Goodwill, Badwill, Questionable-will — Hedonism and Vanity

by Katy on July 22, 2014 · 17 comments

There’s nothing like hosting a garage sale to make me want to steer clear of thrift stores. I worked damned hard to clear my house of excessive and unnecessary stuff, so it would be self destructive to just fill it up again. Right? I schlepped a huge donation to Goodwill after last week’s garage sale, so there was no way in hell I was going to wander through the store aisles.

But a week’s time can sneak a bit of grey into an otherwise black and white world.

With a laser sharp mission to stop into Goodwill “to just photograph stuff for the blog,” I popped into one of my favorite locations on my way home from Costco. (I was able to rationalize that there was zero extra driving, as it was on a street I was driving on anyway. I am a top notch rationalizer, don’t be jealous of my mad rationalizing skillz.)

Goodwill did not disappoint, as an ever present targeted savings bank immediately caught my eye.

Hopes & Dreams

“Hopes & Dreams” is a new one to me. Although I kind of like saving for such a broad and lofty goal rather than the typical plastic surgery, casino money and wine. It’s the opposite of the normal hedonism.

I was also charmed by the graphics on this stack of vintage dish ware.

vintage agrarian dishware

Look at the sweet pastoral mother and child scene. It totally reminded me of Small Measure’s Ashley English.

Plate detail

The detail on the plates were heart meltingly sweet.

plate detail 2

Don’t worry, I didn’t buy them.

I was also charmed by this vintage vanity and stool. (Although the stool was obviously not original to the set since it had to be placed sideways to slot underneath the dresser.) Priced at $79.99, it wasn’t a terrible deal. These dressers are often in terrible condition with peeling veneer; and missing the mirror and chair. This one only needed some wood conditioner.

Vintage Vanity

Look at how groovy the stool was. I seriously would have snagged it if it was sold on its own and priced at $10 or less.

stool sample

The art nouveau drawer pulls were to die for. Hello, bakelite!

art nouveau drawer pulls

I took it an an opportunity to snap a quick selfie, although it turned out kind kind of weird, as I look like I sipping the from straw of my iPhone. (New collaboration between Apple and Starbucks?)

sippy iPhone

This week I am the questionable of the questionable-will. And no, I didn’t buy anything.

Sheesh . . .

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

Click HERE to follow The Non-Consumer Advocate on Twitter.
Click HERE to follow The Non-Consumer Advocate on Instagram.
Click HERE to join The Non-Consumer Advocate Facebook group.
Click HERE to follow The Non-Consumer Advocate on Pinterest.

{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }

Sharon H. July 22, 2014 at 11:43 am

Of course you didn’t buy anything, that would be silly. Heh heh.

Reply

Katy July 22, 2014 at 11:46 am

Heh heh indeed.

Reply

gloria July 22, 2014 at 11:51 am

Those pulls are art deco (as is the whole thing), not nouveau.

Reply

Katy July 22, 2014 at 11:55 am

Because the lines are curvy and very decorative, vs. hard straight lines I think it falls more under the art nouveau category. Of course, there’s crossover as well. 🙂

Reply

WilliamB July 23, 2014 at 8:17 am

I would lean toward art deco as well. Art nouveau is so swirly – while the pulls are a bit, the desk isn’t very swirly at all.

Reply

AnnDenee July 22, 2014 at 11:52 am

Love that vanity. I’ve learned the aussie word is a duchess. 😉

I would have offered $10 for the stool since they weren’t a matched set. It would make for a perfect piano bench which I’m looking for.

Cheers!

Reply

Katy July 22, 2014 at 11:57 am

It would be a very low piano bench. And I should have offered ten bucks, but seriously, I have no real proper space for it in the house.

Reply

Shannon July 22, 2014 at 12:24 pm

PDX local purse!!

Reply

Holly July 22, 2014 at 12:44 pm

Actually, I bet the stool does go with it. I have a set of similar age, but very different design where the rectangular stool will only fit into the knee-hole if turned sideways, but it is the original of the set.

Reply

Katy July 22, 2014 at 1:10 pm

Hmm . . . interesting. Maybe I was wrong.

Reply

Roberta July 22, 2014 at 3:46 pm

The dishes are so cute! I love the mother and girl, with chickens and sheep.

I’m glad they are safely at your Goodwill, not mine…

Reply

Katy July 22, 2014 at 4:27 pm

I already have adorable dishes that see no use, so it was fairly easy to pass them by. I am glad I documented them though.

Reply

Shebear July 22, 2014 at 5:52 pm

Good job resisting, but it sounds like you had fun! Great selfie:)

Reply

Gladys (The Pinay Mom) July 23, 2014 at 6:32 am

I never left Goodwill with empty-handed,I always find “something I like”.

Reply

Lesley Parent July 23, 2014 at 12:13 pm

Is the first plate really a mother and child or a father and child?

Reply

Katy July 23, 2014 at 1:03 pm

She has a hair-do, so I’m going with female. 😉

Reply

Nancy July 27, 2014 at 10:10 am

I’m ancient enough to know about vanities. Many of them had stools which had to be turned sideways to put them in the knee hole. My mother had one. What you saw is very possibly the original stool/

Reply

Leave a Comment

Previous post:

Next post: