On this day, husband Earl and I were headed to the Mason County Historical Museum in Shelton. Earl grew up in the Tahuya, North Mason area, where kids were always finding old arrowheads and carving implements on the beaches. He had four of … read more

I recently bought these colorful storage baskets at Belfair’s Habitat for Humanity for $8. Not the best deal, but it’s not easy to find the utilitarian gems. And, of course, it also contributed to a cause. Years back, the Habitat for Humanity stores … read more

Fiesta dinnerware is always popular and getting hard to find. It took several days to find these red pieces. The history of Fiesta dinnerware can be traced back to the 1840s in East Liverpool, Ohio, where the Laughlin brothers opened a pottery business. … read more

There is another side to thrifting, and that is the donating aspect and the should-donate-aspect. I’m not talking about hoarders, but most of us who have a hard time letting go. “I’ll fit in it someday,” “The tags are still on it,” “My … read more

Twenty years ago, it was commonplace to see Pyrex as the dog’s outside drinking bowl. A decade later, that same Pyrex bowl might have been on the auction block for hundreds. Today, it’s still collectible, but the Pyrex trend peak has diminished as … read more

The question is “why.” The answer is “thrifting.” On a top shelf at Belfair’s HUB thrift store were six striped Libbey drinking glasses. The very last thing I needed but, what the heck. Lots of singles, but it’s getting hard to find vintage … read more

With college degrees under my belt, I came back to Bremerton in the early ’70s and got a job managing a parking lot and a rummage sale building in downtown Bremerton. And thus began my “doctorate in thrifting,” so it seemed. My area … read more

Want something like this midcentury beauty? Good luck. They’re grabbed up before the sun sets. Have you ever met a clock person? If or when, you’ll never forget. They’re avid, dedicated creatures from another planet. Seems there’s no in between with clock/watch people. … read more

Availability, trend, need and definition will determine the future of “thrifting,” which is primarily looking for used items. Today, the activity is enormous in many directions, but tomorrow may be a different story. My expertise began in the ’70s, when I was teaching … read more