Hi everyone. I decided to take this Tuesday Tips post in a different direction than our ongoing Reseller Series. I just didn’t feel like talking about Taxes this time around. Will try to return to that series early next month.

Anyhow, the thrifting tip for this week is Research and Development. Yes, I know it sounds boring (unless, you’re a techie like me), but I feel it’s one of the most important aspects of thrifting. And actually, I’m embarrassed to admit that it’s kind of fun – almost part of “relaxation” time for me.

Sure, you can skip the whole “knowledge” part of thrifting. I know a lot of folks who rely instead on getting to the thrift store as early as possible, or even STAYING at the thrift store all day (I kid you not on that one). Or, a lot of people just buy what they like and what looks good to them. If you’re a reseller, you can also just buy EVERYTHING and then rely on Ebay to find the correct market price for your items.

However, even if that’s your game, it can help your thrifting tremendously if you attempt to acquire a little more knowledge about the items you’d like to thrift. Knowledge in the thrifting game definitely IS power.

What is Thrifting R&D? It’s:

Researching different aspects (designers, manufacturers, lines, shapes, genres, histories) related to the items you’re interested in.

Developing the skillset to identify these items at thrifts, estate sales, etc.

Research can come in many forms and from many different sources. But many people nowadays solely use Ebay or collector fansites – and I have to admit that the iPhone has helped quite a bit while thrifting. However, don’t count out books, blogs, collector groups and knowledge gained from talking to other collectors or sellers.

I’d picked up this beverage server set several months back, just because it looked interesting. It looked familiar but didn’t have any markings. We recently picked up the collector book Tableware Designs of Ben Seibel: 1940s-1980s, and as I was flipping through it last night I came across this exact set!

Apparently, the line is called Tempron Taste Tempters and it was manufactured by Gilley and designed at least in part by Ben Seibel. Granted, I didn’t recognize this item because of any existing knowledge, but rather on accident by looking through a book we had. But, now this little bit of information is part of my general thrifting knowledge, to be used when and if the time comes. And it just goes to show that not everything can be identified online – I wouldn’t have even known where to start with the server set.

As a side note: it’s quite surprising how often you’ll find something at a thrift store and then later find it “accidentally” while flipping through a seemingly unrelated collector book. This happens to me so frequently that it’s almost uncanny. Or, sometimes random things that we’ve read in collector books or heard from other people will trigger an identification much, much later down the line. Weird!

Developing a general base of knowledge can help tremendously. I would pick a few specific areas to learn about first, because it can get overwhelming. It can also be good to let your own tastes guide your acquisition of knowledge. Let’s say you pick up some glassware at the thrift – is it Pyrex, Fire King, Glasbake? Try and find out more about the company online, including the different lines, patterns and which ones are more rare than others. Maybe pick up a collector book on glassware. Study past auctions and get a feel for how much things sell for.

Then, let natural extensions occur – since you’re interested in glassware and looking for it at the thrift, chances are you’ll encounter other interesting housewares. How about enameled items? Cathrineholm, Finel, Emalox, Copco, Descoware – now you’ve got a new area to research. Branch off your thrifting knowledge gradually and naturally.

I originally had a bit of California pottery background, and that led to things like enamels and midcentury modern items. Because I’d developed an interest and some minor knowledge in other areas, I was soon able to pick things up like the unusual C. Jere lighter shown above.

The lady who sold it to me at the flea market didn’t know anything about Curtis Jere. Actually, it’s more the case that she just didn’t have time to look it up – she even told me that the signature might be “someone”, but she was in a rush.

This is one of the keys with the Development of thrifting knowledge – you may not use the information immediately, but you never know when it’ll come in handy. I actually didn’t know much about C Jere myself (and still don’t), but I knew the name and how things were signed. That extra bit of information, that I’d found about perhaps a few weeks before, was instrumental in allowing me to pick it up at a lower price.

Hopefully, this post will inspire you to go out and gain more thrifting knowledge. The great thing, or bad thing depending on how you view a half-full glass, is that Thrifting Research and Development is a NEVERENDING process. There’s always something new to learn about. I almost have to be careful because my brain “gets full” – I become interested in too many different fields easily (I found ATG’s post on “Scanner personalities” the other day quite interesting – I actually think it can be helpful for thrifting!)

OK, hope you enjoyed this Tuesday Tips post. I might have another non-Reseller series Tuesday Tips post before we tackle Taxes. The next one might be on more “Identification” tips since those are always popular.