Can you Feelie my Pain at Goodwill today?

I have decided that I need to get out and shop more often.

So today I headed to the next town over – as there are two thrift  stores there.

First stop.

Goodwill.

I wandered through the furniture  – then purses and shoes – then I methodically start on the last row and work my way row by row to the front.   At least that is my pattern.   Often there is someone blocking the narrow row with a cart or with a passel of kids – so I have to remember to backtrack.   It used to irritate me that people were so oblivious to anyone else trying to maneuver the same row.   Now I have changed my thought patterns and I mentally thank them for the extra exercise I am getting when I have to go back.

Such was the case today.

Did the painting/prints row – then the general tools – pets row – then the basket row – the wooden row – the metal row – the row with vases had a lady talking to each item -passed on that – then row by row up to the books.

Back I went to the vases and plastic flowers row and BING BING BING!  I spotted a lovely ceramic pot – I knew it was “good” pottery from 1/2 an aisle away.   I picked it up and looked at the bottom.

Cabat.   CABAT???  CABAT!!!!

Oh it is a lovely pot indeed!

I put on my reading glasses to look it over and…..

Argghhhh!   The top is busted off.

Recently, by the looks of the clean white clay break.

I looked on the shelf for the busted piece – I looked on the shelf above and below – I looked on the floor – and along the edge of the floor, (where I have to say it was quite grimy looking on the kick plate of the shelving units) and no little piece of pottery to be found.

Dang it all!

The price was $4.99  and I thought that was just too much for a broken vase, so I found a supervisor to ask if they could lower the price for a broken vase.

He was new.

He held the vase and looked at it and thought for a bit and told me that it had only been out on the floor one day….implying that $4.99 was a GOOD price for a broken vase.

I just kept looking at him and eventually he told me he could sell it to me for $2.99 – as-is and I could not return it.

We came to an agreement on that.

Rose Cabat “Feelie” vases are usually quite small…

This one is not.

This is a gorgeous big thickly glazed Feelie vase.

(with a broken top)

Can you Feelie my pain?

A grinning Cat – A grinning me.

The dealer in the antique mall knew that I really like the fabulous cookie jar that I got a couple of months ago by the noted Oregon potter – Bennett Welsh.

Here is a picture of the cookie jar.  

 

Last week the same dealer brought in another piece by Bennett Welsh – and she wised up – as I had to pay about about half of what I paid for the great cookie jar for a piece that is similar – but really just quite nice  in comparison.   She was smart.  She knew I wanted this one too…

This cat looks familiar!

 

That tail looks like it got caught in the car door a few times…

Good Kitty.

 

 

Louie the cat.

I find that people who name their pets “people” names – are a very nice lot, indeed.

Nicely signed on the side.

Well marked on the bottom too.

My lucky day that the dealer knows what I like!

 

Oh Goodie Goodie! (will)

I have a habit of doing a quick walk-thru the Goodwill store on my way to lunch each afternoon.

It was “senior” day and sometimes that makes the “quick” part of the walk-thru a little more cumbersome.

But hey, who am I to talk?  I am so looking forward to the day I get MY discount!

I did all the rows and ended up on the – Art Row.

Art truly IS in the eye of the one with the pricing gun at Goodwill.

They seldom put out original art anymore, since they sold a painting on their website for like a gazillion dollars a few year ago.  All the original art just goes somewhere else.

Except for today.

I know it may not look like much to you – but it certainly caught my eye!

Why?

I took pottery classes for years, and one thing it taught me is that you have to be good to make things look simple.

This looks simple – but it is not.

There was a glimpse of a signature and I peeled back the frame and with a little help ( thanks, Stephanie) figured out the signature was Cobelle..

I googled Cobelle on my iphone when I was at lunch and ooooh-wheeee!  It made me happy!

I would say I was walking on clouds.

Pink cartoonish fabuloso clouds.

I listed it on ebay and I am hoping it rains dollars on me!

🙂

What I did NOT buy at Goodwill today.

I did not buy this.

I did not buy this jar with the lady doing a somersault.

I did not have to think twice about NOT buying this, even though I do like handmade ceramics.

I get enough gymnastics in my life about every 4 years.

This uh, handmade doll(?) was at the outlet store and just kinda creeped me out.

I think it was made by a sad child.

Did not buy.

Did not even want to touch it.

Made me feel uncomfortable to see the little heart drawn on it…

Just thought I would show a blurry photo of the “book” people scrambling to get the new books that just got rolled out at the Goodwill Outlet store.

They almost look angelic with the lights shining from above.

Note:

They are a tough group – and the riot control employee was on duty watching over them.

I did not buy any books.

Is this for training young gang members?

Did not buy.

Did not understand.

To klene yur geer.

(did not bye)

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!

The 14 minute hard boiled egg blog.

I have 14 minutes to write today.

To make the perfect hard boiled egg – put the eggs in cold water in a pot and put the pot on the stove – when it comes to a boil – turn the stove off – put a lid on the pot and wait exactly 14 minutes – no longer – no less.   Perfect.

I have 13 minutes left.

Last week at Goodwill, I found a great jar made by an old pottery teacher of mine.  $9.99 – lucky me!

Each side depict a different scene.  I have a favorite.  How about you?

10 minutes and counting down.

I am lucky to be near a town with an art gallery that has supported local artists for years.  I often find great art that ends up the local yard sales and at the Goodwill store.

8 minutes…

As I mentioned in a previous post – I have been collecting NW studio and art pottery for a few years.  I got a great great piece of art pottery a while ago by Howard Kottler.   It is dated a1954 and when I touched it – I knew it was a good thing and I had to have it.

2 minutes…

I read that Andy Warhol had warehouses full of stuff.  Good Stuff.  If only I had oodles of money and unlimted storage.

Tennineeightsevensixfivefourthreetwoone

Gotta go – eggs are done!

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! 🙂