Yard Sale, Thrift Store, Junk Heap Shopping (Part 1)

[racheld]

Our Sunday afternoon Goodwill excursion yielded two burgundy-rimmed "service" plates---it's inscribed on the backs in the same script as the china company name.

The centers are hand-painted pannier-skirted ladies of extreme decollete' and hairdos---two different poses, and they're perfect for the two plate display racks in the upstairs what-should-be-a-dining-room, now a sitting room with lovely morning sunlight. I put them away to go into Caro's Valentine box, as she gets a pretty plate or two for every occasion.

Also four little saber-bladed silver knives, very small, but not butter knives---I'm thinking fruit or fish; a handful of tarnished silver dessert forks with pretty scrollwork even up on the tines, a beautiful Prussian china bowl, painted with sepia roses, and a set of four burgundy damask chair dresses with sashes, $7.99 each, with a half-price sticker, so 4.00.

I'm stocking up on cheap chair skirts, for a lawn party in June.

[racheld]

Bought this for $125 from a friend who didn't have room for it any more. 

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Oh, Sparrow!!!

I MISSED this in August!!! (I just wrote "I don't know how I missed this, etc.")

But I do---I was in the hospital with that pesky kidney stone during this very week. I LOVE this stove! I bought her Baby Sis last year at a BIG Flea Market on Highway 74, on the way home from Cincinnati. It's not year-round, just a bunch of tables and tents and trucks and people who open up the back of their pickups and vans, plus LOTS of those huge big CONUS containers full of who- knows-what.

I went strolling up into one and saw this tiny stove standing there in the gloom, with the loveliest teal/pale turquoise paint highlighting her white doors and top. We still haven't brought her in the house; she sits out in the potting shed, awaiting time to take out the Harvest Gold monstrosity upstairs which came with the house.

I think the new one will look wonderful in between the cabinets, and we'll paint the open dish ones above the same color.

Yours looks perfect right there, with those heirlooms and their history combined with that of the stove.

I can't believe I missed this!!

Edited February 13, 2008 by racheld (log)

[Anna N]

Best find yet! Last Saturday a brand new Cuisinart Griddler for $10!!! I am doubly thrilled as I already had one and used it frequently but because I am very short on space it sat on the top of the toaster oven. Little did I know that the knobs were being slowly deformed by the heat from the oven!!! So to replace it for $10 is a miracle to me.

The one with deformed knobs (still works fine) has found a new home in the cottage of a couple who have been enormously generous in transporting a family member to and from a Toronto hospital.

Edited for clutzy fingers.

Edited June 10, 2008 by Anna N (log)

[CaliPoutine]

Best find yet!  Last Saturday a brand new Cuisinart Griddler for $10!!!  I am doubly thrilled as I already had one and used it frequently but because I am very short on space it sat on the top of the toaster oven.  Little did I know that the knobs were being slowly deformed by the heat from the oven!!!  So to replace it for $10 is a miracle to me.

The one with deformed knobs (still works fine) has found a new home in the cottage of a couple who have been enormously generous in transporting a family member to and from a Toronto hospital.

Edited for clutzy fingers.

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Wow, what a great find. Did you find it at a thrift shop or a yard sale? I use mine all the time.

I should get out the camera and take some pics of all the great stuff Robin has been finding. She could almost make a career out of it.

[Anna N]

Best find yet!  Last Saturday a brand new Cuisinart Griddler for $10!!!  I am doubly thrilled as I already had one and used it frequently but because I am very short on space it sat on the top of the toaster oven.  Little did I know that the knobs were being slowly deformed by the heat from the oven!!!  So to replace it for $10 is a miracle to me.

The one with deformed knobs (still works fine) has found a new home in the cottage of a couple who have been enormously generous in transporting a family member to and from a Toronto hospital.

Edited for clutzy fingers.

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Wow, what a great find. Did you find it at a thrift shop or a yard sale? I use mine all the time.

I should get out the camera and take some pics of all the great stuff Robin has been finding. She could almost make a career out of it.

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It was from a garage sale.

[Terrasanct]

Last week I found two things I'd been wanting but never wanted to spend the money on--a mortar and pestle, and an Isi cream whipper. I didn't need either, so I hadn't bought them yet. But they were each a dollar at a yard sale, so I was thrilled to get them. Especially the cream whipper, a nice stainless steel one that retails for a lot. It came with a few extra chargers as well. I'm still trying to figure out how to work it--how much cream to put in, all the details, but I think I'm getting close.

Two weeks ago I bought a spindle-type wooden rolling pin that I just love, and a triple-baguette pan (and about 100 cookbooks) from one woman.

I had a sale myself last weekend with over 1000 cookbooks and other books for sale, homemade vanilla, commercial cookware, and antique kitchen things. Sometimes I wish I owned a local bookstore, but then I remember how much time and energy that takes and stick with selling books online.

[Anna N]

Last week I found two things I'd been wanting but never wanted to spend the money on--a mortar and pestle, and an Isi cream whipper.  I didn't need either, so I hadn't bought them yet.  But they were each a dollar at a yard sale, so I was thrilled to get them.  Especially the cream whipper, a nice stainless steel one that retails for a lot.  It came with a few extra chargers as well.  I'm still trying to figure out how to work it--how much cream to put in, all the details, but I think I'm getting close.

Two weeks ago I bought a spindle-type wooden rolling pin that I just love, and a triple-baguette pan (and about 100 cookbooks) from one woman.

I had a sale myself last weekend with over 1000 cookbooks and other books for sale, homemade vanilla, commercial cookware, and antique kitchen things.  Sometimes I wish I owned a local bookstore, but then I remember how much time and energy that takes and stick with selling books online.

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Congratulations! Love our ISI and usually put no more cream in than to fill it about 1/3. Shake well and you should be good to go.

[Terrasanct]

Thanks. I've been reading the threads about cream whippers and it seems I'm not the only one who can't figure them out! I probably over-filled it, then. I also discovered that if I don't want to be covered in cream myself, I need to be careful. Glad I wasn't dressed up the first time.

[JTravel]

Had a good day on Friday. In a different neighborhood because of getting a haircut I hit the Salvation Army store. AND.....there it was.....an abelskiver pan. The pan makes a kind of ball like Danish pancake. I have always wanted one of those things! For $2.50 I got a clean and conditioned cast iron pan with 7 deep depressions. I worked on making them last night, there was a sharp learning curve on the flipping but they improved as I went on. I want to try making the little Thai coconut cakes in it too.

2nd score was a George Foreman Lean Mean Grill .....almost certainly unused.....for $4. at a garage sale. Used it to grill a couple of Wegmans Greek Burgers (ground chicken, spinach, feta) tonight. The burgers came out well but the grill plates were a sticky mess. After I turned it off I put some very wet paper towels between the plates and that steamed it a bit. But then you have to hold it over the sink and scrub it clean. That is not so good. The new ones have removable plates which would be great....but for 4 bucks I still like it.

I think I will enjoy each of my new additions.....Storage....that's another thing.

J

[CaliPoutine]

Had a good day on Friday. In a different neighborhood because of getting a haircut I hit the Salvation Army store.  AND.....there it was.....an abelskiver pan. The pan makes a kind of ball like Danish pancake.  I have always wanted one of those things!  For $2.50 I got a clean and conditioned cast iron pan with 7 deep depressions.  I worked on making them last night, there was a sharp learning curve on the flipping but they improved as I went on.  I want to try making the little Thai coconut cakes in it too.

2nd score was a George Foreman Lean Mean Grill .....almost certainly unused.....for $4.  at a garage sale.  Used it to grill a couple of Wegmans Greek Burgers (ground chicken, spinach, feta) tonight.  The burgers came out well but the grill plates were a sticky mess.  After I turned it off I put some very wet paper towels between the plates and that steamed it a bit.  But then you have to hold it over the sink and scrub it clean.  That is not so good.  The new ones have removable plates which would be great....but for 4 bucks I still like it.

I think I will enjoy each of my new additions.....Storage....that's another thing.

J

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Use a thin knitting needle or skewer to turn over the abelskivers. It works well.

[JTravel]

After looking for an abelskiver pan for so long, and scoring my $2.50 find I then saw a cheap set with an aluminum pan in Big Lots the next day. THEN, today, on QVC I tuned in to see them making "Pancake Puffs" with this kit:

http://www.qvc.com/qic/qvcapp.aspx/view.2/...ies-Recipe-Book

An ABUNDANCE of round pancakey things. But one thing I learned, as I saw them flipping the "puffs" on t.v.......I was not cooking them enough before turning. They were flipping them with a skewer and they just flew out of the pan.

Back to the learning curve......still happy with my find.

J

[Katie Meadow]

Aebelskivers are dear to the heart of my mother-in-law. All of her kids have pans, and then there's a family pan that's been handed down for ages. My husband and I got a beautiful old one on eBay a few years ago but we paid a lot more that you did--you got a good deal! I've seen new cast iron ones that don't measure up.

Wooden chopsticks are also excellent for turning them. I go through phases--if I make them too often I gross myself out. Have you tried putting a berry in the center during the rollover? It takes more finesse than I thought it would.

[JTravel]

I wish I had seen their presentation on "pancake puffs"....they had lots of ideas I think. The set comes with a "squirter" to pump in filling after it is done. Also, they said they would make great round brownies.....and you could bake other things in the oven too. Though it would be slow going to make a batch.

[heidih]

Went to the annual rummage sale fundraiser for a local historical/preservation society. Even paid the $5 to get in early. My favorites were 3 stacked glass bowls that have a ridges on a small flat base area for $3 total, a glass microwave corn popper for $1, and a press pot ($2) that I saw someone else use as a cheap alternative to the glass teapots to showcase flower teas. Have also recently picked up some Corningware and Pyrex for a song and am enjoying using them. Plastic is rapidly leaving my kitchen.

[Kim Shook]

I found some fun stuff at a local antique/junk store yesterday. They had lots of the Time/Life “The Good Cook” series. I got Hors d’Oeuvre and Snacks and Sandwiches for $3 each and Bittman Takes on America’s Chefs for $4:

I’m planning to go back every week and get a couple more of the T/L series each time. Hope they last!

I also found a pyrex insert for the hammered aluminum decorative server that I found at the Farmer’s Market this spring. $4:

These were my favorite finds, though:

I got 4 of each – they didn’t have 8 of either one. But I don’t mind mixing – actually, I guess mixing styles is my style . They are wafer thin, etched with lovely designs and have a musical ‘ting’ when touched together. The glass on the bottom is the prettiest. The picture doesn't show off the design - little star shapes and the round depressions - the edges of the cut glass are sharp and crisp. I am imagining them filled with mousse, pot du crème, strawberries and cream. They were $16 for all eight. I have no idea where I’m going to put them, but I love them and will find somewhere.

[CaliPoutine]

I found some fun stuff at a local antique/junk store yesterday.  They had lots of the Time/Life “The Good Cook” series.  I got Hors d’Oeuvre and Snacks and Sandwiches for $3 each and Bittman Takes on America’s Chefs for $4:

I’m planning to go back every week and get a couple more of the T/L series each time.  Hope they last!

I also found a pyrex insert for the hammered aluminum decorative server that I found at the Farmer’s Market this spring.  $4:

These were my favorite finds, though:

I got 4 of each – they didn’t have 8 of either one.  But I don’t mind mixing – actually, I guess mixing styles is my style .  They are wafer thin, etched with lovely designs and have a musical ‘ting’ when touched together.  The glass on the bottom is the prettiest.  The picture doesn't show off the design - little star shapes and the round depressions - the edges of the cut glass are sharp and crisp.  I am imagining them filled with mousse, pot du crème, strawberries and cream.  They were $16 for all eight.  I have no idea where I’m going to put them, but I love them and will find somewhere.

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Great finds!! I love those glasses( I have some myself). I pick them up whenever I find them. They're called cornflower(I believe) and they're worth much more than you paid.

[Special K]

A half-dozen books at the used book store (Epilogue Books in Ballard):

The Edomae: Sushi & Sake

The Eaten Word, by Jay Jacobs

M.F.K. Fisher and Me, by Jeannette Ferrary

Off the Hook: Reflections and Recipes from an Old Salt, by Roger Fitzgerald

Setting the Table, by Danny Meyer

and

Living in a Foreign Language: A Memoir of Food, Wine, and Love in Italy, by Michael Tucker

All for under $40. I'm a happy camper! I found all of these in about ten minutes and then made myself leave.

[Special K]

And again today! Value Village, totalling $13:

Food, Drink, and the Female Sleuth, by The Sisters Wells (This one is great! Food scenes from mystery novels with female detectives)

Reckless Appetites, by Jacqueline Deval ("An unusual blend of fiction, literary biography, letters, and memoirs")

and three more, travel memoirs which always contain food writing.

I don't know when I'm ever going to read all the hundreds of books I already have, much less these, but I'm happy to have them.

[andiesenji]

I've been visiting in Livermore this past week and today I drove up to Napa and Yountville and found a few interesting things, not exactly junk heap shopping but a tiny antique place.

This huge cleaver was made in Boston and I took a close up of the mark but have to do a bit more investigation to get the maker's name correct.

For size comparison, that is a partly used roll of paper towels.

I also got a pastry divider and a Solingen egg clipper, partly gold-plated, very neat.

Then I shopped at NapaStyle and loaded up on olive oils, dips, jams, honey, olives and etc.

[CaliPoutine]

Robin found me a hard cover copy of Maggie Glezer's Artisan Baking Across America for .25.

[zoe b]

pretty good haul yesterday at the thrifts

about 15 pieces of Dansk Flora Bayberry china--to ebay

a diner style mug--very heavy--that has a little man saying "eat at Joe's"--probably a repro, but it's cute so i don't care.

and a cookbook--The New Costa Rican Cuisine--got it because we love Costa Rica--but only have had very simple food there--bean & rice & fish or meat--which was delish, but I thought I'd like to learn a little more about the foods of the country.

Checked on Amazon--there's one copy for $189! Soe I listed it for $175--you never know. It's a university press book nd quite often these are rare and desirable.

Zoe

[Katie Meadow]

At the Goodwill, while my daughter pawed through tees and sweaters for a junior semester abroad, I checked out the kitchen stuff, usually a fruitless activity at this particular store (Corningware bakers w/out tops, vases from flower delivery, etc.) However the stars were aligned. I picked up a dirty Paul Revere fry pan with stainless steel interior and copper on the exterior, all the way up the sides.

I did a little research, and this company, which of course makes Revere ware, put out a line of so-called "display copper" from 1967-85 with the Paul Revere signature on the bottom. It's 10+ inches with 2" sloping sides and a brass handle. My husband cleaned and shined it and it's smashing--looks almost new. But not only that: I've been fretting about what to use to make my first tarte tatin. This pan gave me the courage I needed! It was fabulous. I could see how dark the caramel was getting because of the stainless steel interior, and when it came time to flip the tarte, it dropped right down--no sticking, no problem. A great pan! Cost: $4.59.

[Sam Iam]

Katie, I picked up a similiar pan several years ago for $1, and it's still my favorite, and I just purchased about 12 pieces of Viking! I'm off for knee replacement in the morning, but I'll try to remember to post photos of it and some goodies from this summer when I can get back downstairs to the lower level.

[zoe b]

At the Goodwill, while my daughter pawed through tees and sweaters for a junior semester abroad, I checked out the kitchen stuff, usually a fruitless activity at this particular store (Corningware bakers w/out tops, vases from flower delivery, etc.) However the stars were aligned. I picked up a dirty Paul Revere fry pan with stainless steel interior and copper on the exterior, all the way up the sides.

I did a little research, and this company, which of course makes Revere ware, put out a line of so-called "display copper" from 1967-85 with the Paul Revere signature on the bottom. It's 10+  inches with 2" sloping sides and a brass handle. My husband cleaned and shined it and it's smashing--looks almost new. But not only that: I've been fretting about what to use to make my first tarte tatin. This pan gave me the courage I needed! It was fabulous. I could see how dark the caramel was getting because of the stainless steel interior, and when it came time to flip the tarte, it dropped right down--no sticking, no problem. A great pan! Cost: $4.59.

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those pans are gorgeous--I picked one up at a closeout sore around 10 years a got for 10 bucks--gave it as a wedding gift--I've been mad at myself ever since--i wish I had it now!

Zoe

[Katie Meadow]

In my research on the Paul Revere display-ware I did come upon some detractors who claimed that because the company wanted to create a "collectible" copper series the pans are not meant for heavy duty labor--too thin to distribute heat well. It is pretty light--much lighter than my one and only other copper pot which gets very heavy use--BUT it was perfect for that tarte--easy to manipulate, easy to hold the serving platter under and flip over. In weight it kinda resembles those specific tarte tatin pans that have copper exterior and tin interiors. And which Mauviel charges two million dollars for.