Your Thrift Store Is Your Friend!

I know that some of you have told me you don't have any thrift stores where you live. And some of you have told me you don't have any GOOD thrift stores where you live. Well, I've been envious of other bloggers too--like Dear Daisy Cottage! And apparently it's not even enough that she should live somewhere that has all the VERY BEST thrift stores--I also have to share a NAME with her! Anyway, the link will take you to her thrifting posts, so go ahead and drool. I was reading a magazine the other day--and it might have been that Flea Market Style one--and who should show up but Kim and her Dear Daisy Cottage! If you take a peek at the sidebar of her blog, you'll see she's been in tons of magazines. I'm still waiting for the first one to call me.

Anyway, if you're lucky enough to live in a city large enough to support a couple thrift stores, visit them. And if you don't live in a large-ish city? Visit a large-ish city every so often and make sure you visit at least two or three thrift stores while you're there.

See, here's the thing. I bet most of you know when you're looking for something whether you're likely to find it at Macy's or Home Depot, right? Thrift stores are the same--each thrift store has its own personality, and two stores--even two of the same stores, like Goodwill--can be as different as Macy's and WalMart--and you just have to know what to look for in each store.

Goodwill happens to be my favorite, and the Goodwill stores in our region tend to price similar items the same--the people who price things attend seminars and many of them know what's collectible and what's not. But because I visit several stores, I know which ones tend to price items a little lower and which tend to price a little higher when pricing is semi-discretionary. I also know that one of the Goodwill stores near my office tends to have more textiles and linens that will appeal to me, while a Goodwill store closer to home has a better selection of wool blazers and nicer "office wear." I also know which stores are more likely to have quilting and crafting books. And because items donated at each location usually STAY at that location for sale, I can usually guess a little about each store based on the neighborhoods where they're located. Interesting, huh?

I like Goodwill stores because they have a good variety of everything from junk to true collectibles, but there are other thrift stores that only seem to carry clothing. Or stores that don't carry any miscellaneous sporting equipment or "guy stuff." And then there are stores where everything is neatly arranged and easy to browse--which can be kind of nice, but I've found I enjoy digging through the mountains of "trash" at Goodwill to find things no one else has noticed. Somehow that kind of hunt also fires up my creative imagination.

So get to know your local stores and shop often--I bet you'll be surprised at how much you're able to find! And develop your own opinion of a store--don't take your friend's word for it. For instance, stores where I never seem to find anything are sometimes the same ones friends rave about. Remember, tastes are different, and that applies to thrift stores too.

Enough of that though--I hope this advice is helpful to some of you, but I suspect others just want to know who won THIS book, right?

Drum roll, please! The winner is Marilyn, who said: "I was at my GW yesterday and didn't find anything good. You are such a great shopper! I would love to win the book (love cats and love quilts, so it's a winning combination)." Congrats, Marilyn! Please email me your mailing address and I'll get the book out to you this week.

Thrift on, Sisters!