Friday, May 16, 2008

a-thrifting we go

Yesterday was a day filled with appointments scattered through the day, so I arranged for little boy to have an after-school playdate. Between and after appointments, I ran inconvenient-with-little-boy errands and stopped by my favorite thrift store on the way home. I LOVE this thrift store- I hop by a couple of times a month and always find great stuff- like a vintage burberry trench for $25, a pair of doc marten oxfords for 50 cents, $1 cashmere sweaters, and a $20 pottery barn wrought-iron and oak desk. It pays to stop in. The first thing that I spotted was this lovely little bowl. I snapped it up immediately- all bric-a-brac was half off, and this was marked 50 cents. I'm crazy about this. I have a deep affection for ginkgos, and the decoration reminds me of old french cafe au lait bowls, with their stenciled on decorations. You already know how I feel about those bowls. Right next to the bowl was an item that made me gasp. I knew it would happen sooner or later, but here it was:

one of my julep cups. Obviously used, it had some coffee (or maybe juleps!) stains at the rim. It was marked 50 cents. And it was half-off. I grabbed it. When I was paying for my haul, I told the manager (um, we're on a first-name basis. I really like this store) that this was mine. She (and the rest of the store listening in) didn't quite understand, but I clarified: "I MADE this. With my own two hands!" They all wanted to know what I'd do with it, and I thought about cleaning it up and putting my normal $8 price on it (because it certainly costs more than a quarter to make!), but I think I'm going to keep it as a "vintage" bridgman pottery piece. My new cups are a little more slender and I've changed my glaze formulations, so it wouldn't work as a set.

Gary asked me if I was upset to find it for so little at a thrift store. Honestly, not really. I give things away all the time. This store is part of one of the Memphis women's charity leagues, so it may have been a gift that didn't quite fit, or part of a set that broke. Really, I was pleased to have found it and that it made its way back home to me.

Happy weekend, everyone!

3 comments:

The Queen of Fifty Cents said...

Finding your own work at a thrift store means your work is out there in the world! It was waiting there for you to come by. That ginko bowl though...I think it was really waiting for me--it's fabbo!

bridgmanpottery said...

Queen, that's a great way to think about it. Thanks for commenting!

diana fayt said...

aren't we all searching for that unknown treasure that is has great value but is way under priced...i think you may have just found it dear! :) a great story!