52 Tuesdays: Favorite Thrifts #10

What: Fiestaware Teacups
Where: Secondhand Rose, Rhinelander, WI (and Dearborn Goodwill in Seattle)
Level of Love: 140 out of 140 (10 point each)

I can't believe I've let nine Tuesdays pass without sharing any Fiestaware! This is absolutely my favorite thing to collect. It's the first thing I look for at any thrift store. I bee-line it for the plate aisle and start scanning the shelves for bright pops of color, turning things over to look for the stamp when I see something promising. I'll keep my eye out for it at antique stores as well, but it's generally out of my price range. Fiestaware's not super rare, so I figure I can afford (ha! pun intended) to collect it slowly by saying no to things that are less than a steal. I've loved it for such a long time, too. It's one of the rare things I saw as a teenager and always said "I want that for my house someday" and still really love.

Which is why I originally passed these up. Secondhand Rose is an antique store, so I went in expecting not to buy Fiestaware. Well, that and I was only home on a short visit to Wisconsin with not a lot of extra baggage room. So, I left without them. Pouting I'm sure. Flash forward to Washington a few weeks later, and I couldn't get the adorable teacups out of my head. I started scouring online vintage and antique sites to try to find the same. Which is when I realized these little darlings were even more of a steal that I had originally thought. At between $3 - $6 each for the cup and saucer set, and in very good condition, AND in my most favorite Fiesta colors, they were just too good to pass up. So, I sheepishly called up my wonderful Mother and asked if she'd go back, see if they were still there, and pick them up on my behalf.

Now, they sit happily taking up this shelf in our kitchen. Oh. Almost forgot. The two extra yellow teacups were found at a Goodwill in Seattle, and I paid $9 for each without a saucer. Yes, Secondhand Rose, you were good to me indeed. Now, I'm not going to think about all the other  Fiestaware I left behind there....