Who buys kitchen stuff second hand?

oddduck

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Call it vintage, call it used but who else finds buying second hand a great way to score fabulous finds?

Having had to run and pay my electric bill this afternoon i stopped by the local thrift to see what i could find...i collect vintage pyrex and yes the store had a lovely example of one of the patterns i am collecting, just needs a good deep cleaning to bring it back to its former glory.

And i have been trying to replace my aluminum baking pans with stainless steel and there was a stainless sheet cake pan sitting on the shelves...moved quickly to my cart...$3.99 yeehaw.

And it was 99¢ day so everything with a certain color tag was 99¢. I needed some cheap plates to put under my planters out in the garden... less than $5 and i now have about 30 plates of various sizes to use...nothing pretty mind you as this is stuff that has sat on the shelf unbought for 6 weeks which is why it goes down so cheap to clear out for better stuff.

I love shopping the secondhand economy. Got any secondhand shop scores to brag about?
 
I'm totally with you on this! I often buy things from charity shops - it works on so many levels. Recently, I found a set of really heavy duty stainless steel saucepans which had a few cosmetic marks on, but were better quality than our existing pans. I think they cost around £10 for a set of five, with lids, and our old pans got donated back to the charity shop. Recycling has been a big thing for me for quite a few years - the planet is really suffering from people obsessed with buying shiny new stuff, then chucking it out when the shine wears off. Fashion is probably the worst culprit. Today I bought this for £1:
IMG_0882a.jpg
 
I totally agree about finding bargains and recycling. But I have to be careful not to clutter as I have a small kitchen.
 
What is it?
Damn, I should have used the photo in the What's this thread!

It's a toasted sandwich maker, a manual version of those electric toastie machines. It's about 10cm in diameter. You load it with a filled pitta, or a filling between two slices of bread and put in over a gas hob. At least I think that's how you do it!
 
Yep that would have stumped me. But i think i have seen square versions in cast iron for making grilled cheese sandwiches over a campfire before. But a demon horned diablo would not have tiggered the words sandwich griller to me lol

Actually "what is it?" Is a fun game to play at the thrift store...you can get the other customers and staff guessing too by just leaning over and whispering..."do you know what this is?" The problem is often no one knows so you are left with a mystery.
 
I've bought at auctions for various groups. Complete large pans, 20 pints upwards for less than a 1/4 of the price from somewhere that deals in such equipment.

Older knives are what I watch out for. The material in them tends to be better.
 
Cuisinart Thrown in Box..jpg


Be careful! Someone had ordered a used Cuisinart food processor from Amazon, & THIS is how it came!! All thrown in the box with no manual & probably some parts that probably went missing or broken!! :(:headshake::ohmy:
 
I bought a used tv antenna off ebay that came in a giant box with very little packing material and was of course broken when it arrived. The seller did not want to return my funds...paypal held a different opinion and i got refunded. Thats why i like thrifts...what you see is what you take home.
 
I once ordered a used TIVO DVR from Amazon. No manual. no cables, no nothing!! I won't do that again!!!! Wasted $150!! :mad::headshake:
 
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Amazon is wrecking our high streets over here. They pay hardly any taxes and are putting out of business many high street retailers who contribute so much more to society.
 
I have bought the occasional pretty saucer or plate to put under plant pots .
We stay in self catering cottages when we go on holiday and sometimes we go to the local charity shop to find kitchen items that are not provided, like larger mugs or glass tumblers, or tongs. Then we leave them behind at the end of our stay.
 
In a thrift shop, you can only get one-of-a-kind things or items that are no longer in production. It means a lot when you DO find something that is now rare & hard-to-get!! :wink:
 
Just came from the thift...a couple of cookbooks and a couple of books on landscaping. But finally i found a book about cooking with a bread machine...i have been looking for one since i got that bread machine at the other thrift a couple months back.
 
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