Anyone else love thrift stores!

Rainee, I see your quote by Leo Buscaglia. Have you read "Freddie the Leaf" by the same author?
 

We have a lot of thrift stores on one street here in Florida and always packed with shoppers,then a month ago this Family Dollar Store saw a sure business investment, they brought a large used car lot and built a large store.
Local thrift stores tried to stop this develoment and lost.
New store opens this month.
 
Davey Jones said:
We have a lot of thrift stores on one street here in Florida and always packed with shoppers,then a month ago this Family Dollar Store saw a sure business investment, they brought a large used car lot and built a large store.
Local thrift stores tried to stop this develoment and lost.
New store opens this month.
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I wouldn't buy anything to wear at Family Dollar, way too cheaply made. I've always said I would far rather have something made well 2nd hand than have something cheaply made that doesn't look nearly as good and won't hold up.

The dollar stores are good for many other things. I get all my cleaning supplies there, tho I hear even the name brands aren't the same quality and are basically watered down. Hey, the Spic & Span Antibacterial Spray looks the same color to me everywhere, and theirs does a good job and saves me $$.

I think after the newness of the Dollar Store wears off, the thrift stores will do well again -- especially with clothes.
 

Davey Jones said:
We have a lot of thrift stores on one street here in Florida and always packed with shoppers,then a month ago this Family Dollar Store saw a sure business investment, they brought a large used car lot and built a large store.
Local thrift stores tried to stop this develoment and lost.
New store opens this month.
Click to expand...

I can't really see how that would be competition, though - aren't they looking at two very separate markets?

And as Katy said the clothing is a no-contest: I bought an "emergency" pack of socks from a Family Dollar a while back, and they're terrible - they felt like little straightjackets on my feet, yet they were labeled the same size as the regular ones I buy. I guess Chinese feet are smaller. :p

So clothing would be a definite no-no. There's no food in the thrifts, no cleaning supplies, no personal grooming supplies, so those are out. Cheap furniture like a coffee table might be a common point, but I'd rather buy an old real-wood one than a new press-board model.
 
Hi Drifter just saw this post again and not seen that book so must have a look at it..
I do love a couple of his quotes another one being
"Every moment spent in unhappiness is a moment of happiness lost " how true that is too..
thanks for the answer and I`ll look out for that book .. :)
 
SifuPhil said:
I can't really see how that would be competition, though - aren't they looking at two very separate markets?

And as Katy said the clothing is a no-contest: I bought an "emergency" pack of socks from a Family Dollar a while back, and they're terrible - they felt like little straightjackets on my feet, yet they were labeled the same size as the regular ones I buy. I guess Chinese feet are smaller. :p

So clothing would be a definite no-no. There's no food in the thrifts, no cleaning supplies, no personal grooming supplies, so those are out. Cheap furniture like a coffee table might be a common point, but I'd rather buy an old real-wood one than a new press-board model.
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That's exactly what I meant, but you always say it so much better!:D
 
It doesn't take much to make me happy these days, so I'm excited that 2 of my most favorite thrift stores (benefiting Habitat for Humanity and Battered Women's Shelter) are in the process of moving to spaces twice the size. Opening dates..Friday & Saturday. You know where I'll be, even tho I loathe the thought of the crowds. The good news is that one of the volunteers at the Habitat store said she will let me in an hour early...and hoping she hasn't told another 100 people the same thing. LOL
 
I love all thrift stores, consignment shops, and garage sales. I have since I was a little girl and use to go with my mom. I enjoy finding something I need for pennies on the dollar. Now that I am retired and on a fixed income, shopping at these places is a necessity. I try not to buy anything new, just one of the many things I do to save money. I can't tell you how many great things I find there new.

My friends and I all do it and try to out do each other on who gets the greatest find. One friend created this incredible bar out of an old trunk she got for $3. The whole thing costed her about $10. I know you might not be able to picture that but it is really cute an unusual. I found a set of bar tools with rosewood handles and a 1950's cocktail shaker and gave it to for her birthday, total $5. Don't worry she knows where it came from. Another friend collects cat figurines. I have found her some really unusual ones.

I love going to these stores it is like treasure hunting. The way we look at it everything is used once you bring it home, and we really save a lot of money.
 
There's lots of antique, junk and thrift stores in my neck of the woods, sometimes all combined. I love browsing through them, if only for a short trip down memory lane. It seems like at one time or other I have either owned one of the old items or had them in our home growing up.

The other day we browsed through a Salvation Army Thrift Store and ended up buying two old pie pans with the wide lips for $1.00 each and a brand new tartan plaid table cloth in my kitchen colors, for $2.00 and an old issue of Performance Horse magazine that had an article I was interested in for .50. They had lots of lovely barware glasses there for some reason. I'm guessing it's because the store is in an area of lots of retirees that don't use them anymore. Brother bought Mr. O a publication that had his old navy ship the USS Enterprise in it.

Judi D., you're right, it is like treasure hunting.
 
TWHRider said:
I haven't been in a thrift store for years and ^^^this is why^^^. I'm trying to get rid of stuff that I don't know how I accumulated; I do not need to be finding things that might be pleasant reminders of the past and drag them home. I don't even go to the antique shops in the tourist town "over yonder a piece" because I can't trust myself.

As far as clothing -- no I won't buy clothing at thrift stores -- I have always taken my business clothes to thrift stores but they can't dry clean stuff enough to make me want to bring any sort of cloth items home. I'm sorry --- it's a mental thing --- I'd sooner wait until K-mart or the Dollar Store slashes the price on something I need and buy it there.
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Oh, I know, I know...but I just can't help myself.....ditto on the clothing thing.
 
Ozarkgal said:
There's lots of antique, junk and thrift stores in my neck of the woods, sometimes all combined. I love browsing through them, if only for a short trip down memory lane. It seems like at one time or other I have either owned one of the old items or had them in our home growing up.

The other day we browsed through a Salvation Army Thrift Store and ended up buying two old pie pans with the wide lips for $1.00 each and a brand new tartan plaid table cloth in my kitchen colors, for $2.00 and an old issue of Performance Horse magazine that had an article I was interested in for .50. They had lots of lovely barware glasses there for some reason. I'm guessing it's because the store is in an area of lots of retirees that don't use them anymore. Brother bought Mr. O a publication that had his old navy ship the USS Enterprise in it.

Judi D., you're right, it is like treasure hunting.
Click to expand...

Ha! Small group that we are, what are the odds of 2 of us buying a old pie pan for $1.00 in the same week? I bought mine yesterday, but it wasn't wide lipped and wish I'd been that lucky!
 
Katybug said:
Ha! Small group that we are, what are the odds of 2 of us buying a old pie pan for $1.00 in the same week? I bought mine yesterday, but it wasn't wide lipped and wish I'd been that lucky!
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What kind of pie ya baking, Katy? I thought I'd give my new pans a break in with a pumpkin..or maybe an apple, or maybe both...:rolleyes:
 
I'm doing what my favorite SIL prefers...blueberry, topped off with a squirt topping of whipped cream. He raves and I love it! I've been using glass pie plates for years and can't wait to try my new "old" one. I'm sure our families will all enjoy our new purchases.
 

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