Notes of a Thrift Shop Hound

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

I have contributed to the woes of traditional retail by becoming a dedicated thrift-yard-garage-estate-rummage sale hound. Been doing it steadily for the last 12-13 years, wish I'd been doing for the last 40 or so. It is very much a hit or miss proposition, when I hit, I hit gold. An unworn pair of L.L. Bean 6" lace up rubber bottom boots-$10. Italian, French, Spanish-Brazilian-even U.S. made shoes-the most I paid was $25 for an Italian made pair. Found a pair of Allen Edmonds loafers in the box with papers. They retail for $190-I paid $10.
A London Fog overcoat with liner for a friend-$15. And on and on and on...
My church has an Angel Tree with requests from the county "social services" agency. I took the one for a tricycle for a 3 year old boy. $15 at the Trenton Bike Exchange.

 

[Watchdog]

I have contributed to the woes of traditional retail by becoming a dedicated thrift-yard-garage-estate-rummage sale hound. Been doing it steadily for the last 12-13 years, wish I'd been doing for the last 40 or so. It is very much a hit or miss proposition, when I hit, I hit gold.

My church has an Angel Tree with requests from the county "social services" agency. I took the one for a tricycle for a 3 year old boy. $15 at the Trenton Bike Exchange.

That will be a happy little boy come Christmas morning! Bravo! Good for you!

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

By the time I got to the Giving Tree at church, every item left had an estimated cost of $80 or more. Sorry I couldn't help them this year.

Ivan

 

[Onomea]

My favorite thrift-shop find is a cashmere sport coat. $9, if memory serves. Canadian, I think it is. Nice quality and in excellent condition, too.

 

[Marshwheeling]

I get most of my shirts at thrift shops. I have a very nice Hugo Boss overcoat that went for $10, and a Wintergreen shell and liner for $20.

But Conchita has brought home a lot of junk over the years, and most of it clutters my house. Thrift shops can be trouble if there is someone with a hoarder’s instincts in the family.

 

[BC38]

LOL, I'm right now wearing one of two pairs of like new LL Bean jeans I picked up at the local thrift shop for $5 apiece. I've been a thrift-shop, yard-sale, estate-sale junkie for 35 years (or more).

 

[Skeet 028]

Oh yeah. Been doing this same stuff for over 50 years...Auctions too.My wife shops the thrift shops..comes out with brand new stuff with the retail tags on 'em. Good stuff too..not junk. I'm really lucky and when she gets new stuff...the older stuff she has gets donated to the same thrift shops...or given to homeless shelters etc. We recently gave 3 beds we replaced to a homeless shelter for women. Saves me lots of money when my wife goes clothes shopping. Went to a yard sale not too long ago and got a few things. 4 Griswold cast iron skillets for 10 bucks..and a brand new Lodge cast iron Dutch oven with lid for the grand sum of 8 dollars. They had a 35 or so gun safe there I could have bought for 50 bucks...but they didn't know the combo...but it was open. I called a friend and he told me to buy it and he would be there in 15 minutes. Came in his pickup and the people at the yard sale helped us load it up... It was a Cannon safe. He sent the company the serial and receipt(and we got a sales receipt from the people). Canno sent him the combination....so sometimes you can make out pretty well. Also another place with some great deals is some Pawn Shops. Took my daughter in to a few in Billings. On the way home she said to me...with the prices on so may of the things they had....why would any body go to a store and buy new stuff...especially tools. She is a horse person/farrier and bought two saddles at two different PSs . She knows her stuff on that kinda junk and got them really cheap. under 250 bucks for both..sold one for 700 dollars....but as I said she knows the horse stuff really well

 

[wood714]

My folks are yard sale and auction junkies.

Few years back at a yard sale, a guy had a coffee can full of junk for one dollar. When my dad got it home and dumped it out there was a $10 gold coin in the bottom.

Couple years ago at an auction, they had boxes set up for $5.00. You could look at the box, but not dig thru it. There was a shelf on top she wanted so she got it. Took it home and in the bottom of the box she found this.

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

Last year a lady in my church took the gift request for a Peppa Pig playset-she found it costs $90.00 ! This year we put a $25 limit on toy requests.

 

[Bajadoc]

I have a very nice complete set of vintage cast iron cookware that I use everyday. Every piece I got at thrift shops, swap meats, garage sales and even trash cans. Some pieces are over a hundred years old. I don't think I paid more than five bucks for any one piece. It's easy and fun to restore even the most rusted and crusty piece.

 

[bigolddave]

I went to an estate sale ( the couple hadn't passed, but were going to a rest home). We were friends with the couple from church. Among the items for sale was a like new pair of Gokey boots, for 5 dollars. I knew they had sold for over two hundred dollars about ten years before. I knew the price, because I had given them to him when I couldn't wear them because they were too narrow for my Donald Duck feet. Somebody got a heck of a deal!