Thrift update

Some new thrift stores to report on.

Buy By The Pound is in the space vacated by the Bissell thrift store on 34th Ave. As the name suggests, they sell merchandise by weight (clothing anyway – housewares and such are individually priced). From their website:

“Buy by the Pound offers gently used household items. As with other thrift stores we carry all that our donors provide and more. We sell most everything by the pound being 1.99/lb for clothing, shoes and purses which you just can’t beat anywhere. You can get shirts for under a dollar, jeans for about 2.00 and household glass and china for .65/lb. Books galore for .25 for paperback and .50 for hardback – no matter what book it may be. Goods are laid out meaning you have to dig to find…. a true treasure hunt!”

Proceeds go to funding an orphanage in Burundi. And I see that the have, or are planning, another 3 locations in town. Website.

I met with some former co-workers for lunch yesterday and discovered a new thrift store run by the Hope Mission.

The Hope Bargain Shoppe is in a bleak, charmless industrial park in South Edmonton. Being as how it’s in an area of new subdivisions, the stuff is a lot newer than I’m usually looking for in my thrifting.

I do recommend the restaurant we ate at, though.

The very swanky Zaika Indian Bistro Bar has one of the better Indian lunch buffets I’ve tried ($12.00). There’s also an Indian food market next door.

And finally, the Strathcona Antique Mall has reopened on Gateway Boulevard, in the adjacent building that formerly housed Scona Cycle (in fact, the antique mall and Scona Cycle swapped locations).

The penny farthing atop the building is still appropriate.

The interior is large, bright and inviting.

Wilf Carter display in the foyer.

For some reason, there were lots and lots of beautiful vintage Christmas tree ornaments for sale at many of the booths. As promised, here’s some pictures of my new fake tree all decorated.

It’s looking a little sparse. I could use those ornaments I haven’t been able to find.

And now I’m off to shovel snow.

Trash, art & thrift with Mike C.

My friends Michael & Marlena are retiring to Newfoundland next year (I’m choked about it) and they’re starting to divest themselves of possessions they don’t want to haul across the country – especially Michael who is an unrepentant crap-hound.

Michael C.

This weekend Michael had a sale in his gallery in the Ortona Armoury. Among the priceless treasures on offer were pieces from his Trash Art and paint-by-numbers shows. (The items that radiate sunbeams are the things I bought).

Moose.

Lenticular 3D Little Red Riding Hood scene.

Paint-by-numbers.

The needlework Jesus on the right has come full circle – I gave it to Michael some years ago and now I have it back, along with the same scene depicted in paint-by-numbers.

Also had to have this Jesus bust (no, honestly, I don’t have a Jesus fetish).

I snuck next door into Michael’s studio to document the stuff there – which wasn’t on sale (this time – there will be more sales).

Downstairs there was another large room filled with fine objets for sale.

Behind the ghastly glare are two lovely Hawaiian lithos that emulate black velvet paintings, by an artist called Cross (who I have had no success googling).

Blanket coats.

Six plates from the King Eddy Hotel, 1904-1982.

Very swank.

Thrift Item of the Moment

Jesii

…being the plural of Jesus.

Needlework

Paint-by-number

Lit from within

Lentographs

The Jesus corner.

From my friend Michael’s garage/studio sale (more later).

Aftermath

Thrift Item of the Moment

VAM!

Vam is my new favorite word. That’s so vam! Stop vammin’ me! I think I’m gonna vam!

Stands for Vegetable (sesame), Animal (lanolin), Mineral (mineral oil) – the three components in this vintage grooming product.

From my friend Michael’s garage/studio sale (more later).

ps. VAM smells like ASS.

Where are they?

I bought these space-agey Christmas tree ornaments at Sally Ann 3 years ago and now that I have a tree I can’t find them. I’ve looked everywhere – several times – and checked my folk’s basement to see if I was storing them there. It’s making me a little crazy.

Record Cover of the Week

Little Fauss and Big Halsy

This week’s record is actually an 8-track tape. It’s the original soundtrack from a 1970 movie starring Michael J. Pollard and Robert Redford (guess which one is which) as motorcycle racers. Apparently Redford’s least favourite of his own films, possibly because he plays an unsympathetic character. The excellent score was written and performed by Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins (Cash also sings Bob Dylan’s Wanted Man).

Yes, I do have an 8-track player. It’s kind of crappy – some budget brand called Wynford Hall – but it plays standard and quad 8-tracks (it has 4 speakers). I have maybe a dozen quad 8-tracks (this is not one) and they sound fantastic.

The handwriting on the label says “Do not Erros”.

Thrift Item of the Moment

An Infinite Number of Coconut Monkeys

Thrift Item of the Moment

Juicer

I could easily become obsessed with collecting old pressed-glass juicers. I’m afraid I’d have dozens in no time because they’re quite common and inexpensive. They really appeal to me as sculptural objects (and I also like to use them to squeeze citrus fruits). I’ve been resisting, but I had to have this one because it’s very deep and holds lots & lots of juice (unlike the one I’ve been using) – and it’s beautiful.

Thrift Item of the Moment

Collapsible Christmas Tree

It’s been years since I’ve had a Christmas tree. This one appealed to me because it folds down nothing and takes no time to set up.

And it looks a little odd and ramshackle, but in an endearing way, like it was drawn by Dr. Seuss.

15 bucks at the Sally Ann. Including the garland and some stray tinsel.

I also bought these beauties to add to my collection of vintage tree ornaments. I’ll post a picture closer to Christmas when I have the tree decked out.