Goodwill Hunting . . . . .

. . . . . . and maybe . . . . a little bartering.

I usually don't do well at Goodwill.  I see pretties, but nothing that jumps up and grabs me by the hand screaming, "Take me, take me!".   Well, except the dictionary that was missing the last half of the "R's" and the first half of the "S's".  

On Tuesday as I was out thrifting with Dolly and Bert something changed.  They had found their bargains and as I was putzing around the jewelry counter waiting for Bert to check out, a bowl of jewelry caught my eye.  It wasn't the marvelous collection of jewels in the bowl, but the bowl itself.
All I could see was the rim.  Nothing special, nothing screaming at me, but the rim was "cute".  So I bent down to take a closer look at the bowl.  Ooooooo. . . . . now we're talkin'!

I asked the fella at the register if I could see said bowl when he was finished with customers.  He said sure, but the line kept growing, Bert was getting closer to check out, and on the inside I was pacing like a caged cat at meal time.   He would never make it to me.  As fate would have it another young man walked up to the jewelry counter to replace a necklace, so I smiled my nicest smile, and in my sweetest voice asked if he could show me the bowl.   Yes, yes he sure could.  Inside I'm doing the happy dance.   I explained to him as he was emptying it out that I had broke my husband's mother's bowl that was just like this.  What a surprise to find a replacement.

But my happy dance ended abruptly when he emptied the bowl and turned over only to find this:                     

"Not for Sale"

 



 

 

Oh, my.  All I could do was look at the poor fella with pain in my eyes (not really, no pain - just disappointment). Generally a "Not for sale" sign means it already belongs to someone or it's quite pricey.   But to my surprise he said - "That's ok.  This is the price it was before they decided to use it as a jewelry bowl."  as he's pointing to the marked out 5-. (I had not seen that)  I can sell it, he says.  

 

What happened  next surprised even me.  I asked him if he would consider taking less for it.  Who in their right mind dickers with Goodwill?  Who?   My mind was thinking $4.00, but my ears heard:  "How about $3.00?.   What???    It was all I could do to stay calm and poised and say, yea, sure, that's good.     "Hang on" he says, "while I run in the back and get another bowl."     What just happened here?  I'm thinking, "Hurry dude" before we get caught.    

 

Happy dance, happy dance, all the way to the car! ! ! ! 

 

I believe in miracles, you sexy thang. Oops, wrong song!

 

We moseyed on over to SA - where I found the Dream Catcher for Goldilocks and then to Halo - a Christian owned thrift store.  I paced again, like a caged cat, waiting my turn to rummage thru the glassware.  Some gal was buying up all the goodies,  I was sure of it.  When she finally moved on, I browsed what was left the shelves.  

 

Again an oddity caught my eye.  There sat two little bowls stacked together.  The one on top had what appeared to be an upside down lid in it.  Curiosity prompted me to touch it to see what it was.  The "lid" didn't move, so I picked up the bowl.  You can't imagine my surprise and excitement when I realized it was the very same pattern as the bowl I snagged at GW, and that it wasn't a bowl at all, but a candle holder! !   Best part ~ it was a whopping fifty cents!            

 

 

 

 

 

Here they are after their bath.  The pattern is Indiana milk glass, Cabbage Leaf pattern.  I love it!

 

Sometimes it all comes together, even in silly things.  $3.50 for a little nostalgia and a replacement ~ not bad for a day's thrifting, I would say.  Not bad at all.   But a day thrifting with kindred spirits ~  that, my friends, is  PRICELESS!