Vintage Trash Finds & Thrift Store Scores

I’m so excited to show you my recent thrift store scores – but I also nabbed a few neat vintage trash finds from our local landfill too!

IITTALA EGG CUPS

I have really wanted some Iittala egg cup holders – I even linked them in this spring home decor shopping post.  If you have followed me for any length of time, you know that I love Iittala and chickens, so when I discovered that chicken shaped Iittala egg cup holders were an option, I really wanted them!  But they’re kind of expensive – and unnecessary because I never, ever use them.   I just couldn’t justify spending the money.  So I was absolutely thrilled when I found one of the heart shaped Iittala egg cups at a thrift store for only $2.  It’s not the chicken shaped one, but it is equally beautiful so I was very happy  Then I stumbled across two more in another aisle.  Then I spent an hour and a half TEARING apart that thrift store to see if I could find the fourth one, lol. I still kinda want the chicken ones, but these are just as cute!  And they gleam so beautifully, as all Iittala does.  I’m really happy with my little find, especially because the thrift stores around here are really good at recognizing Iittala (and then marking it for nearly retail prices).  When it’s a charity, I don’t mind, but when it’s a big corporation, I get a little annoyed.  This was at a big for-profit chain, so it was fun to find Iittala for a bargain (mwahahaha)!

I actually think these would be so pretty as ring dishes or salt cellars too!  They don’t look egg cup-y so I think they might be more versatile than I originally thought…

1970s KAISER VASE

At another thrift store, I found a 1970s Kaiser vase (here’s the exact same one on Etsy and here’s a smaller one with the same design):

I have bought and sold quite a few of these, but I also have two in my own collection.  You can spot them in the photos below (here’s the one with vertical striations on Etsy and here’s the one that looks to be carved from snow on Etsy):

I love these Kaiser vases because they have beautiful, textural designs that almost feel like they’re carved from stone – or snow!  Some of them are very organic and sculptural – you can see more designs on 1st Dibs.  They are often a matte white but sometimes have a glossiness to the glaze and, while the designs can be quite intricate, the white really makes flower arrangements pop!  My new one is pretty large, with a beautiful floral relief designed by Manfred Frey.  I only paid $2.99 – probably because it was really, really dirty!  I think people don’t know how to clean them and end up donating them because almost every one I have found is really stained.  Magic Eraser works really well to clean grime from the matte finish, just FYI.  There are so many designs for these Kaiser vases, here are some I really love: this mod shape is so cool, this flower relief feels so 1960s, this organic texture is really interesting, this one is very sculptural as well, hearts or leaves?.

IITTALA ULTIMA THULE BOWL

My Mom also scored: finding an Iittala Ultima Thule serving bowl she’s wanted for a long time (here’s the same on on Etsy).  This was at a thrift store that supports a good cause, so even though it was a bit high for thrift store prices, it was still a good find!

VINTAGE TAPESTRY

Now, for the absolute bargains: things I dragged home from the landfill, lol.  I immediately grabbed this tapestry for my Mom.  Is it called a tapestry?  We often speak Hungarian when we’re thrifting (so no one knows can hear about what treasures we’ve found) and so I had to put the Hungarian word for this into Google translate.  She’s been collecting them for years for a project.

VINTAGE MAGAZINE HOLDER

I also scooped this vintage magazine holder.  I love the shape and the wooden handles but the brass is not in the best shape – and you know I’m not big into brass.  Would it be an absolute crime against vintage to paint this?  Maybe I’ll just try some brasso, first.

VINTAGE PYREX MUGS

Lastly, I found a pair of Pyrex mugs!  As always, I was on the the hunt for more broken glass to turn into beach glass.  I shared my most recent attempts at recreating beach glass in my rock tumbler on Instagram and TikTok – and that batch has aqua glass that I found at the landfill.  It turned out so pretty and a little more realistic this time!  Check out my Instagram Reel here for the details – and find the original DIY beach glass tutorial here.  But don’t worry!  I’m not smashing these vintage Pyrex mugs…

If you love thrifting and trash hunting vicariously, I regularly share thrifting stories on Instagram – including tons of cool vintage finds I don’t buy (or don’t bring home from the landfill).  My audience often helps identify things – and I’ve even gone back to buy things for my fellow collectors – so be sure to follow on Instagram to get in on the fun.   Have you thrifted anything fabulous lately?

P.S. Don’t Forget to Pin for Later!