Thrift shop shopping WDUBT

Here in Oz they are called Opportunity shops or Op shops, here is a nice gold filled pocket watch I found:
I offered them AUS $100 as it did need a fair bit spent on it to get it running again.
I get 1st dibs in this shop so I don't abuse the privilege by low balling them. I donate basic repair work to them and give them advice so they can get better prices for some of what they sell, the money goes to charity after all.
I've gotten all sorts of good stuff from them.

That's a really nice PW and with that Railway inscription attribution makes it just that more valuable to RR collectors!

You don't often see them turn up in charity or op shops, I have only seen 1 which I bought about 2 years ago for $15.00, a sterling cased Hunter with missing glass and hands but otherwise in excellent condition given its circumstances.
$60 later my watch maker had put NOS hands and fitted a new glass.
As found

Now in good working order after my Watchmakers titivation

Yesterday's op shop adventures gained me a few nice vintage items, some a little mundane but fun anyway.
First up for your amusement some English made kitchen items.


I was particularly intrigued by the auto whisk having just whipped some cream the previous night for a Pavlova so it was a must buy. The flipper lifter because I had recently been watching SpongeBob Square Pants with my 7 year old and such a device features regularly.

I also spotted what looked to be at first glance a 400 day clock but on closer inspection all was not it seemed with my second thoughts were damn quartz rubbish but I wanted the glass dome for another 400 day clock I had bought 2 years prior in not going order and missing the glass dome however as I lifted the glass dome to have a closer look I was absolutely stunned to see this was no quartz crap but a battery powered electro mechanical dome clock which is something I have never seen before or even imagined being a thing.

Hettich Floating Balance Electro Mechanical Dome clock


And under the hood of this Electro Mechanical 1 jewel marvel


After I got it home and revived it with some electrical and mechanical attention it goes very well but that second hand on a first glance 400 day clock is a bit unnerving however it can join my collection of 5 other working 400 day clocks.

Incidentally whilst I was in the mood for clock repairs I stripped down the other nice Schatz 400 day clock that I had bought 2 years earlier and got it all working as it should, still looking for another replacement glass dome!

Here's another op shop find a friend found it a gave it to me as a present.

I think the reason it ended up in the op shop was they thought it was broken.
She got it for bugger all, it came with the box and owners booklet...........they should've read the instructions in the book, there was nothing wrong with it!
The movement has an odd method of setting the time the hour hand is set by pulling out and turning the crown, but the minute hand is set by holding in a tiny pusher for 5 secs the pressing again and holding it in until the minute hand comes around to the desired time.

It doesn't show in pix but the the way the bracelet picks up the light is really beautiful.

A sample of today's picks.
Found this Cocobolo wood lion for 50 cents about 200 mm nose to tail, very heavy for its size as you might expect, wonderful feeling price.

A couple of pieces of Jade, the one on the left is NZ Nephrite or Nephrite Jade or commonly known as Green Stone in NZ.
The one on the right hand side is Chinese Jade though it maybe Japanese. Likewise 50 cents in amongst a glass jar window ornament filled with an array of polished stones.

The last 2 were bought at 2 different OP shops, both are T2 Ceramics and not old or vintage but current, normally about 50 to 65 dollars a piece here but these new and unused ones cost me $6.00 total for both.

I have always been a fan of ceramics and have picked up some wonderful and some very valuable peices over the years and I don't normally go for current but these are a great departure from the more mundane you find in shops that sell crockery.

How about this find, a friend saw it and got if for me, $25 AUD.
It in as new condition and it looks like it's rarely or even never been worn.

They bought it on my behalf at an Op shop (what we call thrift shops in Oz) and I reimbursed them..... so yes it is in my book!

A Citizen Fugu for 25 bucks thats a great score!
Is that the Titanium case?
Been looking for one of those for a while, had I seen one at a thrift OP shop I would think I had been eating magic mushrooms.

Nah SS.....not that I'm complaining about that!

This mornings thrift shop harvest.

The Omega Binoculars are great! US$12.00, Very superior optics but I can't help but noticing the internal lens could do with a clean so I might have a go at it.
The right eye diopter adjustment doesn't give a perfect clear picture when you adjust it separately but you don't notice it in use, I suspect that if I do the internal lens clean that issue will resolve.

** EDIT*** having had a further play the diopter isn't at fault rather the astigmatism of my right eye was the culprit, all in all these are very good optically, good images well up there compared to my Pentax binocs.EDIT end*

Full leather case.

The chunky Sterling Silver locket and chain were got for just under melt value by weight so not a loss and the way silver chain values are it's a considerable bargain what I paid.

I'll say and then some!!!!

Not a what I bought post and not even a photo but today whilst out op shopping a wrist was put under my nose whilst I was looking down at some DVD's with a beautiful large 1930's rectangular Omega in exceptional vintage condition.
Looking up, the arm belonged to another second hand and militaria shop owner that I know, stunning watch I told him, it had transpired he had acquired it earlier that morning in his shop but what was even more interesting was the provenance of the watch.
It had been sold to him by the son of a POW in the 2nd WW for 150 cigarettes from a German officer, you cant buy such a wonderful story! I might go visit him and get a photo but I doubt I would be able to get him to sell the watch to me as he was as smitten as I was with it.