10 Vintage Glass & Barware Finds You Should Always Thrift

Today I'm sharing 10 thrifted barware finds that will add vintage charm, elevate your entertaining, and are always worth picking up when you spot them at the thrift store. One of my favorite sections in any thrift store is the glassware and barware section. I find that you can locate just about any piece that you need for your collection. You'll find some unusual pieces and almost always at affordable prices. My sister Paula has put out a video, and I'm not sure if it will be out before this or after, but she talks about thrifting trends that she has noticed, observed, and is predicting. One thing that was not on her list, but I'm going to add, is barware. I think that is kind of a timeless thing, so maybe it's not necessarily trending, but I have noticed that bar carts and a lot of mid-century barware is very, very popular. So it is a section of the thrift store that I rarely skip over. And I'm going to share with you 10 things that I think you should either be on the lookout for or include in your barware and glassware collection. Let's get started. The first thing that you need to add to your barware collection is a decanter, preferably a crystal decanter. Now, I do find decanters very often at the thrift stores, and they will instantly elevate your bar cart, your home bar, and they also double as decor pieces when you're not storing liquor in them. And what I look for is a nice, heavy crystal composition. Now, it is not recommended that you store liquor in a lead crystal decanter. However, I do believe it is safe to serve from for short periods of time. So this is not lead crystal. I just use this simply as decor. Now, if I am entertaining and wish to have a bar out where people can help themselves, I would absolutely decant my whiskey into this, especially something that's so gorgeous to look at, such as bourbon. This particular one is part of a set, and it has a liquor tag on it, which I absolutely love. So this one says rye on it, and I think my other one might be brandy. But it is an instant way to elevate any home bar, and like I said, I do see these often at the thrift store. What I look for, I always check to make sure there is a stopper and that the stopper is in good shape. If you end up picking up a bottle without a stopper, you can use it for other purposes. But for purposes of a bar, you want to make sure it has the stopper. And then you want to make sure there are no chips or cracks, particularly around the rim and, of course, throughout. And since I absolutely adore crystal, take a moment to hold it up and turn it around and just appreciate the beautiful light that a crystal decanter gives off. So my first item for any thrifted bar is a decanter. The second barware item that I think every home needs is an ice bucket. Now there are several different kinds. I have this gorgeous silver plate one. I have actually several of these, but you can find them in the thrift store. Usually you'll find glass ones. Sometimes you can find other metals. But I think having an ice bucket really elevates the look, and it really makes it seem intentional, like you are entertaining or you're expecting someone. And to have something sitting in ice, I think it's just, I don't know, it's very welcoming and appealing. So I like to look for either silver plate or crystal or leather, something with a leather accent that has like a mid-century feel, or one that has maybe some brass accents. There's so many beautiful ice buckets there. So you definitely want to make sure that it has handles, that the handles are good and sturdy and affixed. If it is crystal, you want to make sure it doesn't have any cracks, chips. You also want to check the interior. Make sure that there's, you know, that it's in good shape, because obviously if you're putting ice in it, you want to make sure that it is in good shape, not a lot of cracks and different things like that. Make sure the handles are secure. Make sure the interior is clean. Don't be afraid of a little tarnish. Some people actually like tarnish, that is appealing to some, but it's very easy to clean up. So don't be intimidated by a little bit of tarnish. But, you know, you do want to make sure the handles are secure. You want to make sure the interior is clean. And look for some fun styles. Like I said, there are some that have brass accents or leather accents. I love a crystal ice bucket. I think that is beautiful. But I do think that an ice bucket really ups your entertaining game. And they are things that you can find pretty readily in the thrift store. Now the the champagne buckets or like trophy buckets, these are harder to find. I actually have four of them. Only one, actually two are from thrift stores. One my sister Paula found in a thrift store. And the other I found in a thrift store. One I got from an online seller. And I think the other one I got at an antique store. This third one you probably have in your bar already, but it is a good cocktail shaker. And I like to pick these up at thrift stores because I feel like you can kind of never have too many. You can have a couple of cocktails going on at once. You can have somebody helping out. I think they're so pretty. And to me nothing says bar, bar cart like a nice cocktail shaker. This one I have shown before. This is not vintage and I actually did not thrift this. This was a gift from my son. And I love this one because it has like a the recipes that you can dial in. But I do have a very similar one without the dialing factor that I did thrift for a few dollars. It's a stainless steel shaker and I love having two. So when you're at the thrift store keep an eye out for these. You want to make sure all the parts are there and intact. If there's a strainer you want to make sure that's there. Make sure the lid fits securely. And try to avoid any sort of dents in the if it's stainless. Try to look for any sort of nicks or dents. I have seen really pretty glass ones with metal accents. Absolutely beautiful. So be sure to pick these up when you see them at the thrift store. These are functional and decorative. I love to see a nice cocktail shaker out. I just think it elevates any bar. It is necessary, functional, and beautiful. Number four is probably the most versatile item in your barware collection. And it is something I do not have. So it is on my thrift wish list. But this item is a highball glass. You are definitely going to want to get yourself a set of highball glasses. They are easily found at the thrift store. And you may say, well, Patty, if they're so easy to find, why don't you have any? Well, I generally just use my regular drinking water glasses for as a highball glass. But I really want to get a traditional highball glass. And I'm going to insert a picture here or here so that you can see. But a traditional highball glass is sort of a tall, narrow glass. These are essential for kind of the non-spirit-focused or mixer-focused cocktails. So anything that has like soda water or lemonade or juices or any of the mixers, you're going to want in the taller, narrower glass. Also, anything with carbonation, obviously, because the bubbles don't disperse. So it stays nice and well carbonated. For the longest time, there was a beautiful set at one of my favorite little local thrift stores. And before I filmed this video, I said, I'm going to run there and grab those. They've been there forever. Well, they were gone. So this just goes to show you, like we always say, when you see something, you should get it. But these were really the quintessential highball glasses. They had a nice heavy bottom. And they even had indentations in the bottom where you could hold them, I think of it as a very traditional highball glass. So what you want to look for is that heavy base, right? So you want to make sure that they're good and heavy, good and sturdy. Run your finger around the rim. Make sure there are no chips or cracks. And the reason the highball glass is so versatile is because they are perfect for things like iced tea and lemonade and anything that you would put in sort of a tall glass. So it's very versatile. You can use them for your everyday use. And then they're available if you are going to make a cocktail. The fifth item that every thrifted bar cart needs are old fashioned glasses. And this I do have a set of thrifted, of course. Here are my old fashioned glasses. These you've seen come out in the fall. They have a little pheasant on them. Old fashioned glasses, sometimes called rocks glasses, are absolutely essential to any home bar. These are a specific shape and size. They are kind of a shorter, squatter, wider style. And this is for two reasons. One is they're very, well, maybe even three reasons. But number one, this is for very spirit focused drinks. So these are going to be for your, you know, your whiskeys, your bourbons. And the idea is it's wide enough so that you can put ice right in them and pour your drink over if you're having it on the rocks. It also is wide enough that you can get in there and muddle if you are muddling a cocktail. I think that old fashioned glasses add instant sophistication to any home bar. And there's just something about the way they feel in your hand that I absolutely love. When you find these at the thrift store, what you might want to look for is a nice crystal one. You'll get that nice weight to it. And it is kind of nice to be able to see through. This is a little bit frosted, so you don't get to see the drink inside as clearly. But if you are doing muddling, that is kind of nice to not necessarily see what's inside of it. And when you're thrifting these, weight does matter. So you want to pick it up, make sure it has that nice heavy base and feels good in your hand. You may see what they call a double old-fashioned glass, which is the same stout width and just a little bit taller. So if you're doing a double spirit-focused cocktail, that's what that would be for. I find those are less essential than a plain old-fashioned glass. And I love to use these. These are very versatile. These make great juice glasses at home. Something about cranberry juice in these I absolutely love. When you're looking at the thrift store, be sure to pick it up. Make sure it doesn't have any cracks or nicks in it. So number five, a set of old-fashioned glasses. These are absolutely essential for entertaining and another super versatile option and readily available at your local thrift store. You might hear the lawnmower. I apologize. Anyway, number six is something I also do not have. And that is a champagne coupe. I do have champagne flutes, but I don't have champagne coupe. And the reason I think champagne coupes should be an essential for barware is because they are versatile. Now, champagne flute with its narrow design is much more suitable for the bubbly, for Prosecco, champagne, because it keeps the bubbles contained. Obviously, a wider surface area is going to go flat a lot sooner. And I'll put a picture here of a coupe so you can see the difference in design. However, I do find that a champagne flute is pretty limited in what you would drink out of it or what you would use it for. A champagne coupe is actually a little bit more versatile. You could serve appetizers or desserts in them. I would look for elegant stems and maybe a delicate profile. And even like an etched crystal design, I think would be super beautiful in a coupe. I've also seen them in lovely like pink and rose colors, which are stunning. And make sure you check the stems carefully for any kind of imperfection, any cracks. And if you're buying multiples, which I suggest you do, just make sure they're of the same height. So maybe you find a slightly different design, but try to keep the scale and the height the same. But I am on the hunt for some champagne coupes. I think they are elegant and they will elevate anything you put inside them. The seventh item that I think is a home bar essential is a martini glass. This sort of classic V-shaped design and elegant stem are just absolutely beautiful in open shelves. These are my favorite things to keep in a glass fronted cabinet because they are just so aesthetically beautiful. I think there's just nothing, no prettier glassware than a martini glass. And they're quite versatile. There are several drinks that you can use them for. And again, it's just something about this design that is just so lovely. So these are actually becoming a little bit harder to find in thrift stores. So they used to be pretty ubiquitous, but I have noticed that they are a little bit trickier to find now and harder to find in sets. So you may have to buy them in sets of two or even single them out and try your best to get the same height. When you're shopping for them, you want to make sure that there's no chips or cracks in the rim. Also check the stem. The stems tend to be quite delicate on martini glasses. So make sure you run your finger through this, your fingers across the stems. Make sure there are no crack. These are also beautiful to serve dessert in. You could have a nice French 75 in this. I also find them really fun to put. You can put little candies in these for a little bit of elevation, physical elevation on your table. So keep these in mind for your home bar, especially if you have open shelving or glass fronted shelving, because this silhouette is just a classic necessity for your home bar. Number eight is one of my favorite pieces. And that is a tray. I think no home bar is complete without some way to corral all of your little accoutrements. And I love a silver plated tray. Now, of course, there are a myriad of other options. There are brass trays and glass top trays, even wooden trays. Any kind of a tray is going to elevate and really keep your bar area clean and organized. I happen to love, as I said, the silver plate. I love silver plate anyway. What I look for in a tray are handles. Handles are a must when you're carrying your items around or even just displaying them. This turns any ordinary table into a gorgeous collected bar area. So if you put your glasses, your cocktail shaker, your decanter on this, you instantly have an elevated and gorgeous look. Now, when you're thrifting these, again, if you have, you might want to look for things with handles and just make sure the handles are nice and secure. You could potentially be carrying this around or at the very least, it will be holding your items. So make sure those are secure. And then the size is really up to you. This is a relatively small tray, but it works perfectly for my purposes. Number nine is an easy pickup. It is a bowl for garnishes. You will see these all over the thrift store in different shapes and sizes, but you will definitely need something to hold the lemon wedges, the lime wedges, olives, cherries, cocktail picks, or even cocktail napkins. And I think a crystal bowl is just the perfect solution. You can also find these in pressed glass, equally as beautiful. And try to look at the rim. This one has a silver plate rim, which I love, but I also love a scalloped edge. Just elevates the space. And it is really essential and handy to have these little bowls. They are perfect for elevating your barware game and such an easy find at the thrift store. When you buy them, you want to make sure there's no cracks or chips in them. I tend to avoid etching when I am serving any sort of acidic thing like lemons or limes. I don't know if there's any reason for that. I don't know if it damages the etching, but I tend to try to avoid them when I'm cutting up lemon wedges and things like that. So this one I recently thrifted. I absolutely love it. This is a Gorham crystal bowl with this beautiful silver plate rim. And it's so pretty with little cocktail garnishes in it. Number 10 is some kind of a pitcher to serve your batched cocktails in. And I love to thrift pitchers. This one is crystal and it weighs a ton. It has a pedestal. You know, I'm a sucker for anything on a pedestal. And this one is just beautiful. There are more traditional shapes which probably are a little bit more functional that don't narrow at the base that are just straight. And I think this probably would work better for batch cocktails. But when I put this out at a cocktail party, it is such a showstopper. You want to make sure if you're buying a pitcher for your cocktails that you check. At the thrift store, you want to make sure you check for any kind of crack or chip. You definitely don't want to be serving out of a cracked or chipped pitcher. Now, of course, a cocktail pitcher is what I'm going for here is versatility. And a cocktail pitcher doesn't have to be just for cocktails. It can be perfect for water, lemonade, any kind of beverage that you choose. And as soon as you put it in a beautiful pitcher, I think it's instant elevation. It really can level up your entertaining game. And also with versatility, something like this is absolutely perfect with a bouquet of flowers in it. So again, when I'm thrifting for bar items, I really try to think of the most versatile items that I can use for so many other things. I want my glassware to double as water glasses, juice glasses, dessert glasses, and the same with my pitcher. I don't want it to be exclusively for my bar, but have other purposes. When I am looking for pitchers at the thrift store, I will look for either silver plate, crystal, or etched glass. I'm always looking for weight. I really want that heft in my pitchers that just, you know, first of all, it will tell you the quality. I do find in glassware and crystal, weight definitely equals quality. So go to the thrift store and get yourself a pitcher. I think it will really help to level up your barware and entertaining game. I hope you have found these 10 items to be helpful. Please let me know in the comments, what are the essentials that you thrift for your home bar, bar cart, or just your glassware collection? I'm really curious to see. I'm sure I left a ton of things out. I automatically thought of things like muddlers and spoons and other items that are available at the thrift store. But let me know in the comments what I missed. What are some things that you're going to be thrifting for your home bar or bar cart? We all know that I am going to be on the hunt for highball glasses for sure and champagne coupes. All right, everyone. I want to thank you so much for spending time with me today. I hope you found this video helpful. If you enjoyed it, please give it a thumbs up. That really helps our channel out. And if you haven't done so already, make sure you are subscribed to Relatively Refined. All right, everyone. Take care. I cannot wait to see you in the next video. Bye-bye now.