Shortly after we moved in to the new house, something told me I should visit the thrift store around the corner from my office.  I’m sure glad I did because I hit a jackpot of items for areas of the house.  I knew it was going to be one of those trips when I spotted this copper tin right off the bat when I walked in.  I’d been looking for something like this to make a cache pot (kitchen scrap pot) for a while.  It was the perfect size, had a lid and had a great look to it.  And at $4 it was perfection.  A far better price than the ones I was finding online for $60 and $70!

I also found a basket and shell for the guest bathroom, a fantastic wine rack, a large glass jar, decor pieces, pretty trays, an adorable little Princess House jar and a basket to collect eggs in when we get our chicken coop up and running this summer!  And each was a fraction of the price I would have paid new.  Here’s a picture of the whole haul from that trip.

After that, I didn’t make it back to another thrift store for a while, but last week I hit three different ones around Anchorage within two days and left each empty handed.  Granted I was shopping for specific items, but they were things you’d expect to find in thrift stores.  I was fairly disappointed and had even considered buying some of the items new if I couldn’t find them soon.  That evening I had 30 minutes to kill before I was due at my next appointment so I decided to check out the Wasilla Value Village since I hadn’t been there yet.

I didn’t even grab a cart as I headed in because I figured I wouldn’t find much, but as soon as I stepped in the door I saw a whole stash of wicker hampers against the wall.  The exact item I’d just posted I was in search of on a local buy/sell page!  No one had responded to my request, because apparently they’d all already been donated! Some were smaller, some had liners, some had lids, some were in good shape – but not all of those characteristics lined up in the same piece.  I chose a larger one with a lid, but no liner for my guest bathroom.  I also found more decor items, a pantry jar, a flower pot for spring and a lovely purple storage box for my office.  Isn’t that little owl candle holder the cutest!?  He was just $4 – a far cry from the $60 Pottery Barn owl lanterns I’d been lusting after back in November!

Granted this wasn’t as big of a haul as the previous treasure trove, but after the little dry spell I was plenty happy with it.  I finally hit the Alaksa Picker store today and found a couple great bargains there as well.  I’ll share those soon once I get them cleaned up and in place around the house.  I’ve got a post in the works on how the cache pot came together set for later this weekend.  And watch for a post on where that wine rack ended up soon too!

Do you have a favorite thrifted find or a favorite thrift shop?  Tell me about it!