A while back there were some toys from China that were found to have too much lead in them. The media went crazy because 1) people hate the Made in China label in the first place and 2) ingesting lead is bad, especially for children and infants/toddlers have a tendency to put anything they find in their mouth.
So, people wrote their congressmen (and women); a law was written (CPSIA) and passed; and as a result of that justified hysteria a whole host of things that are perfectly useful and will never find their way to a toddler's mouth are being thrown out. Even items that have acceptable levels of lead according to a limited testing will be thrown out because precious few can afford the more comprehensive and more expensive testing the government now requires. If they continue to sell or "distribute" (which includes just giving the items away) these items and they turn out to have lead in them that more comprehensive testing would have revealed, they could face large fines and even jail time.
Before 1985, the illustrations in children's books (the paper and cardboard kind) used lead. Therefore, because they are an item children use, all children's books printed before 1985 are suspect. This even applies to libraries. Why? Because libraries "distribute" books and CPSIA applies to all distributors.
Libraries, which had been given a year's stay, are unsure if they will be allowed to keep any children's books printed before 1985. Some have begun to quarantine books.
Even some thrift stores, which I thought had been made exempt, have decided to throw out pre-1985 "ordinary" children's books and any children's clothes that have metal parts as a way of avoiding future liability. It makes more financial sense to just throw the items away.
What's next? Seriously, what other insanity is going to come out of this law? I didn't think I would ever advocate anything political on this blog, but something needs to be done. So, write your local paper, call or send a letter/email to your congressman, find some way of stopping this insanity before we lose something more than some clothes and a part of our heritage.
Showing posts with label thrift store. Show all posts
Showing posts with label thrift store. Show all posts
Friday, February 27, 2009
Monday, September 22, 2008
The Art of Thrift Store Shopping, Part Two
Last week I talked about the pre-shopping part of thrift store shopping. Now, I'm going to take you through one of my more successful trips so that you can get a sense of how I do it. The key part of this by the way is speed. If you try to find "good deals" you'll end up spending an hour or two. Focus only on what you need and things go a lot faster.
And now, one of my trips.
Finding what you want
We were given a set of mattresses through a friend of a friend and I was thrilled. It was high time for my youngest to move into a bigger bed. Now, I just needed sheets for it: two sets if I could manage it.
First tips: try to go to a store near a place you'll be going anyway (this helps cut down on the frustration if there's nothing there), go when you have more than one item you're looking for, and set limits.
So, I went to a thrift store that's near a place where I do part of my grocery shopping. I set both a time limit and a budget limit. Because I wasn't just going there for sheets -- I knew we needed coffee cups, some Christmas toys because I like to spread out the cost, and maternity clothes -- I budgeted for those plus a little extra just in case I found some small item that wasn't on my list but would help our family (there are some things that aren't high priority but are difficult to find at thrift stores).
Because I was doing this as part of my weekly grocery shopping, I set my time limit at 30 min. I could do it in less than that, but I wanted to give myself some room just in case I found several options and wanted some time to think about it.
Next tip: be open to possibilities... within reason.
When I walked into the store, I went straight for the back where the dishes are kept because those are very easy to look through. On my way there I passed the book section and got the feeling I should stop and look for a book. So, knowing that when I do I often find something I didn't even know we needed, I followed that prompting and before long I've narrowed it down to one particular hardback book. It's a decent price, though a bit pricey considering my budget, and it fits in with some of the stuff my husband and I have talked about. I get the feeling the book isn't for me though... it's for him. I put it back on the shelf and get the feeling once again I should buy it. So, in spite of my doubt (do books really need to cost that much and why can't I go to the library for this one?), I put it in the cart. Just below it I see a book on cake decorating that I feel I should get. That also goes in the cart (I'm ambivalent about this book for the rest of my trip because it's about a subject I'm not interested in at all).
I eventually find out that one of my friends is far more artistic than I thought, so the book gets marked for her. Also, I later find out that the book I bought for my husband has helped him in more areas than I thought.
Back to the trip: throughout this, I'm still keeping things within my budget. That's the key. As long as I spend the overall amount I've previously decided on, I'm still okay with these extra purchases.
Next tips: try to only go to the areas you feel you need to visit, and don't spend a lot of time in those areas. If you must go to a different area of the store, visit it as part of your route through... don't make a special trip for it.
Then, on to the dishes. I'm in luck today... there's a set of three coffee cups in a shade of blue that will match the blue in our plates. And they're not only in a solid color but I really like the way they're shaped. I was kind of hoping for a larger set, or something bigger, sturdier but these are very nice and I get the feeling they'll grow on me (they did and have become my favorites).
Next, come the maternity clothes. I "scan" the rack or, in other words, I very quickly flip through the clothes hanging up... very, very quickly. Because I already have an idea of what colors I'm looking for, and I'm really trying to keep a coordinated wardrobe to maximize efficiency, I'm able to dismiss any clothes that don't fit within that color scheme. Today I can't find anything, no pants or shirts or even a decent dress, so I begin to glance at the tops of the racks where the toys are kept as I make my way to the area where the sheets are kept.
And there, in among the toys is a cleaning caddy. And it's a good one, made of decent plastic, unlike many I've been seeing in the retail stores. And it's one tenth the price of the ones in the stores.
This was a lower priority item since I'd found substitutes that kind of worked, but I have never seen one of these in any store I've visited. I've especially never seen one at this price. It's a hideous shade of brown but who cares! It's a good cleaning caddy! So, it also goes into the cart as part of the extra in my budget that I talked about earlier.
Since then, it has been more than useful to me, making cleaning up after all our kids much, much easier.
Don't see any toys that might work for Christmas, so it's on to the next item: the sheets. The only good set I can find for a twin size bed is $10 for the whole set. And that isn't bad at all, especially considering how nice the fabric is, but I was hoping to find two sets or at least one more fitted sheet. And I was also hoping to find something more suited for a little kid; these sheets look a little too grown up in their classic-ness.
Sheets are the one thing I don't like buying at this thrift store because I can never be entirely sure from the way they're folded on the hanger if they're fitted or flat and that's one thing that isn't written on the tag. So, I have to carefully unfold part of it and search for the elastic. Impatient as I am, this drives me nuts. Thankfully, I've found one set (even if it's not exactly what I wanted) and it's made of good fabric in a classic design that won't clash too bad with my baby's room, so I'm not disappointed.
I still have some money left in my budget and decide to look in two more areas: towels and men's clothes.
I find several towels in good condition for a couple of dollars each. I really don't care about color but I do care about fluffiness: these are nice and fluffy. I get a few so that everyone can finally have their own towel. (This was my fault. I just hadn't kept track of how many towels were getting worn out.) I almost get some hand towels that match the colors of the master bathroom and decide against it. If I find what I'm looking for in the men's section, I'll be over budget.
Next tip: when looking for clothes, triple check for stains, tears, poor construction, etc. You may think you've looked but you may not have looked hard enough. Think, "Why on earth would someone give this away?"
Finally, I take a look for some shirts for Mr. Vinca. "Scanning" the racks, I find a couple of shirts he can wear to work (one rayon and one a lovely cotton/linen blend in a wonderful color for him) and a more casual shirt that he can lounge around the house in. And it's a baseball type shirt at that. He'll love it.
After checking all over very carefully for any rips, tears, stains, or any other reason I could possibly think of for someone to get rid of such nice shirts, I find a very small stain on the upper corner of the baseball shirt. It doesn't look too bad... I think I might be able to get it out with some stain lifter I have at home (I find later that I was right). The other two shirts don't seem to have anything wrong with them, so I check them again just to be sure. The one time I didn't triple check a garment, it turned out to have an unmendable hole under the arm. Well, I could have mended it but it would have looked really bad. I'm not going through that again.
I still don't see anything and each shirt is between $2-3. So, in the cart they go.
And that ends my trip. This was a very, very good trip. I don't usually find such great deals or sometimes even something I can use until I find what I want. There have been times I've gone and haven't found anything we need.
I take the things to my car and do my grocery shopping, still inside the 30 minute limit.
What to do what you can't find what you need
I look at Stuff like wind currents. Stuff is created by someone and passed along to someone else, who passes it along to someone else or else more stuff is created. And eventually you will get the things you need if you're looking and you're willing to make do with what you have in the meantime.
Movie spoilers follow... just so you know.
To use an example from a movie (can you tell I'm a movie buff?) in Cast Away, Tom Hanks' character spends years on a deserted island. He learns to make do with what the island can give him, which is really very little. It's a hard life and yet he manages to adapt and not go too crazy in the process (Wilson the Volleyball aside).
And then, one day, part of a port-a-potty washes up on the beach. Now, up to this point, his character has resigned himself to living on the island because he doesn't have the strength to make it over this one part of the waves that rush to the island. So when he sees that ripped up piece, he doesn't see trash... he sees a sail.
I feel many things in our life are like that. I feel sometimes we look at our lives and say we have nothing when in fact we have quite a bit; we just need to expand our definitions a bit. Okay, maybe a lot. But eventually, whatever you truly need in life will wash up on the shore, and hopefully, by that point in your life, you'll be able to see it for what it is and have the strength and creativity to use it. It's just the nature of Stuff.
And now, one of my trips.
Finding what you want
We were given a set of mattresses through a friend of a friend and I was thrilled. It was high time for my youngest to move into a bigger bed. Now, I just needed sheets for it: two sets if I could manage it.
First tips: try to go to a store near a place you'll be going anyway (this helps cut down on the frustration if there's nothing there), go when you have more than one item you're looking for, and set limits.
So, I went to a thrift store that's near a place where I do part of my grocery shopping. I set both a time limit and a budget limit. Because I wasn't just going there for sheets -- I knew we needed coffee cups, some Christmas toys because I like to spread out the cost, and maternity clothes -- I budgeted for those plus a little extra just in case I found some small item that wasn't on my list but would help our family (there are some things that aren't high priority but are difficult to find at thrift stores).
Because I was doing this as part of my weekly grocery shopping, I set my time limit at 30 min. I could do it in less than that, but I wanted to give myself some room just in case I found several options and wanted some time to think about it.
Next tip: be open to possibilities... within reason.
When I walked into the store, I went straight for the back where the dishes are kept because those are very easy to look through. On my way there I passed the book section and got the feeling I should stop and look for a book. So, knowing that when I do I often find something I didn't even know we needed, I followed that prompting and before long I've narrowed it down to one particular hardback book. It's a decent price, though a bit pricey considering my budget, and it fits in with some of the stuff my husband and I have talked about. I get the feeling the book isn't for me though... it's for him. I put it back on the shelf and get the feeling once again I should buy it. So, in spite of my doubt (do books really need to cost that much and why can't I go to the library for this one?), I put it in the cart. Just below it I see a book on cake decorating that I feel I should get. That also goes in the cart (I'm ambivalent about this book for the rest of my trip because it's about a subject I'm not interested in at all).
I eventually find out that one of my friends is far more artistic than I thought, so the book gets marked for her. Also, I later find out that the book I bought for my husband has helped him in more areas than I thought.
Back to the trip: throughout this, I'm still keeping things within my budget. That's the key. As long as I spend the overall amount I've previously decided on, I'm still okay with these extra purchases.
Next tips: try to only go to the areas you feel you need to visit, and don't spend a lot of time in those areas. If you must go to a different area of the store, visit it as part of your route through... don't make a special trip for it.
Then, on to the dishes. I'm in luck today... there's a set of three coffee cups in a shade of blue that will match the blue in our plates. And they're not only in a solid color but I really like the way they're shaped. I was kind of hoping for a larger set, or something bigger, sturdier but these are very nice and I get the feeling they'll grow on me (they did and have become my favorites).
Next, come the maternity clothes. I "scan" the rack or, in other words, I very quickly flip through the clothes hanging up... very, very quickly. Because I already have an idea of what colors I'm looking for, and I'm really trying to keep a coordinated wardrobe to maximize efficiency, I'm able to dismiss any clothes that don't fit within that color scheme. Today I can't find anything, no pants or shirts or even a decent dress, so I begin to glance at the tops of the racks where the toys are kept as I make my way to the area where the sheets are kept.
And there, in among the toys is a cleaning caddy. And it's a good one, made of decent plastic, unlike many I've been seeing in the retail stores. And it's one tenth the price of the ones in the stores.
This was a lower priority item since I'd found substitutes that kind of worked, but I have never seen one of these in any store I've visited. I've especially never seen one at this price. It's a hideous shade of brown but who cares! It's a good cleaning caddy! So, it also goes into the cart as part of the extra in my budget that I talked about earlier.
Since then, it has been more than useful to me, making cleaning up after all our kids much, much easier.
Don't see any toys that might work for Christmas, so it's on to the next item: the sheets. The only good set I can find for a twin size bed is $10 for the whole set. And that isn't bad at all, especially considering how nice the fabric is, but I was hoping to find two sets or at least one more fitted sheet. And I was also hoping to find something more suited for a little kid; these sheets look a little too grown up in their classic-ness.
Sheets are the one thing I don't like buying at this thrift store because I can never be entirely sure from the way they're folded on the hanger if they're fitted or flat and that's one thing that isn't written on the tag. So, I have to carefully unfold part of it and search for the elastic. Impatient as I am, this drives me nuts. Thankfully, I've found one set (even if it's not exactly what I wanted) and it's made of good fabric in a classic design that won't clash too bad with my baby's room, so I'm not disappointed.
I still have some money left in my budget and decide to look in two more areas: towels and men's clothes.
I find several towels in good condition for a couple of dollars each. I really don't care about color but I do care about fluffiness: these are nice and fluffy. I get a few so that everyone can finally have their own towel. (This was my fault. I just hadn't kept track of how many towels were getting worn out.) I almost get some hand towels that match the colors of the master bathroom and decide against it. If I find what I'm looking for in the men's section, I'll be over budget.
Next tip: when looking for clothes, triple check for stains, tears, poor construction, etc. You may think you've looked but you may not have looked hard enough. Think, "Why on earth would someone give this away?"
Finally, I take a look for some shirts for Mr. Vinca. "Scanning" the racks, I find a couple of shirts he can wear to work (one rayon and one a lovely cotton/linen blend in a wonderful color for him) and a more casual shirt that he can lounge around the house in. And it's a baseball type shirt at that. He'll love it.
After checking all over very carefully for any rips, tears, stains, or any other reason I could possibly think of for someone to get rid of such nice shirts, I find a very small stain on the upper corner of the baseball shirt. It doesn't look too bad... I think I might be able to get it out with some stain lifter I have at home (I find later that I was right). The other two shirts don't seem to have anything wrong with them, so I check them again just to be sure. The one time I didn't triple check a garment, it turned out to have an unmendable hole under the arm. Well, I could have mended it but it would have looked really bad. I'm not going through that again.
I still don't see anything and each shirt is between $2-3. So, in the cart they go.
And that ends my trip. This was a very, very good trip. I don't usually find such great deals or sometimes even something I can use until I find what I want. There have been times I've gone and haven't found anything we need.
I take the things to my car and do my grocery shopping, still inside the 30 minute limit.
What to do what you can't find what you need
I look at Stuff like wind currents. Stuff is created by someone and passed along to someone else, who passes it along to someone else or else more stuff is created. And eventually you will get the things you need if you're looking and you're willing to make do with what you have in the meantime.
Movie spoilers follow... just so you know.
To use an example from a movie (can you tell I'm a movie buff?) in Cast Away, Tom Hanks' character spends years on a deserted island. He learns to make do with what the island can give him, which is really very little. It's a hard life and yet he manages to adapt and not go too crazy in the process (Wilson the Volleyball aside).
And then, one day, part of a port-a-potty washes up on the beach. Now, up to this point, his character has resigned himself to living on the island because he doesn't have the strength to make it over this one part of the waves that rush to the island. So when he sees that ripped up piece, he doesn't see trash... he sees a sail.
I feel many things in our life are like that. I feel sometimes we look at our lives and say we have nothing when in fact we have quite a bit; we just need to expand our definitions a bit. Okay, maybe a lot. But eventually, whatever you truly need in life will wash up on the shore, and hopefully, by that point in your life, you'll be able to see it for what it is and have the strength and creativity to use it. It's just the nature of Stuff.
Friday, September 19, 2008
The Art of Thrift Store Shopping, Part One
Inspired by a post on HeavenlyHomemakers.com, I've decided to write today about how I've found good deals at my local thrift stores.
For those with little time, I'll summarize:
* Start with a plan (limit time and money)
* Where you live matters (some areas just don't have good deals... in those cases it might be better to find other sources... also, try to go to thrift stores that are near a place you usually go anyway)
* Make sure of the layout (know your store before you shop)
* Thrift stores don't have very little instant gratification so anticipate needs
Now, for the details. I discuss the four items above in this post. Next week I'll post part 2 where I'll take y'all through one of my thrift store excursions while I discuss the rest of the main points, such as how I quickly find what I want and the importance of planning a little extra in your budget.
Start with a plan
I know this sounds obvious, but I've known too many women who drift through thrift stores with no idea what they should buy... they're just looking for A Good Deal. Sometimes this is all right. When I have extra money, I sometimes like to wander through one of the larger thrift stores in our area just to see what they have. But even then, I try to do it when I have a clear idea of what our family needs. And this doesn't just end at clothes.
When it comes to shopping, I have two lists. One is for food, and the other is "non-perishables"... or, in other words, anything that isn't food. :) I used to try to keep it all in my head, and now I just have a special section in my weekly shopping list where I can write all these things down. Some non-perishables can take a long time to find at a decent price: sheets, some clothes, dishes, etc. Then again, this depends on your definition of decent. I refuse to spend more than $2 on a set of coffee mugs. And I absolutely refuse to spend $20 on 300 count twin size sheets when I've been able to find them at the thrift store for less than $10 for a complete set.
At this point in my planning, I try to have a general idea of color scheme because I like it when things match. It makes the house much more hospitable if I have a general theme going, if only in color. I'm not quite as picky about things like sheets and towels as long as the kids and my husband like them and they kind of, sort of go with the rest of the house.
Now, at this stage, it's very likely that you'll discover something that you didn't think was a big priority that actually was. My husband's clothes, for example. At 6'3" he's pretty tall and it's difficult to find clothes for him. He also tends not to complain about not having enough work shirts or pants. Because of this, I've had times when he's been down to one or two shirts and I didn't know it (and I'm the one who should be keeping track of this anyway since I'm the one who actually washes them... one of the side-effects of having a large family). At this point (and I'll explain more later) a thrift store is often not the best option. It's at this point that I feel no guilt in spending $20 to get my husband a couple of decent work shirts that fit him (on clearance of course... if I can manage it). If you go through the house, or even just take note as you take care of the house during the day, you'll catch a lot of needs and everyone in your house will thank you for it.
So, you've looked through your house, discovered what you need to get for your family, and now you've either written it down or at least have a clear idea in your head.
But is a thrift store the best option for those items?
Where you live matters
My family would joke that the best place to get candy at Halloween was never our neighborhood. The best place to go trick-or-treating was a higher-class subdivision 30 min away where homeowners gave out so much candy you could fill a king-size pillowcase with it within an hour or two.
I am not kidding about the candy. They really gave out that much.
Of course, this was back in the late nineties, but the point still remains: nicer neighborhoods tend to get rid of nicer stuff. The nicer neighborhoods will often have the best deals at thrift stores. I've found beautiful dresses and gorgeous sweaters, not to mention very nice, durable jeans back in the days when I wore them every... single... day and all of them were in the nicer neighborhoods. Garage sales in those neighborhoods also tend to have nicer items, though unfortunately the people who hold them haven't usually gone to enough garage sales to know how to price them, but that's another essay. :) The not-so-nice neighborhoods sometimes have very good finds, but it takes longer to find them.
I've only spent a couple of years at a college town, but I'm finding it's also a decent place for thrift stores.
I mention this because some people get frustrated with thrift store shopping and rightfully so. It will rarely have the instant gratification that a typical retail store has. But knowing location has a part to play in the quality of a thrift store might keep one from missing out on a great deal and that's the point of going to the thrift store in the first place.
Which brings me to my next point: the best way to find out about the quality of a thrift store is to actually step inside.
Know your store
Every time I visit a thrift store for the first time, I rarely shop. If I do, it won't be until the end of my visit. At first, I try to get a feel for where everything is located, as well as quality, so that in the future my trips (if I come back) will be much shorter.
First, I'll try to get an idea of how they organize their clothes and where the different kinds of clothes are since that's the main selling point in the store. Maternity clothes and specialty clothes, as well as sheets and bedding are one of the things that take priority in my search since some stores have a special rack for those items and some mix it in with other things or shove them off to a corner. At the same time, I take a look at the quality of the items themselves. I won't expect high-quality but I will keep an eye out for the amount of times I come across something I wouldn't expect to find in a thrift store.
Then, I'll look at the items around the perimeter of the store, the hardware, dishes, appliances, furniture, etc. That way, if I see a lot of good items in a particular department I'll know which store will likely have what I need for that particular kind of item. For example, there's a store to the south of me, run by a church organization, that gets furniture from a big name furniture store. Although I haven't purchased anything from there yet, I know the quality is excellent and I'll get a lot for my money if I ever need to get new furniture. Even the not-so-nice furniture in the back of the store is beautiful and often a fantastic deal.
If I make this overview part of my thift store shopping, I'll wait until I've looked at all the sections (some of these thrift stores can be pretty big) and then I'll do my actual shopping.
How thrift stores are different
There is one thing that needs to be understood from the start: thrift stores may try to mimic retail stores but they operate in a very different way.
Because retail stores get several of the same item, in several sizes, and hold them there for a few months, chances are good that the dress you saw that looked so gorgeous will still be there when you decide to pick it up a couple of weeks later. In fact, it might even be on sale by then if they're getting rid of their inventory. The gratification is often instant unless you're very picky or very frugal (me and me).
Thrift stores depend on donations and that usually means one item of its kind on the rack. So, if you see something you need, you will need to get it right then. More often, you'll spend time looking through racks and shelves and come up empty-handed because they didn't have it and there's no guarantee that they will at any point in the near future. If the need is bad, you may have to settle for a deeply discounted item that will do until you can get what you really want. If it's not and this is just part of a larger excursion, it's easier to let it go and wait for next time.
The art of thrift store shopping is contained within the balance between getting what you need and settling for what's there. And every situation is different.
This often means it's a good idea to go on a regular basis. Some go once a month; one woman I know goes every week. My time is limited, so I go every other month if I can unless we really need something. Then I'll try to go more often.
Also, it's a very good idea to try to anticipate the needs of your family. If you can see some of the towels are starting to look ratty, or you've had a baby and realize that you are now short one dining chair if the baby used a dining chair, then it would be a good idea to start looking now for what you need.
The best option, of course, is to use several means to get what you need. I look in the thrift stores, but I also check out Craigslist, eBay, the local papers, Freecycle, not to mention putting the word out among friends and garage sales. By trying several different approaches, we've always been able to get the things we truly need and sometimes a little extra.
In part 2, I'll take you through a particularly good thrift store shopping trip I had not too long ago in our little town. And it wasn't even an upscale one. I just got lucky. :)
For those with little time, I'll summarize:
* Start with a plan (limit time and money)
* Where you live matters (some areas just don't have good deals... in those cases it might be better to find other sources... also, try to go to thrift stores that are near a place you usually go anyway)
* Make sure of the layout (know your store before you shop)
* Thrift stores don't have very little instant gratification so anticipate needs
Now, for the details. I discuss the four items above in this post. Next week I'll post part 2 where I'll take y'all through one of my thrift store excursions while I discuss the rest of the main points, such as how I quickly find what I want and the importance of planning a little extra in your budget.
Start with a plan
I know this sounds obvious, but I've known too many women who drift through thrift stores with no idea what they should buy... they're just looking for A Good Deal. Sometimes this is all right. When I have extra money, I sometimes like to wander through one of the larger thrift stores in our area just to see what they have. But even then, I try to do it when I have a clear idea of what our family needs. And this doesn't just end at clothes.
When it comes to shopping, I have two lists. One is for food, and the other is "non-perishables"... or, in other words, anything that isn't food. :) I used to try to keep it all in my head, and now I just have a special section in my weekly shopping list where I can write all these things down. Some non-perishables can take a long time to find at a decent price: sheets, some clothes, dishes, etc. Then again, this depends on your definition of decent. I refuse to spend more than $2 on a set of coffee mugs. And I absolutely refuse to spend $20 on 300 count twin size sheets when I've been able to find them at the thrift store for less than $10 for a complete set.
At this point in my planning, I try to have a general idea of color scheme because I like it when things match. It makes the house much more hospitable if I have a general theme going, if only in color. I'm not quite as picky about things like sheets and towels as long as the kids and my husband like them and they kind of, sort of go with the rest of the house.
Now, at this stage, it's very likely that you'll discover something that you didn't think was a big priority that actually was. My husband's clothes, for example. At 6'3" he's pretty tall and it's difficult to find clothes for him. He also tends not to complain about not having enough work shirts or pants. Because of this, I've had times when he's been down to one or two shirts and I didn't know it (and I'm the one who should be keeping track of this anyway since I'm the one who actually washes them... one of the side-effects of having a large family). At this point (and I'll explain more later) a thrift store is often not the best option. It's at this point that I feel no guilt in spending $20 to get my husband a couple of decent work shirts that fit him (on clearance of course... if I can manage it). If you go through the house, or even just take note as you take care of the house during the day, you'll catch a lot of needs and everyone in your house will thank you for it.
So, you've looked through your house, discovered what you need to get for your family, and now you've either written it down or at least have a clear idea in your head.
But is a thrift store the best option for those items?
Where you live matters
My family would joke that the best place to get candy at Halloween was never our neighborhood. The best place to go trick-or-treating was a higher-class subdivision 30 min away where homeowners gave out so much candy you could fill a king-size pillowcase with it within an hour or two.
I am not kidding about the candy. They really gave out that much.
Of course, this was back in the late nineties, but the point still remains: nicer neighborhoods tend to get rid of nicer stuff. The nicer neighborhoods will often have the best deals at thrift stores. I've found beautiful dresses and gorgeous sweaters, not to mention very nice, durable jeans back in the days when I wore them every... single... day and all of them were in the nicer neighborhoods. Garage sales in those neighborhoods also tend to have nicer items, though unfortunately the people who hold them haven't usually gone to enough garage sales to know how to price them, but that's another essay. :) The not-so-nice neighborhoods sometimes have very good finds, but it takes longer to find them.
I've only spent a couple of years at a college town, but I'm finding it's also a decent place for thrift stores.
I mention this because some people get frustrated with thrift store shopping and rightfully so. It will rarely have the instant gratification that a typical retail store has. But knowing location has a part to play in the quality of a thrift store might keep one from missing out on a great deal and that's the point of going to the thrift store in the first place.
Which brings me to my next point: the best way to find out about the quality of a thrift store is to actually step inside.
Know your store
Every time I visit a thrift store for the first time, I rarely shop. If I do, it won't be until the end of my visit. At first, I try to get a feel for where everything is located, as well as quality, so that in the future my trips (if I come back) will be much shorter.
First, I'll try to get an idea of how they organize their clothes and where the different kinds of clothes are since that's the main selling point in the store. Maternity clothes and specialty clothes, as well as sheets and bedding are one of the things that take priority in my search since some stores have a special rack for those items and some mix it in with other things or shove them off to a corner. At the same time, I take a look at the quality of the items themselves. I won't expect high-quality but I will keep an eye out for the amount of times I come across something I wouldn't expect to find in a thrift store.
Then, I'll look at the items around the perimeter of the store, the hardware, dishes, appliances, furniture, etc. That way, if I see a lot of good items in a particular department I'll know which store will likely have what I need for that particular kind of item. For example, there's a store to the south of me, run by a church organization, that gets furniture from a big name furniture store. Although I haven't purchased anything from there yet, I know the quality is excellent and I'll get a lot for my money if I ever need to get new furniture. Even the not-so-nice furniture in the back of the store is beautiful and often a fantastic deal.
If I make this overview part of my thift store shopping, I'll wait until I've looked at all the sections (some of these thrift stores can be pretty big) and then I'll do my actual shopping.
How thrift stores are different
There is one thing that needs to be understood from the start: thrift stores may try to mimic retail stores but they operate in a very different way.
Because retail stores get several of the same item, in several sizes, and hold them there for a few months, chances are good that the dress you saw that looked so gorgeous will still be there when you decide to pick it up a couple of weeks later. In fact, it might even be on sale by then if they're getting rid of their inventory. The gratification is often instant unless you're very picky or very frugal (me and me).
Thrift stores depend on donations and that usually means one item of its kind on the rack. So, if you see something you need, you will need to get it right then. More often, you'll spend time looking through racks and shelves and come up empty-handed because they didn't have it and there's no guarantee that they will at any point in the near future. If the need is bad, you may have to settle for a deeply discounted item that will do until you can get what you really want. If it's not and this is just part of a larger excursion, it's easier to let it go and wait for next time.
The art of thrift store shopping is contained within the balance between getting what you need and settling for what's there. And every situation is different.
This often means it's a good idea to go on a regular basis. Some go once a month; one woman I know goes every week. My time is limited, so I go every other month if I can unless we really need something. Then I'll try to go more often.
Also, it's a very good idea to try to anticipate the needs of your family. If you can see some of the towels are starting to look ratty, or you've had a baby and realize that you are now short one dining chair if the baby used a dining chair, then it would be a good idea to start looking now for what you need.
The best option, of course, is to use several means to get what you need. I look in the thrift stores, but I also check out Craigslist, eBay, the local papers, Freecycle, not to mention putting the word out among friends and garage sales. By trying several different approaches, we've always been able to get the things we truly need and sometimes a little extra.
In part 2, I'll take you through a particularly good thrift store shopping trip I had not too long ago in our little town. And it wasn't even an upscale one. I just got lucky. :)
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