01/02/2026
Warning long read****
Many of you know that I have a side hustle-business outside of my full time job. If you dont, it is Thistle and Thee and I sell vintage and Antiques. Most I have collected for myself but as I get deeper and deeper into the biz I do buy based on what I know I can sell to my customers and of course, I scout items for repeat customers. It can be challenging at times but very rewarding. .
In addition to having a Booth in a local antique store where I also work 4 weekend
days a month, I also sell online.
I meet some really nice people and hear some great stories.
Here are a few Highlights from 2025..
1)Most recently, I sold a vintage barbie. When I handed it to the lady, I could see in her face there was a story to be told so I paused and pointed out that it had never been opened and it came with a charm necklace. She said her sister had one just like it when they were little, she always loved the doll and couldn't believe she actually found one and that she was giving this one to her daughter...then tells me its her daughter's FIRST barbie...sniff.
2) ad on line listing some Victorian china. Lady wants to come look so I meet her at my garage and she nearly passes out when she sees how much is in there. She knows exactly what she wants so I roam around and pull all the pieces I think she will like. Then she tells me the story...her Grandma is in her late 90s and the Lady is hosting Thanksgiving at her house and has memories of her Grandma always setting a beautiful holiday table and wants to do it this year for her Grandma..she picks out her pieces plus several serving items she didnt think about and together we start to carry them to her car. She stops and looks at me with tears in her eyes and starts crying. She says you dont know how much this means to me...she sent me pics on Thanksgiving day of her beautiful table and Grandma.
3) misc red dishes...young guy shows up, was expecting someone totally different. I show him the small plates in the ad and he starts his story...He is a chef and here visiting a friend. He has a desert cooking competition coming up and thinks the red will make his desert pop. He tells me what he is making and I think hmmmm these aren't the right style so I dig around and say what do you think about these (not listed in the ad) small handleless red cups and the matching red saucers. He says perfect exactly what I want. Couple weeks later he messages me pics of his desert and he won stating The dishes made all the difference.
4)Old stamped Spode Buttercup china. Wasn't even sure if I could bring myself to part with them so I listed them with a high price. About a week later a lady messages and says she wants them no questions asked. We go to the garage, she walks straight to them and says yep. Just like my grandmas...then her story..I never even use FB Marketplace but I signed into my husband's account and thought let me just look. Typed in Buttercup and Viola. There was your AD...couldn't believe it. Just like the ones I inherited from my Grandma which I do use and over the years pieces have gotten broken and its hard to find the older stamped pieces..think she would have cried and might have later but I almost did. We packed it all up and away she went. She drove over an hour to pick them up.
5) dishes..cant remember which pattern...Lady meets me at the garage to look at a set of dishes..as she is looking her story starts. Married for 30 years. Husband meets a younger woman and moves out. He never had an interest in anything about the house decor and certainly not their wedding China until....the new wife likes it so he insists he gets the china and crystal in the divorce. She was devastated until she saw my ad....lol. there it was, and she bought it all and with tears in both our eyes, she stood a little taller and felt yet another slap in her face disappear...
So many stories...my favorite customer from England who is a repeat and has afternoon tea parties for her friends, the lady who came to buy 1 set of China now that her kids are gone and she now decorates and uses pretty dishes. She couldn't decide after she saw others in my garage she liked so we set them out and mixed and matched so she bought two sets instead.
The Christmas decorations I sold to a couple a year ago and they decided to only take part of them. The rest sat in my garage by passed for my booth and online listings and they message me this year and say, "any chance you still have those decorations?" Yes I do...and just thought about you...so we stood on the porch in the cold and I listened to them tell me about the struggles they faced this past year standing over that dusty box that was meant for them....
I could go on and on with so many stories just like these and even ones from my days in the store but there are hundreds and I would be all day...lol
I dont even know how or why I started this. Actually woke up one night ladt February at 3 am with the name and everything in my head like I had planned it...even tried to change the name as it made no sense at first...I do know that it sometimes feels like Im led to the items I find but I do know when it sells to someone, it feels like it was for that person specifically...
Not sure where it will go or how long it will last but
Think I will start sharing these stories as they occur so I dont forget them...and maybe they will bless others as they bless me..
Here are few sold items from this year. If something catches your eye ask me and if it had a unique story Ill share..
