What I buy at Goodwill

I go to Goodwill about every day.  I buy stuff to sell.  I buy stuff to keep.  I buy stuff to keep for a while – then I sell it.

Here are some things that I have bought at Goodwill – that I still have!

I just made a great macaroni and cheese in this dish and as I was washing it up – I thought that I would share a view of this fabulous pottery casserole dish with you.

I took pottery lessons for years and I have come to appreciate ceramics in many different styles and applications.

What noodle would not be happy to cook in here?

Now here is a neat mid-century ceramic wall hanging.

Not signed on the back – but I am pretty sure it is probably Fantoni -ish.

I think this is absolutely gorgeous.

 

Nice big raku platter with a vintage Janet Buskirk Coyote behind the platter.

Oh!

Lucky me!

The Art of Goodwill Hunting

I went to Goodwill after work last night (so what’s new?) and found this great piece of raku pottery.

I used to do some pottery and loved doing raku.

It is so wonderfully unpredictable.

You can get different colors and patterns depending on the medium that you burn. Newspapers – old leaves – whatever.

It is like looking at the Universe.

I knew it was a “good” piece of pottery.
I made so many lousy ones, that it taught me what “good” is…

I knew when I spotted the signature that this was even a little better than “good.”
I did not know the artist – but I know a good signature when I see one.

The artist is Jon Oakes.
His artwork is worth way more than the $2.99 that I paid!

At Goodwill, they do not know art.

They no longer put out many paintings – since there was one that they had on their website that went for over $150,000 a couple of years ago. So most of the art – goes to the internet.
But not pottery. Not so far….

Lucky me!

Is too much enough?

I really did not “need” this piece of art. It was at the local Goodwill that I haunt everyday ( yes, everyday – more about that later..) and just look at that face…. So, for $3.99 it had to come home and find a place on my shelf.

Finding a place on my shelves is no easy matter.

I have been a collector since I was a child and I try to limit what I collect – but there are SO many interesting things out there!

Lately, it has been NW pottery that has caught my eye.

Just yesterday, at sale at a retirement home, I picked up a bowl and turned it over and saw it was signed Coleman. It was porcelain and I was pretty sure it was Tom Coleman and for $3.50 – I wanted it anyway!

I stopped at my office to use the computer and found out that I was right. Tom Coleman. Lucky me!

I also bought a mid-century ovoid sofa with teak accents along the front. So the old sofa went to Goodwill this morning. Adios, old sofa – I knew you were just an interim sofa anyway…

I mostly buy things to resell – hence, the daily trip to Goodwill. But Goodwill has their own feeble website now and they pull much of the desirable items and sell them online.
People pay stupid prices, prices they would not pay on ebay or at a mall for items on the Goodwill website. Lucky them.

As I said, I MOSTLY buy things to resell – but now and then – I find it too hard to part with something. There is a Glidden tray I found this morning and I am considering keeping it – but may just put in on ebay tomorrow… Oh, the indecision! 🙂