A Tisket, A Tasket

Today was the Grand Opening of a new Thrift about one mile from my house. Yahoo! DH actually suggested we go check it out since it wasn't rainging yet. It is a thrift owned by a small church next door. They are going to have the thrift on one side of the building and a teen hangout place on the other side. They had only been open thrity minutes when we got there and apparently they had been very busy - more so than they had ever expected. They were trying to stock and help people and ring them up - all with only two people working. They will learn they need to stock before they open and just help people once they are open.

Items were reasonably priced. One area that particularly thrilled me was the jewelry. None of it was priced, but the girl told me things were mostly 25¢-50¢ with a few items being $1.00. And, it was all on the counter where you could look at it, touch it and feel it. Nice. I got the handmade pottery shard pendant, a tiger eye sweater clip (Hmmm, could that be for one of my blog buddies?), a nice strand of tiger eye and a Sterling Silver Navajo brooch for a TOTAL of $2.00 for all of it. Nice.

Here's all the loot - The old vanity mirror has some age to it - 75¢, An Italian signed mini rooster pitcher/creamer $1.00, a cool old Vintage Japanese doll and chair - $2.00 and a nice vintage Autumn tablecloth with oak leaves and acorns on it for $2.00.
Close up of the jewlery. I think the sterling piece might be worth about $50.00. Nice!

What's that? What about the basket on the right? Could it be this basket? Why, yes, yes it is.

The Bean modeling with The Basket.

I made a quick run into the thrift where I spotted the little oak splint basket that I was told wasn't for sale last week. I've thought about it all week. Silly, eh? I couldn't get the thought out of my head that some little girl was going to buy it, paint it purple, throw on some green glitter and hotglue a big dragonfly on it or something else horrific.

When I went in there today, there it sat on the counter still holding some little metal hooky things. I picked it up and admired it again. The same lady I spoke with last week said, "I don't know why they have that up here." I showed her the metal hooks and where it said "Save for Hanging Baskets." We decided that meant they were using the metal hooky things to hang baskets on a display rack for sale and the basket was just a vessel to hold the hooky things. She said, "Well, Heavens! You can buy the basket then!" And she dumped the hooky things into a plastic bag.

Then something completely totally dreadful happened.

She looked me square in the eye and said, "What'll you give me for it?"

Eh gads.

I had already expressed my love and desire for it twice in a week.

I told her I collected handmade oak splint baskets.

I told her it was older and a very nice basket.

I had made a second trip back to attempt to buy the basket.

I had broken the Cardinal Sin of Thrifting: Do not fawn over an item before you know the price!

She was going to want a fortune! It's not like you can slobber all over something and then offer a dime for it. (Except that's how they did it at my yard sale...) Here's the new little guy in front of a bigger old one I already scored at a yard sale for $1.00.

I only had about $2.00 in change on me. I pulled out four quarters and was digging for more when she said, "Oh, honey, that's plenty." Whew. Sigh of relief. I told her she was very nice and she said it is easy to be nice to nice people. Wasn't that sweet? I know I must have looked completely goofy practically skipping down the lane holding my itty bitty basket. I know it's just a basket. But, I love that little thing so much. It just makes me happy. It's the odd little things in life that give us joy. The vintage tablecloth, the old serving dish, a scarf, a pin, something no one else wanted, but makes you happy everytime you see it.

A Tisket,
A Tasket,
I Got My Basket!