Oh, Oh Oh, (hand waving in air) if you find a very old tomato type pincushion at a thrift store, buy it. Open it up and you will be amazed at the amount of needles you will find inside. And the older the pincushion the better quality steel needles you will find.
Cherish this from your grandmother. I have a few handmade items my grandmother made and they mean so much to me. I'm leaving several small handmade items for my grandkids like pin cushions, small pillows and tussymussies.