Check out the triangular vase at the front

I know, I know, I’m becoming obsessed with charity stores and cheap glassware. But how could I resist when I cycled past what appeared to be the Salvos Store flagship? Endless rooms and shelves and racks of mustiness and potential treasure!

And treasure I did find:

  • large swathes of fabric remnants, useful as jar covers for home-made jam;
  • tubes of old buttons for my haberdashery-captivated friend Jenny;
  • ‘Modern German Food’ for hausfrau Ev. I didn’t end up buying it because it contained the following intriguing inscription: “14 February 2002. A German Valentine present from a German girl Lily to an Aussie boy Bernie. Reason: A wonderful time and lots of fun.” I wonder what became of Lily and Bernie and how the book ended up in a charity bin?
  • another intriguing display of new bridal gowns. What heartbreaking stories had caused these dresses to remain unworn? [Postscript: I’ve now discovered that 70 new gowns were donated by a wedding dress store. They’re priced from $50-$350 and most are in size 8-10 because they’re samples. Not such a romantic story then!)
  • a triangular glass vial ($1), perfect as a bud vase and a worthy addition to my bud vase/cheap glass jar collection (see vase at the front of the pic); and
  • the bestselling CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet cookbook ($4).