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