Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Vintage Goodies #2

I have a love/hate relationship with America's Thrift Stores and it's usually more on the hate side.  But I can't stop going because every once in awhile, after I've elbowed little old ladies and migrant farm workers out of the way, I find an incredible bargain.  This is the ATS in Alabaster, Alabama.  It is creepy.  All the workers wear face masks to protect them from the scarey customers who quite obviously carry every disease known to mankind.  I would NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS buy any clothing from ATS, and whatever I buy there gets washed as soon as I unpack it.  Most of the shoppers hit the trash can prior to entering the store, just because you NEVER KNOW what someone threw in the trash.  Like a sandwich or something.  I think there's something wrong with me for going there but I can't help it.



And like I said, every once in awhile you'll hit the jackpot.  A Fire-King mug in that gorgeous green & black combo (74 cents).  Four ceramic Lazy Susan dishes (2 pink, 2 white) marked Made In California USA (74 cents each).  Two section serving dish ($6.88) stamped Authentic Vernonware Made In USA.  It's the "Raffia" pattern made 1953-54.  White ceramic Xmas sleigh planter ($2.10).  Green vase ($3.88), Imperial Glass diamond pattern, made 1951-1972.  Four section clear glass dish (79 cents) with white ribbed center knob.  I do not know what this is for. 
And how about those candleholders, boys and girls.  They are AWESOME!!!!  They were a bit pricey at $9.88 each and I had to act like an idiot know-nothing person to stop another woman from buying them (Me: "Oh man, these must have been made in a beginner's ceramics class for sure!").  They are beautifully glazed, the colors are rich and they are obviously handmade and handpainted.  Other than the cats being unidentifiable, these are keepers.  Husband likes them, too!

(click for a better look-see)

But wait!  There's more!  For the low low price of six dollars and eighty-eight cents, I got a beautiful California Pottery planter in these incredibly rich colors, with a wonderful drippy glaze.  There's a minor crack under the glaze in one corner but nothing that detracts from its beautemousness (made-up word to denote something waaaaay beyond beautiful).

These prices would have been lower had I remembered to ask for my, um, my (unintelligible muttering but you can make out the word "senior" if you listen really hard), OK, YES, THE SENIOR DISCOUNT, ALRIGHT?  Hey, it's 10% off on Monday and you only have to be 55 and anyway you can lie since the checkers don't ask for ID. 

I did find out a couple seconds later that I could take my receipt to the manager, show her my ID proving I was over 55 and she'd issue me a store credit.  When I explained what had happened, the nice young manager smiled and said, "Oh OK!" and started to write the credit.  I asked her if she needed my ID and she said, "Oh, no, ma'am (grrr), that won't  be necessary (grrrrrrrr) . . . I believe you (gaaaaacckkk!)".  Well of course she didn't go grrrr and gaack--those are my silent reactions to this young whippersnapper calling me "ma'am" and just ASSUMING I'm a senior.

Which, of course, I am.

9 comments:

  1. I must say, you are very brave to go in that store! Just seeing those masks would have me turning right around and getting back in my car. I thing I would make a point of telling people I was going there, just in case. But it seems you do find some great things there! Especially that yellow and green planter. LOVE!! And those lazy susan dishes are great too. Be careful out there!

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  2. The last time I was in the Salvation Army, one of the guys told the checker he couldn't leave because she had hoodoo him...I would think I was right at home @ ATS.

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  3. I think that exact same store is in Raleigh! I'll take a photo next time I go and we can compare locations! Instead of American, ours is Veteran's Thrift. Everything else is identical! LOVE the yellow and green planter. And, I probably would have bought the candle holders, too. Weird stuff appeals to me!

    Anna

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  4. OVULA was my word verification on the last post. It just sounds dirty!

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  5. Love the Bowls and Candle Sticks! What great finds! Everyonce in a while I'll go in a thrift sotre and find some frankoma (Why hasnt it caught on yet? But then again Not begin popular makes it cheaper!) But anyways Fantastic! Kudos you!

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  6. Great story, great stuff! We have a Goodwill outlet here that used to have the same sort of "ambiance". (They moved to a new location a few years ago and it's much improved.) When it was REALLY trashy, I used to take my daughter there...when she was a BABY! Please don't tell Children's Services.
    xo
    Pam

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  7. haha..do they really wear masks? I frequent a Salvation Army "As Is" store. Now that's not a place you'd take friends (or even tell friends that you go there..)

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  8. That planter would make it all worth it. I'd shop there too! I know what you mean about love/hate but in the end, who can't resist a thrift store bargain?

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  9. Hi there! I am currently reading all the backposts of your blog to catch up! I wanted to say that I have a tea pot in the same "Rafia" pattern as that dish. The teapot is squarish, totally one of my crown jewels. Great blog!

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