Badass Thrift Store Shopping

[Cranky]

I hear a lot of complaints the GW is more expensive than it used to be, and I agree that prices have gone up and that they seem to be basing some prices on eBay resale value. So I *am* trying to be more aware of their sales cycle.

Our store does sort by sizes, but they make a lot of mistakes, so it’s worth a glance through the other sizes. Also, they make mistakes about what’s mens/womens, and that seems to result in nice stuff sitting there until it’s tag color is up for half price.

Yesterday my dh got a pair of brand name deck shoes (of which he is inexplicably fond) for $8. I bought a large piece of 100% cotton fabric - which is probably a tablecloth - for $2.99. It’s destined to either recover some pillows or become bags.

[Sugaree]

I've lost enough weight to fit into the Lucky jeans that I picked up a few months back for like $8.  I was considering flipping them, but I do like the way they fit.

[Dicey]

I've lost enough weight to fit into the Lucky jeans that I picked up a few months back for like $8.  I was considering flipping them, but I do like the way they fit.

Lucky!

[jeninco]

I've lost enough weight to fit into the Lucky jeans that I picked up a few months back for like $8.  I was considering flipping them, but I do like the way they fit.

Lucky!

Ouch!

[Dicey]

I've lost enough weight to fit into the Lucky jeans that I picked up a few months back for like $8.  I was considering flipping them, but I do like the way they fit.

Lucky!

Ouch!

I'm confused. Why is that an "ouch"? What am I missing?

[Cranky]

I've lost enough weight to fit into the Lucky jeans that I picked up a few months back for like $8.  I was considering flipping them, but I do like the way they fit.

Lucky!

Ouch!

I'm confused. Why is that an "ouch"? What am I missing?

Play on words? Lucky jeans/Lucky to fit back into them?

[jeninco]

I've lost enough weight to fit into the Lucky jeans that I picked up a few months back for like $8.  I was considering flipping them, but I do like the way they fit.

Lucky!

Ouch!

I'm confused. Why is that an "ouch"? What am I missing?

Play on words? Lucky jeans/Lucky to fit back into them?

Haha, yes, painfully on-point pun!

[Serendip]

As a non-perfume-wearer, I was a bit surprised to find myself pleased to find two small but nearly-full bottles from the re-use centre. Burberry and Chanel Mademoiselle..they both smell wonderful--I just need to dispense them in micro-amounts since I don't like overly strong scents. Looked up the bottles and it is over $300 of scent (for $4). We do have loads of wealthy citizens with 2nd homes in our town so this type of thing happens when people move/or are only here for a short period of time and don't want to fly things home. Feels pretty lux'.

[Dicey]

I've lost enough weight to fit into the Lucky jeans that I picked up a few months back for like $8.  I was considering flipping them, but I do like the way they fit.

Lucky!

Ouch!

I'm confused. Why is that an "ouch"? What am I missing?

Play on words? Lucky jeans/Lucky to fit back into them?

Haha, yes, painfully on-point pun!

I'm not that clever. Lucky to find that the jeans she intended to flip fit well. Lucky she hadn't sold them. I'm pretty sure I have a couple pair of Lucky jeans at the bottom of a drawer that seem to have shrunk during the pandemic...

[K_in_the_kitchen]

My Goodwill sells pants for $8.  I recently noticed that hardback books are now $5 at Goodwill, which surprised me, as this is higher than the price for a hardback at the Goodwill Bookstore (or now a book and collectibles store).  But I also realize I have no idea how much a hardback book costs new these days.

But it isn't just Goodwill; my large locally owned thrift store also prices a lot of items really high.  Sometimes I see vintage Pyrex and the like priced higher than ebay.  But they don't catch everything, especially unmarked vintage items -- I recently came home with a Fenton milk glass cake stand that was priced at $5, and I had a half price coupon from their anniversary sale.  This particular pattern regularly sells for over $50 ebay.  Then at the Goodwill Bookstore I found a large Metlox bowl for $6 that also sells for over $50 on a regular basis.  Neither of those pieces are marked with a maker -- you just have to know.  My grandmother had a lot of Fenton glass, and since she and my grandfather lived in Los Angeles during the height of the L.A pottery boom, I've learned a lot of about the various manufacturers and their pieces.

This week's big thrift score was 145 books for $15.77, which includes sales tax.  The independent thrift store clears out books once a month, charging 10¢ each with a 10 book minimum.  Between the pandemic and having other things scheduled on the sale day, it's been a few years since I've gone.

I don't resell anything, or at least I haven't yet.  I buy housewares that "spark joy" and that I plan to use, and with the books, I'm frequently putting finished books in a Little Free Library (I'll buy classic children's books for 10¢ just to put them directly in the LFL), or I donate nicer books to our Friends of the Library for their bookstore and sales.  Bringing in the gorgeous Fenton cake stand meant the thrifted plain Anchor Hocking cake stand I had made its way back to the thrift store.

[FrugalAussie]

Last night I slept on brand new sheets (King size), in my preferred colour, that retail for $109/set. The pillowcases were missing but I didn't mind that to pay only $14. I have plenty of spare pillowcases, they usually sell for about $1-$2 each at our OpShops. I also purchased a new pair of Levis with loyalty points, the cost was NIL. They were a little short so I rolled them up to mid calf length, very fashionable (LOL)!

I don't usually buy greeting cards but there were some nice Hallmark ones for 20c so my husband will receive his first ever 'Happy Anniversary' card from me in November (if I remember where I put it). I'm thinking I'll use the same card forever, make a small note for the high points of the year so that each Anniversary we share past good times.

[rosarugosa]

Last night I slept on brand new sheets (King size), in my preferred colour, that retail for $109/set. The pillowcases were missing but I didn't mind that to pay only $14. I have plenty of spare pillowcases, they usually sell for about $1-$2 each at our OpShops. I also purchased a new pair of Levis with loyalty points, the cost was NIL. They were a little short so I rolled them up to mid calf length, very fashionable (LOL)!

I don't usually buy greeting cards but there were some nice Hallmark ones for 20c so my husband will receive his first ever 'Happy Anniversary' card from me in November (if I remember where I put it). I'm thinking I'll use the same card forever, make a small note for the high points of the year so that each Anniversary we share past good times.

That's a very cool idea for the ongoing anniversary card!

[iris lily]

My Goodwill sells pants for $8.  I recently noticed that hardback books are now $5 at Goodwill, which surprised me, as this is higher than the price for a hardback at the Goodwill Bookstore (or now a book and collectibles store).  But I also realize I have no idea how much a hardback book costs new these days.

But it isn't just Goodwill; my large locally owned thrift store also prices a lot of items really high.  Sometimes I see vintage Pyrex and the like priced higher than ebay.  But they don't catch everything, especially unmarked vintage items -- I recently came home with a Fenton milk glass cake stand that was priced at $5, and I had a half price coupon from their anniversary sale.  This particular pattern regularly sells for over $50 ebay.  Then at the Goodwill Bookstore I found a large Metlox bowl for $6 that also sells for over $50 on a regular basis.  Neither of those pieces are marked with a maker -- you just have to know.  My grandmother had a lot of Fenton glass, and since she and my grandfather lived in Los Angeles during the height of the L.A pottery boom, I've learned a lot of about the various manufacturers and their pieces.

This week's big thrift score was 145 books for $15.77, which includes sales tax.  The independent thrift store clears out books once a month, charging 10¢ each with a 10 book minimum.  Between the pandemic and having other things scheduled on the sale day, it's been a few years since I've gone.

I don't resell anything, or at least I haven't yet.  I buy housewares that "spark joy" and that I plan to use, and with the books, I'm frequently putting finished books in a Little Free Library (I'll buy classic children's books for 10¢ just to put them directly in the LFL), or I donate nicer books to our Friends of the Library for their bookstore and sales.  Bringing in the gorgeous Fenton cake stand meant the thrifted plain Anchor Hocking cake stand I had made its way back to the thrift store.

Whre are you located that Goodwill charges $8!

During the pandemic when I was unable to shop at thrift stores, I graduated up to eBay used clothes. I now will buy things on eBay for up to $20 where I used to limit myself to the thrift stores around here which are very cheap and plentiful. I don’t like not being able to touch and feel the fabric, but I got so that I peered carefully at the photographs and skipped over any that did not give the fabric content. I like a lot of cotton in my clothes and so I skip over those that are not clearly that.

I’m now on a search to replace or duplicate an old silk and cashmere cardigan I got on eBay. It’s like an ugly old professor’s tattered sweater, but it’s so soft and warm, and easy to maintain. I do not dry clean it I put it in a cool cycle wash and let it air dry. I found another on eBay but it’s in a smaller size. I’m confident I can find this exact sweater.

[iris lily]

Maybe a bit of a silly question, but DH and I opportunistically buy from op shops (which I sort of conflate with thrift shops, but maybe I am wrong?) or flea-markets for many things. Basically, b/c it's cheaper, more sustainable (as "already there") and often older/better quality as new, short-lived products (e.g. traditional cookware, tools, etc.)
We don't use ebay (we don't use FAANG products on principle).

Still, I sometimes feel guilty for thrift shopping b/c we could afford to shop new - so aren't we crowding out ppl who have to rely on op shops and second-hand goods? Anyone of you have had that concern, as well? What's your "excuse"?
I have settled on "I have no excuse, I do it anyway" ...

What is—

“Op shop”

“FAANG products”

?…??

[Sugaree]

My Goodwill sells pants for $8.  I recently noticed that hardback books are now $5 at Goodwill, which surprised me, as this is higher than the price for a hardback at the Goodwill Bookstore (or now a book and collectibles store).  But I also realize I have no idea how much a hardback book costs new these days.

But it isn't just Goodwill; my large locally owned thrift store also prices a lot of items really high.  Sometimes I see vintage Pyrex and the like priced higher than ebay.  But they don't catch everything, especially unmarked vintage items -- I recently came home with a Fenton milk glass cake stand that was priced at $5, and I had a half price coupon from their anniversary sale.  This particular pattern regularly sells for over $50 ebay.  Then at the Goodwill Bookstore I found a large Metlox bowl for $6 that also sells for over $50 on a regular basis.  Neither of those pieces are marked with a maker -- you just have to know.  My grandmother had a lot of Fenton glass, and since she and my grandfather lived in Los Angeles during the height of the L.A pottery boom, I've learned a lot of about the various manufacturers and their pieces.

This week's big thrift score was 145 books for $15.77, which includes sales tax.  The independent thrift store clears out books once a month, charging 10¢ each with a 10 book minimum.  Between the pandemic and having other things scheduled on the sale day, it's been a few years since I've gone.

I don't resell anything, or at least I haven't yet.  I buy housewares that "spark joy" and that I plan to use, and with the books, I'm frequently putting finished books in a Little Free Library (I'll buy classic children's books for 10¢ just to put them directly in the LFL), or I donate nicer books to our Friends of the Library for their bookstore and sales.  Bringing in the gorgeous Fenton cake stand meant the thrifted plain Anchor Hocking cake stand I had made its way back to the thrift store.

Whre are you located that Goodwill charges $8!

During the pandemic when I was unable to shop at thrift stores, I graduated up to eBay used clothes. I now will buy things on eBay for up to $20 where I used to limit myself to the thrift stores around here which are very cheap and plentiful. I don’t like not being able to touch and feel the fabric, but I got so that I peered carefully at the photographs and skipped over any that did not give the fabric content. I like a lot of cotton in my clothes and so I skip over those that are not clearly that.

I’m now on a search to replace or duplicate an old silk and cashmere cardigan I got on eBay. It’s like an ugly old professor’s tattered sweater, but it’s so soft and warm, and easy to maintain. I do not dry clean it I put it in a cool cycle wash and let it air dry. I found another on eBay but it’s in a smaller size. I’m confident I can find this exact sweater.

Goodwill has been attempting to raise their image and prices for awhile.  I do appreciate that the stores are cleaner and better organized, but I've largely stopped shopping there.  Most things with value are auctioned off on their website, which you can still find deals if you are lucky or good.  I filled out a china pattern that way.  I have some reservations with them as a company, but that seems to come with the territory of thrift stores. 

[K_in_the_kitchen]

Whre are you located that Goodwill charges $8!

During the pandemic when I was unable to shop at thrift stores, I graduated up to eBay used clothes. I now will buy things on eBay for up to $20 where I used to limit myself to the thrift stores around here which are very cheap and plentiful. I don’t like not being able to touch and feel the fabric, but I got so that I peered carefully at the photographs and skipped over any that did not give the fabric content. I like a lot of cotton in my clothes and so I skip over those that are not clearly that.

I’m now on a search to replace or duplicate an old silk and cashmere cardigan I got on eBay. It’s like an ugly old professor’s tattered sweater, but it’s so soft and warm, and easy to maintain. I do not dry clean it I put it in a cool cycle wash and let it air dry. I found another on eBay but it’s in a smaller size. I’m confident I can find this exact sweater.

California, and $8 pants were in place pre-pandemic.  Nightgowns are $7 (or were pre-pandemic, I haven't paid attention to clothing price increases).

Today is $1 clothing at the independent thrift store.  I didn't go at opening because it's absolutely insane.  That store gets tons of resellers -- people show up with their own bins and wagons because there aren't enough carts (and there are 30+ carts).  Sometimes I go later in the day to see if anything that was left behind is usable.  But I have plenty of clothing right now, and enough sewing projects too.

[iris lily]

I don’t go to the inner city retail Goodwill because they moved it a couple years ago and it was then crowded and pretty crappy. Living as I do in the urban core I didn’t mind the clientele or even then contemporary music that wasn’t for old white people. I did mind their lack of product.

I think I’ve heard they closed that store and no wonder Cuz they really ruined it when they moved it.

But the Goidwill store closest to me is also urban core, and it’s in a giant warehouse which is their “ Last chance sales place.  You go there and buy clothes by the pound and anything else is by the pound I think.  I don’t go there cause I don’t need more junk at the moment, but man it’s a trip to go there. I got a super velvet coat there, vintage, and I to this day cannot figure out why it made  its way to that store. Should’ve been sold on eBay.  I’ve also picked up a fair amount of junk that cluttered my life that I ended up just jettisoning.

[FrugalAussie]

What is—

“Op shop”

“FAANG products”

?…??
[/quote]

I have no clue what FAANG means but in Australia 'Thrifts Stores' = 'Op Shops', short for 'Opportunity Shops'. Personally while there are many awesome opportunities for bargains at OpShops, I think they could be called 'Searching for Treasure Shops'.   

[rosarugosa]

According to Google:
FAANG is an acronym referring to the stocks of the five most popular and best-performing American technology companies: Meta (formerly known as Facebook), Amazon, Apple, Netflix, and Alphabet (formerly known as Google).

[Cranky]

St. Vinny’s has a bin store here, and I’m eventually going to spend a morning there. I’m looking for men’s shirts to cut up for a quilt, and I’m looking for cheap.

Goodwill here prices based on brand, I think, so some things are as low as $3.99 and some are as high as $9.99.

[iris lily]

I swung by St. Vincent de Paul today which is the big thrift store closest to me. I was looking for a couple of things to replace the things I had thrown out a few weeks ago, but you know that’s okay. I thought of Pete saying the thrift stores are our storage place and that’s fine. Anyway – I saw astonishing oak chairs from the 40s, Gothic carving, quarter sawn oak, sitting there and they were already sold. There were two of them.

Someone had carefully refinished them in a hideous shiney poly sheen, oy.  Simply awful. But these old chairs were so heavy and wonderful, and  they will survive that kind of abuse.

 I am actually glad they were already sold when I saw them because they were problematic in a couple of ways, that new finish. And then they were squatty and not nicely proportion, but oh that Gothic carving!

[Cassie]

I took 4 bags of clothes to the thrift store and they gave me 20% off whatever I bought. I usually don’t browse but did and came home with a small antique creamer for 4:)).  Recently I bought 3 pairs of pjs that were 6 each so definitely noticed thrift store inflation. I don’t have the patience to shop for pants or capris which are much harder to fit then shirts. But also I have downsized my clothes a lot especially with no longer needing old clothes for yard work.

[K_in_the_kitchen]

I was at the Goodwill Bookstore earlier this week and heard they are raising the prices on all of the books.  The employee was concerned that parents already think the children's book are expensive.  Most books will be $4 or $5 now -- children's will be less than that but she wasn't sure exactly what they would cost.

Maybe I'm old, but I just don't see paying $5 for a used book unless it was something I'd been waiting for since it was published, the library hadn't purchased it, and it was still rather new.  Even online, I look to pay under $4 including shipping, and again that's for books I'm specifically shopping for.  Browsing in a used bookstore, I'm just not likely to spend a lot of money on a book that catches my fancy, since I can go to the library and have something catch my fancy for free.

Same Goodwill charges $3 and up for coffee mugs.  They're 99¢ at the locally thrift unless priced otherwise, and they only charge more for clearly vintage mugs (but they don't charge more for the good old made in USA diner style mugs).

[Chris Pascale]

If anyone is in Council Grove, Kansas, everything in the thrift shop is $0.25. The main worry is you might buy too much stuff.

After you're done buying shirts, I'll recommend the Trail Days Cafe, which a retired judge runs as a non-profit historical site.

[SunnyDays]

I don’t mind paying $4-5 for a book.  That’s the going rate at our biggest chain, Value Village.  Salvation Army is about the same.  A local one charges 35 cents each, but their selection is crap.  The local library isn’t great either and I hate being on wait lists.  I’ve ordered some books from Thriftbooks, even though their shipping is often equal to the price of the book, but considering brand new prices, I think I’m still doing okay.

[Dicey]

Holy cow! The shop where I volunteer charges 50 cents for children's books and on Tuesdays ALL books are 25 cents. The challenge with children's books is that they rarely are in good enough shape to command premium prices. (Which is totally understandable. Kids tend to read their favorites over and over and over.)

There are simply too many books out there for those GW prices to hold.

[K_in_the_kitchen]

I don’t mind paying $4-5 for a book.  That’s the going rate at our biggest chain, Value Village.  Salvation Army is about the same.  A local one charges 35 cents each, but their selection is crap.  The local library isn’t great either and I hate being on wait lists.  I’ve ordered some books from Thriftbooks, even though their shipping is often equal to the price of the book, but considering brand new prices, I think I’m still doing okay.

I do order specific books I want from Thirftbooks on ebay, but they always offer free shipping, as well as discounts on multiple books.  Books used to come in under $4 this way, but I've noticed lately an increase in their prices as well.

My large local thrift has a huge selection of books, but they aren't organized in any manner so it's definitely a treasure hunt.  They charge $3 for hardbacks and $2 for paperbacks, and then a random $7 for textbooks which isn't great because employees will argue that any oversized book is a textbook and you really have to watch as they ring the books up and point out when a large book isn't a textbook.  Then all the books are 10¢ each once a month.

I don't mind wait lists as I have so much to read anyway, and my library is within walking distance.

[SunnyDays]

I would rather have a treasure hunt in uncategorized books than the way VV does it.  They put fiction books in non-fiction if it’s been made into a movie or tv show.  How on earth does that make it non- fiction???  Plus some books are just randomly put in the wrong sections, maybe by customers changing their minds.  Having worked in a library many years ago, I find it so aggravating and itch to redo the whole book section!

Thriftbooks charges for shipping to Canada unfortunately.  A tip for anyone buying from them - spend a few extra cents to get the best condition book they have on offer because they tend to overestimate the described condition of books.

[LaineyAZ]

Yesterday I went to our local Kid-to-Kid which is a shop for used kids clothes, shoes, jackets, toys, strollers, etc.  They also sell some new items like socks, books, or Melissa and Doug toys.
Tuesdays are "Grandparent Days" so for me it was 15% off.  I bought 7 clothing items for $20, including a pair of stretchy gym shorts which were only .85.  That's cheaper than Goodwill, it's basically yard-sale prices.

They are a buy and sell shop, and there's plenty of young families in the area, so there's always a fresh inventory. Things are gently used but clean, and they also check for recalls so you know it's safe.  I understand Kid-to-Kid is a franchise and I'm not sure how widespread their stores are but I'd highly recommend checking them out if you ever need to sell or buy stuff for the age 12 and under group.

[Cranky]

I went to St. Vincent’s bin store for the first time, and man, was that a trip!

Textiles are $1.25/lb, “small goods” are $.50/lb, and furniture was priced by the piece. Everything that doesn’t sell at the other stores goes to the Dig and Save, and is dumped into bins. There were some bins for linens, many bins for clothing, and a separate area for bins of “stuff”. There was a line waiting to get in but it wasn’t crowded. A lot of people were clearly resellers who knew what they were looking for. There were loads of CDs and dvds; I didn’t see any books but may have just missed them.

I was primarily looking for fabric to cut up for sewing things, so I was more interested in the fabric content than the label, but there was some really nice stuff.

I bought 21 cloth items, 3 stitch holders for knitting, 15 pencils and a small 31 tote bag, and spent $22. That included 2 actual quilts and a duvet cover, a Gap vest for my dd and a Duluth Trading flannel shirt for whoever snatched it up fastest.

We will definitely go there again, as it seems like the cheapest way to get fabric that I can think of.

There is so damn much stuff in existence.

[zygote]

I needed some new jeans. Miraculously, I found two pairs that fit me on the single rack filled with random sizes, styles, and lengths. $10 each.

I also needed a floor length dress for a black tie wedding I'm going to this summer. I tried on every floor length dress they had and managed to find a great option for $12. It only takes one!

I'm sure a lot of you find that expensive for Goodwill, but it's still cheaper than the other thrift or consignment stores that I have access to in the middle of NYC, and it's better from a sustainability standpoint than paying a little more to buy things new. Maybe I could do better searching online, but between shipping and the high chance whatever I order won't fit, I still think Goodwill is a pretty good deal.

[Dicey]

I needed some new jeans. Miraculously, I found two pairs that fit me on the single rack filled with random sizes, styles, and lengths. $10 each.

I also needed a floor length dress for a black tie wedding I'm going to this summer. I tried on every floor length dress they had and managed to find a great option for $12. It only takes one!

I'm sure a lot of you find that expensive for Goodwill, but it's still cheaper than the other thrift or consignment stores that I have access to in the middle of NYC, and it's better from a sustainability standpoint than paying a little more to buy things new. Maybe I could do better searching online, but between shipping and the high chance whatever I order won't fit, I still think Goodwill is a pretty good deal.

Woo-hoo! IMO hacking the wardrobe makes every fancy-pants event even more fun. Winning!

[Weisass]

I went to St. Vincent’s bin store for the first time, and man, was that a trip!

Textiles are $1.25/lb, “small goods” are $.50/lb, and furniture was priced by the piece. Everything that doesn’t sell at the other stores goes to the Dig and Save, and is dumped into bins. There were some bins for linens, many bins for clothing, and a separate area for bins of “stuff”. There was a line waiting to get in but it wasn’t crowded. A lot of people were clearly resellers who knew what they were looking for. There were loads of CDs and dvds; I didn’t see any books but may have just missed them.

I was primarily looking for fabric to cut up for sewing things, so I was more interested in the fabric content than the label, but there was some really nice stuff.

I bought 21 cloth items, 3 stitch holders for knitting, 15 pencils and a small 31 tote bag, and spent $22. That included 2 actual quilts and a duvet cover, a Gap vest for my dd and a Duluth Trading flannel shirt for whoever snatched it up fastest.

We will definitely go there again, as it seems like the cheapest way to get fabric that I can think of.

There is so damn much stuff in existence.

Never heard of such a thing around me. Sounds awesome.

[Adventine]

This isn't a thrift store story, but I thought people might get a kick out of it too.

I recently helped one of my sisters declutter and reorganize her giant mess of a closet, and in return she let me pick out any clothes I wanted.

So instead of spending money at a thrift store, I get a suitcase full of nice clothes, in sizes and styles that I like, to take home with me. Win-win and I don't even have to spend the time and money to go to a thrift store!

[JAYSLOL]

This isn't a thrift store story, but I thought people might get a kick out of it too.

I recently helped one of my sisters declutter and reorganize her giant mess of a closet, and in return she let me pick out any clothes I wanted.

So instead of spending money at a thrift store, I get a suitcase full of nice clothes, in sizes and styles that I like, to take home with me. Win-win and I don't even have to spend the time and money to go to a thrift store!

Nice!  Win-win! 

[Dicey]

This isn't a thrift store story, but I thought people might get a kick out of it too.

I recently helped one of my sisters declutter and reorganize her giant mess of a closet, and in return she let me pick out any clothes I wanted.

So instead of spending money at a thrift store, I get a suitcase full of nice clothes, in sizes and styles that I like, to take home with me. Win-win and I don't even have to spend the time and money to go to a thrift store!

Awww, you already know I love you, but here you go, just piling on more reasons. This story wins the thread, IMO!

[Allie]

I’ve been traveling and my favorite travel pants are a pair of Eddie Bauer capris.  I got them new with tags at our local goodwill a few months ago.  They were marked down to their lowest price…just a hair below $2.  The problem was they had a huge sharpie line across the front.  I took a gamble, soaked them in alcohol, and like magic it disappeared.  Brand new, perfect warm weather pants for less than a cup of coffee! 

My husband has been wearing a pair of light weight hiking pants I got him from Patagonia a couple years ago.  He insists he bought them at REI, but I’m sure I got them at goodwill.  One doesn’t easily forget when a pair of perfect hiking pants presents itself for $6.  It’s seared into my memory. 

Now, I’m excited to get home and go hunting.  I have a list of warm weather stuff I need to find for this year…the kids just keep growing.

[Dicey]

I’ve been traveling and my favorite travel pants are a pair of Eddie Bauer capris.  I got them new with tags at our local goodwill a few months ago.  They were marked down to their lowest price…just a hair below $2.  The problem was they had a huge sharpie line across the front. I took a gamble, soaked them in alcohol, and like magic it disappeared. Brand new, perfect warm weather pants for less than a cup of coffee! 

My husband has been wearing a pair of light weight hiking pants I got him from Patagonia a couple years ago.  He insists he bought them at REI, but I’m sure I got them at goodwill.  One doesn’t easily forget when a pair of perfect hiking pants presents itself for $6.  It’s seared into my memory. 

Now, I’m excited to get home and go hunting.  I have a list of warm weather stuff I need to find for this year…the kids just keep growing.

Ooh, is alcohol really a thing for removing Sharpie marks? When MIL lived with us, she had a penchant for putting pens in her pockets. She once stuffed a not-quite-firmly-capped Sharpie into a back pocket and sat on a velveteen chair in the living room. Then she moved to the sofa, leaving Sharpie stripes on both. I've never tried to remove them, just turned the cushions around. I was afraid of doing more damage.

Also, I completely believe you got those Patagonia pants at GW. Screaming deals (quality + value + serendipity) get seared into our memories, don't they?

[Allie]

I’ve been traveling and my favorite travel pants are a pair of Eddie Bauer capris.  I got them new with tags at our local goodwill a few months ago.  They were marked down to their lowest price…just a hair below $2.  The problem was they had a huge sharpie line across the front. I took a gamble, soaked them in alcohol, and like magic it disappeared. Brand new, perfect warm weather pants for less than a cup of coffee! 

My husband has been wearing a pair of light weight hiking pants I got him from Patagonia a couple years ago.  He insists he bought them at REI, but I’m sure I got them at goodwill.  One doesn’t easily forget when a pair of perfect hiking pants presents itself for $6.  It’s seared into my memory. 

Now, I’m excited to get home and go hunting.  I have a list of warm weather stuff I need to find for this year…the kids just keep growing.

Ooh, is alcohol really a thing for removing Sharpie marks? When MIL lived with us, she had a penchant for putting pens in her pockets. She once stuffed a not-quite-firmly-capped Sharpie into a back pocket and sat on a velveteen chair in the living room. Then she moved to the sofa, leaving Sharpie stripes on both. I've never tried to remove them, just turned the cushions around. I was afraid of doing more damage.

Also, I completely believe you got those Patagonia pants at GW. Screaming deals (quality + value + serendipity) get seared into our memories, don't they?

I’ve had great success with rubbing alcohol (not vodka) removing sharpie on both hard surfaces and soft.  I’d test it on an area to make sure the alcohol doesn’t hurt the fabric itself and know that it will lift the marker, but may also move the ink and kinda spread it, so blot and apply carefully!  I’ll dump a ton on clothes so it just sort of wash’s all the ink off, then wash them out, but on furniture and rugs, where you can’t wash off the excess it’s a slower process to lift and remove by blotting. 

Alcohol also lifts sap.  We have tons of pine where we are and I’ll find great outdoor things at the goodwill that are sappy.

My Dd loves doing things herself and art.  It was a joyful day when she was gifted a set of colored sharpies.  She knows they are permanent markers and takes great pride in being allowed to use things that need to be treated carefully.  I was comfortable giving them to her because I know I can get it out of 99% of the things it gets on.  One thing that doesn’t come off easily is foam and certain rubbery plastics. 

I hope it works for you!

[slackmax]

My Goodwill sells pants for $8.  I recently noticed that hardback books are now $5 at Goodwill, which surprised me, as this is higher than the price for a hardback at the Goodwill Bookstore (or now a book and collectibles store).  But I also realize I have no idea how much a hardback book costs new these days.

But it isn't just Goodwill; my large locally owned thrift store also prices a lot of items really high.  Sometimes I see vintage Pyrex and the like priced higher than ebay.  But they don't catch everything, especially unmarked vintage items -- I recently came home with a Fenton milk glass cake stand that was priced at $5, and I had a half price coupon from their anniversary sale.  This particular pattern regularly sells for over $50 ebay.  Then at the Goodwill Bookstore I found a large Metlox bowl for $6 that also sells for over $50 on a regular basis.  Neither of those pieces are marked with a maker -- you just have to know.  My grandmother had a lot of Fenton glass, and since she and my grandfather lived in Los Angeles during the height of the L.A pottery boom, I've learned a lot of about the various manufacturers and their pieces.

This week's big thrift score was 145 books for $15.77, which includes sales tax.  The independent thrift store clears out books once a month, charging 10¢ each with a 10 book minimum.  Between the pandemic and having other things scheduled on the sale day, it's been a few years since I've gone.

I don't resell anything, or at least I haven't yet.  I buy housewares that "spark joy" and that I plan to use, and with the books, I'm frequently putting finished books in a Little Free Library (I'll buy classic children's books for 10¢ just to put them directly in the LFL), or I donate nicer books to our Friends of the Library for their bookstore and sales.  Bringing in the gorgeous Fenton cake stand meant the thrifted plain Anchor Hocking cake stand I had made its way back to the thrift store.

I have noticed high prices in my local Goodwill store. I sell stuff at a flea market, and the flea market prices are about half of what Goodwill sells it for.

But even at half the Goodwill price, a lot of my product goes unsold.  Ironically, I end up donating a lot of my unsold stuff to the Goodwill. I know they will be able to sell it, because I see it on their shelves. A good example is loose leaf paper binders. I can't give them away at the flea market, but Goodwill has them priced at $1 to $2 each. God bless them.

Your 10 cent books is an exception! 10 cents per book is a great deal.  I ask 50 cents per book.

I think the people who shop at Goodwill never go to flea markets, maybe.   

I may sound like I am complaining, and I suppose I am, but I don't really have anything to complain about (well yes, I do, but whatever). 

It's just fascinating to me how economics works. 

[Sugaree]

My child has recently informed me that he hates the thrift store and always feels like he needs a bath after leaving one.  How is this my kid? 

[Frankies Girl]

I love the thrift stores and agree I feel like I need a bath... and sometimes like I need the cleansing of fire to alleviate the grunge.



My area's GoodWill has done a controversial and mercenary move: they're eliminating the veteran/teacher/senior discount completely and also the 75% off day. It's now only 25% M-W and 50% Th-Sun, on the week's featured color tags. People are ENRAGED. They'd already raised prices over the last year - dresses and blouses used to be $6, now they're $7 and they've also closed down several locations and turned a few of them into the scary bin free-for-all bulk by the pound stores (I visited one that used to be a nice "select" store and OMG never again).



I already only donate to one place that is a small community based charity shop that has much nicer facilities and looks more like a retail store (but still with amazing pricing) because they give back a much larger portion to the people in the area. Also another one that is specifically for the local school district (it's pretty cool too). I do still hunt at GW, but it hasn't been as easy to find any good stuff as I think it's much more widespread to find fun things.

I did take a load of clothing and good costume jewelry to the thrift store last week and picked up a huge leather look black purse for $1. I also scored a pretty rare video game that I have missed out on multiple times in auction for about 75% less than I could resell if I was into selling games... which I'm not.

[Morning Glory]

Baby #1 drops pacifier. Mama immediately swoops it up, puts it in a plastic bag and gets a sterile pacifier out of the diaper bag.

Baby #2 drops pacifier. Mama picks it up, sticks it in her mouth, then gives it back to baby.

It's a little different with bottles. Incidental germ exposure from licking the floor, etc. is going to happen, but bacteria is a numbers game and if you give them a good medium like warm milk and a little time, they will proliferate quickly.

I got a.microwave sterilizer at a thrift store for my kid. It was an extra step after washing but overall pretty easy.

I'm with Dicey here, only I wiped them on my shirt instead of putting them in my mouth.  All the parenting books I had said that bottles just had to be clean, not sterile, unless you had a preemie or immunocompromized kiddo.  As soon as they come out of the sterilizer and touch anything they aren't sterile any more anyway. 

[Sugaree]

Baby #1 drops pacifier. Mama immediately swoops it up, puts it in a plastic bag and gets a sterile pacifier out of the diaper bag.

Baby #2 drops pacifier. Mama picks it up, sticks it in her mouth, then gives it back to baby.

It's a little different with bottles. Incidental germ exposure from licking the floor, etc. is going to happen, but bacteria is a numbers game and if you give them a good medium like warm milk and a little time, they will proliferate quickly.

I got a.microwave sterilizer at a thrift store for my kid. It was an extra step after washing but overall pretty easy.

I'm with Dicey here, only I wiped them on my shirt instead of putting them in my mouth.  All the parenting books I had said that bottles just had to be clean, not sterile, unless you had a preemie or immunocompromized kiddo.  As soon as they come out of the sterilizer and touch anything they aren't sterile any more anyway.

We had the Dr. Brown's bottles with a thousand parts, so while I logically knew that they weren't sterilized once they came out of the microwave thing, it made me feel better to have run it through and theoretically knock down the number of bacteria in those nooks and crannies.  We'd refill them and put them in the fridge almost immediately after cleaning them so that I could clean all the pump parts while I was cleaning bottles. 

[slackmax]

Another flea market vs Goodwill example:  I have tried to sell suitcases at the flea market. Big sign on the nice medium size suitcase  indicating One Dollar ($1.00)  and no one even looks at it all day, every day.  Same story for big, small, medium, soft shell or hard shell suitcases.   


What is Goodwill asking for the same type of suitcase? Twenty-Five dollars.  Wow, just wow.

[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

[Serendip]

Our local thrift store sells books for $1 and they have a pretty incredible selection. Funny thing is that they have a sign at the donation area saying 'we do NOT accept books, NO books'. But people don't read the sign or ignore it so they constantly have books coming in. I am amazed at how recent some of the titles are..but maybe since we live in a popular vacation spot, people just buy books and leave them?!

I scored a great winter coat earlier this year, perfect for skiing (it was new, I paid maybe $20).. I've never received so many compliments on a piece of gear before :)

I do love thrift stores--just try to be realistic about how many things/clothes/books I actually need and will use. I like the option for variety without the associated guilt of buying new (both financial and environmental)

[Ladychips]

My husband bought a bag of scuba gear at goodwill for $16. Took it to the scuba store and can consign it for $150, but he's keeping the $50 knife. He was so happy

[Dicey]

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!

[Sugaree]

My husband bought a bag of scuba gear at goodwill for $16. Took it to the scuba store and can consign it for $150, but he's keeping the $50 knife. He was so happy

Nice score!  I live kinda close to an unclaimed baggage store.  It used to be that it was worth going to.  Then they started hiring people who knew what things were worth.  Then they started hiring people who *thought* they knew what things were worth.  An example of this is a 25 year old regulator priced at $300.  It wasn't even that expensive new and good luck getting parts for it.