It's been a good couple of days for flea-market and thrift store finds! This morning I visited the charity thrift store near my house, where the prices are amazing, but you sort of feel the need to bathe in a vat of bleach once you've returned home. Oh, the irony. I'm a complete germophobe, but love thrift stores.
There wasn't much that I was interested in today, but you can imagine my shocked expression when I saw a board game called "Grape Escape" with the 'G' in 'Grape' covered by the price sticker. Yikes. I made it out of the store with a mere two items, one of them a 50 cent Mexican drinking glass ('cause I really needed to add to that collection...no.) The other item caused the elderly volunteer working the register to say "A sundial! Well, I haven't seen one of those in a while!" (It's entirely possible she was around when sundials were the only timepieces available.) At which point I informed her that it was a tortilla press. A cast iron tortilla press for only $1! I've always wanted one, and have had internal debates in multiple Mexican markets about whether I wanted to carry one throughout the rest of my trip and then carry it home. I always chose to save the suitcase-space for art or fabrics. Or rugs or glassware...
But I digress. Needless to say, I'm quite excited to give 'er a go. After a (very) thorough scrubbing.
Speaking of fabulous finds, on Sunday I spent a little time at what I like to call the "Dirt Mall," a weekend flea-market near my house. I bought half a dozen paintings from my favourite outsider-artist for $10! I expect his work to significantly appreciate in value about 10 years from now, when he climbs a bell tower and starts shooting. The artist is a sorta soporific fella who draws like a reasonably talented 7 year old, but there's something about his art that's got a little magic in it. I especially enjoy his "Puddin' Tat the Cat" series. I'll photograph some of 'em once I've got frames for them. For now, they'll sit in my growing pile of things I can't afford to have framed...
The other incredible thing I bought at the Dirt Mall was a 2 drawer library card file. I've wanted one forever. I mean, I'd rather have a 50 drawer card file, but I'm happy to start small! The seller was asking $75, but he was amenable to $50. It's missing a little brass doohickey from the front of one of the drawers, but if I can't find one of those at Lee Valley I'll just take off the other one, et voila! Problem solved. I know I shouldn't be buying stuff, as I hope to move in the next year, but some things aren't gonna be around when you're ready for 'em. I always ask myself if I'll regret not buying something. Usually the answer is no, but when it's yes, I know to act on it. I've kicked myself plenty for passing up treasures. But that's a story for another day.
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| Card file (missing a brass doohickey.) |
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| Tortilla press/sundial. (The sundial-making trade in Monterrey is apparently giving drug-running a run for it's money.) |
Very nice, good find.
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