As a struggling college student, I am a firm believer in the thrift store. Not only does it save me money on clothes (and sometimes furniture and electronics), but a lot of times the money that I spend there goes to a good cause. Over the years, I have found some awesome stuff. -Bumble bee slippers, never worn, $1 -An air popcorn popper (healthy and convenient), $3 -These pants, $2 Just to name a few. So, post some good bargains that you've found (thrift store, garage sale, flea market).
A subject very near and dear to my heart!! I am an avid antiques collector, and thrift stores, especially when they are out of the way can prove to be a boon. My best thrift store find was a pair of vintage Fiesta Ware stacking refrigerator bowls. Fifty cents apiece. I was stoked!
Let's see, a george foreman, camera tripod, slacks, garment bag, a bunch of ties, one of my favorite shirts, and about five or ten really good books.
Those are some funky pants. My mom and I never had much money when I was in high school (still don't) so when it came time for prom, I spent nearly all my money on the ticket itself. I managed to find my prom dress (see my profile pic) for only ten dollars.
I love thrift stores. I just bought a suit that fits me nearly perfectly (I'm apparently a really weird size... tall, sort of athletic build, yet can't get a suit to fit). Together with buying thread, needles, and replacement buttons, it cost me $5. It's pretty awesome =P I also got a pretty sweet cloth trench coat for about the same amount.
I did some thrifting while in Chicago because it's hard to find my size unless I pay crazy amounts for it (though I'll probably have luck when I go back to H&M). So far, I've gotten Gap khakis ($5) and another pair of trousers with a herringbone pattern and thin red stripes ($10), and a Banana Republic checkered dress shirt (~ $2). Like any store, it can be difficult to find something that fits, but thrifting can lay waste to a boring afternoon. On a similar note, I've been exploring public domain works and have found various books on the internet. They include: The Little Prince, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Les Miserables, Siddhartha, Metamorphosis, Nineteen Eighty-Four, David Copperfield, War and Peace, The Great Gatsby, Frankenstein, Gone with the Wind, and The Call of Cthulu. Now I have to actually read all of these...
I've worn the same clothes for the last 4 years. No kidding. The only clothing items I buy on a regular basis are shoes, and socks. Neither of which have been easy finds at a thrift store. Mostly what i'll go to a thrift store for is computer equiptment, coffee makers, microwaves; general appliances. I respect what thrift stores do, I'd much rather go there than anywhere else. In fact I think I'm going to finally go clothes shopping for the first time in years. I'm going to hit up goodwill.
Project Gutenberg is where I got started, then I began to remember other books I thought were interesting and went through Wikipedia to find links.
I love thrift stores and have found some awesome bargains over the years. I particularly love a 50's coat-dress that I found for $4 - it looks like bright green snakeskin.
I guess thrift stores are like Charity shops in England? People give in stuff they dont want and they sell it. In england the profits go to selected charity. Hundreds of books. Just literally this hour gone and bout 3 Star Trek Audio books for £4!!!
The same holds true in The States. Almost always, thrift stores are associated with particular churches or secular charitable groups.
I went to the Buffalo Exchange in Long Beach a while ago. Basically a lot of designer clothes gets recycled there. Bought a heather-grey Jcrew Cashmere schoolgirl cardigan. I can't remember the price, but it wasn't that expensive. cashmere cardigan
I have only ever bought books at thrift stores and a few neat mugs to add to my collection. I donate stuff to them all the time. Now I donate to the diabetes society instead since they come and pick up. We have a thrift r us store in town and I donate lots of furniture and computer stuff there. It goes to support the food bank.
That's how they're supposed to be here, too. Unfortunately, it's become a strange trend for a lot of these charity stores to price the really good donations out of the affordability range of the people they're supposed to be helping, and instead cater for the cashed up mods that think vintage is cool. *sigh*
