Stuff you've been dying to thrift??

[Silversuess]

Hello all, fellow thrifters. I'm new to this site, but not to thrifting. My question for everyone is:

What have you been dying to thrift? What do you keep an eye out for every time you step into GoodWill or Salvation Army,etc..? Have you crossed your fingers in hopes of finally finding that "something" you've been looking for??  Tell me here.

And what have I been on the lookout for??
*cameras (esp. polaroids), but I'm hoping to find a Lomo camera one day.
*cat-eye glasses. I've only ever found one pair.
*rotary phones (I'd love one in black, turqoise or pink!)
*a record player. I've never seen one in any thrift store, but maybe one day i'll come across one.
*annnnnnd a clear dome umbrella (yeah, weird thing to want, right? but i've only seen them for sale online, and pretty much never in any stores).

Yup...I like retro type things.

[Good Buddy]

*a record player. I've never seen one in any thrift store, but maybe one day I'll come across one.

Cookie and I looked for a record player for MONTHS! I finally purchased a new one for her and immediately saw a half dozen record players within the next month!
Be aware though that most new audio receivers don't have a "Phono" connection and you'll have to get a special separate unit called a phono preamp adapter to hook up a record player to a new fangled receiver.

[Silversuess]

I've been looking forever, and my parents finally broke down and bought me one for christmas. It was a reproduction type player, made to look old fashioned but totally not. I think they got it from target.

I'm still searching for an ORIGINAL, but my fakey one is fine. Plus it plays CDs, and you can listen to the radio on it (yeah, its not the same really because it does all those other things...) but at least I can play all my records now.

[valleythriftshopper]

I had my chance to buy a vintage suitcase record player that worked at the SA for $25.  I was buying several other things that day & decided I would probably see one cheaper somewhwere else.  WRONG!  I wish I had grabbed it.  One of the things I did buy that day was an old bakelite Philco radio that works & has the original manual.

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj292/thriftshopper/philco.jpg

I just saw one of the repro record, CD, etc players at another thrift for $50, someone had just bought it, but I don't think I would spend that much on a repro anyway.  Someday I will find the record player!

[adapt]

every time i head into a thrift store, i hope that i'll find a pair of hit stix. i look every time, without fail. i'm also on the lookout for a pair of redlines and any old video games (especially c64) i can find.

[Thrift Shop Romantic]

I found ONE, and am looking for the two others, but I've been trying to thrift pink Pyrex in the Gooseberry pattern, which my mom had had years ago. I found one recently, a smaller bowl, but I'm hoping for a large mixing bowl.

It makes me think of things like tollhouse cookies and meat loaf-- both things my mother made using that excellent pink bowl.

[Jay2TheRescue]

I had my chance to buy a vintage suitcase record player that worked at the SA for $25.  I was buying several other things that day & decided I would probably see one cheaper somewhwere else.  WRONG!  I wish I had grabbed it.  One of the things I did buy that day was an old bakelite Philco radio that works & has the original manual.

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj292/thriftshopper/philco.jpg

I just saw one of the repro record, CD, etc players at another thrift for $50, someone had just bought it, but I don't think I would spend that much on a repro anyway.  Someday I will find the record player!

I saw one of those last fall for $2.  It was marked with magic marker for some elementary school though...  Early fall is the time to get stuff like that because the schools often clean out old stuff at the beginning of the school year.

-Jay

[valleythriftshopper]

I go thrifting just about everyday & yard saling on the weekends & I have not seen one since.  This was actually a funky 50's phonograph, I think it was an aqua color, not a school record player.  I don't think many schools have had record players for a long time now. 

When I was in the sixth grade I had a teacher that was mean & everyone hated her.  She asked one of the students to put the record player back into the closet on the top shelf.  He did, but not very well as the next time she opened the closet the record player came crashing down on her head!  We all sat quietly as the teacher held her head in pain (she was fine), but that made everyone's day!

[superiorgirl]

I hold my breath looking for anything I can classify as 'antique'. As for collectable stuff, I pick up colored glass items to use for making totems for my gardens.

Thriftshopromantic - My mother has that set of those pink pyrex bowls. What're they worth to you?? Think I could smuggle them out? not. I will agree that they hold a lot of memories. My mom always had what she called her bread bowls - they were large Watt pottery bowls, creamy in color with pink and turquoise bands. When one broke it was a family disaster which was fortunately rendered harmless when another bowl was found in town. To this day I can't see one of those Watt bowls without a waft of nostalgia - visions of bread dough rising, the faint smell of yeast and fresh baked bread. She made a crusty Italian that was to die for.

[valleythriftshopper]

I hold my breath looking for anything I can classify as 'antique'.

Of course the ultimate goal is to find some painting by a famous artist worth thousands of dollars a la Antique Roadshow.  Or some jewlery item that is put out as costume but is real diamonds, etc.  Not much chance of that, but it has happened for some people, there is room for hope!

[Thrift Shop Romantic]

Superiorgirl, isn't it hilarious how we associate bowls and food like that? It's just a bowl after all, but it's like there are YEARS of meals wrapped up in them. Especially when one gets broken, like you said.

I will have fun looking for my other two. And I'm sure at some point I'll come across them. I don't need them for any deadline or anything.

Thrifting is about nothing if not patience.

[genuineimitation]

Thrifting is about nothing if not patience.

it's like some sort of zen training - with pricetags

[alexandra]

Ooooooh! I need a record player too!  I picked up a copy of Frampton Comes Alive for a buck two weeks ago and I am jonesin' to listen to it -- but have got nothing to play it on yet!

Thriftily,
Alexandra
www.livingwithoutmoney.blogspot.com

[genuineimitation]

oh yeah, i'm currently looking for an old nesco roaster (sort of a precursor to the crockpot/slow cooker). found one in perfect shape for $60! might as well have bought a new one.. i just want the big black insert - i want to make a new solar oven!

[conversationviaradio]

Old Magazines!!! Okay i'm not talking like two years ago -- I want like 80's or earlier (I guess early 90's would be cool too). And I don't want time or national geographic -- I want woman's magz, good housekeeping, vogue, and the like. Totally impossible to find.
I want them for altered fun, collages ect.
I think they just throw them out if they get them >_< which kills me.
So far i haven't found one.