Vintage Montreal Canadiens Hockey Jersey by CCM

So the Vancouver Canucks were beaten the other day by the Montreal Canadiens, and it stung. I have been a Canuck fan since the age of 8, and I know I will always love my Canucks. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, I can confess that I purchased a Habs jersey!

Oh the horror! Just kidding... The reality is that I have a soft spot for this fellow Canadian NHL team, especially with their history and great simplicity of their logo and team colours. I spotted this kids jersey made by CCM with the tag that read "Garcon Boy M/M" at my local Value Village. Current NHL jerseys are made by Reebok, but I've always liked the old CCM ones from the 80s. This one has a stitched-on patch logo, which you don't see on some of the lower quality silkscreened pieces.

I have seen similar jerseys for the Canucks, Leafs, and Flames go for $11.99 or so in this same store, but this particular jersey was priced at $6.99. I have no idea why, but it was a deal too good to pass up, even if I don't think I know many Montreal Canadiens fans that could make use of this.

Sometimes the temptation of a good deal is just too much, and I end up making an impulse buy that sits in the closet, untouched for months. That's certainly one of the drawbacks to thrifting!

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!

Kathie Winkle Teacup Saucers and Dinner Plates!

Our friends J&R piqued my interest recently about vintage tableware designed by Kathie Winkle. Working for the Broadhurst pottery company, she started her career as a painter and eventually went on to design over one hundred patterns between 1958 to 1978.

I came upon some teacups and saucers in the pastel green and blue Corinth pattern at my local Salvation Army thrift store. Believe it or not, it was near the end of a 50% off day, and nobody picked these beauties up! I scooped up each teacup for a dollar, and each saucer for 50 cents.

These Broadhurst lines of tableware included dinner plates, side plates, teacups, saucers, bowls, and teapots. Each line used the same basic ceramic foundation pieces, had a black and white pattern printed on them, and were hand painted before glazing. The handpainted finish is so charming, as some of the "imperfections" give each piece individuality.

I am really glad I decided to buy them, because they were a bit of a mystery when I first saw them. You see, the teacups are only embossed with "ENGLAND" on the underside, and the saucers read "Ironstone Broadhurst Staffordshire England Handpainted Underglaze, Colour Detergent and Dishwasher Proof". No mention of Kathie Winkle, but I suspect this is because the size of a saucer plate doesn't allow room for her swirly signature. I do know that Corinth is a KW design however, because it appears in The Designs of Kathie Winkle book.

A few days later, I found a couple more Kathie Winkle pieces at a Value Village. This time, there was no mistaking what I was looking at - the distinctive Kathie Winkle signature was noted on the back of the plates, and I picked the two up for $3.50.

Now that I've had time to admire these pieces, I like them even more than when I first saw them! My main problem is that I have only two teacups, five saucers, and two dinnerplates. It's definitely not enough to make a set, so I'll have to think of something to do with them... Any suggestions?

Pyrex Aqua Blue Scroll Promotional Bowl

My cup runneth over! I am very happy to report (while knocking on wood) that I have discovered another Pyrex Promotional piece. This time it was a $5 score at my neighbourhood Value Village, a turquoise coloured Blue Scroll Cinderella Bowl!

Doesn't it look great stacked with some of my other favourite Pyrex pieces? I have my Christmas-present Pyrex Dandelion Divided Dish and Pyrex Delphite Casserole supporting their new friend.

This Blue Scrolls bowl is from 1959 and I understand that it was originally sold with a clear glass dome lid and brass stand with candleholder. None of the accessories came with this great piece, but I was so happy to discover this bowl. When I caught a glimpse of its beautiful colour, I thought I was looking at the Balloons Chip and Dip set, then quickly realized it was a pattern I was not familiar with.

Pyrex also had a Green Scrolls pattern which had a similar motif in gold on a minty sage green background which is also stunning. I'm so glad they made a promotional piece with a variation of that pattern as this has quickly become one of my favourite Pyrex finds of all time!

Linking to Apron Thrift Girl's Thrift Share Monday!

Vintage Joy of Cooking Book, 1964 Edition

When I'm whipping something up in the kitchen, I tend to add ingredients based on what seems right. I like the idea of finding a recipe and using it as a backbone from which to experiment. I had never really known much about "The Joy of Cooking" by Rombauer and Becker, other than how Julia Child had it in her kitchen!

I found a 1964 edition a couple of weeks ago at a Value Village in the suburbs for $3.50. It's in quite good shape! I figured I could refine my cooking methods and learn a few things as it is chock full of recipes. The inside cover gives a few pointers on symbols found throughout the recipes.

The book was first published in 1931 after Irma Rombauer lost her husband and wrote to cope with her loss and earn some money. The cute drawings in the book have such a homemade quality to them and really adds to the charm.

Both that fondue pot and saucepan sure look like vintage Le Creuset!  It has been a while since I've found a nice book at the thrift. I was really happy with my pair of Jane Eyre books but this is my first vintage cookbook.

I will say that I most certainly will not be needing the pointers identified on Page 453, which discuss "small game" and details how to skin a squirrel. Yes, there are sketches involved. I must also share that Page 454 provides cooking and stuffing instructions for, yes, raccoon. Yeeps!

Burrowing Owl Vineyard Wine Crate

 Burrowing Owl Estate Winery consistently produces some of the best wines in Canada.  Their vineyard is located in British Columbia, Canada and Mr. SixBalloons took me up there this summer for my big 3-0 birthday celebration! We spent a couple days at their beautiful guest house and just relaxed. Because their wine is in heavy demand, it often sells out in Vancouver very quickly. Hardcore fans make the trip to their winery to purchase their favourite bottles.

At the winery gift shop, which doubles as a tasting room, we saw wooden crates and wine caddy's for sale. Since we had splurged with the weekend trip, we thought better of these purchases and focussed our hard-earned spending money on the wine. Luckily for us, we randomly stopped in at a Value Village one day in November and spotted a Burrowing Owl wine caddy for $2! This sells for $17 direct from the winery, so we were quite happy with it.

Mr. SixBalloons enjoys working with wood projects, so he sanded down the box to buff out any imperfections, and then applied a few clear coats to give it a nice honey hue and prevent fading. I think the final result looks great - it was a fun project for us and refreshed memories of our summer getaway!

My sister Nancy works in the wine business and reviewed the 2007 Chardonnay and 2007 Meritage at her blog for those of you who are interested!

We're looking forward to tinkering around a bit more with our thrifty finds than we have in the past. It's great to have a handy fellow in the house who enjoys these projects!

Red Hanson Scale

I've been discovering some really great items at the thrift lately, and I am very excited to share it with you! Thanks to all my followers, your blogs are great and I'm so glad to have been introduced to them. Those without blogs, feel free to comment away and tell me what you think too!

This nice red retro Hanson kitchen scale caught my eye at the Value Village recently. I pulled it out of the closet last night to weigh a Christmas gift package on its way down to California for my sister and her husband. It was handy for estimating the cost before taking it down to the post office.

This little guy seems too nice to tuck away in a closet, doesn't it?

I noticed that the bottom right corner reads "Rep. of Ireland" which I thought was interesting. I can't say I've ever seen that tag on anything before. There's also a round sticker on the bottom in great condition that reads "Approved by Master Tester 22.A.85". I have no idea if this means the piece is from 1985 or not. The only thing I could seem to find is that there are old vintage scales made by Hanson, and that the company still seems to be in the business of making scales.

Don't you love when something so practical looks so good?

Royal Blue Victorian Velvet Chair

Thanks to those who commented on my previous post where I debated whether or not to pick up this royal blue Victorian beauty from my local Value Village.


After thinking about the chair all night and figuring out great locations to place it in my house, I came to my senses and rushed back to the store the next day. Lo and behold, the chair had been moved but was still for sale! I quickly sat down to test drive it again and refresh my memory.


The chair is definitely in great shape. The velvet is unmarred and the tufted buttons are all intact. Even the velvet on the back of the chair is clean and bright. I just can't believe that there is no pilling or rips anywhere! I also love the wood frame on this chair; it does have some scratches but that just adds to its character, right? :)


While I was poking around looking over the chair, a number of other shoppers stopped me and remarked on how great a deal the $25 chair was. I was getting thumbs-up's (and a couple of jealous looks) from the clerks and customers on my way out of the store!


I'm really happy with my purchase as it is a great accent chair that is functional and comfortable. A friend who stopped by the house yesterday called it "photogenic". It's definitely something nice to take pictures of!

Vintage Velvet Chair Advice Needed!

I made a quick stop at the Value Village after work today and spotted a couple of gems in the furniture section.


These beauties stood out amongst the huge stuffed animals and worn-out looking floral couches. What surprised me the most is that they are in such beautiful condition! They were clean from top to bottom, including the backside and underside of the chairs.

I've long dreamed about finding a really nice velvet wingback chair in a great colour with nice, clean fabric and a comfortable seat. These guys are making my head spin though - they're a little different from what I've been pining for, but the wood detailing, fabric, and colour are making me think twice. I left them there but I am still thinking about them. They are $25 a piece.


I took the Comfort Test and had a seat in each one. The blue one is a little lower to the ground and has a slightly squeaky seat, whereas the red guy is higher, has comfortable solid oak arms, and no squeaks. To me, the blue one is a bit more fantastical whereas the red one seems like it could blend into any scene...

What do you think, should I hit the gas and grab one or two of these?

UPDATE: I came to my senses and went back for the royal blue chair! Read all about it at this post.

Sunny November

Today's a beautiful day in Vancouver. It has been quite dreary over the last few weeks, but today for some reason, the sun came out and it was actually quite warm! Quite lucky considering it's November. It made me think of some great summer finds...


This Pyrex Colonial Mist bowl always makes me smile. I stumbled upon it at a volunteer-run thrift shop that supports the SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). This place has quirky volunteers, and quirky customers. When I first spotted it, it was filled to the brim with dried macaroni pasta. There wasn't anywhere to dump the noodles, so I brought it up to the till and asked the price. She said "So, do you want the pasta?" I immediately said no and she quoted me $4. I wonder what it would have cost me if I indeed wanted the noodles ;)


Another item I found a while back at the local Value Village is this cute little cooler, the Little Playmate made by Igloo. I believe you can still buy these new, but I think mine is charming and has an 80s feel to it. It's a really convenient size and I often keep it in the trunk of my car to keep my groceries cool on my way home.



Summer feels so far away, but at least we have Christmas coming soon!

Could it be Cathrineholm?

I went into my local Value Village the other day to scour the goods. I was figuring on slim pickings, since the place was buzzing with customers. Lo and behold, I see a beautiful round white enamelled pan with what appears to be a lotus leaf pattern!


I snatch the piece up and am excited to see how heavy it is. Could it be Cathrineholm? The first time I saw a Cathrineholm piece was at the window of a local thrift store which takes a select few great items, displays them in the front window, and runs a silent auction for two weeks. I was just passing by and was star-struck by an avocado green ice bucket with strikingly beautiful yet simple white leaves. Unfortunately the ice bucket caught others' eyes too, and the bidding was already up to $68 by the time I rolled around.


Back to the present - I'd always been hopeful about finding another piece with the simple paper sticker reading "Made in Norway" with this great pattern, but no such luck.


I believe this might be an authentic round pan based on my flickr "research"... Too bad there is no lid! Perhaps readers like Jeni from In Color Order can help ID this? The underside of the pan is a dark cast-iron-ish material but has weathered to a grey in some areas. The pan is actually in quite good condition. Even if it turns out not to be Cathrineholm, I think it would serve great as a roasting dish for potatoes and such. At $5, I think I made a safe bet.

Finally... Pyrex Butterprint!

Ahh, we are in the thick of summer, and the lure of being outside and in the garden has kept me away from thrift shops and the computer. I guess that's alright, because I'll definitely be missing this weather in a couple months' time.

I did get a chance to make a quick stop at Value Village one day, and it was surprisingly quiet. I guess I'm not the only one with other summer plans. Two Pyrex patterns that I am constantly pining for are Gooseberry and Butterprint. I had never really seen them "in the wild" other than at overpriced antique stores.


There it was sitting on the shelf, with its beautiful colour and cute couple harvesting their bounty. Can you believe I almost missed it? I suppose that's why I re-scan the aisles when I thrift...

Value Vintage Housewares!

On my way home from work, I decided to make a quick dash into my neighbourhood Value Village. I was pleasantly surprised (ok, I was super excited) when I saw the sign on the door reading "Manager's Special Today Only! 30% off All Housewares!" My pet peeve with Value Village is how some items are badly overpriced.

The first thing I spotted was a flamingo pink Pyrex round casserole dish which has been sitting at the store for about two weeks... reason? It has baked on stains all over it and is still priced at $5.99. I moved on and was rewarded with a couple of vintage diet pepsi glasses, 70 cents a piece with the discount! I looked on ebay for more information and found that they were calling these "slim" tumblers and some of them had "One Calorie" written on them.


These will go well with an old Pepsi bottle I kept for many years. You know, from my "private collection", haha.


We have just finished building our deck and purchased a barbecue on the weekend. I spotted a nice BBQ fork in great condition. It has a really nice wood handle and even has its' original Woodwards Department store sticker on it. It's made in Canada and seems to be of nice quality. The leather hanger looks quite cracked so I think I will cut that off.


Usually when I have time, I double back over the shelves that I just checked out, to make sure there isn't a little gem hidden away. I realized that one of the staffers just unloaded a cart with THREE vintage corningware round pots! They were in great condition and were $6 each, less 30%. I stacked them up to see how they would look and swooned a bit. Realizing that I don't really need three very similar pots, I settled on buying one 750mL pot that should come in handy. When I was in the checkout line, a lady mentioned that it was such a pretty pattern and in such great shape. I almost turned back to the housewares section and picked up the other two, but I restrained myself!


The last item I saw when I was about to wrap things up was a vintage mustard coloured fondue set.


Not only was it in its original box, it had its wood fondue forks in their original bag and had the warming rack and burner. It was missing it's bottom plate but for $3.50, I'm not complaining.


That was a great day at Value Village. I purchased all these goods for about $11 total but I sure have a lot of dish washing to do.

Vintage Copy of My Favourite Book

As a kid, I was a voracious reader. Even more so than I am now! I was at our local Value Village when I saw an interesting looking copy of Jane Eyre. Not too weathered but had a haunting image on the front and back cover. I asked the clerk if this book was priced the same as their regular hardcovers and he said yup, they are all priced the same. Unfortunately when I got to the till, the more senior cashier told me it was actually 4x the price I thought.

I left it.

When I got back to my computer I found out that it was a 1943 Random House copy with prints from Fritz Eichhenberg's wood engravings. It was originally published as a 2-book set with Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte and Wuthering Heights by her sister Emily Bronte. They were going for big bucks on Etsy!

Of course when I went back it was gone, but luckily for me, another thrift store I hit up (SPCA Thrift Store on Victoria Drive) had both books in great condition - except the covers were blank. I shrugged and bought them anyway. All the Eichenberg engravings inside the books are the same. One oddity is that Jane Eyre is upside down... What I mean is that the book cover was applied upside down, but all else is fine and Wuthering Heights is a-ok.

I'm looking forward to getting re-aquainted with an old favourite and seeing if I will like it as much as I did when I read it years ago...