Patience does not come easily to a thrifter who has just spotted something beautiful. The creator behind @THRIFT4DECORplus says she tested hers. A couple of days before her favorite thrift store held a store wide sale, she found Fenton cranberry glass she loved and passed on it, because she knew the discount was coming. Her motto, as she says it, is “Sometimes it pays to wait.” When she returned on the 50 percent off day, the glass was still there.
The Gamble That Worked
Waiting on a find is a small gamble. Every thrifter knows that something you pass on today might be gone tomorrow. She took the risk because she knew the sale was around the corner, and she says she was excited to see the cranberry glass still on the shelf. She also says she never skips the bottom shelf, which is where a lot of good glass tends to hide.
From there, her tour of the store is a rapid fire list of treasures. She finds a Fenton swung style piece and an Imperial glass pitcher at 4.99 dollars. Pitchers like these are a staple of vintage glass collecting, and many shoppers look for them to hold flowers or to serve drinks.
Wedding Cake Boxes And Other Favorites
She says she never passes up Westmoreland wedding cake boxes. These are covered glass candy boxes, and she shares what she calls a secret about them. You can take the lid off and set the base on top of the lid for a whole new look. She also says to look out for hand painted ones.
She finds a breathtaking Paden City piece in pink and gold, and an Anchor Hocking biscuit jar that she took a chance on, now at half price. There is also green Indiana glass, and a Hazel Atlas candy jar whose optic pattern she loves. Her advice is to always buy Indiana glass platters, especially green ones, as backdrops for vignettes, and she points out that nearly anything can hold an LED candle.
The pile keeps growing. She picks up a watermelon basket for summer entertaining, boxed vintage ice skates she plans to use in a wreath or to set under the Christmas tree, an icy blue Indiana glass diamond point vase, another Indiana candlestick, and a mid century piece from Japan.
A Bucket List Find
Near the end she reaches what she calls a bucket list item. She has been searching for alabaster horse bookends, and here they are. She also reminds everyone never to skip the clear glass section, and she picks up a footed dish that is perfect for an LED candle.
The last stretch includes etched stemware, china sets, three little birds, vintage linens, a handmade piece, handkerchiefs, and a vintage decor head that she says needs to come home with her. She says of the china that yes, people buy it. One of the three birds is glued, she notes, and the others are excellent, so she takes all three. The saved transcript ends as she asks which find of the day is the favorite.
Why Waiting Works
Her strategy is not a secret, but it is worth spelling out. Many thrift stores hold periodic sales by color tag, by day of the week, or across the whole store. If you know the schedule, you can plan. Passing on a piece you could buy now gives you a chance to pay half, but it also means you might lose it. There is a simple way to decide.
Ask how much you love it. If you would be heartbroken to lose it, buy it today. If you would feel only a small pang, waiting may be worth it.
Ask how common it is. Common pieces of pressed glass are easier to find again. Rarer colors or marks are not.
Ask how big the discount is. Fifty percent is a large saving, and on a piece that costs eight or ten dollars it is the difference between a fair price and a bargain.
A Short Guide To Vintage Glass
Her haul is a handy tour of American glassmakers, and a few notes help when you are standing in an aisle with a piece in your hand.
Fenton is one of the best known names in collectible art glass, founded in 1905 and long based in West Virginia. Cranberry glass is a pinkish red, traditionally tinted with gold, and collectors prize it.
Westmoreland made glass in Pennsylvania, and its covered candy boxes are favorites. Look for the lid fitting snugly and the piece free of chips.
Hazel Atlas, Anchor Hocking and Indiana Glass produced huge amounts of everyday glassware in the middle of the last century. They are friendly to new collectors because pieces are affordable and plentiful.
Paden City is known for elegant colors and etched or gilded designs and tends to be pricier.
To judge a piece, run a finger along the rim and base to feel for chips and cracks, hold it up to the light to check for cloudiness, and look for a maker’s mark, which may be molded into the base or on a paper label. Not every piece is marked, so shape and pattern matter too. Also spelling of maker names varies in listings, so search a few versions when you look something up.
Care for it gently once it is home. Wash vintage glass by hand in lukewarm water with a mild soap, avoid sudden temperature changes, and keep gilded or painted pieces out of the dishwasher, since heat and harsh detergent can strip the decoration.
Decorating With What You Find
She also shows how thrifted glass can be styled. A green platter can act as a backdrop, an LED candle can turn a candy jar into a glowing centerpiece, and a base set onto its own lid can make a candy box look new. Mixing colors and heights makes a vignette feel collected rather than staged.
The bigger point is simple. A thrift store rewards people who look at the bottom shelf, who read the calendar of sales, and who are willing to wait. Not every find comes back, but as she shows, sometimes it does.
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