<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?><oembed><version><![CDATA[1.0]]></version><provider_name><![CDATA[Paper Dolls for Boys]]></provider_name><provider_url><![CDATA[https://paperdollsforboys.wordpress.com]]></provider_url><author_name><![CDATA[twlowenstein]]></author_name><author_url><![CDATA[https://paperdollsforboys.wordpress.com/author/twlowenstein/]]></author_url><title><![CDATA[I&#8217;m in the Mood to&nbsp;Brag]]></title><type><![CDATA[link]]></type><html><![CDATA[<p style="text-align:center;">It&#8217;s been written about before, by myself and more eloquently by others, but thrifting is a modern day treasure hunt.  People either have the hunger or they don&#8217;t, more scores for the rest of us!   A few weeks ago I scored big.  I was in line to pay for a couple of vintage children&#8217;s books at the Good Will when a woman dropped off a couple of big blue boxes.</p>
<p><a href="https://paperdollsforboys.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/dsc_0015.jpg"><img data-attachment-id="4220" data-permalink="https://paperdollsforboys.wordpress.com/2010/02/13/im-in-the-mood-to-brag/dsc_0015-4/" data-orig-file="https://paperdollsforboys.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/dsc_0015.jpg" data-orig-size="3872,2592" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;5&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;NIKON D60&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1265460942&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;34&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;800&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.004&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}" data-image-title="DSC_0015" data-image-description="" data-medium-file="https://paperdollsforboys.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/dsc_0015.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://paperdollsforboys.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/dsc_0015.jpg?w=1024" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-4220" title="DSC_0015" src="https://paperdollsforboys.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/dsc_0015.jpg?w=1024&#038;h=683" alt="" srcset="https://paperdollsforboys.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/dsc_0015.jpg?w=150&amp;h=100 150w, https://paperdollsforboys.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/dsc_0015.jpg?w=300&amp;h=201 300w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"   /></a></p>
<p style="text-align:center;">The boxes looked beat to hell but what was inside was unused.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;">I imagine she got them as a wedding present and they had been sitting in her basement for ages.  The biggest box contained 4 column <a href="http://www.tiffany.com/Shopping/Item.aspx?fromGrid=1&amp;sku=18668661&amp;mcat=148209&amp;cid=297635&amp;search_params=s+5-p+2-c+297635-r+-x+-n+6-ri+-ni+0-t+">candlesticks</a>.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;">I paid $9.99 for them.  SHAZAM.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="https://paperdollsforboys.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/dsc_0018.jpg"><img data-attachment-id="4221" data-permalink="https://paperdollsforboys.wordpress.com/2010/02/13/im-in-the-mood-to-brag/dsc_0018/" data-orig-file="https://paperdollsforboys.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/dsc_0018.jpg" data-orig-size="3872,2592" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;5.3&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;NIKON D60&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1265460992&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;40&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;800&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.16666666666667&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}" data-image-title="DSC_0018" data-image-description="" data-medium-file="https://paperdollsforboys.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/dsc_0018.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://paperdollsforboys.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/dsc_0018.jpg?w=1024" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-4221" title="DSC_0018" src="https://paperdollsforboys.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/dsc_0018.jpg?w=1024&#038;h=685" alt="" srcset="https://paperdollsforboys.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/dsc_0018.jpg?w=1024&amp;h=685 1024w, https://paperdollsforboys.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/dsc_0018.jpg?w=2048&amp;h=1370 2048w, https://paperdollsforboys.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/dsc_0018.jpg?w=150&amp;h=100 150w, https://paperdollsforboys.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/dsc_0018.jpg?w=300&amp;h=201 300w, https://paperdollsforboys.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/dsc_0018.jpg?w=768&amp;h=514 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"   /></a></p>
<p style="text-align:center;">I have not added candles yet (or taken off the blue paper on 2 of them, tacky!) but slapped them up on the mantel as a trophy, like the head of a beast.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;">The other box contained a set of hand-blown <a href="http://www.tiffany.com/Shopping/Item.aspx?fromGrid=1&amp;sku=11671373&amp;mcat=148209&amp;cid=288227&amp;search_params=s+5-p+6-c+288227-r+-x+-n+6-ri+-ni+0-t+"><strong>champagne flutes</strong></a>.  Also unused and nestled safely in their original box.  I paid $4.99 for those.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;">The woman who dropped them off was still there as I snatched them up and appeared horrified at the price I paid.  She kept saying, &#8220;They are Tiffany!&#8221;  &#8220;Stop thrift blocking, Lady!&#8221;. I wanted to say but did not want to antagonize her.  I tried not to make eye contact and scurried out with my spoils as quickly as possible but I could sense that it may have been her last thrift donation.  Pleased as punch I got to be her send off!</p>
<p style="text-align:center;">Do I like crystal?  Not really.  I had some non-Tiffany sitting in my basement for years up until our move last summer.  It was over cut and not my style at all.  Would I have looked twice at the candlesticks had they not been Tiffany?  Maybe not.  I am not ashamed to say that I am caught up in the wonder of the blue box just a little bit.  Not enough to buy anything at retail but thrifted?  You bet.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;">Plus they really are elegant and just calling out for me to rustle up a dinner party&#8230;</p>
<p style="text-align:center;">
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