What is the coolest or most exciting thing you ever bought from a thrift shop, tag sale, garage sale or antique store?

10 DVDs from the Zatoichi series. My guess is someone died, and the family got rid of his eclectic movies. Sorry I didn’t know him.

About 10 years ago, I found a lucite sculpture by Van Teal at an antique store in Hilo Hawaii. The store was full of Hawaiian antiques of all varieties, and then there was this very modern lucite sculpture. I bought it without questioning. I love it, and it has a prominent place in my living room.

Twenty years ago went to tag sale, bought three fiber woven baskets and a “copper pie plate”. Tags totaled $5, asked if the would take $3.50 . .they said okay.

Pie plate is a Hudson Bay gold pan like this.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/186494152746?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D273637%26meid%3Daaa4da6c92954c26bbbae1eb23a0b524%26pid%3D101224%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D5%26sd%3D285167560472%26itm%3D186494152746%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2332490%26algv%3DDefaultOrganicWebV9BertRefreshRankerWithCassiniEmbRecall&_trksid=p2332490.c101224.m-1

Quite a bit of what I own. Just a few years ago where I live you could have a field day flipping things from estate, garage sales and thrift stores. Not so much after the pandemic. People don’t donate and try to sell for top dollar now. I don’t have a favorite. My vintage stereo gear all came from the above for next to nothing. Use it every day. I have a small table top bakelite RCA tube radio I got at a thrift store and restored that I’m fond of.

I bought some Time life books on the paranormal. From Goodwill and Value Village.

It is always “First Edition Books”.
On occasion some good Vinyl.

I started collecting work of a local potter who had moved away before I moved here. Just one style/glaze. So I come across them every once in a while. I have about 20 pieces.

A Life Magazine profiling Apollo 11.

A special order, hand made satin dress with elaborate beading from Hong Kong ordered by a woman in the 1950’s with exactly my measurements. For $20.

20 years ago my mom got a deal on a broken astrolave. With including zodiacal stuff printed on.