Consignment Finds

I love to go to consignment shops.  Goodwill.  The Salvation Army Thrift Store.  Tag sales.  Antique shops.  I'm not sure what draws me in....the thrill of finding something unexpected?  I look for anything.  Everything.  Paintings.  China.  Books.  It's one of my favorite past times.  Here's a look at some items I've found over the years.  I'll share additional posts periodically showcasing furniture and clothing as well.  In the meantime, start your own search!

Truly, the color of a robin's egg.  Unfortunately there aren't any markings on it.

I loved the unusual shape of this pitcher.  It's too large to be a gravy boat.  I bought it despite several small chips at the top.  Marked Made in Italy.

Was it the frame or the lighthouse that attracted me to this small watercolor?

This is one of my favorite pieces.  I'm not sure how old it is and it looks hand painted.  When I use it, I put flowers in the center holder that's between the salt and pepper shakers.  It's really a lovely find.

I consider this a coffee pot rather than a teapot simply because of it's taller size.  I've never used it for hot coffee as it appears to be quite old.  I found this at a Salvation Army Thrift Store.  There is a faded signature on the bottom but it's illegible unfortunately.

I collect pitchers and pick them up whenever I see one that I love.  This small creamer looks like it was part of a set; perhaps in a restaurant with matching dinnerware?  There are no markings on this at all.

Called Easter, the bright colors drew me to this creamer, but I have never seen one shaped like this before.  I picked this up at my local Goodwill store.  It was made in the U.S.A. by Leigh Potters in Ohio.  The company was in business from 1926 to 1931 when the Great Depression halted production.

I had to have this when I saw it.  I wasn't really drawn in by the painting, but by the edging which consists of tiny pieces of glass carefully placed.  Painstakingly time consuming for the artist but very creative and beautiful.

I picked this up at an auction and was surprised that no one bid against me!  The artist isn't famous and may even be somewhat of a beginner, but it's a painting of Pemaquid Point Lighthouse on the mid coast of Maine.  It's one of my favorite places and I only paid $10.  Remember, it's what the item is worth to you, not what you think it's worth if you were to re-sell it.  Unless of course, you're a dealer.

This frame is very intricate but you can see many of the small pieces of wood have fallen off over the years.  It appears to be charcoal and I just love the water scene.  Unfortunately, it's not signed.

This bottle of tiny shells was marked $1.  Who could resist?

I was able to get an entire box of these blue bottles at an auction at Thomaston Place Auction Galleries in Maine many years ago.  I put them in my windows; usually in clusters of three.  In the summer, I'll put flowers in them and group them on the table. They were for Bromo-Seltzer which was made by the Emerson Drug Company in Baltimore.

Another old creamer with a tiny chip at the lip (you can barely see it in the photo).  This is Limoges from France.  It was just too pretty and fragile to leave at Goodwill despite the chip.

The small oil painting was $5 at a school fundraiser. Simplicity at it's best.

I tend to collect paintings and photos of houses.  The colors in this are gorgeous.  There's no indication as to whether or not it's an actual house or a figment of the artist's imagination.  I like to believe it sits at the edge of the ocean.

Closely resembling our cat George and my childhood cat Bosco, These have been displayed in our home for over twenty years.  Marked 1903.  If you love cats you know how difficult it must have been to get them to sit still!

I purchased this at an auction grouped with two cement lawn ornaments which I don't have any longer.  This has never been outdoors since I've had it.  It seems to be more of a door stop than a lawn ornament.