Hi Everyone and welcome! This is just a short blog today. We just returned from thrifting and I had to share this find with all of you because…….it is pretty spectacular. Let me preface this by saying I have a bit of a crystal glass obsession. I always check the glasses at the store. I look for a variety of patterns and brands and usually buy a glass or two when I see them. I keep pictures on my phone of glasses that are not yet complete sets. For me, a set is four glasses. That way I can easily set a table for four. It’s rare to find four because people tend to donate glasses when they have broken one so a set of four is now a set of three. If it’s a popular pattern, I’ll pick up the three or even one because I know that at some point I will run across more glasses in that pattern.
That happened today. A couple of weeks ago I picked up three of these glasses and today I found another one. Glasses typically are under $2 for really nice ones and sometimes as low as 49 cents. If you know the patterns, you are more likely to find matches.
I also found one each of the above patterns. They are really heavy crystal. I’m pretty sure one is a Mikasa pattern and the other one I will have to research. None of these glasses had any markings on the stem so research is definitely required.
Then I came across this absolutely terrific crystal glass find.
These glasses are by Vera Wang in the Duchesse pattern made by Wedgwood. You can see the identifying stamp on the crystal stems above. There are two sizes….a red wine and a white wine. Here is the best part. There were 8 perfect red wine glasses and 8 perfect white wine glasses for one set price. Vera Wang glasses in this pattern typically sell for $45/glass. Expensive……and I was able to purchase a set of sixteen perfect glasses all at one time for less than the cost of one glass. I was in crystal heaven.
To make it even better, the original price for the set of glasses (which would have made the total more expensive) was cut in half because I had a 50% off coupon good on any purchase other than furniture. I had a hard time containing my elation over this purchase.
I do get questions about how to find good deals at the thrift store. My answer is always the same. Know your products…..if you collect crystal have a working knowledge of the patterns and brands you are interested in purchasing. Keep pictures on your phone. Know what good crystal looks like and feels like so you recognize it when you pick it up.
Look for brand names. Crystal brands are generally located on the stems of the glasses. Check the stems for top brands. Be persistent…..you have to look and keep on looking. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t find what you’re looking for. It took me three years of looking to find my Ethan Allen upholstered dining chairs. Be prepared to buy it NOW. If you wait, it will be gone. If you are deciding, put it into your cart and walk around with it while you are looking. You can always put it back if you decide not to purchase the item. Lastly, you need to be a little bit lucky. So, knowledge, persistence and luck will help you find those special treasures for your home. I can’t promise Vera Wang but I can promise you will find some unique things that will make you do a little dance all the way out of the store.