Teen Girl Squad!
I like thrift stores. My ex used to work at Value Village, and he got a 50% discount. He used to buy and re-sell a huge quantity of stuff on Ebay. I got some gorgeous stuff there.
As soon as we move into a bigger place, I’m hitting all the junk and thrift stores around here for more furniture. It’s also good to check roadsides on garbage night, when you’re out for a pleasant evening stroll. Free is the best price!
I might have missed someone referring to this already but as I was pulling into my driveway last night, an ad came on the radio. It was a conversation between two women. The first was talking about her new designer outfit, bought at a fancy, upscale boutique. The second stated that she had just bought the same outfit at Goodwill. Cue incredulous reaction (Oh, no, that isn’t possible, this is a DESIGNER outfit), followed by conversion to Goodwill shopping practices. Looks like the movement is already catching on 
I regularly hit the Salvation Army in Chelsea on 8th Ave. The prices can be kinda steep, but I always leave with something.
One thing that sucks about New Jersey is that there are no Value Villages. When I lived in Atlanta, there were three within a fifteen mile radius of me.
It’s fun talking about thrift store shopping to people who find such places below them.
I’ll have to check out the B’lair Road one more carefully. Now that I’m in a more normal size, I should be able to find stuff. I usually just scout out the books. Thanks.
Petoskey, and yes.
Ah, while I do love a good thrift store, the jillelope has got me started on something far, far more wonderful:
Estate sales.
Oh, lord, they’re incredible. It’s not like a yard sale; a yard (or garage) sale is people selling stuff they don’t want anymore; in other words, it’s basically trash. An estate sale, though, is when someone has passed away and the heirs have got whatever they want, and now they just want to empty the house so they can sell it.
In other words, it’s stuff that works and gets used. I’ve bought great big TVs for $25, dishes, even a $900 suit I got for $3. Yes, three dollars. If you’re into vinyl record albums, the Big Stack O’ Records is a staple at estate sales. Furniture! Tools! Fancy china/crystal/silver! PILES of clothes! And cameras; I’m a camera junkie, and I’ve gotten great old cameras for as little as ONE DOLLAR.
Granted, it helps if your taste runs a bit to the retro, as mine does, but you can find some truly astonishing bargains at estate sales. And I have to admit that I was briefly creeped out by pawing through a dead person’s stuff, but really you’re doing everyone a favor by helping them get rid of the stuff, which otherwise would be carted off to… well, I guess to thrift stores, but I’m not sure.
Anyway, look in your local paper, and there will be a listing in the weekend classifieds for estate sales. They usually run Saturday and Sunday; Sunday afternoon, everything that’s left will usually be at least half off of the already basement prices.
Enjoy!
I love estate sales.
I snagged my most favoritest set of four coffee mugs for a whooping $1.
Everyone who uses them loves the heft and style of them.
Me happy.
Just thought I would share.
I’ve been a thrift shop queen for years. When I went to NYC way back in 1987, one place I had to visit was the legendary Screaming Mimi’s (wonder if it’s still around) in Soho. I still have the coat I bought there - a man’s wool overcoat. Cost? Ten dollars.
There’s a Goodwill not too far from my house and a lot of my work clothes come from there. I have to dress “business casual” and would spend a fortune going to the mall. I love walking out with a Hefty bag full of clothes for $15-20. As long as you inspect everything carefully for flaws/stains, you’ll do fine.
I buy coats like crazy at thrift stores.
Just got a new long velvet coat with a faux fur collar for $15. It needed new buttons and a few seams stitched. Oh no!
I’m going back there on Friday to buy my sister a horrible green leather trench coat for $20.
Folks, if you want a leather coat, go to a good thrift store and buy some leather cleaner. It’s all good.
Holy Shirt Shopping, Batman!
I went to the Goodwill after work today and found five nice short-sleeve shirts (just what I really need!), and only spent $17!
I recently lost a lost of weight, and I’ve gotten some new pants, but just haven’t found any shirts I like. I have some sweaters, but it’s getting warmer out, and I hate being too hot, so I really needed some cooler shirts for work.
I’m just amazed! $17 freaking dollars! Five shirts!
Which one, and did they have a maternity section? The one near here used to, but they’re STUPID and the mat clothes are all mixed in with everything else.
taking notes
Estate sales- check
Buy leather at thrift stores-check
Consignment shops- check
It is better to give money to a corporation that drives its suppliers to close American factories and exploit underpaid third-world labor forced to work in unsafe and unhealthful conditions and cheats its own employees out of overtime pay and pays women less than men to do the same job, among other abusive labor practices, than to give money to a faith-based organization that helps feed and shelter the homeless, help provide job training for disenfranchised workers, among other charitable works because they might tell the people they’re helping that Jesus loves them. che… huh?
I went to the one on Belair Road (in Perry Hall), and I didn’t notice if there was a separate maternity section, but I did notice a bunch of maternity stuff in the Plus-size section. Maybe they just put it all in there.
I am happy to report I didn’t buy anything from the plus-size section; all the shirts I got were from the regular-people section.
Ginger, if you have some kid’s consignment shops near you, you could look there for maternity clothes. They won’t be as cheap as a thrift store, but they’ll be much less than brand-new.
If you feel like trekking out to Cockeysville, there’s a place on York Road (a little south of Valley View Farms, west side of the road) called Tried But True that used to carry a nice selection of maternity clothes.