A set of vintage stainless steel martini glasses made in Germany was sitting on a Goodwill shelf in Portland, priced at $8 each. A reseller who has been in the business a long time knew exactly what she was looking at: glasses that originally retailed for close to $100 a pair, with a resale value that she says is still pretty good.
The shopper is the creator of the YouTube channel All Put Together, who sells vintage and secondhand finds in her booth and online. She spent several days going from thrift store to thrift store in her area, and her running commentary is a free course in how a reseller thinks.
She decided she might buy the glasses, though she was not sure how she would clean them up. She said they would be great for the holidays in her booth.
A Morning at the Goodwill Trinket Shelves
She arrived late after traffic and a train, and she worried that all the good stuff would be gone. The trinket shelves were well stocked, so she had to look several layers deep. A shell turtle was $7.99, which she passed on. A handmade bowl marked “for plants, not food safe” impressed her because, as she says, it is so hard to tell whether the glaze on secondhand pieces is food safe.
She was happy to see a vintage brass tray for $7.99, something she used to find all the time and has sold many of over the years. It needs a lot of cleaning, so she plans to use vinegar, water and Bon Ami to get the spots out. She also picked up a wall plaque for $2.99, a vintage frame for $4.99 and a vintage beaded garland for $7.99, which she says is a great seller during the holidays.
A tiny wooden nativity ornament was only a dollar. She already sold a wooden nativity from her pop-up booth, so she took it. She also found solid brass candle holders marked down to $3.99 each from $7.99, and a small solid brass piece at $2.99.
Why She Passes on Some Things
For every piece she bought, she left many behind, and her reasons are worth noting. The bookends were newer and not very heavy. A lidded pot looked like it was from the 1980s or early 1990s. Hand-painted glasses would need hand washing, which is a no-go for her.
Online research helped, too. A little hanging cauldron turned out to be a 1970s item that sells in the $20s, so she left it. A set of ornaments priced at $7.99 each turned out to be part of a set and were not worth that much, and a bowl at $30 was not signed, so she put it back.
Village Merchants and a Second Pass
Her next stop was Village Merchants, which she calls one of her favorite independent thrift stores in Portland. Prices were higher, but so was the quality. A folk art cat piece was $8, and she says she has been selling many of those lately. A brass elephant was $16, which she thought was a good price for its size, and a bell with a clapper was $12.
She also liked a raku pottery piece at $9, and a wicker item at $8 that works with a touch. A Christmas ornament was $5, and a pile of long tassel and beaded decorations were $10 each. She came away with a whole box of goodies.
Back at the first Goodwill for round two, she found a glasses holder for $3, and a friend who was shopping with her found resin trees at a dollar each, which she collects. Two small prints by a local artist, hand-painted studies of famous works, were found by the same friend. She planned to give a Van Gogh to her son for Christmas.
The Martini Glasses
At another Goodwill, she came across the vintage stainless martini glasses she had been hoping for. They are made in Germany, and they were $8 each. Before she bought them, she researched them and found that they originally retailed for close to $100 for a pair, and that their resale value is still pretty good.
She walked out with those glasses and two brass hooks, one of which has a ceramic end that she thought was very cute. It was a small haul, but those glasses were the standout.
A Day of Passing at Value Village
The next day, she kicked things off at Value Village. She noted that many overpriced ceramics had survived another 40% off senior day, and nothing was worth the price tag. A pretty tray at $14.99 was handmade and signed, but she did not want to pay that much, and a bowl with figures around the edge at $8.99 had chips along the rim.
She left that store empty-handed in a rainstorm, a reminder that some days are just like that. Her final stop of the day had better luck. She found two peg racks, a brass frame, a handmade mug for $2.99, and a star for a Christmas tree at $4.99. Stars for trees, she says, are a really good seller for her.
What to Take From Her Method
Her trip offers a few steady lessons for anyone shopping the thrift circuit:
- Be patient and look several layers deep. The best pieces are often behind the front row.
- Look things up before you buy. A quick search can show whether an item is a set, a reproduction or a 1970s piece that is worth only $20.
- Check for damage. She passed on several pieces with chips, cracks or repairs.
- Buy what you can sell in season. Holiday items, such as garlands, stars and nativity pieces, sell well in her booth.
- Visit more than one store. The independent store had higher prices but more interesting pieces, while the Goodwills had better bargains.
The martini glasses were the best example. At $8 each, they offered a chance to buy a once-pricey set for a fraction of what it cost new. For a reseller who knows her market, that is exactly what a great find looks like.
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