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 Melitta Coffee Tea Pot in Yellow!

I went to the next town over the other day to see what the thrifts had waiting for me. I stopped at a Salvation Army Thrift Store in the suburbs and was rewarded with this Vintage Melitta Coffee Pot!

You may remember from one of my popular posts that I found a Vintage Melitta Coffee Tea Pot in Mint Green some time ago, with the original Melitta sticker on it. You can read more about the history of Melitta at that post... these are high quality German-made products!

Don't they look beautiful together?

Some of the interesting design features of my other pot led me to identify this one as a Melitta. The pour spout has a clever indent that prevents drips when pouring your coffee or tea. Melitta was also the company that invented the drip-brew paper coffee filters. A ceramic cone that sits atop this piece was nowhere to be found, but I hope to find one in a matching colour someday!

The unglazed ceramic base was another How-To Tip on identifying Melitta pieces. Although some have a Melitta stamp on the base, this unglazed radial pattern bottom is a sure marker of Melitta. When these were sold many decades ago, there was a sticker indicating that you can set this pot on an asbestos pad and heat it on your stovetop!

I got this coffee / tea pot for a bargain price. It was supposed to be $4.99 but because one of the nibs on the inside of the lid was cracked off, I asked for a discount and purchased it for $3.99. I'm pretty excited about my purchase, despite this minor flaw.

Linking up to Thrift Share Monday and Flea Market Finds!

Vintage Melitta Coffee Tea Pot in Mint Green!

Before I jump into this terrific tale, I want to thank you all for commenting and following! I have made it easier to leave a comment by removing the "Word Verification" requirement. I hope you will keep stopping by and telling me your thoughts!

Without further ado, here is a piece I have been seeking for some time... a vintage Melitta coffee or tea pot!

The first time I saw this piece, it was through a window at a thrift shop that reserves special items for a monthly auction. It was a complete set with the matching ceramic filter, but the bidding was already past $60 by the time I came along.

The mint green colour and simple style caught my eye at the time, and I have since had this on my thrift wish list. Melitta is a German company founded in 1908 with the invention of the drip-brew paper coffee filter. Melitta is actually the name of the woman who came up with the invention, then became an entrepreneur who started the business.

The spout has an interesting hole with a ridge leading back into the pot. Apparently this is a feature of Melitta ceramic coffee pots that makes the spout drip-proof. It is actually quite clever; I suppose it guides the liquid back down the spout.

The interior of the pot is glazed and glossy. Even though it is missing the matching ceramic filter cone holder that sits on top of the pot (in place of the lid when making coffee), it's in great shape and can be used as a teapot.

The underside of the pot is unglazed; I have seen a vintage Melitta with an original label reading:  "Caution - Never put coffee pot on direct heat! Always use asbestos plate between source of heat and your coffee pot."  You won't find me putting this piece on the stovetop, that's for sure.

Interesting tidbit... This teapot is unmarked except for the faded Melitta label shown above. You see, the topper drip cone was embossed with the brand as part of the set, so a permanent marking on the pot itself was unnecessary. The $5 price sticker at the Salvation Army was placed OVER the Melitta label!! I actually believe this is the only reason we were able to come along and find this little treasure before someone else snatched it up.  =)

Linking up to ATG's Thrift Share Monday!

UPDATE: I just found another vintage Melitta pot in a buttery yellow colour! Read all about it here!