Thrifting in Miami

It rains the next day so I head off to the local thrift and antique stores that I always visit when I’m in town.

The crabby old guy who owns Dietel's Antiques just had open-heart surgery a few weeks ago but there he is back in the saddle with his shirt unbuttoned low enough to show off his stitches. Unfortunately, his disposition is now worse than ever. After one too many nasty comments from him about how much I am willing to pay for some mid-century glassware – which he refers to as “cheap crap” - I walk out vowing never to return. I leave my pending purchase of glassware (all of which has been languishing in his store for at least a year) sitting on the counter. I’m sad about leaving these treasurers with someone who doesn’t appreciate them, especially three beautiful antique cut glass saltshakers with sterling tops and some Ritz Blue glass by Hazel Atlas including three Sailboat items, but they will have to wait for someone else to rescue them from this horrid little man. Every time I drive by his store for the rest of the trip I stick out my tongue *pffft!!* Silly, but it makes me feel better and it amuses my passengers :-)

I visit a vintage clothing store across the street and OMG what a blast from the past! When I was young, I loved to go dancing at the local clubs – this was during the Disco era and my favorite outfit consisted of an aurora borealis iridescent white sequin tube top with wide leg pink bell-bottom pants and shiny white patent leather platform sandals with 4-inch heels. I could have purchased an identical ensemble right then and there, but I restrained myself, lol!

At last the doors open ...

Since I spent about an hour drooling over things I can’t have at Miami Twice by the time we leave there Dietel's Antiques is open! Fred, the gentleman who runs this store comes across as a little gruff to say the least. Once when Mom visited his old shop which was very jam packed with glass and china he growled at her to watch her purse. In his defense, she does carry a large purse. ;) Since I’m a prior customer he greets me in a friendly way remembering me from my last trip, although I think I was a major annoyance on my first few visits to his stores by asking about a ton of prices and coming back 4 or 5 times before buying anything! This was because the first time I visited there were so many things I had only seen in books that my knees were weak – I swear they were shaking! The second time I still had to catch my breath, the third time I was able to find some things to research and the fourth and fifth times I finally made some purchases! During my absence he has moved into a new much larger building and also hired an assistant who followed me around the store wanting to put everything that I ooohed and aaahed over on the counter until I suspect she was told to leave me be and let me look at everything. Fred understands how I operate now, lol. I finally made my way to the back room of the store where ‘the cheap stuff’ is located. Jadite, Fostoria, Carnival glass, pink Heisey, cobalt Moderntone and vintage Fiesta – realistically, although I love to look at the front room antiques, this vintage glass is why I’m here. I ask about a few prices and Fred offers me a special price on all of the Jadite if I buy it right now, I guess he does remember me, lol! I purchase the Jadite and a stick handle Fiesta creamer and make some notes about a few other items. Fred packs up my glass and carries it out to the car where my mom, who has had enough of antique stores and is reading one of the books she bought at GW, is waiting. He tells her what a good deal he is giving me and I promise to come back later for more things.

Back at Moms house, I go online to do some research and immediately realize that I should have snapped up the Delphite blue set. I also decide on a number of other items from Dietels. I return that same day and buy 12 Fostoria American dinner plates, 4 matching lunch plates, the cobalt Moderntone creamer and sugar set, some EAPG salts, a Hazel Atlas Ritz blue shaker and the pink Heisey bowl. Now that Fred is pretty happy with me, we chat a bit and he gives me some good business advice.

The next day, Wednesday, I return to Miami Twice for the Cherry Blossom set. I was even so cheeky as to ask if she could do any better on the price – well, you never know. Really though, I was thrilled to get it for the price she had told me the first day. A quick check of GW because I’m right there and you-never-know, but there’s nothing of any interest again.

Next up: Lookie what I found in the attic!