Thrifted Gifts?!

Let me start this post by saying, no, I've never given a completely thrifted gift. I've given the odd 'vintage' item in amongst a gift package, but I've never gone all out.

The thing is, you have to be VERY CERTAIN that the intended recipient appreciates secondhand items. I know an awful lot of Swiss people in my age group that wrinkle their nose at the thought of anything 'used' (obviously these people have never been starving students in North America!).

So tread carefully...! Be 100% sure they won't be insulted by receiving a secondhand gift!

Also, 'vintage' is trendy, whereas 'thrifted' might not be. You could buy ME a thrifted gift and I'd appreciate it, but I'm not normal. ;) So everything you give, make sure it's the 'rare, sought-after and unbearably cool vintage' spin and not the 'used' sales-pitch!

But I do have a few ideas on what would constitute a nice gift, sourced from a local Brocki. 

Please also note that you want to give yourself a ton of time to browse and shop for thrifted gifts, so start as early as you can!

House-warming gifts, or "Welcome to Switzerland, Where EVERYTHING is Expensive!"

Case 1: Recipient has moved into a fully furnished apartment, or shipped their household over, and probably aren't in need of anything substantial

• A nice bottle of wine, and a vintage corkscrew and decanter. (Optional: a couple of wine glasses). Corkscrews are one of those things that you don't realise you don't have until you need one. Same with can openers!
• A nice bottle of scotch or other liquor, and vintage highball glasses (there are some great ones out there - was really tempted by some gold-striped ones at Brockiland yesterday!)
• A collection of wooden spoons/utensils, with the ends hand-painted (by you - see an example of this here), or wood-burned to personalize in a cool geometric pattern, or a collection of stainless steel cooking utensils (whisk, pasta scoop, slotted spoon, fish slice, etc.) wrapped with colourful ribbon. Because a whisk is like a corkscrew - you don't realise it's missing until you need it!
• A small stack of vintage tea towels, tied off with baker's twine or ribbon. Make sure there are no holes or stains (it'll take some digging to find good ones - have patience! They are out there! I have tonnes!), and you can do a theme - all floral, all kitsch recipes, all travel souvenirs, or, perhaps the easiest and best option, all in one colour scheme. Here's a hint: everyone likes blue. ;)
• Do the customized wooden spoons and tea towel stack together for a bigger gift (still cheap!).

  

  Find a picnic basket on sale here, on the 21 March 2015 in Frauenfeld? :) Not too far away, either.

• A wicker picnic basket (or case), in which you've put two of everything (plates, glasses, forks, knives, spoons, a corkscrew, vintage napkins (finding 2 matching ones at Brockiland is a piece of cake!), etc.). I bought a wicker picnic case, and have seen a few since. They are out there! Throw in a free walking map of the city (see "Zurich on Foot" - you can order them free from der Stadt to your door! I ordered the lot!), and maybe circle some favourite picnic spots (the botanical garden, the Chinagarten, the Zuerihorn, the Uetliberg, etc.!).
• Handmade (DIY involved) chai-scented candles in thrifted canning jars. You could also do teacups and saucers, or a pretty vintage tin as a vessel - I'd even look at the highball glasses! Link to the tutorial (not mine) here.

Case 2: Recipient has nothing but the bags they brought over, and maybe got some furniture (couch, bed, wardrobe) from the previous tenant, but otherwise has nada

• A set of dinner plates (4-6) in an inoffensive colour. White and off-white are always safe, but a soft teal or maybe even a mustard colour from the 60's and 70's might be perfectly on-trend for 2015 (purples and maroons are big this year, apparently. Not my colour, though). Tie the stack of plates with ribbon, and if you can swing it, get a set of cutlery together, also bundled in a ribbon. This gift works especially well if you know the person and their tastes already.
• A freshly baked, home-cooked casserole of comfort food (mmm, mac and cheese for me!) in a gorgeous Emile Henry or funky vintage pyrex baking dish that you saw at Brockiland (I let that one go... no room for it, no need for it, but I coveted it!). I did score a Le Creueset dish at CARITAS, though. Nice things are out there! Don't forget to include a serving spoon, maybe tied with a little ribbon bow around the handle.
• A full tea set (pot and cups and saucers) with some choice teas would make a quite elegant gift - and probably a more expensive one than those above.
• Lidl, Coop and Migros often sell herbs in pots (parsley, basil, rosemary, etc.). A trio of matching or coordinating pots with herb plants tucked inside would make a very welcome gift to anyone with a balcony or wide window sills who likes to cook. You could grow these months in advance from seed as well, but to be honest it'll be much faster and more foolproof to just buy the potted herbs at the grocer's.
• For the Swiss touch, a fondue set with matching (or just coordinating) plates and forks. You can use the caquelons right on the stovetop, but if you buy a set with a stand and burner, be sure to pick up brennpaste as well! Migros has it, and so of course would Coop. Bring a bag of ready-to-heat fondue with you, too. ;) And bread!

It is your Birthday. (Dwight - The Office)

Well, it's hard to do 'cases' here, because obviously it's going to be very specific to the recipient!

Friend got a yen for the orient? There's a sale for that in Olten on the 16 of May 2015.

Or maybe they prefer Africa? The Olten Heils Armee has a themed sale on the 8 August 2015.

Here are some gift package ideas that I personally like - fitting them to the recipient will be your problem! ;)

For the visiting tourist:

• Brockiland downtown has an entire bin of vintage, cotton/poly Swiss flags on wooden dowel posts. They're shabby but chic, and they don't make them today like they used to! Comes in many sizes
• Sometimes you can find Trachtenmode (traditional clothing). There's an Oktoberfest dirndl on display at CARITAS fashion on Birmensdorferstrasse, and I found a gingham shirt embroidered with edelweiss and gentian at Brockito a couple of days ago. They can wear this at home next Halloween, or if they'll be in town at the end of September, you'll HAVE to go to Münich (or just the local Züri Wiesn at the HB - also fun!). ;) One item I see over and over again are the Swiss Army woollen uniforms and jackets, especially at the downtown Brockiland.
• You sometimes see miniature cowbells, though usually they are behind protective glass near the till at Brockiland (CARITAS K&K would make for better shopping).
• A fondue set is Swissness, for sure, but might be too heavy for airline luggage!
• Vintage tea towels with bizarre recipes on them (okay, usually it's just fondue), and old Swiss cookbooks are pretty cool. I've even found a SBB train scarf and a commemorative Swiss hankie or two! Keep an eye out for those ubiquitous edelweiss-printed bandanas, too.
• Brockiland has bins and bins of old postcards, new and used. It'd be great to collect a bunch of the 'main sights' to send your friend home with - great for scrapbooking.
• Swiss cross cookie cutters are pretty ubiquitous - check the bins in Brockiland for them! I gave one of these in a gift - you can tie them to the ribbon on the outside, too.

Tip: If your tourist guest is in the market for the quintessential Swiss Army knife by Victorinox, be aware that new ones (perfectly authentic) are in fact CHEAPER in Switzerland than they are anywhere else (i.e. at MEC in Canada)! While most things are more expensive here, the Swiss Army knives aren't! And they seem to have set prices, no matter where you buy them: souvenir store in the Niederdorf, Schweizer Heimatwerk, somewhere in the HB, etc. I haven't seen any used ones for sale, and I'll bet that you'll have better success investing in a new one - they're built to last forever. ;)

 
For the Cook:

• a cookbook (there are no shortage of these in those Brocki shelves!)
• a lovely serving dish, platter, or casserole (you can put the book and other things inside of it, and tie a ribbon over the whole thing!)
• a few nice kitchen utensils - I like the 'customized' wooden spoons (dip-dyed painted handles, or wood-burnt to personalize), and I really like the stainless steel flippers, skimmers, pasta spoons and crazy whisks.

For the Gardener:

• a few coordinating pots (if they can 'nest' inside each other, it'll be easy to wrap!). You can also match textures (or get three totally different 'textures' or patterns - best if they are the same colour, though). If you don't know the first thing about coordinating colours, here are some ideas to try:
• monochromatic - all one type of colour (i.e. three pots in differing shades of blue)
• one white, one white and a colour, one solid in the same colour (i.e. white, white with red polka dots, red)
• traidic or analogous colours on a colour wheel - see this link here. :)
• find a patterned pot you like, then get two pots that are solid colour but match a colour in the patterned pot.
• black and white. You can never, ever go wrong with this. ;) 
• If you use black or white, it's easy to match colours (true black, true white). You could instead vary the shapes of the pots dramatically, if the colours (and finishes) are all the same (i.e. they're all shiny black, or they're all matte black).
• a small trowel - you can paint the handle to match the pots with some acrylic paint (from Do It + Garden, for example, or a bigger Migros office supply section). To clean some of the rust off a trowel, see this link here.

On the 16th of May 2015 there's a 'summer and bbq' sale on at the Affoltern am Albis Heils Armee.

On the 30 of May 2015, there's a gardening sale in Celerina (near St Moritz).

For the Handyman (by which I mean the gender-neutral 'handyperson'):

• An assortment of tools. Try 3 medium-sized screwdrivers (Phillips, Robertson, Standard - that's a cross, a square and a straight edge), some pliers, a hammer, and a measuring tape. Again, don't let a little rust get you down. Here's another link on removing rust from tools.
• An awesome, vintage tool box. Martha's got some tips on that, too! Chalk (which you can also find at the Brockiland!) will also absorb moisture.
• Duct tape - the Handyman's Secret Weapon! ;) (Will probably need to buy this new).
• If your handyman needs a project, perhaps they would be interested in tuning up a vintage Swiss sled - there are a few for sale at the Fahrweid Brockiland. They probably need to have their runners waxed and wood sanded and oiled. :)

For the avid Hiker / Outdoorsman (by which I am also being gender-neutral!):

• a stack of carefully chosen coffee table books on various Swiss peaks and passes (there are many, many books such as these on offer!)
• vintage Swiss maps, hiking trail guides, and if you can find one, an old-fashioned compass. I personally would enjoy a guide book on Alpine plants (got it! Love it!) and one on the Geology of the Alps. This data doesn't change much, so old books are no problem.

There's a special sale on hiking articles and maps in Basel, 25 April 2015! Take the Saturday to stroll around the lovely city, and pop in to the sale while you're there!

For the Bookworm:

• Oh gosh, it's like shooting fish in a barrel for this one! Books coming out of your ears at the Brocki's! :) Okay, a book tote bag (or, at least, package your book in a tote bag as part of the gift!) - you can sew one if you can't buy one.
• A collection of books - choose the theme carefully. A favourite author? A favourite genre? Maybe a stack of plays, or non-fiction books on Switzerland? Note that many places have a '2 for 1' or some such deal - ask or look for signage! A nice place to shop for books is the Zürcher Brockenhaus - a great place to get started, and you can round out your collection from there (the Heils Armee, Geroldstrasse is also fantastic for organized shelves!).

Better visit the Schaffhausen Heils Armee this year if you're into books! 2 May is antique books, 4 July is Art and Fiction, and the 12 September is the non-fiction books!

For the Fashionista:

• Accessories. Seriously, the brooches and costume jewelry out there can be incredible. If Berta 4 is still open (Bertastrasse - haven't checked recently, so be forewarned), she has some incredible items, though they are not inexpensive. Zürcher Brockenhaus also has some real goodies in the form of pricey but gorgeous purses and shoes. Necklaces, plastic bangles and earrings are all worth checking out.
• Scarves. There are more scarves, foulards, schals out there than you can buy! There are some really nice ones, too - silk scarves, expensive brand names. There are also a lot of cheap ones, too, and personally I like these just as well. No one can have too many of these. You can tie them on your purse in a bow to instantly change it up. You can wear them a gazillion different ways. And who doesn't think it looks fantastic to ride a bicycle with a long, flowing scarf? Heck, they're practically mandatory if you go out boating on the lake! ;) Maybe include a card with a link to the Knot Library on it for inspiration!

On the 26 September 2015, there will be a special sale on jewelry and watches at the Basel Heils Armee!

Ooh, it's Lady's Day at the the Aarau Heils Armees on the 9 May 2015! Lots of lovelies, no doubt!

For the Musician:

• Sheet music. There are books of it in the books sections! Saw some at Brockito this week.
• LPs, CDs, music in general. Arche Brockenhaus is a great place to shop for this.
• Instruments. Zürcher Brockenhaus had accordions and trumpets in the display case last time I went! (They also have a nice section for records near the entrance).
• There is a sale on Musical Instruments at the Biel Heils Armee on the 31 Jan 2015, and a sale (see below) on 28 July 2015 in Basel on that, plus more:

A special sale on music, instruments and records on the 18 July 2015 in Basel. Sounds like a good excuse to spend the day in Basel to me! ;)

For expectant couples:

• Baby clothes crop up here and there, but the place I've seen the most is at CARITAS Hardbrücke. They have a huge section - sure there are lots of cute things in there! Having kids is expensive, and though some new moms might turn their nose up at secondhand-items, I'm going to bet that nose will turn right back down again after baby dearest sharts through 12 onesies in 48 hours. Maybe stick to the 'as-new' garments - there should be a few, since babies grow fast. Many parents I've met had received clothes that never fit their kids (if they were born big)! So my advice would be to shop for 6 mo. and up sizes (see labels), and go for the pristine stuff. 
• Sew burp cloths from vintage fabric (pillowcases are a good size) and vintage terry towels. Seriously - it's going to get disgusting for a couple of years, and for the first it's going to be projectile vomit on a near-daily basis. Urgh. Protect their shoulders - a whole stack will be most appreciated, I'm sure! :) Apparently they only take 10 minutes to make! 10! And I can tell you that towels and pillowcases from Brockiland will have to laughing all the way to the check-out - cheapest gift ever! Don't forget - you can buy virtually all of your sewing supplies there, too!
• Why not consider a good stash of children's lit.? Everyone loves picture books! :) I've seen Winnie the Pooh, Alice in Wonderland (oh, wait - I bought both of those! Whoops!), lots of Heidi... you could invest in some of the nicer editions for when the kid is older, or stick to the big pictures, lots of colour variety.

For the Tailor or Seamstress:

• Cut open (cut off the seams and hems, as straight and close to the stitches as you can) vintage pillowcases purloined from the Brockenhaus, and make a stack of folded 'stash fabric' for your sewing friend. I would love this, personally! Tie it up with some ribbon - google "Fat Quarter Bundle" to see what I'm talking about. :)
• You can also find actual, unused fabric at Brockiland and other places - this would fit in the stack nicely!
• Old vintage sewing kits and boxes are also available - this would make a wonderful gift for someone just learning to sew. Fill it with every notion you can find, and prioritize the following items:
• spools of thread (shiny, silken thread is preferable over dull threads; thick cotton (baumwolle) thread is also preferred over polyester (note that it doesn't look shiny, typically); thread on wooden-spools tends to be of high quality) - buy black, white, off-white, grey, brown, blue and then whatever other colours you like! Those first ones are the most useful. ;)
• sewing needles, especially those still in their original envelopes! Still sharp - be careful!
• embroidery hoops (two circles of wood; the outer has a screw to tighten the larger circle against the inner circle) - test to make sure they still work and aren't misshapen
• measuring tapes
• stitch pickers/seam rippers - these usually have plastic handles and plastic covers, and look like a short, plastic ballpoint pen (if they are closed). Inside, they kind of resemble some sort of weapon - here's a link for you to see. These are really useful items!!! I've broken one before, so having multiple is really not a terrible idea. ;) Include this, even if you're sure your recipient has one.
• thimbles (could get a couple in various sizes to be sure you've got one that works)
• box full of pins (I like the ones with the colourful glass 'heads' on them)
• NOT a priority, but kind of neat: darning eggs (mostly because they're cool - wooden balls or eggs used for stitching up holes in socks, etc. Some are really pretty, but it would be mostly for interest's sake)
• if they are a quilter or want to try quilting, go to the stationery section and find the longest, clear acrylic ruler you can. I bought one 50cm long the other day, and it was one of at least two of that size, maybe more. Quilters will also need curved needles, if you see them (long and usually a bit bigger in girth).

Scissors and pinking shears (the zig-zaggy ones) will need sharpening, and may not be the best things to buy used. They are, however, not cheap... the cheapest ones I know of are the ones I have, from Ikea. They are serving me well, and I think they're quite good. :)



For the Photographer:

• I have a friend who collects vintage cameras and their parts (and actually uses them), and I sent him info on the big sale at the Bern Heils Armee last year. But being European, this sounded like 'too long a journey' to make. I thought it was a great excuse for a weekend trip! ;) I don't know anything about this stuff, but if you can find out what they like, then go and see!
• Or bring your friend to Bern for the special market and pay for the ticket as their gift. :)
• Note that the sale also lists TELESCOPES - for the Astronomers. ;)

For the 2 Wheeler:

• I'm not sure used bike shorts are appropriate, but bike tire wrench sets are useful. 
• So are bike parts - there's a sale in Aarau this year (see below).You could give a gift of a train ticket (and your company) to Aarau for the sale, if you can't think of what else to buy. :)
• Not used, but still supporting CARITAS are bike seat covers (link to the CARITAS online shop here). :)

 

26 September 2015 in Aarau (Woeschnau) - sporting goods.

Well, that's it - I'm dry. No more ideas today from this thrifting well! Hope this list helps! :)

If you have suggestions for others, please comment below!

Happy Thrifting,
 TiZ

Is Your Resolution to Thrift More and Spend Less? Good news!

It's belated, but happy 2015, thrifty friends! I hope you have done your homework and checked online for upcoming sales!

Well, I have anyway, and you can all copy my homework. ;)

In January at the Heils Armee:

In our city, pictures and books are going on sale on 24 Januar. Usually that means they bring out extra stock for the sale!

And perhaps the most important date of all at the Heils Armee this year / season:

FEBRUARY 28 - SOMMERKLEIDER! (Summer Clothing!)

Yes, I've been to the opening of the sommer kleider last year. I can't remember if I went late on the same day, or if I arrived a day or two late, but THE GETTING WAS GOOD - REALLY GOOD! They save up the good stuff for this date, so make sure you go! :)

Missed it? The Winter Kleider sale will be on the 5 September 2015, according to the site. Don't miss both of them! :)

On the 30 January at the CARITAS in Oerlikon, there's a Snow White and Rose Red themed apero and storytelling going on from 16:00 to 20:00. I'm not sure what that means (if anything) in terms of shopping, but there's pear bread, pastries, punsch and cheese on offer. I might not bother attending this, but if you go, please share your experience in the comments section! (I still dislike CARITAS Oerlikon - went by the other day at five minutes before the lunch hour (I didn't notice because there were customers inside), tried to open the door, had it rattle on me, and got the most poisonous glare from the hefty old gal at the counter. I didn't bother coming back when it reopened). ;)

Anyway, it is good reminder to check out the NEWS section as well as the AGENDA section of the CARITAS SecondHand website! Sales seem to be under News, but the aperos aren't!

I missed a sale on Christmas decorations at CARITAS K&K, not that I needed any. Still, I wasn't keeping on top of things. Ah well.

So there you have it - some special thrifting events in the city!

Also - I've noticed that "Auszweiterhand" has really kept up in terms of up-to-date information! It's in German, but please check it out.

Tips for the Thrifty Cook

I thought it might be useful to start a series of posts pertaining to a particular subject, so that if you're in the market for such things, I can help by sharing my experience of what's (generally) out there to save you time. :)

The trouble with thrifting is, of course, that most items are 'one of a kind', and if someone comes in and buys everything in that section, the section disappears - sometimes temporarily, sometimes practically permanently! Take, for example, my experience at Brockiland last week: I went to the downtown location thinking I'd find the perfect King-size flat sheet for a project... and the shelves were bare with 2 (TWO!) sheets on them only! Not 82, not even 52, but 2 sheets!

I'm choosing to believe that some kind person bought them all and shipped them to Syria. :) Then it's okay if I came up empty-handed!

Here are some of my tips for the thrifty cook. Note that 'best places' = best chance to find, in my experience in the past year and a half. ;)

Best Places to buy Kitchen Utensils:

• Brockiland (both locations)
• Brockito
• Heils Armee Geroldstrasse
• basement of CARITAS K&K, Birmensdorferstrasse

All utensils (except masher) were thrifted. So were the plant pots. :)

 Best Places to buy table linens (tablecloths, placemats, napkin sets, tea towels, etc.):

• Brockiland (both locations)
• Heils Armee Geroldstrasse (can be quite cheap here, depending on tagged price)

Best Places to buy functional electrical items:

• Arche Brockenhaus - they come with WARRANTIES, and do on-site repairs!!!
• Brockito (not sure of policies, but many looked new-in-box)

Best Places to buy stemware and glasses:

• Brockiland (both locations)
• CARITAS K&K, Birmensdorferstrasse (for the fancier 'sets' and pairs)

Best Places to buy glass decanters, pitchers:

• Brockiland (both locations)
• CARITAS K&K for upscale, pricier options (but still very nice and affordable)

Best Place to buy cookie cutters:

• Brockiland (both locations) - bins and bins of them, but especially downtown

All are thrifted - even the jump ring they hang from. Any takers on whether the middle one is a pear or a penis?! No one knows! XD

Best Place to buy full tea sets:

• Heils Armee Geroldstrasse
• Zurcher Brockenhaus
• CARITAS K&K (fancier ones - will be more expensive)

Best Place to buy pots and pans (this one varies widely):

• Brockiland (both locations), for sheer volume and price
• Heils Armee Geroldstrasse
• Zurcher Brockenhaus

Best Places to buy casseroles and bakeware:

• Brockiland (both locations) - saw an Emile Henry deep-blue oven/serving dish yesterday! And some great vintage pyrex, too!
• Heils Armee Geroldstrasse

For cutlery, knives, peelers, wooden spoons, ladles, ice cube trays, plates (sets or otherwise), tea cups, teapots, bamboo steamers and VIRTUALLY anything else you're looking for:

• Brockiland (both locations)

Things I ALWAYS see for sale in second stores (so don't buy them new!):

• fondue plates with the little divisions, often in really funky 60's and 70's colours
• fondue caquelons (see above for colour schemes!)
• fondue forks (heck, it's Switzerland after all!)
• glass jugs and pitchers
• wine decanters (it wouldn't take very long or very many trips to find a nice one you like)
• zopf-shaped bread boards, and round cheese boards (often hand-painted, traditionally)
• wire fruit baskets
• novelty cake moulds
• tongs (and the small ones for tea bags)
• strainer-spoons (not sure what to call them - skimmers?) and slotted spoons
• small strainers, and often bigger colanders
• cutlery trays

Things I NEVER see for sale in secondhand stores (so don't invest a lot of time seeking them!):

• baking sheets (best to buy new)
• Moroccan tagines
• Sushi mats (probably best to buy new, too)
• grapefruit knives (curved tips) and pastry cutters* (both I found recently, but it took ages! More than a year!)
• pots I want to buy that still have a matching lid (I'm sure it's possible, but it's improbable. Might be one of those 'get there early and go straight for the relevant section' situations!)

Remember my thrifting secrets to success: GO OFTEN. Yes, it's dangerous in that you'll likely find more things to buy, but with a little restraint exercised, you'll also manage to snag a lot more of the 'good stuff' if you're present more often! GO EARLY is another key, though for places like Brockiland (where they restock all day long), this tactic becomes less important.

Questions, queries, general thoughts? Post below! :)

All the best, Thrifters who Cook!

- TiZ

Brockito!

Let me just start today's post with a little rant (and warning) to those seeking Brockito for the first time:

Brockito is NOT located at #14 Robert-Maillart-Strasse. It is located at #12!

Okay, so it's just next door. The trouble is that the building is a long warehouse, a block in length, and if you're braving wind and rain (like I was yesterday), taking only brief glances out from under your hood to look for cars and bearings, you steer deliberately and precisely towards that giant #14 on the front of the building.

I did see some interesting sights on my detour - where they re-work bikes, where the city recycles and reclaims wood, the offices of many social projects, and a small annex (it wasn't the Brocki, so I didn't take good note of its contents).

In the end, I had to avail myself of directions (something I detest, seeing as my German is Neanderthal in execution, at best. Can't declinate, won't declinate, I'm afraid!), only to discover that the food tent selling hamburgers was actually concealing the entrance to Brockito.

So that's my advice: follow the scent of the burgers!

Also, my phone flatly refused to take photos on account of 'low battery', but then managed to stay operational for a further 6 hours. It's getting old and stubborn, like me. ;)

What I came home with. :) Purse for 9 Fr., cardi (cotton cashmere by Tommy Hilfiger) for 8 Fr., and a sweet tote for 1 Fr.

I'll take photos the next time I go. Without further ranting, here's the deets on Brockito:

• Supports the work of AOZ to help immigrants find meaningful employment
• Located in a spacious warehouse in the outskirts of Oerlikon (bus stop: Chaletweg on route 80, or a longish stroll from Bahnhof Oerlikon Nord, or perhaps Bahnhof Seebach, though I didn't test this)
• Sells new, handmade paper products as well (more on this under pros and cons and tips)
• Sells packaged (new?! Looks new!) bedding in an array of prints and colours, like any retail store (couldn't get a good look at this section - was set upon by a group of women doing some serious, in-depth comparing and contrasting, and I didn't want to interrupt!)
• Is wheelchair accessible, even the upstairs (there's an elevator somewhere that a handicapped patron was using)
• Sells houseplants (big ones!), located at the entrance. Nice ones, too, for a bargain price!

Pros:

• SPACIOUS! I at first thought I had walked into thrifting paradise (don't worry - I found faults!). Very open, tall ceilings, fresh air.
• CLEAN! Also part of that immediate 'nirvana' feeling at the front door.
• Lovely displays - they seem to know what sorts of objets d'art customers are seeking, and set up whole living rooms with all sorts of good stuff (horse plough yokes, vintage telephones and typewriters, lovely vintage mirrors, antique dolls, vases, and anything unusual and extraordinary). There's even a 'kids' section that's done up like a nursery - I don't even have kids (and no plans to) and I was already mentally decorating a nursery! Inspiring displays with 'good stuff' in them, like a 3' tall antique papier-mache giraffe. :)
• FRIENDLY staff - good grief, that's rare enough in this city! LOVELY, lovely staff! Greeting you at the entrance, at the cashier's desk, in the aisles.
• ORGANIZED. Alright, its competition is the chaos that is Brockiland, but still - there was a purse section separate from the baggage section, and there was an upstairs section dedicated to sewing and crafts that included bed sheets and curtains (which makes good sense, doesn't it?!). There was also a tool and backyard section (under the stairs), a book area, and the chairs are displayed vertically on high shelves (ask for assistance!) which makes browsing fast, efficient, and frankly, enjoyable!
• High quality furniture (not in the market myself, but there was stuff I wanted for a good and fair price, nicely displayed and easy to 'try'). Dining room and living room furniture downstairs; office furniture upstairs... you could buy a good-looking bank of lockers for 200 CHF. If I had space, I'd totally get that over a traditional wardrobe!
• Clothing selection upstairs is sparse (see cons), however there was a high proportion of good quality labels (Hilfiger, YSL, etc.) and it also included a couple of nicely-made Halloween costumes for kids. Random, small assortment, but held some legitimate goodies.
• Full tea-sets are available, and they also have a section of household electrical items... not sure of their policy (remember: Arche Brockenhaus is the best place to safely buy used electrical goods!), but many appeared to have been tested, and most were in original boxes.
• I like that you can buy hand-made stationery there! 
• Large and tempting selection of novels and books, organized alphabetically by author, or by subject
• They offer large, brown-paper shopping bags with handles, or small, Brockito-printed plastic bags. The lady at die kasse was very sweet, commented on my nice purchases, folded things nicely, and took much care and attention in choosing a suitable bag, even asking my preferences. :)
• Practically DEVOID of other shoppers! :D Such a nice change of pace!

Cons:

• Wrong address. ;) But all is well now!
• Rather out of the way (but that's pretty typical of the Brockenhaeuser, eh?)
• Small clothing selection (but to be fair, I bought something from it.)
• I didn't buy a cahier (notebook) online because I wanted to browse the covers in person... and there weren't any cahiers, and the selection was quite different than on their website.
• No shopping baskets (at least, I missed them if they were around! Didn't see anyone using them!)
• Prices on kitchen utensils can be comparably high... but admittedly, the quality was good (as if they had only kept the nice things to sell? Not sure).

Tips:

• Don't bother getting there at opening - I can't see it being the sort of place you want to get to ahead of (or with) the rush! Relaxed, sparsely populated, no one in my demographic at all (I might have seen only 5 or 6 other shoppers, and they might have been trainee employees, even!)
• Most things are priced (reasonably, it should be said!), otherwise the lady at the till comes up with a price (a nice one). So check the tags. Also note sales - they had a buy 3 for the price of 4 book sale on as well (and a good selection).
• There's a "1 Fr. Fundgrube" upstairs. I didn't find anything I wanted, but I liked that they put the plastic ice trays, chintzy tea light holders, ugly mugs, trophies and trinkets all in one area. Worth a browse, just in case!
• They were also selling large bundles of scrap (fire)wood for 6 Fr.! Looks like they were the off-cuts from the reclaimed wood shop (located for real at #14). ;)
• Don't forget where the entrance is! ;)

Anyway, that's my two cents on Brockito! I rather wonder if it's a recent venture by AOZ - I hadn't heard of it before, and only came to hear about it when I saw one of their trucks driving past me at a tram stop! 

NOT at number 14, but at '12'! :) Look for the food tent!

Enjoy, and if you visit it, please leave a comment with your opinions for others to read! :)

-TiZ