I went thrift shopping at Goodwill last weekend for the first time in a long while. Despite certain fitting room humiliations, it was a roaring success.
Anytime I’ve tried to browse a Goodwill or Value Village with the kids, it’s been a total disaster. I know people who can do this and find good stuff, but I really need to get into a thrift-store zone. It takes about ten minutes of walking around the store and figuring out a strategy before I get into a groove. Then I fall into a trance-like state, working my way down the aisles and honing in on anything with fabric that looks promising. The next move is to pull out the article (mostly tops this time because they’re easy to fit) and look at the cut and style. Finally I double check the size and brand before putting it in my basket. The whole process takes an incredible amount of focus and I simply can’t do it if I have to worry about my kids running around getting into who-knows-what.
So I left the kids at home and took a box of books I managed to convince Ed to part with to donate. I was primarily looking for shoes because I’ve been disappointed with the current trends in sandals and was hoping for something vintage and beautiful and barely worn. You never know! Women buy shoes like candy and donate them all the time.
Here’s what I wound up getting:
A selection of super-cute tops from stores like Jacob, RW&Co and Talbots.
No sandals, but these good-as-new Aldo shoes will be the perfect replacement for my favourite pre-kids heels that no longer fit.
A vintage, made in England, JAJ pyrex dish with lid.
This cute Sophie Harding print for the girls’ room came with a plastic faux-wood frame. I originally wanted to paint it white, but the hassle of painting plastic wouldn’t be worth it, so Irene and I glitter glued that baby instead.
And the grand total? Thirty-four dollars! And, get this. Goodwill also has daily sales. Shoes and handbags are half off on Thursdays, for example, and furniture and decor items are half on Saturdays. Since I was there on a Sunday, all clothes with a green tag were 75% off which meant I got a couple really nice tops for 50 cents!
By donating and shopping at Goodwill, you support their mission of providing jobs for people with barriers to employment. You also keep stuff out of the landfill, save yourself a few bucks and get to take home something more interesting than you’d find at the local mall. I’ll definitely be going back.
What’s your best thrift store find?