Containers and buckets. They have their uses.

When I go thrifting, I'm not always looking for things to resell. In fact, many things are just for me. Clothes and books are easy pickings. You'd be surprised how many designer dress shirts I've been able to pick up at the old Value Village.

Another thing that I keep my eye out for is small containers. Little buckets are perfect for candygrams! What's a candygram, you may ask? A bunch of candy, loaded into a container and decorated, complete with witty piece of prose, expressing your love. Perfect for Valentine's Day!

The one pictured is all about the smores, you know, chocolate and marshmallow. But you can add any kind of candy. Usually you try to use the candy name in your note. "You're the biggest Smartie pants I know" with a box of Smarties or "You're out of this world" with a Mars bar.

Those little buckets that are used for plants are perfect. Look for one with a handle!

You can also be more creative and shove your candy into something else, like an old Nintendo or a coffee mug. Actually, vintage mugs are perfect for Christmas candygrams. Just keep your eye out for a Santa mug and throw some candy canes in there.

Vintage Sewing Table? Pass. . . No Profit Here.

I was doing my thrift store rounds the other day and I came across another of those vintage sewing machine tables. You know, the kind with the old sewing machine that pops up from underneath? I didn't have a camera on me but it looked pretty similar to one of these:

Now, I'm no sewing furniture expert, but I recognized the Singer brand. These old sewing tables are pretty cool looking and you see plenty of them around. When looking at a piece like this, I would consider the following:

1. Does the sewing machine work? Answer almost always, NO.

2. Can I fit it in my car? Answer, NO.

3. Does it have any value? Answer, that depends.

Most likely the value is around $100 if it looks good. Apparently if you can find a pre-1930s version it could be worth significantly more. I also found a few Japanese brands on ebay for several thousand dollars, but these seem to be the exception to the rule.

So, unless you have an eye for antiques and know what to look for, pass these up. Hard to lug around, hard to store, ambiguous value. . . not the best item for turning into a profit. Although, they would make an interesting art or construction project, if you have one of those handy thumbs.