It was a cool Saturday. One of those first days of fall that are damp and cold and so unexpected after a summer of warm days that the chill cuts right to the bone.
My daughter, Amy, came around about 10:00 to pick me up. We were making one of our regular “gadding” trips, this time, as often, to the nearby town of Mentor. First stop was our favorite, the new Painesville Goodwill.
I know people who wouldn’t set foot inside a Goodwill. They think purchases have to be factory fresh and sealed in sterile plastic clam shell packaging. They would never dream of bringing home someone else’s “cast-offs.” I’ve had people tell me their kids think second-hand clothing isn’t cool or is even something worse than that. And that’s fine. I’ll gladly leave them to the shopping malls. Someone needs to shell out $100 for a pair of jeans and $50 for a throw pillow. Afterall, those are the people keeping the economy going. Me? I have better things to do with my $150. Like salt it away in my savings account. I also have the satisfaction of knowing that I’m doing my part for the planet by reusing, recycling, and upcycling items that are already here. Supporting my local Goodwill stores also provide jobs for many people with special needs.
Thankfully, my daughter has grown up with the same shopping habits. And so, it was Saturday and we were off and running.
I never know what I’ll find. That’s half the fun. Heck, that’s ALL the fun–finding things I can use or things I can remake or resell. The most fun is finding something and coming up, on the spur of the moment. with an idea for remaking it into something completely new and different.
This weeks trip was especially successful. Here is the list of the treasures I came home with:
1) Napco Christmas Shopping Angel from the 1950’s
I picked this up just because it looked especially nice and I liked it. It is in mint condition. If nothing else, it would look nice on my mantle this Christmas. I paid $3. When I got home, I discovered that this piece is listed on ebay for between $35 and $68. Naturally, I listed mine for sale as well.
2) Napco pair of rooster and hen salt and pepper shakers. Again, I thought these were cute and would good in my kitchen. The set was $1.
3) a real cotton blanket. I consider this the find of the day or even the decade. We had this kind of super soft cotton blankets when I was growing up. Over the years I’ve searched and searched for them with no luck. I can find lots of blankets of this kind that contain polyester. And I could find all cotton blankets that were waffle weave or other configurations but never the super soft, nubby kind that I remembered. But there it was. This sort of blanket is truly a rare find. I paid $4.
4) a vintage, shabby chic style pillowcase in like new condition.
5) a king size pillowcase in like new condition which I am very much in need of.
6) Country Living Colors home decorating book – which will be added to my collection. Marked $3 but it was a “yellow” tag and all yellow tags were half price on Saturday.
7) three vintage drinking glasses that match the set of drinking glasses I already have in my cupboard. $1.50 for three. 
At the rate my husband breaks glasses I couldn’t pass them up. And these vintage glasses are pretty heavy duty. So far, he’s not broken any of these. (Knock on wood).
Another Saturday, another successful hunting day…
Home at the WhackyShack 