Ridiculous/Fabulous Purchase

I go to thrift stores ALL THE TIME.  And although I have been doing this since 1968, these days I claim it is physical therapy.  And  it is true.  In the last six years I have had four major joints replaced:  two knees, a hip, and a shoulder.  For the knees and hips I need to get out and walk every day.  The easiest way for me to do this is while holding on to a shopping cart.  The cart gives me safety and lets me walk with a good upright posture.  I have no idea why walkers require you to bend over.  And don't tell me I have set the walkers to the wrong height, because two different physical therapists set it the way they thought was right.

So to get in a good walk, I just go to a giant grocery store, hardware store, or thrift store.  I only need a hardware run about once a month, and the big grocery store maybe twice.  But there are many big thrift stores around here and they restock with unusual junk treasures every day.  So I go to two or three of them two or three times a week.

I have really slowed down on buying stuff as I try to declutter my house (thanks for the inspiration, Marie Kondo).  But vintage sewing goodies will always tempt me.

Hence my purchase of "Deluxe Clover Portable Dressmaking Utensils".

I spent years hoping to find buttonhole cutters and finally put them on my Amazon wish list.  And this year for Christmas I got one with a replaceable blade.  Havels Ultra Pro II Seam Ripper and Buttonhole Cutter.  As always, link provided for your interest only, I get no kick-back from Amazon.

So of course about a month later I found this dressmaking kit which included two buttonhole cutters.  This is one of the immutable laws of the universe.

15 mm

and 9 mm

and this piece was originally a mystery to me, but as I searched Amazon for my Havel cutter so that I could provide you with the link, I discovered what it is!

It's a keyhole and/or eyelet cutter.

The eyelet cutter had occurred to me, but it does not feel very sharp.  And I still don't understand the slot on the side.  Unless it for those time when you need to cut 30 eyelet holes at a time and as they stack themselves in there and push their way down, you can pull the cut circles out of that slot.

Leave a comment below if you can enlighten me!

 There is also a nice sharp awl.  I probably have half a dozen awls already.

 And a pattern marker.  Have a bunch of those too.

A ring shaped thimble.  Don't think I have one this shape among the dozens I do have.

And a metric tape measure a meter and a half long.

This was only ridiculous as a purchase because of the price.  And it my rule not to post prices of anything here on the blog.  I occasionally break this rule with Amazon stuff just to give you a heads up on whether you want to click and check it out or not bother.   (That Havel cutter set is a bit under $15 at the time I wrote this).

And in case you are wondering if I will use this stuff or merely hoard it, let me assure you that I will proudly hoard it.   And use my brand new Havel cutter with the replaceable blade.

But if I ever decide to go to a dressmaking workshop and up my skills, I will take these with me.  To show how classy I am (pause for laughter).

Although I bought this at a thrift shop, it is an unusual thrift shop staffed by lots of hipsters who know a thing or two about cool vintage stuff and price it accordingly.  (Scrap Exchange, Durham NC. Technically a "creative reuse arts center.)  So it cost about 10x what it would have cost in a regular thrift store. 

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What have you over-paid for recently?  Feel free to share your shame below, with or without prices!