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.

Best Thrift Store Finds of the Year!

Now that 2011 is coming to a close, I've decided to start reminiscing about my "Thrift Hits of the Year"! It's been a great year of collecting goodies, and I hope you've enjoyed coming along for the ride. Click on each link to read more about it and see additional photos!

First up is this vintage Royal Quiet De Luxe Typewriter in amazing condition. I fell in love with the details found in the fonts and parts, and the sturdy construction of this piece... it was working perfectly and was a great bargain at $15!

This gorgeous vintage Le Creuset Flame Cocotte was found at my first-ever estate sale... I was so tickled to find a few months later that the official "True Le Creuset" site mentioned my post here.

At my favourite local church thrift, I picked up these Vintage Peep Toe Ballys... Yes, Five Dollar Ballys! In my size!

This little Danish Teak Bird Pencil Holder stole my heart at another church thrift sale... and at 50¢ was a crazy steal. I made sure to send some donations their way this year. I haven't found out any more information about it, except for someone who contacted me from Switzerland to tell me he had the same piece. =)

This Promotional Pyrex Aqua Blue Scrolls bowl is from 1959 and I cannot believe it was sitting on a shelf for two days at Value Village before I came and rescued it.

Even though I love many more things that I was lucky enough to find this year, these are the standouts looking back. Of course, thrifting is full of pros and cons... Last week I went through some of the Things I Regret Buying at the Thrift Store, but I don't mind donating them back for a good cause.

Linking up to Colorady Lady's Vintage Thingie Thursday and Vintage Scapes' Thrift Hits of the Year!

Vintage Bally Peep Toe Pumps

After all of your comments on the missed-out $13 Manolo Blahnik's, I have remained on the shoe lookout while thrifting. I was digging around at the local church basement when I came upon a beautiful pair of vintage Bally peep toe pumps.

The colour blocking of taupe and black was what originally caught my eye, and when I pulled them out for closer inspection, I saw that they were a great looking pair of shoes! The condition is quite good, and the "Bally Canada" tag on the insole is clean and clear. There is a nice fan-shaped detail just above the peep toe.

The interior and exterior sides of the shoe are different colours. I think they are a classic looking pair of shoes, but not in a fuddy duddy sort of way.

I always find that the leather soles are always a good indicator of a shoe's quality. These are marked "Cuir Veritable - Geniune Leather" on the underside. Bally has long been known for making quality shoes, and these shoes are still in great shape. I do wonder how old these shoes are, and why the lady who owned them didn't wear them more often!  I should mention that this church thrift sale is based in quite a nice part of town...

Believe it or not, the shoes were actually a perfect fit for me, and the price tag said $5. I'm not a regular wearer of heels, but how could I turn them down?

I hope everyone had a great weekend thrifting! Linking up to Thrift Share Monday!

Manolo Blahnik Campari Mary Jane Shoes at Thrift Store!

When zipping about a thrift store, I usually go straight for the household section and bypass all the clothing racks. During one particular visit to Value Village, I passed the shoe section on my way and decided to roam around.

Amongst the racks of various shoes, all with different shapes, sizes, and condition, I noticed the bottom of a shoe peering over the shelf. It had a tall stilleto heel with a leather sole.

Yes. It was a pair of patent Manolo Blahniks priced for sale at $12.99. I was sort of shocked for a minute, thinking of blogs I had read where people made these insane discoveries of valuable items at thrift stores. I picked up the pair of shoes and checked it out. They were in pretty good condition with a buttery leather interior and authentic looking Manolo Blahnik label.

 

I don't consider myself a pro thrift reseller so I wasn't quite sure what to do. I knew the shoes I was looking at were of some value but honestly, I don't know much about designer shoes.  After much debating I put the shoes back on the shelf and headed home empty-handed...

When I went home and tried finding the shoes online, I realized that these were the Manolo Blahnik Campari shoes that were talked about on a Sex and the City episode (which I clearly had not seen). It turns out that the girls were denying the existence of a hot Mary Jane shoe that a grown woman could wear, and of course, these Manolos busted the myth. Neiman Marcus stores carry this shoe for $645.

Having seen the button closure detail on these stock photos and realizing that they looked exactly like the Value Village model, I went back the next morning to see if the shoes would still be there. Obviously someone beat me to the punch!

Every now and then, I can't resist taking a quick glance in the shoe section to look for hidden gems. Since missing those beauties, I have also seen a vintage pair of Chanel flats in aqua and red, and a pair of vintage Salvatore Ferragamo white ballet flats at thrift stores, neither of which I have bought.

In hindsight, I'm not sure I would have been able to find a good home for those shoes. I have some small doubts about their authenticity - for example, the shoes I saw were white patent leather, and I'm not sure the Campari shoe was ever made in white. I might have wasted $13 on a pair of decently made fakes.

What would you have done??

UPDATE: I should mention that I scored a great pair of Vintage Bally Peep Toe Pumps for $5 to help ease the pain... The best part? They fit perfectly! Read all about it here!