Solar Power

One of the perils of perils of thrift shopping is that things are old and used and may have hidden imperfections. Last summer I thought I was the luckiest girl in the world when I scored what looked like an unworn pair of Blundstones, only to have the sole split apart after a dozen wears. Turns out the rubber disintegrates if they are not worn constantly. And having them repaired, while Eco-conscious, cost the same as new boots. So imagine how happy I was when I found a second pair at the Sally Ann. Of course, the same thing happened (I suspect that the previous owners both had them sitting in a closet for years before donating them in a purge). So I just bought a brand new pair with a warranty.

Which brings me to this 1996 solar powered Swatch I found at the Value Village on Sunday. Originally Swatches were meant to be collectible (with limited editions) and disposable (cheap) at the same time, so plastic, that old unstable material, is a big part of their construction. This watch looked perfectly intact and was running (a big plus as battery leakage in quartz watches can destroy any movement). And priced at $2.99 I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity.

I put it on and headed home, but the  band discombobulated  en route.