Thrift Finds

[nocashmissy]

I've been scoping this site for about a week. I haven't really seen a thread on Thrift store finds. This is my favorite thing to do. It is like a challenge for me to find the best deal or item for cheap. I venture the thrift stores just about weekly. I go to 3 different towns. I work in one, do some shopping in another and pay a bill in another. All of the towns are within 30 minutes of my house. I live in a small with just about nothing. So I have to travel.
Ok my best finds lately:
1. Tommy Hilfiger Jeans(like new) 2.00 (for oldest son 13)
2. Aeropostle tshirt 2.00 (for oldest son)
3. Levis(new with original price tag and a small rip at botton leg) $2.00 (self)
4. Tupperware pitcher .50
5. Dozen canning jars with lids $3.00
6. Liz claiborn purse 2.00 (like new)
I have 3 kids and this really saves me $$ my oldest (16) daugher refuses to wear clothes from thrift stores so I don't usually buy her anything. If I do I just slip it in her laundry basket. My oldest son (13) he is alright with it as long as it is name brand or I just slip it into his basket. My youngest son (11) he doesnt' even have a clue. I don't even tell him just put it in his laundry basket. My husband is hard to find for but he is fine with it. He is learning that clothes are expensive. Me I love it. The only clothes I buy myself brand spanking new is my work uniforms and shoes. I have bought shoes at the thrift store though. and I buy all undergarments new. I have bought a slip from the thrift store. The clothes I do buy for myself new have to be extremely cheap like under $5 new or a really good deal.
Happy Hunting for a good deal.

[ajrsmom]

Im with you Missy

I found our local Salvation Army Store this past summer and since then I have had pretty good luck finding clothes for my son. The last time I was there was about 2 months ago and they were having a 1/2 off sale on some of their stuff. I was looking for jeans for him so off I went determined to only buy the 1/2 off stuff.....since most of the better jeans run $2.00-$3.00, 1/2 off was great! I ended up buying him 6 pairs of jeans ( all name brand like Arizona & Levis), 0ne pair of heavy corduroy jeans ( think they were Levis)& one pair of casual blue pants for $8.00. My mother bought him another pair of jeans and a sweatshirt for $1.00. She also found a pair of brand new leather loafers for herself for 50 cents! She is tiny so she had a blast going through all of the clothes. She took home 3 bags stuffed full of clothes for $10.00. Since I wear plus-size stuff, its a little harder for me to find anything that is in decent shape....but I keep looking.

We also found a beautiful wooden desk for my sons room for $40.00. It is solid wood with a lot of details on it.


It made me mad the other day when I went to GoodWill to drop of some clothes...... It snowed the past week here and when we pulled around back to drop off the clothes, they just left all of the furniture donations, toys and everything else outside to get wet! I saw a great dresser set with a beautiful matching mirror sitting there covered with snow. I asked the guy why they didnt take the stuff inside before it started to rot and he just rolled his eyes and said"We'll get to it".


Guess we take the good with the bad.

Keep up the good work with the great deals!! Im on the hunt for baby stuff now. Ever notice that when you DONT need something,its always there but when you want to find something, you cant??? LOL!

[chea]

I love the thrift stores!! You can keep the malls and all of their expensive clothes that are all the same anyway. I have a Salvation Army near me and I just went in and spent about $30 and got TONS of clothes for dh, ds and I. Let me see you do THAT at any mall!!

[nocashmissy]

I agree with the mall thing, i hate the mall now, I used to love it but now that $$ is tight I don't go. I did go about 3 times over christmas but of course I dreaded it and looked on clearance racks. My daughter just rolls her eyes when I come home and say "LOOK what I found today". But I have seen her leave for school in my Black suede jacket I bought about a month ago and she asked me about my wool plaid short waisted jacket with suede coller and cufffs last night. I just said I bought it at the GOODWILL. Just remember the last friday and saturday of the month is 50% off entire store(except new items.) Hmmm thats coming up.

[ldyroper]

I recently needed a used dresser for our spare room, as my oldest was moving home for a bit- Went to the salvation army, and found one for $5 ! It wasnt pretty, but it would work. I also love to buy books there, usually only cost .25 or .50. Sure beats 5.95 for a new one. Ive found new stuff with tages still on- and almost new stuff too. Cant be beat. Times are really tight for use now too, I spent to much at Xmas, and are a bit over our heads right now/ every little bit helps.

[MrsManiac]

I love going to thrift stores!! Just before Christmas, I got a HUGE box full of food storage containers(Tupperware and Rubbermaid, etc) for $3.00. I bought all my "new size" clothes there, too. I'm losing weight and refuse to buy something new just to get rid of it in a few months!! The cheapest one is right here in town, but there's a St. Vincent de Paul close by, and a Salvation Army that I haven't found yet over in the city.

I'm looking forward to spring/summer when the yard sales start, too!

[katydid987]

It's great to find like minded people. I do all of my clothes shopping at the thrift stores. I have also decorated my house with beautiful things that I bought at thrift stores and garage sales. They often need to be cleaned up or repainted, but if you have a little imagination you can work wonders. People are usually amazed to find out where something they're admiring came from.

I bought the dress and shoes I wore to my DH's Christmas party at a thrift store. I also bought the half slip to go with it. Total cost for the beautiful outfit I got so many compliments on - $11. I even wore the same dress for the Captain's dinner on a recent cruise (paid for with all the $$$$ I save, hahahaha).

Katie

[MrsManiac]

My favorite find came from a freebie my neighbor let me have after her annual yard sale. It's an old handmade tv cabinet. It was really scratched and bad-looking. I dragged it home, sanded it, painted it white, added "curtains" from an old sheet, and voila! the kids have a wonderful puppet theater, complete with a little drawer at the bottom for the puppets!

My second favorite was an ugly old table I bought for $2. It was painted bright red and black. As I was stripping the paint off, (7 layers worth, I might add!) I discovered it was a mahogany table with a marble top!! Estimated worth? $5000!!!! I still have it--it's going to be a "family heirloom" someday, I hope.

[katydid987]

Wow, those are both great finds!!!! I haven't come across anything that's valuable to anyone but me. I do have some very unique things. though.

Katie

[MrsManiac]

I have some neat stuff, too. I especially like to re-do something that's still got a bit of life left. I just bought a wreath with some ugly old flowers on it. I also grabbed a cut stuffed bunny and some ribbon, and am going to make an Easter wreath--for about .75! It'll be simple, because I'm not a crafty person, but it'll look very nice! I made a few for the store to display, to show people what can be done with a little imagination. The Easter one I made for them has a cross in the center, with doves(old Christmas decorations) and white flowers(swiped from an arrangement that was no longer).

I always try to look beyond the obvious--that's what makes it fun lol!