Badass Thrift Store Shopping

[Cranky]

I bought a new spring coat at Goodwill this week, to replace my truly ancient “barn coat” (so ancient that it was actually called a “barn coat”.) It’s a purple Eddie Bauer waterproof coat with a button in liner and it seems to have retailed for around $150. I paid $14.99, as I did not try to wait for half price day. ;-)

I’m saving the barn coat for doing messy stuff outside, but the new coat is certainly more presentable. Also it’s good to have a working zipper again!

[iris lily]

I bought an entire outfit at Goodwill last week: a jacket, pants, shoes for a conference I will attend next week.

I seldom if ever buy shoes at the thrift stores, but there  were two pairs of slip on Easy Spirit  shoes that I’m now finding are great! One pair was dirty with sand in them, and the store clerk turned up her nose and said” oh these need washed!”  I assured her they were going to be gardening shoes so it didn’t matter how dirty they started out. The other pair was barely worn.

[JAYSLOL]

Finally went to some garage sales on Saturday, had a few interesting wins. 

Found a Ladies mountain bike in decent shape except a brake handle was snapped off and they only wanted $5, well I found a brake handle for a bike laying in the grass on a site I work and saved it a couple weeks ago, so I installed it, works fine and I’m going to list the bike up for $150 and see what happens. 

Also found a 240v garage heater for $10, seemed like a deal so I got it.  I googled it later in the day to see what they go for new ($99.99), but more googling and turns out there’s a recall on that exact model because they can overheat, but the store that sold it takes them back no proof of purchase, so I got a $99.99 gift card for returning it to the store.

Also got a decent Husqvarna line trimmer for $20, the guy said he couldn’t get it to run, it only took me 2 min to get it running again when I got it back to my shop

Badass indeed!

So, I decided since 240v heaters from that specific brand are probably an item that would be easy to search for, I had a look at Facebook Marketplace listings and found someone selling another one right near where I was working today for $40.  I got it for $30, and I’ll go drop it off at the store on Monday (same chain, different location though just in case).  Hopefully I’ll soon have two gift cards for $99.99 for a grand total cost of $40.  I’m going to keep an eye out for other recalled items people might be selling for cheap lol

[PMG]

Another quick thrift stop while on a work trip. I found the exact hospital friendly, labor and delivery, nursing gown (with pockets!) that I bought new (on sale!) via motherhood maternity, except this one is black. It appears new without tags and was half price, so $3.50. I do have one already, but we’ve got a chance of a longer hospital stay and at that price, I might as well have two! I also got a nursing camisole and a couple flowy light short sleeved layers to wear over nursing tanks or tees that I think will help me feel more put together postpartum and make the few really basic nursing tops I have feel more office appropriate. That’s my plan anyway. It was a good little thrift trip.

[marion10]

About to head off to my local thrift store with a friend this morning- it’s an old house that has been around for a 100 years and supports 7 different charities. They are open a few days a month- almost all volunteers- I thunk they have a paid director and two laborers to help with donations. They were closed during the pandemic- but they put out free decorations on their lawn- help yourself- for Christmas, Easter and Halloween.

[Dicey]

About to head off to my local thrift store with a friend this morning- it’s an old house that has been around for a 100 years and supports 7 different charities. They are open a few days a month- almost all volunteers- I thunk they have a paid director and two laborers to help with donations. They were closed during the pandemic- but they put out free decorations on their lawn- help yourself- for Christmas, Easter and Halloween.

Ooh, that gives me the shivers! I hope you have a blast!

In other Thrift Store-related news, I'm on a board that is hosting an in-person Gala soon. I used to be in charge of the Silent Auction, but I have pulled back from that responsibility [see: non-profit politics]. At the last-ish minute, I was asked to set up a specific aspect of the Silent Auction. Every board member donates a bottle of wine and it's sold as one lot. Trick is, it has to be set up and photographed, then disassembled, and removed. On the night of the event, the process has to be repeated. This is no big deal compared to what I've done in the past, so I agreed.

I didn't want to spend a lot of money or time securing props. I also did not want to go to a craft store and buy kitchy wine crap that will end up in a landfill. I was able to borrow some nice wooden wine boxes to use for risers, but I needed more props. I popped into the Thrift Shop where I volunteer yesterday and it proved to be a treasure trove. I found more wine boxes, a couple of pedestals, a set of coasters made from wine corks, a big bag of wine corks, some really cool wine plaques, including "In Vino Veritas" and a full spool of fancy ribbon. Best of all, the shop manager told me I could just borrow it all, since I was using it for another non-profit! I worked a full day shift there last week and I swear none of this stuff was there then. The Thrift Store gods were very generous yesterday!

[K_in_the_kitchen]

I haven't been thrifting much, but I did tag along with DH to our independent thrift store last week.  Among the hats I spotted a sunhat that appeared to be well-constructed, so I took a closer look.  It was a Wallaroo Casual Traveler and sells for $43 on their website.  It has a 4" brim and is made of a light yellow cotton fabric that has a UPF50+ rating. Since it was in good shape and didn't look dirty or even very worn, I went ahead and paid the $6.91 they ask for hats.  The problem there is you have to know your stuff, as other hats were of the under $5 at Dollar Tree variety.  I could have waited for half price on hats day but I didn't think it would still be there, as this store is popular with resellers.

I recently paid $15 full price for a sunhat at Walmart because my previous straw sunhat (10 years old) was in rough shape.  So just under $7 for a new/thrifted sunhat is excellent (I'm never going to be a person who pays $43 for a sunhat).  I'm going to put the Wallaroo in the van because it can take abuse better than a straw hat can -- my old sunhat mostly got banged up once I started keeping it in the van because DH and the kids would shove it all sorts of places, put stuff on top of it, etc.  This Wallaroo sunhat should be indestructible and I hope to be wearing it  20+ years from now.  The Walmart sunhat can be my everyday hat (very wide brim with interchangeable fabric scarves that can be tied in a bow at the back of the hat or be used to tied under the chin in breezy conditions).

[JAYSLOL]

Finally went to some garage sales on Saturday, had a few interesting wins. 

Found a Ladies mountain bike in decent shape except a brake handle was snapped off and they only wanted $5, well I found a brake handle for a bike laying in the grass on a site I work and saved it a couple weeks ago, so I installed it, works fine and I’m going to list the bike up for $150 and see what happens. 

Also found a 240v garage heater for $10, seemed like a deal so I got it.  I googled it later in the day to see what they go for new ($99.99), but more googling and turns out there’s a recall on that exact model because they can overheat, but the store that sold it takes them back no proof of purchase, so I got a $99.99 gift card for returning it to the store.

Also got a decent Husqvarna line trimmer for $20, the guy said he couldn’t get it to run, it only took me 2 min to get it running again when I got it back to my shop

Both the bike and the trimmer are sold, got over $100 each, so that’s three pretty good wins

[Frankies Girl]

Got 3 very rare video games (this is a thing me and the husband both collect) for a very reasonable price. I literally could resell all of them for 3x what I paid.

[evme]

About 15 years ago I found a new copy of The Pirates of Penzance VHS (back before it had been released on DVD) for $1. I resold it for $100 so that was a pretty good ROI :)

[okisok]

I haven't been thrifting much, but I did tag along with DH to our independent thrift store last week.  Among the hats I spotted a sunhat that appeared to be well-constructed, so I took a closer look.  It was a Wallaroo Casual Traveler and sells for $43 on their website.  It has a 4" brim and is made of a light yellow cotton fabric that has a UPF50+ rating. Since it was in good shape and didn't look dirty or even very worn, I went ahead and paid the $6.91 they ask for hats.  The problem there is you have to know your stuff, as other hats were of the under $5 at Dollar Tree variety.  I could have waited for half price on hats day but I didn't think it would still be there, as this store is popular with resellers.

I recently paid $15 full price for a sunhat at Walmart because my previous straw sunhat (10 years old) was in rough shape.  So just under $7 for a new/thrifted sunhat is excellent (I'm never going to be a person who pays $43 for a sunhat).  I'm going to put the Wallaroo in the van because it can take abuse better than a straw hat can -- my old sunhat mostly got banged up once I started keeping it in the van because DH and the kids would shove it all sorts of places, put stuff on top of it, etc.  This Wallaroo sunhat should be indestructible and I hope to be wearing it  20+ years from now.  The Walmart sunhat can be my everyday hat (very wide brim with interchangeable fabric scarves that can be tied in a bow at the back of the hat or be used to tied under the chin in breezy conditions).

I have a Wallaroo sun hat that was also thrifted. It is nearly indestructible, and I keep my keep mine in the car too! A friend borrowed it and commented on how much she loved it--that's when I found out they go for $40ish American dollars. I would never pay that for a sunhat but it should last a long time.

[shureShote]

Finally went to some garage sales on Saturday, had a few interesting wins. 

Found a Ladies mountain bike in decent shape except a brake handle was snapped off and they only wanted $5, well I found a brake handle for a bike laying in the grass on a site I work and saved it a couple weeks ago, so I installed it, works fine and I’m going to list the bike up for $150 and see what happens. 

Also found a 240v garage heater for $10, seemed like a deal so I got it.  I googled it later in the day to see what they go for new ($99.99), but more googling and turns out there’s a recall on that exact model because they can overheat, but the store that sold it takes them back no proof of purchase, so I got a $99.99 gift card for returning it to the store.

Also got a decent Husqvarna line trimmer for $20, the guy said he couldn’t get it to run, it only took me 2 min to get it running again when I got it back to my shop

Both the bike and the trimmer are sold, got over $100 each, so that’s three pretty good wins

Nice triple. I assume the line trimmer had a gummed up fuel line?

[JAYSLOL]

Finally went to some garage sales on Saturday, had a few interesting wins. 

Found a Ladies mountain bike in decent shape except a brake handle was snapped off and they only wanted $5, well I found a brake handle for a bike laying in the grass on a site I work and saved it a couple weeks ago, so I installed it, works fine and I’m going to list the bike up for $150 and see what happens. 

Also found a 240v garage heater for $10, seemed like a deal so I got it.  I googled it later in the day to see what they go for new ($99.99), but more googling and turns out there’s a recall on that exact model because they can overheat, but the store that sold it takes them back no proof of purchase, so I got a $99.99 gift card for returning it to the store.

Also got a decent Husqvarna line trimmer for $20, the guy said he couldn’t get it to run, it only took me 2 min to get it running again when I got it back to my shop

Both the bike and the trimmer are sold, got over $100 each, so that’s three pretty good wins

Nice triple. I assume the line trimmer had a gummed up fuel line?

Close, but it was actually even simpler than that, the weighted end of the fuel line that goes into the tank is supposed to sit at the bottom of the gas, but for some reason was stuck up in a corner and wasn’t getting any fuel, so I just poked it down where it was supposed to be and it fired right up

[shureShote]

Finally went to some garage sales on Saturday, had a few interesting wins. 

Found a Ladies mountain bike in decent shape except a brake handle was snapped off and they only wanted $5, well I found a brake handle for a bike laying in the grass on a site I work and saved it a couple weeks ago, so I installed it, works fine and I’m going to list the bike up for $150 and see what happens. 

Also found a 240v garage heater for $10, seemed like a deal so I got it.  I googled it later in the day to see what they go for new ($99.99), but more googling and turns out there’s a recall on that exact model because they can overheat, but the store that sold it takes them back no proof of purchase, so I got a $99.99 gift card for returning it to the store.

Also got a decent Husqvarna line trimmer for $20, the guy said he couldn’t get it to run, it only took me 2 min to get it running again when I got it back to my shop

Both the bike and the trimmer are sold, got over $100 each, so that’s three pretty good wins

Nice triple. I assume the line trimmer had a gummed up fuel line?

Close, but it was actually even simpler than that, the weighted end of the fuel line that goes into the tank is supposed to sit at the bottom of the gas, but for some reason was stuck up in a corner and wasn’t getting any fuel, so I just poked it down where it was supposed to be and it fired right up

Oh wow! Slamming it down in disgust had a chance of fixing it…

[JAYSLOL]

Finally went to some garage sales on Saturday, had a few interesting wins. 

Found a Ladies mountain bike in decent shape except a brake handle was snapped off and they only wanted $5, well I found a brake handle for a bike laying in the grass on a site I work and saved it a couple weeks ago, so I installed it, works fine and I’m going to list the bike up for $150 and see what happens. 

Also found a 240v garage heater for $10, seemed like a deal so I got it.  I googled it later in the day to see what they go for new ($99.99), but more googling and turns out there’s a recall on that exact model because they can overheat, but the store that sold it takes them back no proof of purchase, so I got a $99.99 gift card for returning it to the store.

Also got a decent Husqvarna line trimmer for $20, the guy said he couldn’t get it to run, it only took me 2 min to get it running again when I got it back to my shop

Both the bike and the trimmer are sold, got over $100 each, so that’s three pretty good wins

Nice triple. I assume the line trimmer had a gummed up fuel line?

Close, but it was actually even simpler than that, the weighted end of the fuel line that goes into the tank is supposed to sit at the bottom of the gas, but for some reason was stuck up in a corner and wasn’t getting any fuel, so I just poked it down where it was supposed to be and it fired right up

Oh wow! Slamming it down in disgust had a chance of fixing it…

Yes, my usual fix would have had a good chance!

[AMandM]

Is this a thrift store win, because the item is worth way more than the $35 paid?
Or is it a dud, because she spent $35 and she doesn't get to keep the item since it's stolen?
Or is it a win after all, because the story/experience is worth more than $35?

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/a-34-99-goodwill-purchase-turned-out-to-be-an-ancient-roman-bust-that-s-nearly-2-000-years-old/ar-AAX1Q3y

I vote #3.

[JAYSLOL]

Is this a thrift store win, because the item is worth way more than the $35 paid?
Or is it a dud, because she spent $35 and she doesn't get to keep the item since it's stolen?
Or is it a win after all, because the story/experience is worth more than $35?

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/a-34-99-goodwill-purchase-turned-out-to-be-an-ancient-roman-bust-that-s-nearly-2-000-years-old/ar-AAX1Q3y

I vote #3.

I’d gladly pay $35 to make that kind of find and have the story

[Dicey]

Is this a thrift store win, because the item is worth way more than the $35 paid?
Or is it a dud, because she spent $35 and she doesn't get to keep the item since it's stolen?
Or is it a win after all, because the story/experience is worth more than $35?

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/a-34-99-goodwill-purchase-turned-out-to-be-an-ancient-roman-bust-that-s-nearly-2-000-years-old/ar-AAX1Q3y

I vote #3.

I’d gladly pay $35 to make that kind of find and have the story

I saw that story and loved it. I vote #3 as well.

In other, more mundane news, I scored four pair of SmartWool socks for two bucks today. That works out to two bits a foot. That's my kind of bitcoin.

[K_in_the_kitchen]

We popped into a Goodwill we rarely frequent -- it's in a another city near our favorite Indian restaurant, but we don't go there often.

Hardcover books were $7.99, so I didn't bother to look.

But I did find a large, sturdy plastic wreath box, which contained a Christmas themed wreath and a large metal wreath hanger.  Our wreath box broke this past season, so I figured this was a good buy even if I don't rehab or reuse the wreath in some way.  $15 was a much better price than any I saw in January.  And we really like to not buy new products if we can help it.

As for the wreath, I've had plans to make a Star Wars / Star Break themed wreath or garland using old Hallmark Magic ornaments (some we bought decades ago and a dozen or so given to us recently).  These ornaments don't work with newer LED light strands, so we've been buying the odd old short string of lights here and there as we find them at thrift stores.  So if the Christmas wreath in the box doesn't have enough decent material to make pretty Christmas wreath, it at least does have a decent wreath form to build a new wreath on.

And the wreath hanger makes for a sturdy over the door hook, if nothing else.

[Rosy]

Is this a thrift store win, because the item is worth way more than the $35 paid?
Or is it a dud, because she spent $35 and she doesn't get to keep the item since it's stolen?
Or is it a win after all, because the story/experience is worth more than $35?

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/a-34-99-goodwill-purchase-turned-out-to-be-an-ancient-roman-bust-that-s-nearly-2-000-years-old/ar-AAX1Q3y

I vote #3.

I’d gladly pay $35 to make that kind of find and have the story

I saw that story and loved it. I vote #3 as well.

In other, more mundane news, I scored four pair of SmartWool socks for two bucks today. That works out to two bits a foot. That's my kind of bitcoin.

ROFL:)

[Warlord1986]

I got a really pretty Ambercrombie and Fitch dress for less than $19. It was from a consignment store. Bonus: I got a hug from the owner, who is one of my favorite people.

[jeninco]

Dropped off a box of clothing (mostly outgrown by the kid, a couple of things outgrown by me) at Goodwill (I know, not the best choice, but they're open today and I'm going with "waste reduction" rather than being perfect).

While I was there, I went in to look for a sleeveless shirt (to replace the one I think is too small on me) and came out with a 3/4-sleeved blouse with a pretty pattern, which I will wash, and then cut off and hem the sleeves to be ... either sleeveless or cap sleeves, I have to decide. I'll probably take it in a little, too -- women's clothing sizing is such a mess, even though it was kind of of my size, it's probably a bit too capacious.

Anyhow, $6.50 later (I also bought a sleep cami) and a little messing around with a sewing machine, I'll have another usable summer top. Now I just have to find a white one I like that fits (that's what I was really looking for, but no luck on that front). We have a cat with extra claws (and all her claws are pretty thick) and not a lot of grace, so my shirts tend to develop holes where she's digging in, especially when she's on my lap and gets startled. I'm willing to fix sweaters, but not $6 shirts.

[Dicey]

I attended a dressy fund raising affair last night. My pretty dress cost $6, which was half price because I got it on Senior Day at my favorite Thrift Shop.. I donated many many times that number to a cause I care about. This ratio made me very happy.

[jeninco]

Dropped off a box of clothing (mostly outgrown by the kid, a couple of things outgrown by me) at Goodwill (I know, not the best choice, but they're open today and I'm going with "waste reduction" rather than being perfect).

Did I miss something? Is Goodwill not a good choice for donations anymore? I know all thrift stores have challenges when it comes to unsold goods, is GW worse than others?

I think it's not the best choice (CEO makes a ton of $, various reports of employees not being treated well or fairly -- a little googling will go a long way), but sometimes I feel like the option to recycle stuff outweighs the ideal of "small local place". (Sometimes I go to the small local place, but they're not always open and I just want to get the box out of the house, you know?)

[Cranky]

Now that I've worked out the local Goodwill's color cycle (half price on Sunday/Monday) I'm limiting myself to those color tags to increase the thrill of the hunt. LOL It has suddenly gotten very warm here, so I'm looking at short sleeved stuff. I did buy dh a really nice Columbia shirt for next fall.

[slackmax]

About 15 years ago I found a new copy of The Pirates of Penzance VHS (back before it had been released on DVD) for $1. I resold it for $100 so that was a pretty good ROI :)

That's amazing! I assume you sold it on eBay?

I have lots of old VHS tapes I am only asking 50 cents for, lol. I'll have to research them!   

[NattyAnn]

Has anyone here tried thredup?

Yes! I love ThredUp!!

I've had the best luck getting clothes for brands I'm already familiar with. One day I made a list of brands I liked and went to the mall and tried on a bunch of shirts, pants, and dresses at those stores. I didn't buy anything, I just made note of what size I am in each brand. Then I use that information when I search on ThredUp. It almost feels like cheating 😆 thrifting shouldn't be this easy haha! Ever since doing this, I haven't had a "dud" purchase that doesn't fit me.

ThredUp is also amazing for fancy kids clothes. I've found their prices on regular kids clothes to be about on-par with buying new stuff at Target, so not much savings to be had there. But the fancy clothes are a great deal, if you are into that. I get a lot of joy from dressing up the whole family super fancy for Christmas & Easter. With ThredUp I can find gorgeous, unique, high quality pieces for my kids for like $10-$15 each!

[Loretta]

I ordered 8 warm weather work dresses from ThredUP for $68 and 6 items fit well!  One dress has an ink stain I’m pretreating.  Success! 

[Weisass]

I ordered 8 warm weather work dresses from ThredUP for $68 and 6 items fit well!  One dress has an ink stain I’m pretreating.  Success!

That’s awesome! I love thredUP so far.

[MasterStache]

Don't think I've ever contributed to this thread. I just don't have a lot of clothes I guess, ha!

I did stop by the local  thrift shop today as it's right next to Lowe's. I was making a supply run and have been needing a couple pair of "work" shorts recently and dreading the thought of buying new only to annihilate them within a year. I was pleasantly surprised to find a couple pair of used cargo shorts that fit me perfectly. And they are darker colored so dirt and grim won't show as much. $10 for both pair together. Score!!!   

[jeninco]

Don't think I've ever contributed to this thread. I just don't have a lot of clothes I guess, ha!

I did stop by the local  thrift shop today as it's right next to Lowe's. I was making a supply run and have been needing a couple pair of "work" shorts recently and dreading the thought of buying new only to annihilate them within in a year. I was pleasantly surprised to find a couple pair of used cargo shorts that fit me perfectly. And they are darker colored so dirt and grim won't show as much. $10 for both pair together. Score!!!

Awesome!

I found that our (fancy pants town) Salvation Army thrift store has (apparently) now got people cherry-picking things for re-sale online.

However, I still wound up with two shirts, one dressy almost-sleeveless shirt (still not sure about that one -- I tried it on over a tank top, and when I tried it again at home I realized I can see my bra strap through the armhole: unintentional underwear exposure is not really OK with me), and one size 3X gauzy number that I took in (I think I took nearly 20 inches out of the body) and removed the sleeves from, to give me a lovely sleeveless blouse.

[fuzzy math]

I've nearly stopped thrifting entirely in favor of the local free store.

Today I donated a big bag of boy's clothing, some canned food, fresh eggs from my coop, some random dishes and shoes.

In return I got a pair of boy's shorts and 3 packs of floss (no one locally seems to floss LOL, they always have a ton).

[BC_Goldman]

I've picked up way too many movies and TV shows at thrift stores for a few dollars each.

My wife had the best find so far today though. She found some chinaware with pictures she really liked. $13 for a large box. Royal China Ironstone Memory Lane was the one she liked (30pcs) but there were a number of pieces from the Colonial Homestead set as well (25pcs).

It looks like she got the whole thing for the cost of one or two pieces on Etsy. She's wondering if she can resell the Colonial Homestead pieces. Who knows, some people make a decent business out of flipping stuff.

https://www.etsy.com/market/memory_lane_ironstone
https://www.etsy.com/market/colonial_homestead_by_royal

[affordablehousing]

I have to vent somewhere, but while pushing my son in the stroller for a nap, I came across a discarded solid brass bookshelf on the street. Probably ~120 pounds of solid, scrappable, valuable, brass. And the shelf itself was actually pretty cool, maybe even neat enough to use indoors. By the time the kid woke up and I could get him in the car, it was gone. That would have been such a sweet score. Someone's eating steak tonight. It is unbelievable to me how easy it is for people to overlook the scrap value of their trash. A 5 minute drive to the yard would have netted about $300.

I guess the moral of the story is everyone should push a cargo stroller.

[JAYSLOL]

I have to vent somewhere, but while pushing my son in the stroller for a nap, I came across a discarded solid brass bookshelf on the street. Probably ~120 pounds of solid, scrappable, valuable, brass. And the shelf itself was actually pretty cool, maybe even neat enough to use indoors. By the time the kid woke up and I could get him in the car, it was gone. That would have been such a sweet score. Someone's eating steak tonight. It is unbelievable to me how easy it is for people to overlook the scrap value of their trash. A 5 minute drive to the yard would have netted about $300.

I guess the moral of the story is everyone should push a cargo stroller.

Oh man, that’s too bad!  I do landscaping for a living and have found lots of random things left/stashed on commercial sites I work on, like old car batteries, left over construction materials occasionally including piles of copper wire, as well as some random things left by street people like clothes and bags and tools etc.  Would be awesome to find $300 worth of scrap one day, I’d try to stash it in the bushes if I had to come back for it

[affordablehousing]

Yeah sometimes I've put things in a city garbage can if I have to come back for it, I figure people rarely look in the garbage can for things other than soda cans and beer bottles, but this was way too big to hide anywhere. I should have knocked on the door and asked the homeowner if I could put it aside for 20 minutes, that would have been a smart move.

[Hula Hoop]

Does anyone have any NYC thrifting advice?  We're going there later this summer to visit family. My teen daughter is very into thrifting and it's not really a 'thing' here so I thought maybe we could hit some thrift stores while there.

[StarBright]

Does anyone have any NYC thrifting advice?  We're going there later this summer to visit family. My teen daughter is very into thrifting and it's not really a 'thing' here so I thought maybe we could hit some thrift stores while there.

It has been a few years since I had time to go thrifting (and visit NYC :) ) but i remember there being several excellent vintage stores in NoHo.

[Hula Hoop]

Does anyone have any NYC thrifting advice?  We're going there later this summer to visit family. My teen daughter is very into thrifting and it's not really a 'thing' here so I thought maybe we could hit some thrift stores while there.

It has been a few years since I had time to go thrifting (and visit NYC :) ) but i remember there being several excellent vintage stores in NoHo.

Can you tell me where exactly?  Any names of stores?  My teen daughter's aesthetic is 90s grunge, rock n roll t-shirts and jeans. 

[Dicey]

Does anyone have any NYC thrifting advice?  We're going there later this summer to visit family. My teen daughter is very into thrifting and it's not really a 'thing' here so I thought maybe we could hit some thrift stores while there.

Paging our esteemed expert on all things NYC,  @Dollar Slice.

[StarBright]

Does anyone have any NYC thrifting advice?  We're going there later this summer to visit family. My teen daughter is very into thrifting and it's not really a 'thing' here so I thought maybe we could hit some thrift stores while there.

It has been a few years since I had time to go thrifting (and visit NYC :) ) but i remember there being several excellent vintage stores in NoHo.

Can you tell me where exactly?  Any names of stores?  My teen daughter's aesthetic is 90s grunge, rock n roll t-shirts and jeans.

L Train is the only one off the top of my head.

Here is a yelp map (and it has L Train on it!) :
 https://www.yelp.com/search?cflt=thrift_stores&find_loc=NoHo%2C+Manhattan%2C+NY

There is also Hamlet's in Greenwich Village which was sort of a hot spot a while ago. It is high end vintage, but a friend of mine scored a Dior New Look dress about a decade ago and the quality and condition were absolutely gorgeous!  Might be fun to look through?

[cats]

I think my best thrift score to date is like-new ski Marmot brand pants & jacket for my 5yo son.  $2 for the whole outfit.  I've gotten a fair number of other kids (and adult) clothing items but that one was the best.

We also got a toaster over at a Goodwill that proceeded to work perfectly for 8 years.  Eventually the timer gave out.

Buy Nothing groups are also a great way to get things--I recently scored a huge bag of nice clothes in my size, and have also gotten kids toys, random fancy foods, a heating pad, and probably a few other things I'm forgetting...

[LaineyAZ]

Something I recently realized:  doll clothes for bigger dolls are expensive, so instead of buying new, check out the infant/toddler clothes at thrift stores. 
The 6 month - 1 year old size fits perfectly. 

[zygote]

Does anyone have any NYC thrifting advice?  We're going there later this summer to visit family. My teen daughter is very into thrifting and it's not really a 'thing' here so I thought maybe we could hit some thrift stores while there.

Thrifting is kind of strange here. There are definitely thrift shops/secondhand stores, but they charge NYC prices. The Goodwills here are way smaller with less inventory than rural locations, and they're more expensive. You can definitely still find some good stuff for reasonable prices - I just got a bunch of summer tank tops from my neighborhood Goodwill for $4/each. But that's the lowest price for clothes. Shirts are $8, jeans are $10, dresses are $12, and there are markups for brand names. You won't find the same dirt cheap gems you can get at Goodwills elsewhere.

The other main thrift store chains that I hear about are Housing Works and Buffalo Exchange, which are still reasonably priced but more than Goodwill. There are also some trendier boutique thrift stores that curate their clothes to the trendy aesthetic you describe, but the prices can be like shopping in regular stores. I don't know names off the top of my head, I've just heard about them from my friends.

But who knows. Maybe there are some good options in other neighborhoods I'm just not familiar with!

[Hula Hoop]

There used to be a Housing Works near by dad's apartment and I actually donated a ton of stuff that I'd left in his basement to them.  They had some nice stuff. 

Anyway it's sad that NYC is always so pricey nowadays.  Sometimes I feel nostalgic for how cheap everything was in my childhood in the 70s and 80s in NYC but then I remember how crappy our neighborhood was back then.

[Sugaree]

I found a brand-new, still-in-the-pack, dog coat for $3 on Friday.  While I live somewhere that doesn't get excessively cold, I have a Dane and they don't typically do well in temps below 45. 

[Cranky]

I found a brand-new, still-in-the-pack, dog coat for $3 on Friday.  While I live somewhere that doesn't get excessively cold, I have a Dane and they don't typically do well in temps below 45.

I noticed that my Good will has a dog clothes rack right next to the kid section!

[Sugaree]

I found a brand-new, still-in-the-pack, dog coat for $3 on Friday.  While I live somewhere that doesn't get excessively cold, I have a Dane and they don't typically do well in temps below 45.

I noticed that my Good will has a dog clothes rack right next to the kid section!

Funny, but slightly off-topic story:  When my kid (who turns 9 today!) was about 2 and a half, I knew it was probably the last Halloween that I could choose the costume without him having an opinion on the matter.  I may or may not have gone all out turning him into a tiny Edward Scissorhands.  I spent *months* scouring the thrift stores for black belts with silver studs and accents and putting together this costume complete with scissor hands made from black gloves, plastic knives that had been filed down, and the handles from cheap dollar store scissors. 

Two weeks before Halloween, we're on the way home from work one afternoon and I hear this little voice from the backseat ask "Mommy, can I be a pumpkin for Halloween?"  We negotiated an agreement where he would be a pumpkin at daycare and wear the Edward costume to go trick-or-treating.  You would think that finding a pumpkin costume for a toddler would be fairly easy since that's kind of a traditional little kid costume.  Nope.  Not a single store had one.  Finally, a day before Halloween I stopped at this weird little store that was advertising $5 costumes.  No kid's pumpkin costume, but we did discover that a pumpkin costume for a large dog will fit a 2 year-old perfectly.

[getsorted]

I found a brand-new, still-in-the-pack, dog coat for $3 on Friday.  While I live somewhere that doesn't get excessively cold, I have a Dane and they don't typically do well in temps below 45.

I noticed that my Good will has a dog clothes rack right next to the kid section!

Funny, but slightly off-topic story:  When my kid (who turns 9 today!) was about 2 and a half, I knew it was probably the last Halloween that I could choose the costume without him having an opinion on the matter.  I may or may not have gone all out turning him into a tiny Edward Scissorhands.  I spent *months* scouring the thrift stores for black belts with silver studs and accents and putting together this costume complete with scissor hands made from black gloves, plastic knives that had been filed down, and the handles from cheap dollar store scissors. 

Two weeks before Halloween, we're on the way home from work one afternoon and I hear this little voice from the backseat ask "Mommy, can I be a pumpkin for Halloween?"  We negotiated an agreement where he would be a pumpkin at daycare and wear the Edward costume to go trick-or-treating.  You would think that finding a pumpkin costume for a toddler would be fairly easy since that's kind of a traditional little kid costume.  Nope.  Not a single store had one.  Finally, a day before Halloween I stopped at this weird little store that was advertising $5 costumes.  No kid's pumpkin costume, but we did discover that a pumpkin costume for a large dog will fit a 2 year-old perfectly.

I loved this story.

The reverse is also true. We have more than once put a kid's shirt on a dog to keep her from chewing on stitches or a spot of dermatitis!

[Dicey]

I found a brand-new, still-in-the-pack, dog coat for $3 on Friday.  While I live somewhere that doesn't get excessively cold, I have a Dane and they don't typically do well in temps below 45.

I noticed that my Good will has a dog clothes rack right next to the kid section!

Funny, but slightly off-topic story:  When my kid (who turns 9 today!) was about 2 and a half, I knew it was probably the last Halloween that I could choose the costume without him having an opinion on the matter.  I may or may not have gone all out turning him into a tiny Edward Scissorhands.  I spent *months* scouring the thrift stores for black belts with silver studs and accents and putting together this costume complete with scissor hands made from black gloves, plastic knives that had been filed down, and the handles from cheap dollar store scissors. 

Two weeks before Halloween, we're on the way home from work one afternoon and I hear this little voice from the backseat ask "Mommy, can I be a pumpkin for Halloween?"  We negotiated an agreement where he would be a pumpkin at daycare and wear the Edward costume to go trick-or-treating.  You would think that finding a pumpkin costume for a toddler would be fairly easy since that's kind of a traditional little kid costume.  Nope.  Not a single store had one.  Finally, a day before Halloween I stopped at this weird little store that was advertising $5 costumes.  No kid's pumpkin costume, but we did discover that a pumpkin costume for a large dog will fit a 2 year-old perfectly.

I loved this story.

The reverse is also true. We have more than once put a kid's shirt on a dog to keep her from chewing on stitches or a spot of dermatitis!

+1. We had dogs that freaked out at fireworks. We got a tip that wrapping them in something close-fitting, like a kid's t-shirt, might help keep them calm. I hit on the idea of using thrifted onesies, and they really did help.