Unbelievable Second Hand Store Find

Hello!

How was your weekend? Did you do anything special? I didn't do a darn thing that was spectacular, but it was the best weekend! It was relaxing, I did some reading, worked a couple puzzles with my boys, made a pot of soup, polished some silver and enjoyed a cat nap with one of my lazy feline friends! Ah...life is good! ;)

During my last post I told you that I've been doing some treasure hunting lately. Last Friday a friend of mine and her mom paid a visit to some of my local second hand shops and I found some great bargains to share with you! Can you believe I got this Waterford crystal clock for just $2.49!

It's the smaller clock in the above picture. The larger one was a gift to my husband years ago. I found a couple auctions for the identical clock that were going for $100 each!

I don't visit my local thrift stores very often. Serious treasure seekers will tell you that you have to go all the time to find bargains like these. I'm sure that increases your chances, but I don't run a lot of errands or have the time to go thrift often. I still find some great bargains though!

I also stumbled across a silver plated tray; the bottom one. I was able to polish it up and it looks almost identical the one I already had!

And look at the price...just $2.89! Amazing! These look so pretty with some little treasures placed in them!

I found more silver...this set of coasters. Looking quite shabby chic with the tarnish, they were just $4 for the set!

Given a good polishing, they look awesome with the tarnish still in the crevices! I found another set of these later that day at a local antique store. They were selling for $20. That's a difference of $16! Got to love that! :)

As I was polishing these coasters, I noticed an engraving on them...they are from Italy! I don't know if that makes any difference in value, but I enjoy tracking down my finds to learn more about the pieces and who manufactured them. It's difficult to research pieces if there are no labels!

After thrift shopping it was off to a couple antique stores for some browsing. First up was Two Old Birds. This adorable little shop is run by the sweetest ladies who happen to be sisters.

I came home with this wonderful chicken wire basket for just $5! It'll be perfect for my spring/Easter decorating!

Right next door toTwo Old Birds is SuzAnne's Antiques where I purchased some beautiful old mercury glass ornaments. I love these old shabby looking things!

Here are a few more!

This gorgeous ironstone lidded compote was just $18! Upon doing some research, I found that another one sold on eBay for $31 and that one had a hairline crack in the lid! I think I found another bargain!

I found this cool old wooden measuring tape and paid a little too much! I paid $16 and have found some on Etsy for about $10. With shipping, however, it would be pretty close. You always have to pay attention to prices or you could get burned! I think this measuring tape will look great for Fourth of July decorating, don't you?

I have a china cabinet that's being refinished that I plan to stock with ironstone pieces and thought this sugar bowl would fit right in. I can't remember exactly how much I paid, under $10. I found the same on on http://www.replacements.com/ for about $25. Another score!

This adorable mini cherub pitcher was $3. I have no idea who made it or if it has any value...I just like it! Some purchases are like that! :)

My final stop for the day was another Antique store about a mile away from SuzAnne's called Antiques at Grisham Lake where I found this lovely milk glass container. I had it on my list of favorites on Etsy where it was selling for $24.50. Guess what I paid? Just $12! Score! No shipping costs either!

Well, I had a great day bargain hunting with my friends! We went on another outing the week before and I'll share those finds with you tomorrow. I hope you all have the chance to visit your local thrift and antique stores soon! Happy hunting! :) Kathy