Vintage Tupperware Containers

Every now and then I like to study the traffic stats on the blog. One thing I noticed is that many visitors arrive at SixBalloons looking for my posts on Vintage Tupperware!

I suppose I have posted about the Salt and Pepper shakers, measuring cups, and grater, among other items. But the most iconic Tupperware items I remember from my youth are these vibrant Tupperware lunch containers.

I happened upon a bag of these orange and brown containers with the mismatched lid at Value Village. I didn't mind the lid because it was really the orange one I was after. I think a nice salad of mesclun greens would look beautiful in it. I believe I paid $2.99 for the bag.

Unfortunately, I couldn't do the smell test because VV staples these things up pretty well in the bags, and I'm not one to poke around too much with that. These containers failed the test miserably. They stink! Any ideas on how to get rid of that musty old plastic grossness smell?

Linking up to HLA's Flea Market Finds!

Things I Regret Buying at the Thrift Store!

Hello Everyone, can you believe that we are only a few days from Christmas?! Today's post is about my not-so-successful thrift store finds. I have been doing some cleaning in the house, and discovered a few items that I bought with good intentions but never used.

I feel a bit dumb about the Vintage Tupperware Salt Shaker and Ketchup dispenser that I purchased at Value Village. I would say that I am much savvier of a thrift shopper today, but I think I overpaid for these - 99¢ for the salt shaker and $2.50 for the ketchup dispenser - more evidence about the silly pricing methods at our local Value Village.

I fell in love with these pale blue teacups and saucers that I purchased from the old folks' home thrift sale.

At 35¢ for each set, I can't feel too silly for this... except that I don't really drink tea out of dainty cups and saucers! The swirl pattern and delicate handles are definitely beautiful though.

I purchased this wooden rack, which I thought would be really awesome for harvesting veggies from my garden, or taking to farmer's markets. Nice thought, but in reality, I never used it.

This bag of chair webbing had a cool package and reminded me of my family's old aluminum patio chairs.

The only problem? I don't have any aluminum chairs that need to be fixed! I think this is the priciest item on my list, ringing in at $4.

My readers and lovely followers definitely know that I'm a Pyrex fiend, so I couldn't resist this Primary Blue 401 Mixing Bowl for 50¢ at the local thrift store. However, the condition is just so dull and flaky that I could never bring myself to use it.

Then there was this teapot with a bamboo handle and neat looking lid. The only problem? I've found so many great teapots that this one got pushed to the back of the line.

Of course, I can't feel too bad about these purchases. Most of them were from charity shops, and I'm sure they made good use of the money. I am planning to donate these next time I'm there; hopefully someone will snap them up!

Linking up to Flea Market Finds and Thrift Share Monday!

Vintage Tupperware and Other Kitchen Goodies

I bought some kitchen knick knacks a few weeks back at one of my favourite thrift shops, thinking nothing of it, and patting myself on the back for scoring some good deals.

Then I learned today that this charity thrift shop had closed its doors recently. The charity used the store as a retail training centre for single moms and other disadvantaged women, doing great work for the community and individuals whose lives they were changing. It turns out their lease was up, and they decided to find a larger location with a warehouse, so I'm hopeful something comes up soon.

An example of the goodies I discovered recently is shown above. There was a jadeite green Tupperware Citrus peeler for 15¢, a pair of Tupperware (orange!) ice tongs for 20¢, and a Starfrit JarKey for 10¢. Oh yeah, and they were having a 30% off sale on top of that.

The JarKey reminds me of a great story, because that is the first item Mr. SixBalloons bought for me when we started dating. I told him once that I hated opening up jars due to my wimpy-ness. A couple days later he showed up with this little gadget that swiftly pops the vacuum seal and makes it easy to open. Practical and thoughtful, isn't he? When we married and set up our house, I purchased a new one at a cookware shop for $7. Who knew that I'd find an identical one later for 7¢...

I also purchased a teak long handled server spoon. I have seen these Japanese-made MCM styled items on other blogs, and I searched in vain for the matching fork. For 35¢ after the discount, I had to have it. I also bought a couple of aluminum spoons to use as spice scoopers.

I'm quite wistful that I won't be able to pop into my local store and look around for these great little items. I have scored some wonderful things at this shop, including the $1 Pyrex Leaf Twin Server, my 25¢ Aluminum Measuring Cups, and the Teacup made in Occupied Japan! I sure hope they open up a new store soon and continue lending a hand to those that need it most.

Linking up to ATG's Thrift Share Monday!

Vintage Made in Holland Cups

I have a distant memory of using an avocado plastic cup-holder with disposable thin plastic cup "inserts". I believe these were old Tupperware but can't recall much more than that. We used to take them on road trips with my family, and I was reminded of them when I came across these cute colourful cups made in Holland.

I purchased these three Dutch cups in perfect condition for $1.50. I think they're shaped a bit like fragile eggs with their rounded bottoms; in fact their shape reminds me of the stemless Riedel wine glasses.

The green, brown and orange colours are so similar to Tupperware pieces we had in the 80s. Does anybody know these cups I'm thinking about?

Vintage Green Tupperware Grater

The unique jadeite green colour of vintage Tupperware always transports me to a bygone era! I found this grater plus storage container at the hospice thrift shop in perfect condition for 75 cents.


I love how they had matching items like salad spinners and rectangular storage containers in this colour theme. I'm not quite sure if I can find a place for it in my kitchen though. I had read somewhere that people used it to make coleslaws, but one attempt at grating carrots made for quite a mess. Next time I will try the cheese slicer and see how it goes.


I had previously posted about some great orange Tupperware measuring cups that I found; since it was such a beautiful day and we had just painted our window sills, I took the opportunity to take a few more photos.


Isn't that orange colour great? I'm not much of a baker, but I think it actually makes me want to cook up some chocolate chip cookies!


I can definitely find a place for these practical and cute measuring cups in my kitchen. The bright orange colour makes them easy to spot while cooking too.


I'm really relieved that none of these finds had any of that funky old Tupperware smell that some pieces seem to have... I was lucky that both sets are in great condition!

Behind the Cupboards

To close out the chapter on my trip to Greece, let's get to what we found behind the cupboards, in the pantry, and stowed away in trunks. One of my first places to explore was an old pantry. See that 80s green Tupperware jelly ring mold? Classic.


Also peering out at the bottom was a nice stack of colourful Tupperware containers, they were all in great shape with really nice colour, although the photos didn't turn out too well.


Of course there was some Pyrex too, although in the form of a perfect condition, complete set of Old Orchard store and serve casseroles, boo hoo!


There was also a red restaurant-ware piece which nicely displayed the tasty grapes and other local produce.


I really liked these nice drinking glasses and plates, and got a lot of use out of them.

This ouzo liqueur bottle is shaped like a Greek statue.

I also liked this dusty old Vaseline with the metal lid. They don't make 'em like they used to.


We came across some lovely fabrics as well, some made with beautiful handiwork.



Well, being back in the swing of things at work sure helps me plant my feet back on solid ground at home! It was a great trip full of memories and I can't wait to go back and bring that KitchenAid mixer home... Until next time, Greece!