficiently cheap, so I bought it. Then I discovered that it’s an almost new Pottery Barn item so I got it for something like 90% off. Gave my old one to my parents, who had been looking for one.

At Restore I did not find any wood stain but I did find a glass-fronted cabinet that matched the underwater mural in my room. I got 20% more off because the top was damaged. I painted the top and, while getting the paint, discovered I had a half-can of wood stain. Win all around.

Thank you for mentioning Restore a few posts ago; I’d forgotten about that place. Now I know where to go should I need to buy more furniture.

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Kris October 28, 2016 at 7:28 pm

I had to look twice. That is the Bassett dresser we got for my oldest daughter in 1972 – except hers was a shorter one with 6 drawers. Thanks for taking me down “memory lane”.

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