I have been shopping at thrift stores for as long as I can remember. 
I live in Seattle and it is so hard to find good stuff anymore!  Everyones into it, so I have to go to the outskits of town and then I find some goodies.

It is so rare to find anything from that long ago.
I cant believe (if I wanted them...Not!) but even "Acid Washed" jeans are scarce. 

So I thought I would post this to see what kinds of 70's stuff people have found lately.
I found a cool retro hanging lamp, and a small wood brown mirror with wood beads hanging on it.
But never see the old stuff I used to wear, I find old leather jackets, but they are all messed up and the prices are ridiculous!
Oh and an old wool square purse (Ali McGraw) in mint condition.

Another thing, with all these 60's 70's and 80's clothing being popular, you would think that you could get together a cool wardrobe.
But the new clothes are actually modified from the original style. So I have to kind of mix and match 90's clothes with others...I can't go all out, I am too old.
"Gaucho's"...anyone know what to where with them for today?  I like them, I think I used to wear black suede platform boots with them but I have no idea how to wear them now...I am not going to wear those platforms! 

Anywhoo, just thought I would start a new thread.

How are the thrift stores in your area?  Does anyone have Value Village?  The prices are a joke!  At least here.  They have a "vintage" section and all the workers get the good stuff.

I am going to be working at the Goodwill soon, I think I will be in heaven!

Anybody collect things without having pay eBay, etc prices all the time? 
I wonder what thrift stores are like in the midwest and other states.

Kat

Hi Kat!

I am also very much into thrift shopping...I always get in SUCH a good mood when I go to thrift shops and find neato things!  My two favorite shops are Goodwill and Salvation Army, because you can still get good deals there, beings that they are not labeled "vintage". I think as soon as that label comes about....they think they can raise their prices...sky high!  We have a bunch of thrift-type stores around here in my area of Western Pa...some you can get good deals and others think that their merchandise is lined with gold.  I have found lots of neat clothing, retro/vintage stuff from my childhood, and TONS of stuff to furnish my house at the Goodwill and Salvation Army!
That's cool that you are going to be working at Goodwill soon....I know that if I worked there...I would never have a paycheck to take home...it would all go right back into Goodwill!


Erin :)

My daughters and I love to go thrift shopping. They're 16 and 23 and they love all the retro/vintage styles. My daughter found a psychedelic looking dress and wore it with a pair of white boots to a Halloween party a couple of years ago. It looked exactly like something Goldie Hawn would've worn when she was on Laugh-In.  Groovy!!  :D 

I don't know if this would apply, but my boyfriend (at the time he and I were friends) and I use to go to Salvation Army, St. Vincent De Paul's and Goodwill to try to find retro Hawaiian shirts. One time we were at an Antique show in San Francisco (Cow Palace) and he bought a really neat one from the 1950's. I wasn't as keen on the thrift shop stuff (and still am not, unless they're 1940's clothes - which are REALLY rare finds!). Yet, I enjoy finding nifty items like Life magazine, Photoplay, TV Guide, or old movie ads/brochures.

I just went out "rummaging" today, Monday...a good sale day for Value Village and Goodwill.

Lately I am coming across a lot of cowboy/western stuff, so I buy it when something shows up, I never know what I will find....it's the thrill of the hunt.

Since we have been talking "Little Kittles", I browse through the plastic bags that they fill with little loose stuff, hoping to find one

I always buy pictures for the frames, large and small, when they are cheap and put my own pictures in them.  Or look through the art books, etc and find a cool picture to put in the frames.

Erin...My whole place is furnished with stuff from Goodwill and I like Salvation Army for stuff too!  There are also some church thrift stores that have good furnature here for cheap.

Kat

I just went out "rummaging" today, Monday...a good sale day for Value Village and Goodwill.

Lately I am coming across a lot of cowboy/western stuff, so I buy it when something shows up, I never know what I will find....it's the thrill of the hunt.

Since we have been talking "Little Kittles", I browse through the plastic bags that they fill with little loose stuff, hoping to find one

I always buy pictures for the frames, large and small, when they are cheap and put my own pictures in them.  Or look through the art books, etc and find a cool picture to put in the frames.

Erin...My whole place is furnished with stuff from Goodwill and I like Salvation Army for stuff too!  There are also some church thrift stores that have good furnature here for cheap.

Kat










Hey Kat!

Congrats on your finds!  I love searching for stuff for my house....even at yard sales. I just recently bought this awesome piece of furnitrure for my diningroom at a yardsale...and it was 5 bucks!  I found this really neat tribal/persian style piece of material at Goodwill for 50 cents!!!! I put in on a table that I have and you could swear that it was an expensive tablecloth!



Erin :)

Hey, I just found a cool piece of material too, Your idea sounds nice.  I should have bought it. 
I was too cheap to buy it at $3.99!
I just moved temporarily to my parents, so all my stuff, (except clothes) goes right into boxes in the basement.
It will be like Christmas when I move out, opening all those boxes and seeing all the stuff I forgot about.
It is a mix of everything, so I don't know what my new place will look like, or what "theme" I will go for.

I am going to have a garage sale this weekend...I cant believe how much stuff I have accumulated!
It is hard having a sale when I know there is another one I want to go to the same day!
Summers are so good here for sales.

Hey, I just found a cool piece of material too, Your idea sounds nice.  I should have bought it. 
I was too cheap to buy it at $3.99!
I just moved temporarily to my parents, so all my stuff, (except clothes) goes right into boxes in the basement.
It will be like Christmas when I move out, opening all those boxes and seeing all the stuff I forgot about.
It is a mix of everything, so I don't know what my new place will look like, or what "theme" I will go for.

I am going to have a garage sale this weekend...I cant believe how much stuff I have accumulated!
It is hard having a sale when I know there is another one I want to go to the same day!
Summers are so good here for sales.





I get the same way!  Our neighborhood just had a community yard sale...and I opted to not sell anything so that I could go around and find some neat bargains!



Erin :)

;D  Hey Guys..We have a really cool thrift shop here..aptly called ThriftTown..( Memphis Tn.)...They have mostly new used stuff..A great place to buy kids clothes!!..but alot older....They have "colored Tag" days ..where if the tags Red ..you get and extra 50 percent off...Etc.. Ive gotten Vintange LEVIS for 1.00!!!!!  But the best vintage stores are in Midtown Memphis...BUT...the prices have gotten..WELL...Pricey...they have great stuff..but ..with all the tourists..coming in..they raise the prices.. Especially this week..ELVIS week...  they could sell a piece of cardboard if they say Elvis touched it for 500 bucks...........its a rip... 8)                 

That place sounds cool!
I wish I could go on a "road trip" I would check every phone book in every town!

PROBLEM: The BIG, BIG, SALE
I am tired of selling things to seconds shops.  Now I have way too much.  It is taking up too much space.
I don't drive so it really has been a lot of work consigning, selling, etc.

I am having a sale this weekend if the weathers good...I have so much stuff, mostly clothes in all sizes. 
I like to give people a good deal, but I want to make some money on stuff, especially since I just collected so much.  (I send the outdated wrecked, torn clothes back to where I shop), lol.

Everything is in style from my 2 sisters and mom plus the stuff I "hunted down" at thrift stores! 
My new rule is to try it on!  No matter what!  I bought way wrong sizes or ill fitted things, but I want at least what I paid for them, plus "finders" fees, (just halfway kidding)

The seconds stores are not taking summer stuff, but summer just started here! so I will get rid of that stuff pretty easy.

I need help!
I know what I hate when I go to sales:
-When there are no prices on things.
-When they put on the tags something like, worn twice, Donna Karan, and a really high price.
When everything is too expensive, but I must admit, if i see something I like, I buy it...plus this sale I went to last week had real high prices and people were buying stuff.

Can you add to my list for suggestions?

Also,about what would you pay for a good pair of low rise jeans, Levi's, J.crew, Banana rep, etc...all in style.
cute tops, like gap, banana, American eagle, etc

I get 1/2 of the price they put on at resale stores, they charge about $12-$20 for jeans, more for like Sevens, Joe's, CFH's...So I think I should try an even 5 and cheaper, a few I might put $10, I can always come down...Jeans are starting at $9.99 at Value Village thrift store now!  And I can toss in lots of 1-2-3-dollar things.

I actually am going to have 2 small racks of clothes, then the other clothes behind them, all along the house.
In the front I will put knick knacks, furnature, home stuff and a few other "eye catcher" clothes around too.

I just remember one time I had so many clothes all over the front and so many cars just drove by, so the racks will just be seen from the street, then the mass of clothes will be along the whole side so I wont run off people. 
Although I usually I sell so many clothes, but if it looks like too much, it is overwhelming.

Any ideas, prices  would be appreciated.

Thanks, 
Kat

not quite thrift shops but have either of you heard of this website?

http://www.freecycle.org/

I've only just heard about it so don't know all the details yet but it looks like some sort of organised swapping group where you offer items that you have going 'spare' and can get other peoples stuff for free!  You don't have to do a direct swap with the same person as far as I can tell.

Oh, neat!...I will check out the site.

That is why I was asking if anyone collected anything in particular, I find allot of 99 cent things on Mondays, that I know people collect, and I don't.  (like the some of the things mentioned on the "Hollie Hobbie" topic here.

I was thinking that I could send out some things, that other people want, but not charge them anything but shipping and a couple dollars.

What do you guys think? 

I am looking for a cheap any era (can be cardboard) large or small, jewelery, music type box...the main thing is that it has a little ballerina that goes around.  I see them allot, but the ballerina is bent or never works.  The box doesn't have to be nice, I can decopage it, etc. Or pull the whole thing apart and put it in a cool box and put velvet material inside...Just what I need, another project!

PS...Still need tips on my rummage sale...
Kat

I am looking for a cheap any era (can be cardboard) large or small, jewelery, music type box...the main thing is that it has a little ballerina that goes around.  I see them allot, but the ballerina is bent or never works.  The box doesn't have to be nice, I can decopage it, etc. Or pull the whole thing apart and put it in a cool box and put velvet material inside...Just what I need, another project!


Kat


Kat

I still have my jewellery box like this.  I'm not sure if I still have the key to wind up the ballerina though.  I already tried redecorating mine as a child.  It has some Osmond transfers on it!!

not quite thrift shops but have either of you heard of this website?

http://www.freecycle.org/

I've only just heard about it so don't know all the details yet but it looks like some sort of organised swapping group where you offer items that you have going 'spare' and can get other peoples stuff for free!  You don't have to do a direct swap with the same person as far as I can tell.



hey Karen,

thanks for the mention of this website...after looking into it, I found a local chapter right in my area....what a cool idea!



Erin :)

Hi Guy's!

Karen, I also checked out that website, very cool!  I found a chapter in my area too.
We just had to haul a good working washer and dryer to the dump  (my mom got a stackable) lots of $ to "get rid of"  I am sure someone could have used it. 

I saw someone throwing out some crown moulding scraps...turning them upside down and painting them I can use them as a shelves to lean pictures, etc., on.

I have a long wood mediterranean couch (just the wood frame) that is really cool...another project that fell through!  If it doesn't sell at my sale I will take a pic and post it.  I don't want to spend the money to get pillows or foam for it.

So far I am having no problems with pricing my stuff, I am sure there will be enough good deals.

I mention Value Village allot because they say they are a non profit organization, but they are.  They are popping up all over, like Kmarts...one will soon be coming to your town.  I still shop there, but I never donate there.

Speaking of donating...Do you ever go to a shop and see something of yours that you donated there? 
My mom does, it is so funny because she is a diehard sale addict and never leaves a place without a bag of stuff she will never wear, like skirts, she has NEVER worn a skirt in over 40 years! She actually has bought back a few things that were once hers...my sister too! 
Rummage sales around the area every summer resell things from other sales, so I think it all gets revolved around.

Enough chatter, lol

Kat

I donated stuff to my scout group jumble sale and then spotted some of the mums wearing my stuff afterwards.  It's worse when you're helping and people are sorting through it when they reject something that was yours!  I feel like thrusting it back under their nose and asking what's wrong with it.

Well the 2 day yard sale is over...Halfway through getting my stuff together, I wanted to just put it in bags and donate it...I was so overwhelmed.

I am SO glad I did the sale!  One exception, there were 4 other sales in the neighborhood (that made it good for me getting customers) but I so much hated missing the other sales!!!

I did good for having mostly clothes and linens sold well to...had I known I would have put out every duvet cover I had, they were selling like hotcakes!  You just never know.  Like I said about last time, everyone just drove by when they saw clothes.  This time was completely different!

Of course I went out to the thrift shops again yesterday. 
After the sale, boy, was I real good about NOT buying anything, like, "just because it was cheap", or "I can take it in", "it could be painted and be so cute"  and a biggie...always try the stuff on!  I have enough "projects" now I haven't even finished!

Summer's still here in Seattle, no rain (at least for now) That means more yard sales, I like them the best!
Can't wait till the weekend.

Kat

i had a great big thrift store down the block but they turned it into A SLEEPY'S  >:( :o :\'(

What is a sleepy's? 
I hate it when they close down good thrift stores!
One Thrift store chain is taking over allot of good ones and the prices are too high!

Kat

I just remembered another thing I keep looking for, A Ouija board. 
I don't know if they just junk them before they put things up front or what, as some people think they are bad ju-ju to be around.

I know they sell them in stores, but I just wanted the board for part of a decopage.
All this time and I never see them.

Does anyone ever see them in their thrift shops? 
My sister says, "don't bring one of those things into your house!"
I never thought much about it, we always played with it when we were kids...we even took it up to the cemetary and played! 
The curser moved around alot, (I am sure some of us were pushing it) but I remember with my mom, it would move without hardly touching it.  answering times and other things to a tee, that would later ring true.

I dont get the heebie jeebies about getting one.
Any comments on Ouija bords?  Strange I never find them.

Kat

That is one thing that I have never seen in a thrift store, Kat. I see them all the time in regular stores...but in my experience of searching through thrift shops..I have never stumbled across one.




Erin :)

Yeah, weird!