# Shopping at thrift stores **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 2, 2002, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shopping-at-thrift-stores/126642 "2002-09-02T05:02:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Intaglio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/71e660/32.png) [@Intaglio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intaglio)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2002, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shopping-at-thrift-stores/126642/21 "2002-09-03T02:13:47Z")
Bodypoet, I am not from Indiana, originally Illinois, but I now live in Delaware, previously Florida. I learned about “Once Upon A Child” in FL. I want to get rid of the outgrown girl’s clothes not the baby clothes, cause I can use for future baby’s. There’s just so much of Lindsay’s outgrown clothes around, I just want be free, have more space. The girls at “OUAC” weren’t taking the clothes cause of the style or fading, I’m like I brought these clothes not so long ago from you, so I still have them. ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2002, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shopping-at-thrift-stores/126642/22 "2002-09-03T03:01:16Z")
Yet another person to say your friends have it wrong. Unless there is a true shortage of thrift store items (this I doubt) you are not doing anything wrong. Thrift stores aren’t some sort of entitlement for the poor, and no one has to pass a means test to shop there. The NYT recently reported that the recently booming economy and cheap retail prices meant that many people bought huge wardrobes, and donation centers are absolutely overloaded with clothing. Much of it is being sent oversears. And bravo for being part of the reduce-reuse-recycle movement! ---
**Author:** ![Intaglio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/71e660/32.png) [@Intaglio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intaglio)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2002, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shopping-at-thrift-stores/126642/23 "2002-09-03T03:28:32Z")
Rostfrei, don’t feel bad about being clothes or stuff from thrift-stores, who cares. Be careful, and scrutizing before you buy. You have to do that when you go to a retail store, no difference. ---
**Author:** ![Turbo\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@Turbo\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turbo_Dog)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2002, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shopping-at-thrift-stores/126642/24 "2002-09-03T03:38:39Z")
Thrift stores are awesome. We live in what I refer to as the Beverly Hills of St. Louis. In the locals stores here I have found $800 suits for $20. I used to feel guilty going to them until I learned a long time ago what **fatdave** mentioned. I just wish more stuff was close to my size so it could be tailored for me. The friends who berate you for shopping at thrift stores are pretentious morons. Shop away and feel good about yourself. While you do, ask your friends how much they have contributed to the plight of the people with “less than you have”. ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2002, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shopping-at-thrift-stores/126642/25 "2002-09-03T06:05:47Z")
I agree with Poodle and Cranky, with the appaling rate Americans buy and discard stuff, it’s hardly likely there will be a shortage. Just tell your friends if they really feel it’s necessary to keep those Phillipino kids chained to the sewing machines (and let’s not talk about the enviormental damage) rather than shop second hand, you certainly won’t try to make them feel guilty… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2002, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shopping-at-thrift-stores/126642/26 "2002-09-03T16:16:55Z")
It costs more to dry clean a suit then we sell a suit for. So guess what? I just buy a new suit in our thrift store 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![EchoKitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@EchoKitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EchoKitty)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2002, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shopping-at-thrift-stores/126642/27 "2002-09-03T18:36:49Z")
My favorite thrift store gives the proceeds to the women’s shelter. The women at the shelter also shop there when they’re ready to go it alone. I give them my career clothes and I normally will only buy non-clothing items, but it’s a nice give-and-take relationship. ---
**Author:** ![MissTake](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misstake/32/3189_2.png) [@MissTake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissTake)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2002, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shopping-at-thrift-stores/126642/28 "2002-09-03T18:55:17Z")
The two I shop at most often fund programs for disabled people in my county. I love 'em. LilMiss scores better then I do. New Old Navy jeans, with the tags attached, for $3.97. Newish Levi’s? $2.97. I would say at least 80% of her wardrobe is from the used stores and garage sales. Because I am not of “average” size, the pickin’s can be pretty slim. I would say about 50% of my clothes are from the used stores and garage sales. But then again, most of my clothes are also 3-4 years old. Twice a year we go through our belongings and everything to a shelter nearby. What they do not want/use, they send it to thrift stores. ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shopping-at-thrift-stores/126642/29 "2002-09-04T06:36:01Z")
I love, love, love thrift stores, flea markets, garage sales, anything of the sort. My most recent buy: a gorgeous tea length chiffon dress to wear to a formal evening wedding, $9.06 with tax. My first apartment was furnished with Goodwill and garage sale items, and a lot of them were in better shape than the stuff Grandma drug down from the attic for me. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shopping-at-thrift-stores/126642/30 "2002-09-04T21:41:33Z")
Update: while browsing yesterday I looked for more expensive items. Such as a $300 pinball machine. Then I saw the Big One: a $2300 antique silver grooming kit. **rostfrei** , ask you “friends” if they know any poor people in the market for $2300 antique silver grooming kits and I can tell them where they can buy one. That’s for poor people only, isn’t it? _Not_ buying from thrift stores hurts the associated charities. They are retailers. They need sales. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shopping-at-thrift-stores/126642/31 "2002-09-04T22:19:08Z")
ftg, yep…right now our most expensive item is a pair of pictures of the Washingtons, they are $600 per pair. Some thrift shops sell cars. We made $2,200 from cars this year althought I didn’t see one. They are sent to SJ where someone sells these things. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shopping-at-thrift-stores/126642.md?page=1)