Tuesday, April 24, 2018

Thrifting and Stash Enhancement

One day a few weeks ago, I met up with my sister in a neighboring town.  We planned to go for a walk and then have lunch and catch up.  We agreed to meet up in the parking lot of the True Value hardware store, but since I got there first, I went into the store to look around.  It'd been quite a while, maybe 10 years, since I'd been in there and I remembered there used to be a fabric section tucked back in the corner of the store when it shared space with Ben Franklin.  

Ben Franklin was a "dime store" kind of place, back before the big box stores were popular (and everywhere).  Little towns might have a Ben Franklin, where they sold all sorts of household items and other stuff.

I don't know what happened to Ben Franklin stores, but this True Value store still had the fabric section back along two short walls, and, oh my gosh, you guys, it was great!
By that I mean, not a huge selection, but what WAS there was some pretty nice stuff!  And they were having a sale where everything was 30% off—which might not sound like such a big deal, but when most of the original bolt prices are $5.99 to $7.99 a yard for popular brand fabric, that is fabulous!



Not pictured are some blender type fabrics, and I also found a 108" wide backing at $8.99 a yard, minus 30% off—plus I signed up for the True Value rewards card at the checkout counter, and they gave me another 10% off my total purchase.

(This was a thrift store find - I thought it looked like brains, at first, but it's raspberries!)
I've also been doing a little thrift store shopping here and there.  Trying not to get carried away, just looking for more useful things like fabric, thread, zippers, drinking glasses, etc.  I've driven loads TO the thrift store since the first of the year, in sorting out Dad's effects, and in general, my desire is to keep more stuff going out than coming in.

However...when your husband helpfully points out two matching pieces of mid-century vintage Royal Haeger pottery you just so happen to collect, what are you going to do?
(Vintage Royal Haeger)
That's right.  You are going to take them home.

On a different thrift store stop, I found some pretty iced tea glasses to replace the ones we've lost over the past year (let's just say "Don't break my dishes" has become a popular refrain when Somebody is loading and unloading the dishwasher). 

So I went up to the cash register to pay for the glasses, which were going to set me back a whopping two dollars, and the lady said, "Did you draw a paddle?"  

Huh? I blinked.  "Uh...no?" I finally replied.

She reached for a pail of paint stirrers ("paddles") and told me to pick one.  The one I chose had the number 75 written in black marker on the far end of it.

"Oh, 75 percent off!" she clucked.  "That's a good one!  Do you want to shop some more?"

She did not have to ask me twice.  I dashed back to the "art department" of the store and pulled a large, professionally framed and matted original watercolor off the wall.  It had a price tag of $39.99, which seemed completely reasonable for that kind of work, but it wasn't something I really needed.  Until that moment.

"You found something!" the lady said as I strode back to the register a few minutes later.

I did, indeed.  
It's signed by "Dick Greene."  I don't know anything about the artist, but I think he did a brilliant job(Pardon the reflection of my door window on the glass.)

It's now hanging on the wall in my entryway.  He's watching you!

8 comments:

Quilting Babcia said...

Be still my heart! That pottery is gorgeous, and would sure look super with our mid-century dining room set. Those other deals aren't bad either! You have some wonderful thrift shops near you.

Quiltdivajulie said...

WOW!!!!! I remember Ben Franklin ... we had one when I was growing up.

Leslie Schmidt said...

I grew up in a small town in southern Wisconsin and worked at the Ben Franklin when I was in high school. But I've never been in a hardware store that sold fabric! How cool is that?! I love the coleus fabric. That would make a terrific Stack 'N Whack or One Block Wonder quilt. You've had some terrific luck. I enjoy seeing what other people find on their thrifting jaunts.

Lisa England said...

Wow, you found some treasures! The hardware store reminds me of a Marden's store I visited in Maine -- most of the store was a Big Lots type store but they had this amazing fabric section with many great fabrics at fabulous prices.

The Joyful Quilter said...

Congrats! on your amazing thrift store finds (and fabric at True Value!!!)

Kaja said...

Congratulations, both on your finds and your restraint (if someone offered me 75% off I'd b buying the store!)

QuiltGranma said...

what great finds you found! And at wonderful for the pocket book prices! I grew up in western Washington State, and there are still Ben Franklin stores there, which are mainly crafting, artsy and include quilt fabrics. If on is into painting they have it, décor with yarn, etc! Love to wander the isles.

audrey said...

I love thrift shopping. So much fun to score the deals! And I remember the value store and Ben Franklin type of fabric shopping! We don't even have a Craft Warehouse anymore, just a Hobby Lobby and Walmart. Yuck. Oh well. At least we have several quilt stores within a 2 hour drive!