Author |
Message |
Starshine40
| Sunday, January 25, 2004 - 3:19 am
I just found this particular area and it was interesting to see this discussion. I have shopped in thrift stores since I was a kid (about 50 years now!) and have bought all kinds of things. Mostly for myself, including clothing and household items. I love to shop there but don't get to go as often as I would like. The closest thrift store to me is the Salvation Army which is where I usually get to go. The prices at the store here are very reasonable. The last work I did was having a space in an Antique Mall a few years back for 5 1/2 years so I did learn a bit about the business and have sold some items on eBay. Some were items I owned personally and some I had purchased for resale. About 4-5 months ago I found a very small oil painting signed with the artist's name and also the title on the back of the frame. I researched it on the internet (artist's name) and eventually found a dealer who specialized in South-Western artists. I sent him an email with a scan of both the front and back of the painting and he said it should sell for $200-400! I paid less than $1 for it! He only has one big auction a year, in October, and I'm supposed to send it to him after the first of the year, which I plan to do this coming week.... So keep your eyes open, for yourself or for resale, you never know what you might find!
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Slothkitten
| Sunday, January 25, 2004 - 6:27 am
Starshine, what a great buy. For a buck!
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Urgrace
Member
08-19-2000
| Thursday, February 12, 2004 - 10:55 pm
Struck gold this week - I found a solid wood headboard in excellent condition for $15 at the Second Time Around. Also found out about a resale shop of designer threads, a majority of the items with the original price tags still on them and never worn. It's called Baubles and Beads. I'll be heading over there as soon as I can!
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Admin
Board Administrator
07-07-2000
| Friday, February 13, 2004 - 6:43 am
As a kid I grew up in these places. Then as a teen, I hated them and wanted everything new. Now, as an adult, I like them again! I recently got a decent radio to use while painting, $4.99. Steel auto apple peeler, MINT -> $4.99 Kids hardpage books -> .75c each Denim jacket with Molson Canadian embroidered logo, mint! ->$15.00 Now if only I could find a nice fast computer for $50...
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Urgrace
Member
08-19-2000
| Friday, February 13, 2004 - 9:21 am
Admin, I have a bowling buddy who just got a notebook laptop for $50! She found it in a pawn shop for $75, took it home, it wouldn't work well - very slow - so she took it back. The pawn shop said they would fix it. Turns out the harddrive was full. They downloaded it and lowered the price to $50. She said it works like new - lucky stiff!
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Starshine40
Member
07-30-2002
| Tuesday, February 24, 2004 - 7:49 pm
Hi all, haven't been doing much shopping at the thrift store lately but the few times I've gone I usually always come home with a little something. I bought a beautiful large landscape oil painting recently. Problem is I don't have many real big walls to hang things on.....
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Starshine40
Member
07-30-2002
| Friday, February 27, 2004 - 2:09 am
I took my mom and one grandaughter to one thrift store today, plus grocery shopping for them and a discount store. Then after I took them home I stopped by my fav thrift store on my way home. There was a big sign up outside, "all clothes $1.00" so I browsed thru the clothes and found an Old Navy raincoat (navy blue) size med. for $1 (original price tag was in the pocket $38.) it might have been worn once or twice but seemed totally new. I also found a new pair of clam digger style pants in teal with the original tags on them. They had sold at a discount outlet (for $5, tag said damaged but I didn't find any)and I got them also for only $1. If I had known about the sale ahead of time I would have taken mom and my grandaughter to that store!
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Friday, February 27, 2004 - 3:49 pm
Good work, Starshine! I thought I pulled off a good one yesterday, but it is not turning out so well. I got it into my head that I wanted a light colored lightweight jacket for an upcoming trip, so I cruised a couple thrift stores yesterday. Just like a message from heaven, there was a jacket that was almost perfect. Even more perfect was it was half price because it needed washing. So I brought it home and washed it, and the dirt is not coming off. I believe we are now on washing cycle number four, including a trip to a laundromat to use a top loader in case my front loader is not doing a good enough job. LOL. Oh well ...
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Starshine40
Member
07-30-2002
| Friday, February 27, 2004 - 3:53 pm
Sorry about the jacket. Sometimes something like that just does not come clean. Maybe it's something about the type of fabric?
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Tabbyking
Member
03-11-2002
| Friday, February 27, 2004 - 5:14 pm
do these stores have regular hours? (our thrift store in town is open on thursdays from 10 to 3! the crap is just piled all helter skelter all over the tiny store and i can't buy anything here because our town is so small and so isolated from other towns, i would be wearing something someone recognizes as their own!) i want to go to the one in salinas when i have to go south to pick up my son to take him to san jose for a new cast. but i will be passing by about 9:30 a.m...
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Deesandy
Member
08-12-2003
| Saturday, February 28, 2004 - 7:21 pm
Today I bought at our local thrift store: One child's Arizona fleece coat. One child's blue jean dress. One white shirt. 6 small toys, including a favorite...Hello Kitty! All for four dollars! 
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Starshine40
Member
07-30-2002
| Saturday, February 28, 2004 - 10:38 pm
I took my mom and grandaughter to the Salvation Army Thrift Store today (my fav one). When we got there a big sign was up outside again, "Clothing $1." I found another raincoat. More like a trench coat. The label is "Aquascutum Ltd of London, England", also stores in New York and Montreal. By appointment to H.M. Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. Makers of weatherproof garments. This one is a bit big on me, a little long and bigger around than needed but comfy. Sleeves are too long also but I'll just roll them up inside or shorten them. The raincoat I got the other day from Old Navy was too small to button and my grandaughter was wanting a coat similar to the one I got today so I showed her the Old Navy one and she loved it. So I gave it to her! I also got one other jacket today and about 4 small misc. items, Mandy got about 6 clothing items and mom a couple. For $1 each you can't really go wrong! Our store is open M-F 8-6 and Sat 8-5. Good hunting everyone.
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Starshine40
Member
07-30-2002
| Sunday, March 14, 2004 - 12:04 pm
Any good finds lately????
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Missy2
Member
07-31-2001
| Sunday, March 14, 2004 - 3:16 pm
I'm waiting for the "summer" clothes to come out. But I go every Thursday in hopes of finding something good - 
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Maris
Member
03-28-2002
| Sunday, March 14, 2004 - 3:33 pm
Too bad I am not a size two or seven shoe or I would have made a killing at the sex and the city wardrobe sale.
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Bobbie_552001
Member
03-26-2003
| Sunday, March 14, 2004 - 5:35 pm
I have a particular brand of clothing that I love!! Its way too expensive for me to purchase in my local boutique so I plugged it into ebay and quess what...an entire wardrobe for less than I would pay for one piece. And most of it...was new with tags.
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Christy358
Member
07-31-2002
| Monday, March 15, 2004 - 9:49 am
Bobbie_ why do you think they could sell it on ebay for so much less than cost? Maybe thier cost was zero? just thinking
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Bobbie_552001
Member
03-26-2003
| Monday, March 15, 2004 - 12:15 pm
It really does make you wonder doesn't Christy? Although I've gotten items from several different sellers. If I end up in jail...would everyone come to visit me?? I will be the best dressed inmate!! 
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Christy358
Member
07-31-2002
| Tuesday, March 16, 2004 - 12:48 am
I work retail. I know how much is stolen. Not just from the store, but from the links from the place that makes it to the place that sells it. Would not sleep at night knowing I had stolen goods.
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Starshine40
Member
07-30-2002
| Sunday, April 18, 2004 - 11:30 am
Anyone had any good finds lately? For some reason I keep buying oil paintings and a couple of acrylic paintings by a local artist...all at real reasonable prices from the Salvation Army.
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Starshine40
Member
07-30-2002
| Friday, May 21, 2004 - 7:52 pm
Hi all, no good deals lately? I've bought a few more paintings....one is a water color, hunting scene, signed. I'm 99% sure it's an original (LOL), and if so it should be worth $2,000 or so. I need to contact a dealer in the Chicago area who can verify that it is an original and handle the sale for me...so wish me luck. 
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Friday, May 21, 2004 - 9:20 pm
Cool, Starshine! Hope it is an original.
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Sunday, May 30, 2004 - 10:37 am
So I went to the post office the other day, the one downtown, and I have to park at a meter and walk a half block. Well, in that half block is one of those specific charity thrift shops. Oh, like Alzheimers Society or something like that. I had been in there once a few years ago. They were having a 50% off everything sale, and prices were pretty cheap to begin with. Oh dear. Let's see, I got a designer embroidered denim jumper for $2.50, a white turtleneck from a resort shop for $2, and a new pair of leather slippers/loafers for Bigdog for $2. Then as I was trying to get out the door, I noticed the household items section, and I bought four stainless steel serving dishes for a total of $2.75! I made it out the door on the second try. Note to self: Park on the other block next time.
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Sunday, May 30, 2004 - 10:42 am
Oh, and here is something cute I got in e-mail this morning: Remember that cleaning out your closets at least once a year and giving your former treasures to Goodwill (or charity of your choice) is a great way to give back to your community and help those who are less fortunate. Many people only think of doing this when the weather gets cold and pass along the sweaters and coats they haven't worn for a while. But there's a tremendous need for summer weather attire as well. So look through your closets and see if you don't have something that doesn't fit or might be a little out of fashion. Those things will probably fit someone else and could be the height of fashion for them. Plus...it's tax deductible! With that in mind, I send along this heartwarming photo to inspire you and remind you that your efforts won't go unnoticed.

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Rupertbear
Member
09-19-2003
| Sunday, May 30, 2004 - 10:49 am
I love to hear about someone getting a great bargain or two like that Juju. Funny, when I was a kid my Mum used to go to those thrift shops. I eschewed them like the plague, thinking...'how embarrassing she goes in there'. Now, they are almost 'de riguer'...lol! But since the increase in popularity, it's become increasingly more difficult to find worthwhile things to purchase at theses places. In England, the churches often used to hold 'rummage' or 'white elephant' sales, they call them here, on Saturday afternoons in the parish halls. They were called 'jumble sales' over there.
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