# What's your greatest Thrift Store find? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 22, 2013, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-greatest-thrift-store-find/674522 "2013-11-22T15:14:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Soylent\_Juicy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@Soylent\_Juicy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soylent_Juicy)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-greatest-thrift-store-find/674522/1 "2013-11-22T15:14:18Z")
I just bought a Lululemon hoodie for $25 at Value Village. It looks brand new. I also got one that looks slightly worn (not scruffy, just washed many times) a couple months ago there for $35. They retail for $125. Years ago I found a pair of old-school white rollerskates at Value Village for $7.99 and they fit me perfectly. What are the thrift store buys that you’re most proud of? ---
**Author:** ![TheFaerie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c57346/32.png) [@TheFaerie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheFaerie)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-greatest-thrift-store-find/674522/2 "2013-11-22T15:16:42Z")
A 1lb bag of lavender flowers for $4.00. That’s a lot of lavender! ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-greatest-thrift-store-find/674522/3 "2013-11-22T15:51:51Z")
I have at least three pairs of New Balance tennis shoes that came from a thrift store with very little wear on them. I don’t think I paid more than $7.00 for any of them. ---
**Author:** ![corvidae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@corvidae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corvidae)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-greatest-thrift-store-find/674522/4 "2013-11-22T15:58:07Z")
I bought a pair of earring from ValVil for a dollar that my friend is positive are real gold (she’s a jewelry buff). I’ve bought jean for 5$ that had 20$ in the pocket. I’m sure I’ll think of more - I do a ton of thrift shopping. ---
**Author:** ![ZPG\_Zealot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e47c2d/32.png) [@ZPG\_Zealot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZPG_Zealot)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-greatest-thrift-store-find/674522/5 "2013-11-22T16:05:17Z")
LL Bean wrinkle resistant shirt looked like new for 50 cents during one thrift shops grand clearance time. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-greatest-thrift-store-find/674522/6 "2013-11-22T16:07:55Z")
A $5 cashmere sweater. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-greatest-thrift-store-find/674522/7 "2013-11-22T16:14:45Z")
A brand new (or at least had no signs of wear) down winter coat from [Brooklyn Industries](http://www.brooklynindustries.com/women-outerwear/fjord-fitted-down-coat-?&&productOptionIDs=74917241-0df3-4534-8bb9-411ea8fc623f) for $20. Retails for over $200 and it fits _perfectly_. ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-greatest-thrift-store-find/674522/8 "2013-11-22T16:21:00Z")
> [@corvidae](#): > > I bought a pair of earring from ValVil for a dollar that my friend is positive are real gold (she’s a jewelry buff). I’ve bought jean for 5$ that had 20$ in the pocket. I’m sure I’ll think of more - I do a ton of thrift shopping. I can’t believe the employees that put the clothes out don’t check the pockets. I know I would. ---
**Author:** ![AdmiralQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@AdmiralQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AdmiralQ)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-greatest-thrift-store-find/674522/9 "2013-11-22T16:52:27Z")
I dropped off an unworn, but without tags, Burberry dress shirt at Goodwill last year. Someone got a $250 shirt for cheap. I wonder if they priced it appropriately or just put whatever price dress shirts go for on it. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-greatest-thrift-store-find/674522/10 "2013-11-22T17:03:09Z")
Matching Gore-Tex pants and jacket for $5. [World of Disney full set with box](http://www.ebay.com/bhp/walt-disney-books-1965) 50 cents. ---
**Author:** ![Soylent\_Juicy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@Soylent\_Juicy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soylent_Juicy)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-greatest-thrift-store-find/674522/11 "2013-11-22T17:15:06Z")
**runner pat** : I’ve scored a ton of running gear at thrift stores. A long-sleeved hooded Under Armour shirt, my favourite Adidas capri tights, and some tech shirts from the Oasis Zoo Run that I did (there is no date on the shirts so I’m fine with wearing them.) One of my best finds was a long-sleeved Sugoi tech shirt that has Ed Hardy-like art down the sleeves. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-greatest-thrift-store-find/674522/12 "2013-11-22T17:15:29Z")
I once got a 3rd edition Return of the King (US edition) for $2. ---
**Author:** ![Tess\_Trueheart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@Tess\_Trueheart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tess_Trueheart)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-greatest-thrift-store-find/674522/13 "2013-11-22T17:19:32Z")
A lot of decent quality clothes to start to build my professional wardrobe: [Calvin Klein](http://www.calvinklein.com/shop/en/ck/womens-suits/14639013?Color=BLACK)-level pants, tops, jackets, blazers and pencil skirts for $1-$5 in great shape. Bless the thrift stores in my grandparents’ small town: there are some stylish size 8 people there who take care of their things and then I get em! ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-greatest-thrift-store-find/674522/14 "2013-11-22T17:23:09Z")
> [@Soylent\_Juicy](#): > > **runner pat** : I’ve scored a ton of running gear at thrift stores. A long-sleeved hooded Under Armour shirt, my favourite Adidas capri tights, and some tech shirts from the Oasis Zoo Run that I did (there is no date on the shirts so I’m fine with wearing them.) One of my best finds was a long-sleeved Sugoi tech shirt that has Ed Hardy-like art down the sleeves. I picked up a few like that also. The suit I found wasn’t actually for running, it was more like what a construction worker/lineman might wear. Just perfect for my job at the time. ---
**Author:** ![Becky2844](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Becky2844](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Becky2844)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-greatest-thrift-store-find/674522/15 "2013-11-22T17:37:24Z")
I really like Sag Harbor from JCPen-a. I swear there’s a woman who’s losing weight faster than I am who keeps donating items to one of the thrift stores we hit, and I keep buying them. ---
**Author:** ![corvidae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@corvidae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corvidae)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-greatest-thrift-store-find/674522/16 "2013-11-22T17:38:08Z")
> [@Accidental\_Martyr](#): > > I can’t believe the employees that put the clothes out don’t check the pockets. I know I would. You know something funny, it’s not the only time I’ve found cash in a thrift store purchase. I once bought a book that had a dollar bill in it - the cool thing was that this was years after Canadian one dollar bills were taken out of circulation. ---
**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:** [November 22, 2013, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-greatest-thrift-store-find/674522/17 "2013-11-22T17:58:45Z")
I am currently wearing a nice warm Columbia fleece jacket, picked up for $4.00 at a thrift store. TheKid has a thing for collegiate hooded sweatshirts, the heavy ones that usually retail over $50.00 - she never pays more than $7.00 for them. Then there’s the Le Creuset dutch oven that I bought for $6.00 at Value Village… ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-greatest-thrift-store-find/674522/18 "2013-11-22T18:04:42Z")
A 9" Lodge cast-iron skillet for $3. It was rusty and disgusting, but I took it home, stripped it, reseasoned it, and it looked like new. It’s still one of my most-used pans, 12 years later. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-greatest-thrift-store-find/674522/19 "2013-11-22T18:06:05Z")
Technically, this wasn’t me, but it’s still a great find. My mother found an enamel pin similar (but not identical) to a lot of them [here](https://www.google.com/search?q=enamel+penguin+pin&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=TJyPUvXZB4jUrQH174DAAQ&ved=0CEYQsAQ&biw=1077&bih=902) at a St. Vincent’s. She knows I like penguins and it was 25 cents, so she bought it for me. I pinned it on one of my winter coats, and I swear to God, I get compliments on it at least once a month, sometimes more. It’s this silly little penguin pin that cost next to nothing, but for some reason it catches people’s eyes and they like it. Definitely a good find. ---
**Author:** ![Sudden\_Kestrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Sudden\_Kestrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sudden_Kestrel)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-greatest-thrift-store-find/674522/20 "2013-11-22T18:09:31Z")
I paid $10 for a standard-issue US Army winter coat with liner at Unique NE in Minneapolis. (That’s a great place to look for old military clothes and boots, BTW.) I wore that coat for at least 5 winters and it still looks as good as the day it was issued. I wore a similarly durable US Navy pea coat for most of the 1970s that I got at the Free Store on the West Bank in Minneapolis. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-greatest-thrift-store-find/674522.md?page=2)