Review: Value Village in Victoria, BC on Vancouver Island

As I mentioned in my last post, Mr. SixBalloons and I were out of town over last weekend for a wedding. Luckily, we squeezed in a bunch of thrifting - since we hit up ten stores, I think I'll have to break it up into two posts!

First up is the Value Village store, which was huge. It seemed like the racks went on forever, and best of all, the staff were constantly buzzing around the aisles, restocking!

I mostly bypassed the clothing and shoes due to time constraints, and focussed on housewares. There I found several pieces of Pyrex, including an Opal Divided Dish, Shenedoah Casserole with lid, and dishwashered Terra casserole.

The Opal and Shendoah pieces were in great shape, but I just don't think they were priced very well at $7.99!

There were also Pyrex carafes galore!

All shapes, sizes and patterns. But nothing that really tickled my fancy.

I did a double take when I saw this large set of Pyrex restaurant ware in the red and gold trim. They were in beautiful condition but the pricing was along the lines of $2.99 for a teacup, so I didn't think about it too long.

I was quite excited when I saw a pair of these Chaleur Starbucks mugs. I had read on the Recycle-ista's blog that these were collectible items, however, these were badly crazed on the bottom and yet still priced at $3.99 each. Grrr.

If you're sensing a theme here, I have a few more misses to show you. I spotted this yellow beauty which is just like my mint green Melitta. I noticed right away that the lid knob was chipped but even worse, it was very badly crazed on the bottom.

We made out alright at this Value Village as we purchased a bunch of Archie Comic Books for 80¢ a piece and picked up another book Mr. SixBalloons has been wanting to read. However, it was a bit disappointing that the other items didn't live up to their potential.

Here are the details on the store, in case you are ever on the Island:

Value Village
1810 Store Street at Fisgard
Victoria, BC  V8T 4R4
(250) 380-9422

More to follow later in the week, when I wrap up my Victoria thrift shops review and share the goodies I was able to buy!

Linking up to Flea Market Finds and Thrift Share Monday!

Vintage Archie Comic Books

Mr. SixBalloons and I just came back from a weekend trip to Vancouver Island for a wedding... The trip back was very hectic as several BC Ferries sailings were cancelled due to high winds! We had quite the adventure in the Provincial Capital though, as we were able to hit up about TEN thrift stores in one afternoon. =)

We are often on the hunt for cheap Archies at the thrift store. We like being able to pick them up for under a $1, and we came upon a huge batch in Victoria.

My favourite of the series are the Jughead Jones ones. Archie's loyal sidekick always cracks me up and I think I like having a break from all the relationship drama that Archie, Betty, and Veronica always seem to be going through.

I love how the books from the 80's give you the perspective of inflation... See how this Single Digest comic book is priced at $1.50? They cost about $5 new these days!

When we were kids, my Mom actually didn't like us reading Archies. She thought they were sexist and a bit inappropriate. As you can see from the cover above, I can kind of see her point. I take the Archies with a grain of salt when I read them. I guess they're like Pulp Fiction, sort of a guilty pleasure and an easy read.

Here's Jughead at it again with his food obsession. I like how this Double Digest was only priced at 49 cents at one thrift!

We came away with a good haul of Archies that'll last us for quite some time. More importantly, I was able to thrift it up in another city this weekend. It was actually a perfect way for us to walk around exploring the town with my marked up maps - even though there were some hits and misses, we had a great time.

Perhaps my next couple posts will summarize the stores we visited and what goodies we saw and purchased!

Linking up to Sophie's Flea Market Finds, Coastal Charm's Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays and Selena's Thrift Share Monday!

Esquire Cook Book 1955

Last Spring, I picked up this great vintage cookbook at a United Church thrift sale in the FREE pile and forgot all about it. I took it with me because of the whimsical drawings on both the cover and inside of the book.

It is the Esquire Cook-Book published in 1955 and illustrated beautifully by American illustrator Bill Charmatz. Charmatz was known for his editorial sketches, and was featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, Sports Illustrated, and of course, Esquire Magazine.

He passed away in 2005 at the age of 80, but this wonderful book provides such a quirky look into recipes catered towards men... in the fifties!

I love this image of the poor fellow fretting over what he sees on the scale, while being surrounded by thoughts of all these tempting treats!

Like any typical recipe book, this one is organized with appetizers, types of meat, dishes for entertaining, etc. I love how this tuxedo-clad gent is kicking up his feet in anticipation for his party.

This book is going for big bucks on etsy, with some sellers pricing it at almost $70! I sure am glad I plucked it out of the free bin - it may have been destined for the dump otherwise.

There's also a neat centrefold set of drawings teaching the readers about butcher cuts of meat - my photos don't do them justice - they are worthy of framing and putting up in the kitchen!

Linking up to Vintage Thingie Thursday!

UPDATE: For some reason, blogger won't let me comment on my own posts...! Rest assured I am enjoying your lovely comments, but unfortunately I can't respond to them (this glitch has been going on all week).  I'll keep trying; in the meantime, please keep leaving me your thoughts!

Salvatore Ferragamo Vara at Thrift Store

At my favourite church thrift, as usual, I scope out the housewares first, and then the books if I have time.  The other week when I was there, however, I decided to check out the shoe area where I scored the vintage Ballys.

I was rewarded by the familiar sight of these navy blue Salvatore Ferragamo Vara shoes, made in Italy... with a $10 price sticker! You may recall in my post on the Manolo Blahniks that I once saw a pair of Ferragamos at the thrift in the same style, in white - but they were far too small for my feet.

I got downright giddy when I saw that these fit me perfectly. I know they could have been cheaper, as most shoes are priced at five bucks at this place, but I wasn't too upset.

Fashion bloggers seem to adore this shoe. You see, the Ferragamo Vara was introduced in 1978, with its timeless low heel and iconic ballet flat style, and has endured through the decades. You can still purchase this shoe style today!

The catch? A new pair would set you back about $400 at your local Salvatore Ferragamo boutique!

There is also a little bit of "old-lady style" to the shoes in my opinion... but I still think they're cool.

The highlight of the shoe for me is the grosgrain ribbon bow and signature brass buckle. It looks as good as new... The signature is crystal clear on the shoe vamp.

I was inspired to keep digging around - You know that theory some thrifters have? If someone with great taste and goods came to the thrift to drop something off, it's likely that they dropped off more than one item.

Lo and behold, I found another pair in the same size, but black instead of navy blue!

I ended up selling the black pair and keeping the navy one for myself. I didn't make a lot of money reselling them, but let's just say I ended up owning the navy shoes for better than free!

Linking up to the the Penny Worthy Project, HLA's Flea Market Finds and ATG's Thrift Share Monday.

Expo 86 Souvenir Sun Visor

I sure had a hectic weekend! I continued on with my house tidying project with Mr. SixBalloons and brought another load of goodies to donate to the church thrift shop.

I also came upon a great souvenir from the Vancouver Expo in 1986. I have great memories of fun with Expo Ernie, the mascot, and lining up to visit the various pavilions when I was a little kid. It was the event that turned Vancouver into a big city.

I found this really sweet blue retro sun visor at the thrift for a dollar. It was cast aside in a pile of fabrics and junk, but the visor was in perfect condition. I was afraid that the plastic would have been cracked!

It even bears the offical souvenir tag. =) This was another great thrift find that brought back a bunch of great childhood memories.

Linking up to ATG's Thrift Share Monday and HLA's Flea Market Finds!

Sandra Boynton Cards and Mugs

I have read on some thrift reselling blogs about Sandra Boynton's whimsical cartoon drawings on products like greeting cards and mugs from the 80's. Over the last few months, I came upon a few items here and there.

At one particular thrift store that I go to, I have found unmarked, brand new Sandra Boynton greeting cards twice! Believe it or not, some vintage Boynton cards sell on ebay for $70.

Unfortunately, I have no idea why some sell for big bucks and some have less appeal. These Christmas cards I found recently show these little guys under a Santa Hat on the cover...

...and when you flip the card open, it reads "And Happy New Year from all of us!" under a party hat.

Then at my local MCC Thrift Store, I spotted this novelty Boynton travel mug labelled "Untippable Mug for: Car, Truck, Boat, Klutz".

I paid $2 for this and it is in perfect condition, along with its padded bottom. Again, not sure why, but some Boynton mugs are selling on ebay for $30. This one seems to go for about half that.

If anyone has any more information on why Sandra Boynton products are collectible, please share as I would love to know!

Linking up to Colorado Lady's Vintage Thingie Thursday!

Vintage Disney Mickey Mouse Twin Sheet

I came across this beautiful red Mickey Mouse sheet at Value Village recently, and I was surprised to see that it was in perfect condition.

It came as a two-piece set with a much more worn pillowcase.

My mystery was solved a few minutes later as I flipped through the rest of the rack - I found the matching fitted sheet in a much more faded condition, so I left that behind. I realized that the flat sheet was probably never used at all! There is no fraying and it is in completely mint condition.

I love finding clues like this. I wasn't interested in the fitted sheet anyway since I wanted to buy this for use as fabric for my crafty sister. I've seen this pattern on ebay and it appears that the set is from the 80s.

I paid $6 for the sheet and pillowcase, which I thought was a bit steep for a used twin sheet, but I went for it because it was basically brand new.

I really like the brightness of the material and how Mickey is making all these fun faces. =)

Hope everyone's new year is off to a great start! I'm linking up to the the Penny Worthy Project, HLA's Flea Market Finds and ATG's Thrift Share Monday.