I’m in the Mood to Brag

It’s been written about before, by myself and more eloquently by others, but thrifting is a modern day treasure hunt.  People either have the hunger or they don’t, more scores for the rest of us!   A few weeks ago I scored big.  I was in line to pay for a couple of vintage children’s books at the Good Will when a woman dropped off a couple of big blue boxes.

The boxes looked beat to hell but what was inside was unused.

I imagine she got them as a wedding present and they had been sitting in her basement for ages.  The biggest box contained 4 column candlesticks.

I paid $9.99 for them.  SHAZAM.

I have not added candles yet (or taken off the blue paper on 2 of them, tacky!) but slapped them up on the mantel as a trophy, like the head of a beast.

The other box contained a set of hand-blown champagne flutes.  Also unused and nestled safely in their original box.  I paid $4.99 for those.

The woman who dropped them off was still there as I snatched them up and appeared horrified at the price I paid.  She kept saying, “They are Tiffany!”  “Stop thrift blocking, Lady!”. I wanted to say but did not want to antagonize her.  I tried not to make eye contact and scurried out with my spoils as quickly as possible but I could sense that it may have been her last thrift donation.  Pleased as punch I got to be her send off!

Do I like crystal?  Not really.  I had some non-Tiffany sitting in my basement for years up until our move last summer.  It was over cut and not my style at all.  Would I have looked twice at the candlesticks had they not been Tiffany?  Maybe not.  I am not ashamed to say that I am caught up in the wonder of the blue box just a little bit.  Not enough to buy anything at retail but thrifted?  You bet.

Plus they really are elegant and just calling out for me to rustle up a dinner party…

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