Stuff is only new once.
Used is limitless.
There’s always something out there that I am intrigued by, whether household/kitchen devices, stereo and camera junk, all manner of transportation devices, or…?
The quest is the fun.
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I do remember years ago, I bought a new pepper grinder. It really made a difference. The previous peppercorn grinder would shift its grinding setting as I grind which can be pretty annoying. So I would kept readjusting the grind setting every few turns. I upgraded to a Vic Firth pepper grinder, and it is much easier to use.
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I donate. I’m the source of people’s thrifting adventures. If I’m looking for “vintage” items, at this point in my life I’m looking to replace something I had and lost and/or broke, or something I want and cannot find.
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I rarely make sushi, but I bought a makisu (the bamboo mat to roll sushi) in Tokyo all in the name of conspicuous consumption. The Tokyo neighborhood for kitchenware goods is Kappabashi, where I used to prowl the shops for sanpuru (fake food models) instead of anything practical for the kitchen.
Then, I bought miso soup bowls for my then-girlfriend and I, as well as those mugs with kanji for fish/seafood scribbled all over them. Entirely unnecessary, but they temporarily transported us to a different time every Japanese meal that we had.
Suppose I could get a kyuusu (the pots for steeping green tea) next time, but my standard issue boiled water method is good enough.
As for one of the OP’s questions, I appreciate that even if these specialized goods don’t have much use for me, they at least don’t take up much space.
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I have something that looks like that! I thought it was for pepper, but it was designed for coffee, right?
ETA Nope! I just dug it out, and apparently I thought it was for salt and now it’s all corroded. 
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I think they may have been used for coffee, too.
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I am the roomate with someone who suffers from Pluyshkin’s disorder. Da Nile runs deep. It is very hard to deal with if you are not a sufferer yet, I deal. Cheaper than a d-i-v-o-r-c-e.
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I have a similar grinder, though not as nice as an Atlas. I see coffee dust in it, but I just tried unsuccessfully to adjust the grind mechanism. No go. It’s been “resting” too long. Can’t turn the adjusting nut, even with pliers. It still grinds, however. Matters not, I can’t use my Turkish pot on my induction range, of course. Even if the metal was magnetic, the pot is too small for even the smallest burner. I’ll survive.
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If I found something like this, it would be the holy grail,
I’d retire from junk
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I can’t seem to remember seeing Kramer’s apartment much!
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I purchased this mandoline slicer (at Goodwill) as an upgrade over my cheap slicing boards. I thought I would like it, but I’m just very nervous using it. Feel free to call me a wimp, but this thing scares me too much, so its getting donated this month. I’ll wrap it in bubble wrap and let a braver cook utilize it.
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Use the guard and you’ll be fine. That’s very similar the one I have, although mine is beige and it’s an “As Seen on TV” model, so maybe not quite as similar. LOL Makes fast work of onions when you need thin slices for caramelizing.
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I am a pretty nervous person, and I’m fine with my mandoline. Just exercise caution.
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If you are afraid of your mandoline you can use the guard, get a kevlar glove, or both. I prefer the kevlar glove. The mandoline is extremely handy and goes in the dishwasher in this house.
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I was never much into thrift or antique stores, but somehow on a road trip in March 2020 - maybe I needed a display piece for an event I was doing? - I wandered into one and found a vintage glass cake pedestal. By the end of the trip, I had several. Now I have 30+.
I use them occasionally but mostly consider them sculpture. Food-adjacent art.
There’s the thrill of the hunt, a connection to my grandpa who was big into antiques in his retirement, and it’s fairly cheap entertainment when in smaller towns (the Oregon coast was a treasure trove) or crappy weather.
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That strikes a chord. I was flying through Narita and had a longish layover, and bought a makisu at an airport shop because my son had an interest in making sushi rolls (this was about the same time as we were making takoyaki using his sister’s electric cakeball cooker).
We’ve used it maybe 5 times in 5 years.
The makisu was “made in Korea”, by the way.
I have collected several mandoline injuries. They’re scary AF. OTOH, each injury is my own fault. I’m using the pusher thingie and can’t get enough of the tater (whatever) cut, so I go freehand.
Then I’m regretting it.
As a side note, why doesn’t google recognize “mandoline” as a proper spelling?
ETA - Nevermind, I just found out I can “add to dictionary” so it’ll quit flagging it as a misspelling.
Next up - "reminder to self, add “nevermind” to google’s “add to dictionary” so it’ll quit flagging “nevermind” as a bad spelling.
Or isn’t “nevermind” an actual word? Does it have to be two words, or two hyphenated?
Halp Me Speeling Nazis!
“Oh, never mind.” Two words.
“It makes me no nevermind.” One word.
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I also HAD one of those “King Kutter” rotary shredder/slicers (with the cups). No matter what I did, no matter how careful I was… that thing always drew blood from me.
It got donated about a year ago.
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