Reselling Vintage Le Creuset

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas! Ours was busy and fun, and we are enjoying the rest of the holidays!

I have been buying and selling vintage Le Creuset cast iron pieces here and there. Sometimes I see a smoking deal and sometimes I am just looking to pare down my own collection... I am always tempted to keep them, but it is probably a good idea to keep things moving!

Photo courtesy etsy seller peachychicboutique

This beautiful set from the 50s is in the pastel "Elysees Yellow" colour and came with a 5 quart dutch oven and a small saucepan. I purchased it off etsy for $40 plus $15 shipping and flipped it for $120 locally.

I think my buyer still got a great deal, as the set was in great shape. Apparently Marilyn Monroe owned a Le Creuset set in this colour! The original etsy seller doesn't ship to Canada but my sis picked it up for me across the border.

Another piece I sold recently was this flame coloured large #20 saucepan with wooden handle. I had actually found the orphan lid in the wild while thrifting a couple years ago, dreaming that I would be able to find its bottom.

I caved and bought a lidless pan on ebay for cheap, reunited them, and sold them to another happy local buyer. I spent about $20, and was able to sell it for $50.

I rubbed a little mineral oil on the old wooden handle because these get pretty rough over time.

I like to keep my collections kind of light because I have a tendency to hoard my thrifted goodies! Hopefully I will be able to stay disciplined and keep only the items I really love and get lots of use out of!

Starbucks Christmas Mug and Coffee Set

Here is my third and last thrifty find from the Holly Bazaar.

I normally wouldn't buy a thrifted food item, as in the bag of Starbucks Christmas Blend coffee but it was the brand new mug that caught my eye! I am actually not a coffee drinker but my dad is, so I figured for the three bucks, he could use the mug and toss the coffee beans.

When I got home, I saw that the underside of the mug was stamped 2012, so I thought maybe this coffee isn't stale after all. I let my dad decide, and he inspected it and concluded that it was sealed and probably ok... All in all, three bucks well spent, me thinks!

Thrifted Christmas Glass Ornaments Handmade in Ukraine!

So at the Holly Bazaar I went to last weekend, I figured we had arrived too late to snag anything good on the ornaments front.

Luckily, I am an under-the-table-box-rummager. There were half empty Martha Stewart decorations and boxes of mismatched ornaments, all marked $2. Then I spotted an unopened box of great looking bulbs.

Also two dollars! The box said that they were handcrafted glass ornaments made in the Ukraine and originally cost $25. Ulp.

I am still hoping to find a box of vintage Shiny Brites someday (I have never seen any in the wild) but these were a great score too!

Vintage Pyrex Measuring Cups!

Last weekend in Vancouver, a seniors centre in a nice part of town held heir annual Holly Bazaar, a sale of baked goods, handknit goods, and thrifty stuff of course!

Hubby manned the stroller so I could swoop through the crowds unhindered and I spotted a vintage Pyrex D Handle measuring cup... Then, I saw that it was nested inside a larger 4 Cup that matched!

Curiously, both were priced at $2 a piece.

The awesome thing is that I had gone into a Salvation Army a few days before and left empty handed. The best thing I saw was the exact same Pyrex 1 cup, but with a badly chipped handle. I think this was meant for me!

I am so glad to have this little set. The only problem is that I have a few more measuring cups thqn anyone really needs... Honest, I did not set out to collect measuring cups!

Linking up with the fine folks at http://sirthriftalot.blogspot.com, Apron Thrift Girl, and a-living-space.blogspot.com!

Peanuts Snoopy and Charlie Brown Satin Ball Ornament

I have been checking out all the thrift eye candy from people posting all their Christmas finds, and it is making me excited for the holidays!!

I have a little Christmas thrift haul to share, from a church sale I went to a while back. Nothing too earth shattering, but I think I got a couple nice items. I love all Charlie Brown items, especially the vintage stuff, so I was excited to find this satin ball ornament from the 80's.

In fact, I snagged this $2 grab bag just for that ornament, really!

I also grabbed this box of nice red glass ornaments. Can you see the price tag there? When I went to pay, they charged me fifty cents EACH for the four balls... That wasn't really what I had in mind, but I don't mind too much when it's a fundraiser.

Poor ole Charlie Brown, he looks so cute and sad at the same time.

Out of the $2 grab bag, the three items above are what I kept. I have a thing for those old wooden ornaments.

And these four went back to the thrift!

I'm linking up with the great folks at http://sirthriftalot.blogspot.com, Apron Thrift Girl, and a-living-space.blogspot.com!

Vintage Globe Coin Bank

Thanks to Julia and Chris over at A Living Space, I received this great tin globe coin bank from their giveaway!

A few months ago, I was distractedly thrift shopping while lugging the babe in arms and failed to pick up a Replogle Moon Globe. Yeah. It came with the brochure and everything. And was a measly two dollars. I actually drove back to the thrift where the cashier told me it had just walked out the door. Sob!

Now I have this little beauty to cheer me up :)

Whenever I look over a globe, I always check out my little spot on the earth. I think I have always done this since I was little!

Faded Figgjo Lotte Dishes

I really love the Norweigan Figgjo Flint ceramics, especially the beautiful handpainted Lotte pattern.
 

I snagged these three plates for a dollar at a garage sale but they are in faded crazed condition. I keep telling myself to stop purchasing imperfect stuff but I just can't seem to resist.

Would you have had the willpower to leave em behind? Or is there always a right price?

Le Creuset Ribbed Bottom Square Knob Lid

I have been a lazy blogger of late... There has just been so many current events to read about, new TV shows, new recipes to try, and a fast-moving baby to chase around!

But as you know, I've always got time for some Le Creuset.

I ebayed this little 1 quart beauty and I just love it. This older piece has three traits which no longer exist on modern pieces:

-square cast iron knob on the lid
-ribbed, enamelled underside of the pot
-letters rather than numbers to denote the pot size.

I love the look of the square knob!

Does anyone happen to know the age of the pot, or when these three items were phased out?

Picasso and Matisse Art Books Thrifted

So in the small town thrift store one day, I found a huge pile of beautiful art books amongst the comics, craft magazines, and junky paperback novels. Someone must have passed away and had their collection donated, as it was a significant selection!

There were a lot of great books, but these two stood out. I first noticed the Picasso as it was bound in a tan cloth, published in 1946, and was part of a set of three. The prints inside were wonderful, and there was some commentary preceding it. There was a matching Matisse book and another artist whose name escapes me now - since I wasn't familiar with the name and the book was in poor shape, I left that one behind.
 

It turns out that the Picasso book, formally known as "Paintings and Drawings of Picasso with a Critical Survey by Jaime Sabartes" is worth hundreds of dollars! The Matisse, or rather, "Paintings and Drawings of Matisse with a Critical Survey by Jean Cassou" seems to be worth much less.

I haven't mentioned this yet, but each book was priced at $3. This was definitely a great thrift score but I am really not sure how to go about attempting to sell it. I think I will enjoy the books for a while and take a few more photos, then see about finding a buyer who will appreciate them more than me!

I'm linking up this week with Sir Thrift a Lot, A Living Space and Apron Thrift Girl!

Arc France Mason Jar with Label

I found this lovely old Triomphe bail top jar by Arc, made in France. It was priced at a quarter by the lovely volunteers at a hospital thrift that I popped in to.

It still has the original label! It sort of pained me to scrub it off, but at least I can share some photos with you.

The wire clasp is a little rusty and the gasket was stiff and cracked.

However, it just so happens to be the perfect container for my homemade sourdough starter! Since the wild yeast culture needs air circulation, I removed the gasket and have the perfect container!

Linking up to Vintage Thingie Thursday!

Aqua Ball Jar and Foley Measuring Spoons

So I went out to my local Salvation Army, and picked up a nice aqua Ball mason jar, a set of nesting Foley measuring spoons... and a $35 parking ticket! Rats.

I really don't need any more mason jars, but caved and bought this one because it has the loop on the capital B, meaning it's quite an old one, according to a dating chart I saw. It's also in really good condition.

I simply cannot resist stainless steel vintage measuring spoons. This one was priced at 99 cents and was tucked away behind a bunch of mixing bowls and pots.

I previously found a nice double-ended nesting set of Foley spoons for 50 cents at my local church sale, and I had a couple people email me with offers to buy them. I eventually sold them to someone who had a sentimental attachment to them.

I'm linking up for the first time to Nifty Thrifty at A Living Space and at Thrift Share Monday!

Butterless Banana Bread

Hello everyone! I am late with my post this week as I was enjoying my long weekend with Canadian Thanksgiving festivities. Yum, I had two turkey dinners. :)

I wanted to share what I baked in my Pyrex Horizon Blue Fridgie... A butterless banana bread that is moist and delicious!

I adapted the recipe from a fellow Vancouverite's awesome blog, Everybody Likes Sandwiches. Simply mix together the following:

3 ripe bananas
2 eggs
1-1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp cinnamon
3/4 cup chocolate chips or chunks (sometimes I cut this down to 1/2 cup and sprinkle them mostly on top)

Grease up your Pyrex fridgie or pan, and pour in that yummy batter. Bake at 375F for 45 minutes!

I hope you will try this recipe and let me know how it turns out. Next time I am going to make mini loaves using my small 501 fridgies; I think they would look so cute!

Pyrex 2 Cup Measuring Cup Craigslisted $2

Not much at the thrifts for me lately, but I am still looking! I definitely think I am getting more choosy. I will say that when I am looking for something I need for the kitchen, I will often check craigslist first.

I love my vintage Pyrex measuring cup but needed a larger one. I was happy to find this for $2 from a local girl who is moving to Europe.

Wish me luck at the thrift!

Crockpot Dulce de Leche

At the garage sale where I scored all my sweet Pyrex Butterprint, the seller threw in three of these Ball jars and lids/seals for free.

I was thinking they would be perfect for crockpot dulce de leche!

Did you know that you can identify the age of your Ball jars by looking closely at the logo font? These here are not very old - if the "B" has a loop in it, the piece is From before 1960. You can see an example at my post on Ball mason jars.

Back to the dulce de leche, just pour some sweetened condensed milk into your mason jars and screw on the lids. Pop them into your slow cooker and cover with water, then cook on low for 8 hours and you will have a creamy, caramelly treat waiting for you!

This should be kept in your fridge and should keep at least a couple months... If it lasts that long! I plan to drizzle some on vanilla ice cream and see how that works out...