The thrill of Goodwill

It’s really fun to go to Goodwill and find something you need or want for not a lot of money.  But it’s really, really fun to go when you find something you just absolutely love.

From time to time I find real almost-antiques at Goodwill.  Nothing (yet) that I can take to Antiques Roadshow and discover it’s worth 100,000, but nevertheless, something that is a real almost-antique. 

(I say almost-antique because I read somewhere that by definition, an object must be at least 100-years-old to be considered antique.)  I’m not sure I find much that is that old at Goodwill (though I’m sure they receive some real antiques on occasion).

The almost-antiques I find may not be of really high value, but to me they are still really special. 

And many of them are things I’ve never seen before, even if they were mass produced back in the day.

Check out these two vases I found last week:

A Phoenix Ware vase with such beautiful, intricate detail. 

Even without flowers, it's a work of art.

This one had a signature stamp I didn't recognize, next to a mark that says "made in Italy."

The vases were $5 each.

I can't believe somebody donated them!