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pappymac

Lifer
Feb 26, 2015
3,492
4,890
Slidell, LA
One of my sisters makes her "mad money" running a shop at a flea market in SE Texas. She will go to thrift stores and other flea markets to find items that she can sell in her shop or on-line.

It's amazing what people will pay for stuff. She found round metal signs for different car brands and gasoline at a discount store and paid $6 apiece for 10 of them. Put them online priced at $15 each and was sold out within a week.

She is also good at finding estate pipes and tobacco collectibles. She sends me photos so I can either tell her to buy them for me or tell her what they are worth.
 

AJL67

Lifer
May 26, 2022
5,496
28,127
Florida - Space Coast
I've never found anything really interesting in 'Thrift Stores' other than the odd book I wanted to read.
Same here, but there are dozens of Estate sales here every weekend, I'm just too lazy to go driving around to find them all, one thing about this area of florida is a lot of older retired people dying off and their kids selling all their crap on the cheap. I'm sure if i actually could be bothered to go i would find some pipes and interesting things.

I have a friend i grew up with that goes every weekend, i should just meet up with her and let her drive us around, mb offer lunch as my part of the deal. Not a bad idea actually.
 

Searock Fan

Lifer
Oct 22, 2021
2,115
5,840
Southern U.S.A.
Same here, but there are dozens of Estate sales here every weekend, I'm just too lazy to go driving around to find them all, one thing about this area of florida is a lot of older retired people dying off and their kids selling all their crap on the cheap. I'm sure if i actually could be bothered to go i would find some pipes and interesting things.

I have a friend i grew up with that goes every weekend, i should just meet up with her and let her drive us around, mb offer lunch as my part of the deal. Not a bad idea actually.
Sharing a ride sounds like a good idea.... right up to the time you find something you both want. puffy
 
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Searock Fan

Lifer
Oct 22, 2021
2,115
5,840
Southern U.S.A.
I bought this Noritake china saucer today to use as a tobacco tray and I saw a bunch of other pipe related stuff. I really liked the pipe cabinet but I think the Warden got nervous with all the pipe slots. With room for 14 pipes she quickly realized I needed to buy 10 more to fill it up! I’ll have to go back without her.

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Guess I'm kind of slow, did you get the pipe cabinet or not? puffy
 

Searock Fan

Lifer
Oct 22, 2021
2,115
5,840
Southern U.S.A.
Lightning does strike twice. A couple of weeks ago I wrote about getting a Cutco knife and getting others in the past. On Saturday we went to a fund raising sale in a church parking lot and found a box with a service for 8 of Cutco soup spoons and tea spoons. Cost to buy new would be several hundred dollars. We got them for $5. We have the table knives so now all we need is a set of forks and we'll be dining like rich folks. Oh, and by the way, no pipe stuff..... puffy

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BingBong

Part of the Furniture Now
Apr 26, 2024
943
3,816
London UK
I always imagine "Thrifting" to be in a charity shop, spotting a must have and going sideways round a corner to grab it.

We have an old local guy, "car-boot Ken", who travels far and wide to find charity shops in London, he has an eye for stuff, buys things for pennies and sells them to West End dealers for hundreds if not thousands. Last week, he told me of an unusual Hohner harmonica with covering letter that he'd bought about 20 years ago for not very much - it turned out to be unique, the letter was from Hohner to the valued customer, Larry Adler. It is off to the USA for $4k. Ken says his whole house is stuffed with such junk!
 

Searock Fan

Lifer
Oct 22, 2021
2,115
5,840
Southern U.S.A.
I did not. Looking back a day later, I'm glad I didn't get it. When I see something in an antique shop or flea market, I get a gut feeling when I like something, kind of like it speaks to me. This didn't do that. The Noritake saucer did.
I would bet that if you looked on the bottom of the cabinet you would find a sticker that said "Decature". I seem to remember those as far back as the 60s. They were made of solid walnut and rather expensive. I don't need one, but if the price were right I don't think I could have resisted. puffy
 

pappymac

Lifer
Feb 26, 2015
3,492
4,890
Slidell, LA
I was up near Hattiesburg, Miss. this morning and found an antique shop that just opened about a year ago. It had a couple of meerschaums - one unsmoked - for $65 that I passed on. While I was talking to the owner, he showed me this cabinet and said it was an old one from a place that closed down a long time ago. It looks like it would hold 24 pipes and a bunch of tins on the bottom.
While intriguing, I don't have space for something like that so I didn't even ask how much.

pipecabinet_one.jpgpipecabinet_2.jpg
 

AreBee

Part of the Furniture Now
Mar 12, 2024
584
3,331
Farmington, Connecticut USA
I would bet that if you looked on the bottom of the cabinet you would find a sticker that said "Decature". I seem to remember those as far back as the 60s. They were made of solid walnut and rather expensive. I don't need one, but if the price were right I don't think I could have resisted. puffy
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You nailed it @Searock Fan. Decatur is right. I went back today for some Mother’s Day presents so I didn’t push it with the Warden. I’ll work on her. 🤣
 
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Searock Fan

Lifer
Oct 22, 2021
2,115
5,840
Southern U.S.A.
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You nailed it @Searock Fan. Decatur is right. I went back today for some Mother’s Day presents so I didn’t push it with the Warden. I’ll work on her. 🤣
The price tag that says 70- is from when it was new. I can remember they cost 70 or 75 dollars back then. The upgrade from that was a pipe cabinet at $150. I remember wanting one of those until I visited someone who had one. To find a pipe he had to get down on his knees with a flashlight. Funny, I can't seem to find one pictured on the web..... puffy
 
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Searock Fan

Lifer
Oct 22, 2021
2,115
5,840
Southern U.S.A.
I was up near Hattiesburg, Miss. this morning and found an antique shop that just opened about a year ago. It had a couple of meerschaums - one unsmoked - for $65 that I passed on. While I was talking to the owner, he showed me this cabinet and said it was an old one from a place that closed down a long time ago. It looks like it would hold 24 pipes and a bunch of tins on the bottom.
While intriguing, I don't have space for something like that so I didn't even ask how much.

View attachment 309565View attachment 309566
Too bad you passed on it. I'm sure it would have looked elegant in your tea room. puffy
 

AreBee

Part of the Furniture Now
Mar 12, 2024
584
3,331
Farmington, Connecticut USA
Saw these at the antique shop down the street from me. I was looking at a Kenwoodie for $40 and ended up with this French Oom Paul for $20. Owner originally quoted me $60 on Saturday and I passed. My daughter happened to go in on Sunday with some friends and the owner told her that he wanted me to get the pipe and sold it to her for $20. I was intrigued by the pipe with the silver cap on the far left. I’ll have to check it closer next time I go in.

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