Fantastic Finds

I went to my local thrift store last night to see if they had any goodies.  I went with Baz and we took our bicycles.  That's a big deal for me, because

• a) it means that's the third time I've exercised this week, and
• b) I actually managed to stay upright.

I'm not very good at doing things which require the attachment of wheels or blades to my body.  Ice skates = bad.  Roller skates = bad.  Roller blades = positively dangerous.  Skis = certain death.  Some day I'll tell you about how I left a trail of mangled bodies downhill skiing in Italy or how I broke both my kneecaps skating when I was thirteen.

But I digress. 

As I was saying, I went to the local thrift store to see what they had, and I found these!

When I saw them they reminded me of the dishes that my grandmother used for years and years.  She got them sometime in the 1970's in Staffordshire, England, where we all lived until I was 12 years old.  Staffordshire is known for its pottery.  I don't like a lot of it, to be honest - especially these dogs which I think are super hideous.

(Mind you, these hideous dogs are also worth a fortune, so I certainly wouldn't complain if I found them for a buck a piece at a garage sale.)

 

Anyway, back to the items at hand.  I checked the back, and they are marked "Royal Alma" and then underneath "Staffordshire, Ironstone."  So, I bought them.  Five dinner plates, six side plates and six bowls, for $5.97!!  There's a chip in one of the side plates, otherwise they look like they're in pretty good condition.  (Oh, and in case you're wondering, I didn't balance them on the handlebars of my bike, I went and got the car.)

When I got home I checked the dishes out on the internet.  An identical plate sold for about $8 on E-bay, so I think I got a pretty good deal.  I thought briefly about keeping them for myself, but have decided to try and sell them on Kijiji, as I do NOT need more dishes.  Even if I sell the lot for $30, I'll have made a 600% return on my investment.  (My friend told me that, by the way, so I cannot attest to the accuracy of the math.)  Whatever.  I'll be ahead of the game, and in the end I'm pretty sure that's what life is all about.

Take care,