# Do You Shop at Thrift Stores **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 8, 2024, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-shop-at-thrift-stores/1003847 "2024-07-08T00:30:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2024, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-shop-at-thrift-stores/1003847/81 "2024-07-09T03:15:33Z")
Well, the dress is very cute on her. Probably too short. But she manages. It was obviously not one of their great sellers. We’ve not seen one of the same color way. The style is a simple shift with a cool side zipper to cinch it closer after you get it on. She loves it. She just needs white go-go boots to set it off. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2024, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-shop-at-thrift-stores/1003847/82 "2024-07-09T06:13:40Z")
Very rarely. Most of my clothes shopping is incidental, seeing something I like for a price I like while out for other things, or stocking up when a store is having a significant sale. When I pop into a Goodwill or similar to look for “neat stuff”, I’m almost always disappointed. As I understand it, Goodwill has gotten good at sifting out the treasures to sell online so what’s left on the shelves is generally dross. I suppose I’d stop in if I wanted some kitschy coffee mugs or glassware or some disposable clothing for a costume but I walk out empty too often to make regular trips. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2024, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-shop-at-thrift-stores/1003847/83 "2024-07-09T15:12:04Z")
I don’t shop at thrift stores but we have donated quite a bit to our local Goodwill store lately as my wife is cleaning out her parents’ house. (Kids and grandkids get first dibs. Anything they don’t want gets donated or else tossed in the trash.) ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2024, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-shop-at-thrift-stores/1003847/84 "2024-07-09T15:25:59Z")
I have two siblings and all of our most hated thing growing up was getting taken to Sear’s Surplus store. It was just boring as hell for us, and took up most of an entire Saturday; my parents spent hours going through everything, buying us clothes and other stuff for basically the entire next year. They tried to make up for it by taking us to McDonald’s but we still always hated it. As an adult now I get it, but still it put me off of thrift stores. I do like military surplus stores, but the real ones don’t really exist anymore, most are filled with cheap imported knockoff shit, or have mostly become airsoft stores. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2024, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-shop-at-thrift-stores/1003847/85 "2024-07-09T15:59:10Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > > [@GailForce](#): > > > > I don’t get the aversion to clothing. > > I think for me it just feels quite personal. And it’s hard to completely expunge some sweat smells and stains. This. I have t-shirts that I got new at various events that don’t look so new anymore, especially at the neck. I’ll wear them because of the printing on them & what they represent & if I’m wearing a t-shirt I’m not exactly concerned about being in my finest attire but no way I’d want to buy anything like that. In some cases I’m just wearing them as an extra layer in the morning before it warms up or as a work shirt so I don’t care. Also, I notice the stains because my eyes are only a couple of inches away from the shirt when I pull it out of the closet. Don’t know if others will notice them as random people walking down the street or even friends aren’t that close to me. IOW, my own stains on my clothes - okay; your stains on my clothes- **ick** > [@stui\_magpie](#): > > I rarely buy clothes but I love browsing for stuff. It’s also great to get 2nd hand sporting stuff for my Grandson rather than buying new stuff that he’ll quickly grow out of. Got him a Cricket bat, pads, gloves and helmet, total of about $35 when new stuff would have cost hundreds, pair of almost new roller blades for $10 when the same ones retail for $150 new. There is a franchise called Play It Again Sports that sells new & used sports equipment; great way to pick up some specialty gear for less. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2024, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-shop-at-thrift-stores/1003847/86 "2024-07-09T16:02:19Z")
I can’t speak for the States. But growing up, we were dragged to the occasional flea market. Our town also had a decent military surplus store with reasonable quality items from all over the world. I remember buying a grenade at the military surplus store for three dollars. This was a lot of money to me at the time. My mother was okay with this, and my friends thought it was cool. I can’t help but think these days this would be considered a bigger deal and cause more consternation. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2024, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-shop-at-thrift-stores/1003847/87 "2024-07-09T16:03:34Z")
I get great deals on hats, long sleeve flannel and wool shirts, and expensive cookware at very cheap prices. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2024, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-shop-at-thrift-stores/1003847/88 "2024-07-09T16:06:17Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > There is a franchise called Play It Again Sports that sells new & used sports equipment; great way to pick up some specialty gear for less. There’s one of those by me and they are great but they’re more akin to a vintage clothing store. They don’t take donations and they don’t support a charity. They buy from people and then resell at a higher price ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2024, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-shop-at-thrift-stores/1003847/89 "2024-07-09T16:21:15Z")
I’ve never been in a Thrift Store, but when my daughter was in high school she and a friend wanted to be hippies for Halloween. She asked if they could have some of my old clothes (which kinda freaked me out) but I really didn’t have what they were looking for. I suggested they shop in a local thrift store. I drove them to one, gave them some cash, and waited in my car. Good news and bad news. Good news: they found exactly what they were looking for and their costumes were a huge hit. Bad news: my daughter thought she saw someone she knew as she was exiting the store and she was near tears over it. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2024, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-shop-at-thrift-stores/1003847/90 "2024-07-09T17:08:05Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > remember buying a grenade at the military surplus store for three dollars. Disarmed, I hope? ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2024, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-shop-at-thrift-stores/1003847/91 "2024-07-09T17:30:49Z")
I buy most of my jigsaw puzzles from thrift stores. And donate the finished ones - when I cleaned out my backlog, and donated it to one place, the next time I visited about a third of the puzzles there were from me. One place is good for puzzles, and I donate there. Another is good for books, and I donate my cast off books there. I seldom find good books at thrift stores, but I do sometimes. I only buy shirts if they look decent, not that often. My best score was a block full of knives, including 5 top of the line Henckel knives, for $10. They can be life savers. When our built-in microwave went out, we were able to get a stopgap at a thrift store for $15. It goes back a long way. Almost 40 years ago my wife was writing for the Princeton version of the Chicago Reader. The editor hated the Christmas buying frenzy, so he ran a story she wrote about thrift stores, after she went and bought clothes for our daughters from them. They modeled them on the cover. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2024, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-shop-at-thrift-stores/1003847/92 "2024-07-09T17:41:15Z")
Me too. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2024, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-shop-at-thrift-stores/1003847/93 "2024-07-09T21:27:45Z")
> [@TXRebel](#): > > I bought a stuffed coyote that looked like it was 100 yrs old. I _so_ want this! ---
**Author:** ![fedman1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e495f1/32.png) [@fedman1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fedman1)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2024, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-shop-at-thrift-stores/1003847/94 "2024-07-09T21:41:10Z")
and training/employment ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2024, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-shop-at-thrift-stores/1003847/95 "2024-07-09T21:47:53Z")
I haven’t shopped at typical thrift stores myself. My wife and kids have. It’s unlikely I’ll find clothes I want that fit, and I’m rarely shopping for the normal kind of stuff that are found in these places. I do shop at a Habitat for Humanity outlet where they sell [reclaimed material from high end home remodels](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-gets-reclaimed-from-a-high-end-home-remodel/1003765/5) along with tools, furniture, and random objet d’art. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2024, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-shop-at-thrift-stores/1003847/96 "2024-07-10T14:04:32Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > I remember buying a grenade at the military surplus store for three dollars. > [@thorny\_locust](#): > > Disarmed, I hope? That’s why it was $3, instead of $4.75. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2024, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-shop-at-thrift-stores/1003847/97 "2024-07-10T14:12:14Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > buy most of my jigsaw puzzles from thrift stores. I’ve donated jigsaw puzzles. However I’m never sure if all the pieces are there but I donate them anyway because the box is still in good shape. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2024, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-shop-at-thrift-stores/1003847/98 "2024-07-10T14:13:29Z")
Deflowered is the term. (So, I’ve heard) ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2024, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-shop-at-thrift-stores/1003847/99 "2024-07-10T14:24:50Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > my daughter thought she saw someone she knew as she was exiting the store and she was near tears over it. I’m a bit confused on this. Was she crying becasue she was caught at a thrift store? (the shame! People will talk). Or was she crying for the friend that had to go to the lowly thrift store? (poor girl!) ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2024, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-shop-at-thrift-stores/1003847/100 "2024-07-10T14:27:02Z")
The friend was going to a different store in the same plaza. She was embarrassed by being seen going into/leaving a thrift store. She was young and has matured since. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-shop-at-thrift-stores/1003847.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-shop-at-thrift-stores/1003847.md?page=6)