Did you get what you really wanted for Christmas?

[superiorgirl]

Alas, I didn't get any thrifted gifts. I guess my family just isn't into it as much as I am.

A couple of weeks before Christmas I broke my mom's special grinder that she always uses to make carrots, a staple at our holiday meals. It has a steel shaft that screws into an aluminum handle and when I put the handle back on it after cleaning it, I got it cock-eyed and stripped the threads. panic!! Happily, (hearing the theme song from Mighty Mouse here), eBay saved the day and I was able to get a replacement in the nick of time. It's not exactly thrifted, but close enough. I couldn't bear the idea of telling Mom it was my fault the whole family had to go without her special carrots!!

So, did you get what you really wanted? Did you get something cool/special/weird for a ts present?

[Jay2TheRescue]

Alas, I didn't get any thrifted gifts. I guess my family just isn't into it as much as I am.

A couple of weeks before Christmas I broke my mom's special grinder that she always uses to make carrots, a staple at our holiday meals. It has a steel shaft that screws into an aluminum handle and when I put the handle back on it after cleaning it, I got it cock-eyed and stripped the threads. panic!! Happily, (hearing the theme song from Mighty Mouse here), eBay saved the day and I was able to get a replacement in the nick of time. It's not exactly thrifted, but close enough. I couldn't bear the idea of telling Mom it was my fault the whole family had to go without her special carrots!!

So, did you get what you really wanted? Did you get something cool/special/weird for a ts present?

My friends & I usually give thrifted gifts.  I gave my roommate a big electronic Yoda doll that talked.  He was pretty cool, and in new condition.  I bought him for $2.99.  My roommate got me a thrifted phone.  In years past I have bought thrifted gifts for members of my family if it was an item they collected.

-Jay

[SecondhandSophisticate]

Yes. My husband's gift to me was two matching mid-century modernist sterling silver bangles signed by the artist. They are small, simple, strong pieces and are handwrought. Very clean, architectural lines. We had a $25 limit on gifts for each other, so that's the most they could have cost. I LOVE them. They are the perfect gift. They are secondhand, of course.

My gift to him was an Oscar Peterson CD (not thrifted, alas) but it's what he wanted.

Oddly, Mr. Peterson passed away Christmas  Eve. Blessings to him.  We've been fans for years.

Merry and Happy,
SeSo

[Thrift Shop Romantic]

My housemate went crazy-creative on something she gave me-- which has nothing to do with thrifting, but I'll share because she's apparently a Crafting Mad Genius and I was unaware of it until now.

She made me a Tardis (Dr. Who.). It's a wooden box painted up entirely to look like the police phone box (with lights on), in which she put some Dr. Who videos in for me. It has an actual light embedded into the top. She must have worked so, so hard on this-- it's amazing.

I feel entirely honored and humbled to have a friend who'd make me a Tardis.

Very cool about the Yoda/phone thrifted gift exchange! It's nice when you have friends who "get" the whole thrifting thing.

[Jay2TheRescue]

I'm jealous.  You got a Tardis.  I'm sure a Tardis was on the top of many people's lists this year and you are probably one of the few that got one this year.

-Jay

My housemate went crazy-creative on something she gave me-- which has nothing to do with thrifting, but I'll share because she's apparently a Crafting Mad Genius and I was unaware of it until now.

She made me a Tardis (Dr. Who.). It's a wooden box painted up entirely to look like the police phone box (with lights on), in which she put some Dr. Who videos in for me. It has an actual light embedded into the top. She must have worked so, so hard on this-- it's amazing.

I feel entirely honored and humbled to have a friend who'd make me a Tardis.

Very cool about the Yoda/phone thrifted gift exchange! It's nice when you have friends who "get" the whole thrifting thing.

[Scott]

Yes. My husband's gift to me was two matching mid-century modernist sterling silver bangles signed by the artist.

Please do tell, SeSo ... who are the bangles by? Photos?

My wife was on the receiving end of several pieces of vintage modern silver this year. The most interesting piece was a Danish Modern sterling brooch by Neils Erik From.

[foutchie]

Yes - Cash!   Look out thrift stores - I'm a coming! 

[valleythriftshopper]

My wife was on the receiving end of several pieces of vintage modern silver this year. The most interesting piece was a Danish Modern sterling brooch by Neils Erik From.

Neils Erik From is quite collectible, I was lucky enough to find a sterling & lapis lazuli necklace by him at the Salvation army this fall for $7.99!  There were also a pair of matching earrings, they were not marked From, but still nice.  I am finding it very complicated to post a picture on this site!  I tried Photobucket as someone suggested, but still no luck.  If I try to upload directly from My Documents, the pictures are rejected as too large.  I'll just keep rotaing my profile pictures as I can upload any picture there OK.  Any advise would be helpful!

[foutchie]

Valleythrift - download for free irfanview - it's an easy to use program to change the size of your pictures, enhance their colors, sharpen them, crop them, etc.   I use it all the time - just google irfanview and go to the site it brings up and download for free - easy to use great program!

[valleythriftshopper]

Yes - Cash!   Look out thrift stores - I'm a coming! 

My daughter asked me what I'd most like for Christmas & I said a gift certificate to the Salvation Army (pretty much the only thrift around here).  I think they should start doing gift certificates, although that would probably send the sales people there into a tizzy.  Cash works too though!  Thanks for the advise about picture loading, I'll try it & hopefully there will be some thrifty pics in my future posts.

[Scott]

Neils Erik From is quite collectible, I was lucky enough to find a sterling & lapis lazuli necklace by him at the Salvation army this fall for $7.99!  There were also a pair of matching earrings, they were not marked From, but still nice.

She collects From silver, so this pin is one of many pieces we've acquired. Unfortunately none of the From jewelry has been from thrift shops. Other modernist silver, yes. From, unfortunately not. I think my wife would possibly pass out if we ever found a necklace like the one you described at that price! Great find!

[alexandra]

Amvets issues gift certificates, but I don't think I've seen any at the SA! I believe Savers issues them too.

TSR, now that you've got a roomie who can construct such wonderful devices, maybe she can produce a Cone of Silence?  That shouldn't be so hard -- since the original never seemed to work anyway!  Or maybe she could use thrifted items to construct a shoe phone.  I see a great cottage industry here...  of course, no one under 30 will probably know what I am referring to...

Thriftily,
Alexandra
www.livingwithoutmoney.blogspot.com