Does anyone here shop at thrift or second-hand stores?

[TheDebbieDee]

I have always shopped at thrift stores, even when times are good and I'm working, because.......well, hell. I'm cheap!

Anyway, I got laid off Wednesday before last and I thought I would try to update my interview wardrobe before I started sending out resumes, so I have made several trips to my favorite thrift stores in the last week and a half.

I've been amazed that the thrift stores seem to be packed with shoppers now. It's like going into friggin' Walmart or K-Mart. The aisles are packed with shoppers and their screaming kids. I have to drive around the parking lots looking for a place to park.

Anyone else found that browsing at your favorite thrift store has become more of a harrowing experience lately?

[AllentownJake]

1. I don't shop at Thrift Stores but I love Dollar Stores

and I've noticed a major increase in traffic and more people with shopping carts. I've also noticed both thrift and dollar stores opening up in strip malls that had higher end clientel at the beginning of the recession.

[HipChick]

2. Nope...I got a bad skin disorder from shopping there..

and my healthcare determined it was a pre-existing condition...

[cliffordu]

38. What skin disorder??

[winyanstaz]

43. I am surprised as all the thrift stores in my town...

are required to wash and dry all clothing before offering it for sale.

[lonestarnot]

3. Oh shit.

Sorry to hear of your laidoffness. :( Haven't been in a while, but hit a few garage sales.

[Catshrink]

4. Our Goodwill is about the same as usual..

maybe even less crowded. I went yesterday on "Sale Day" when everything is half price. Got a load of books and a couple of shirts.

[blues90]

5. My wife and I have bought everything we own from thrift shops

We have not been to one in a few years simply because we have no extra money to buy anything. But I have heard now many people are flooding thrift shops.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

6. I 've shopped there for years and donated clothes, toys, household stuff

it all goes to good cause and not Walmart.

[SidDithers]

7. Right before Halloween, thrift stores are always packed..

lots of people trying to find old clothes for costumes.

Sid

[Skittles]

8. I get kid clothes / shoes to send to troops in Iraq and Aghanistan

yes indeed

[jwirr]

14. That is a great idea.

[Speck Tater]

9. As a T-shirt and jeans kind of person...

I get my jeans on sale at Target for less than $10 and my T-shirts at Goodwill for $1.49 each.
I also buy a LOT of books at Goodwill and St. Vinnies.

[Quantess]

39. The Goodwills in the Portland area are really expensive.

I wish they sold t-shirts for $1.49
Try $5.99
They rake in the dough, though.

[asjr]

10. The thrift shops and Goodwill in my area

are heavily shopped. My daughter and I go first thing in the morning in order to shop for her two girls. It is amazing what one can find there.

[gmoney]

11. yeah, they're getting more crowded

I've noticed the same thing in second-hand movie stores.

Not sure of your economic situation, but there is a non-profit here that specializes in providing people (especially women) with "interview appropriate" clothing for free or at a very discounted price. You may be above their income ceiling, but in case you're not, might be worth looking into. My mother donated a lot of very gently used, high-quality clothing to them when she was still around, and we gave them the "cream of the crop" when we were settling her estate. I trust it helped at least a few women make a good first impression on prospective employers and land the jobs!

Here's the local service... they might be able to tell you about a similar service in your area: http://www.clothesthatwork.org/

[TheDebbieDee]

12. Thanks for that info.

[jwirr]

13. We love to go to rummage sales, visit Salvation Army stores and

Goodwill. Sure a lot of stuff is not what we want but then you find that ONE bargain and it is all worth it. Once a year we have our own rummage sale and sell it all back to someone else.

[eShirl]

15. I've noticed Goodwill's prices for new clothes are comparable or higher than similar items at Walmar

t. There do seem to be more people these days, now that you mention it.

I miss the local Salvation Army Store, which closed. They had the BEST prices, by far.

[glitch]

29. Yeah, BUT. Thrift stores usually have a beneficial non-profit purpose, like hospice or homeless.

and don't even get us started on Walmart and outsourced to slave labor.

IOW, fairly guilt-free consumption a la reduce-reuse-recycle vs. outsourced to slave labor.
Walmart really can't compete, in principle.

[eShirl]

58. I'm pretty sure we're all aware of that.

[glitch]

80. Good -- if your awareness factors into your shopping choices. nt

[Lorien]

31. Our Goodwill has higher prices than the Ross dress for less in the same

strip mall. I have to wonder where all the profits go, since they get the merchandise for free.

[bedazzled]

48. are you in florida, too? i work at goodwill here.

i hear that comment all day long. my goodwill does a lot of work
with folks with disabilities and barriers to employment. they
provide job training and support for folks who need a hand up.
they also provide jobs to people like me who used to have real
jobs, but are unable to find one anymore. i can't support myself
on what i make there, but times are really hard everyplace...

[rucky]

34. Not at my Goodwill

All of their men's shirts and sweaters are $3.50. I just got my winter wardrobe there for about 20 bucks.

[eShirl]

57. nice

[niyad]

16. do a lot of my shopping at thrift stores, always have. today was a nightmare--but, as mentioned

downthread, people are out for halloween costumes, so I overlooked it.

the economic freefall has brought a lot more traffic into these stores, that is for sure.

[Walk away]

17. I live about 5 miles from mid-town Manhattan...

You cannot believe the incredible designer outfits you can buy for a mere pittance (pittance is my clothing budget this year).

The plus side of this economy are the designer retail shops. Previously rich people are sell off their closets.

[niyad]

18. instead of saying, "I'm cheap" you could always say you are part of the "buy nothing new" movement

(yes, there really is such a thing--buy nothing new except food and medicine)

or, as woody allen said eons ago "in my family, the biggest sin was to pay retail"

[laughingliberal]

19. I just started shopping them this past year

The Goodwill where I live does seem to do a thriving business. Not sure what it was like in the past.

[sueh]

20. I shop at thrift shops on and off. Hope your job hunt is a short one.

[8 track mind]

21. great source for good camping gear!! n/t

[stevedeshazer]

22. Yes, often

The U.S. economy has reduced the working class to trading each others stuff.

Goodwill, Salvation Army, Deseret.

Sometimes you find an artifact actually made in the U.S.!

[juno jones]

23. Yep.

I have always shopped in thift stores and have gotten some amazing deals over the years.

Lately, I haven't enjoyed it as much, our major ones are packed full and they are all raising their prices. One trend I have not appreciated is the separation of anything remotely 'designer' any anything vaguely 'collectable' into special parts of the store and charging exponentially more than what they do anything else, often without regard to the item's actual condition.

My favorite thrift store is a little hole in the wall run by old ladies who give the money to a local women's shelter. You can still get decent stuff for fair prices there, and sometimes there is that little overlooked treat that falls into your lap ;).

[mitchum]

61. Our local Goodwill has started doing ebay But It Now searches for collectibles similar...

to whatever has come through their doors. They then print out the page and stick the same price on their item.
However, they ignore the condition of the junk they are trying to foist off at that identical price.

[mitchum]

24. I have been observing the same thing for awhile now...

and have just quit bothering with going to them

[Denninmi]

25. Not a thrift store shopper. A curb shopper.

I cruise my neighborhood on garbage day if I have a day off. It is utterly amazing what people throw away. Among my finds, a brand new Sunbeam water disperser that heats and cools, some brand new metal shelving still in the box, a brand new exhaust hood for a kitchen range still in the box, a lot of furniture in decent to good condition, lamps, rugs, flower pots, a really nice wok with accessories, a professional quality tool cabinet now happily residing in my garage, you name it.

[juno jones]

89. I love dumpster diving.

I have several beautiful antiques in my home that came out of people's trash and I ain't afraid to admit it.

Edit to add: I wish we had more stores like Urban Ore in Berkeley where they comb the trash to remove sellable items. They had one of those in Tuolumne County as well. I bought clothes at those locations 20 years ago for pennies that I wore regularly until fairly recently. Better for it to be sold for charity than to fill the landfill.

[madrchsod]

26. my local thrift shop just opened their christmas section...

although they do`t have the amount of stuff as walmart the selection is a lot better and a lot cheaper.

my local shop moved from a small building to a small factory building this spring. it`s open on mondays, thursday,and saturday. the 150 parking lot is filled most of the day. it`s a non profit and run by volunteers so everything is cheaper than goodwill or the salvation army. i buy most of my stuff from there...in fact i`m going tomorrow morning.

[glitch]

27. Likewise!

"I have always shopped at thrift stores, even when times are good and I'm working, because.......well, hell. I'm cheap!"

I do always wash anything I get before I use, but my main consumption these days are thrift stores and farmer's markets. And of course auto mechanics as needed.

Half-price day at the thrift store gives me the same rush as Nordstrom sales in the old days!

:toast:

[handmade34]

28. my kids have learned to love used funk

from thrift stores... My youngest just was bragging about the 3 piece cordoray suit he got at goodwill... go figure

[elocs]

30. Other than the obvious reasons one it that there are people shopping stores like Goodwill

for Halloween. People who have always needed to know how to stretch a buck have always been at the thrift stores and the new arrivals are surprised to see their numbers.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

32. My right wing sister loves them.

[Divine Discontent]

42. another of the right wing class that doesn't realize B*sh made thrift stores a necessity, yes?

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

81. She's been shopping at them for decades.

Of course she has five daughters (one of whom is severely handicapped) and a husband that is severely handicapped.

[Digit]

33. Over the past couple of years I have noticed more shoppers

They even had to double the parking at my local Goodwill.
I am lucky to find even one pair of pants that are decent these days, but that is because there are more people making less money than ever that are doing the same thing....
Trying to survive on peanuts.

[pansypoo53219]

35. i go to a lesser known charity resale shop

i got some of my best sweaters there. and ebayables. it usually has a good number of people. but then i discovered estate sales. having way more fun. house tours w/ shopping. i LOVE recycling.

[comrade snarky]

36. Heck yeah

I don't live in a rich neighborhood but I can see one right over there. Come spring cleaning the Goodwill is a treasure trove of upscale cast offs.

I had to get cuff links for my $6.00 Goodwill shirts.

[Withywindle]

37. I go to them a lot.

Many of my very favorite clothes come from there. Chicago has TONS of them, and it's amazing what you can find. Really cute summer dresses, skirts, coats...once in a while I can actually afford "retail therapy." I also like the fact that the money usually goes to charity and I'm not contributing to sweatshop labor directly. (Indirectly, probably, alas)

I just got a splendid London-Fog-knockoff beige trenchcoat for the autumn rainy season for $15. And I wear it with the fedora I got for $5. (OK, I look kind of like Carmen Sandiego in that getup. Or maybe McGruff the Crime Fighting Dog. But I like a little camp with my workwear.)

I also donate clothes to them. Keep the cycle moving!

[mackerel]

40. I adore thrift shopping!

[juno jones]

90. I bought a beatuiful hand woven wool shawl in a Chi-town thrift.

It was like being a kid in a candy store...:)

[KT2000]

41. Busier than ever

where I live. After WalMart moved in, the other options have dwindled. Our thrift stores are the alternative to Walmart.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

44. I've started sewing and altering clothes.

Mom taught me way back when I was a kid and I have three all-steel electric Singers. They will never wear out.

I've given tons of stuff to thrift stores that I cannot use.

[donco6]

65. I envy you being able to sew.

I was always intrigued by it as a kid, but - being a boy it was verboten to even admit it. Which is odd really, considering it wasn't that long ago that all tailors were men. Oh well.

I've heard sewing is like learning a language - if you don't learn it early, fuggedaboutit.

[AlienGirl]

67. People can learn sewing as adults! My roommate is doing that.

He has been designing and making great clothing since this summer.

I have learned to crochet, which I had never been able to figure out when I was a kid.

Tucker

[ctaylors6]

74. I think it's easy to learn as adult - you should try!!

My mom can sew anything but I never bothered to learn any sewing until I was an adult. Even the less expensive sewing machines these days have automated some of the sewing tasks that used to be much more difficult (eg buttons). There are some complicated tasks that I can't do and some fabrics that are a little too hard for me to work with. But basic to moderate sewing I've learned as an adult. Most of it is simply following a pattern.

[donco6]

76. Thanks for dispelling that myth for me.

I may have to pick it up. I like working with my hands, and I'm good at things when I give them a try. But sewing is just something I always thought would be too hard. I remember my sisters complaining about it to high heaven when they were in school (I'm 50). Those were the days . . .

[TexasObserver]

45. Sure. I find some cool stuff there.

Nothing I like better than some cool shirt I found at a thrift shop. I like knowing someone has already worn it, already broken it in. If it looks this good after being owned, I can infer it will wear well.

And I love getting a deal. A shirt for $2? Hell yeah!

[Dorian Gray]

46. Sometimes

Not as a rule, but there are some really amazing thrift stores in NYC. (And consignment shops.) There is a Salvation Army store down the street from me in Brooklyn, and the traffic in there seems to be the same as always. It's on a busy road, and it was always a busy store, though.

[Le Taz Hot]

47. I LOVE thrift stores.

I've shopped at them for years and almost always find something that I can't live without. Also, once a year, the foo-foo section of town has a women's club (been around for years). They get donations from their fellow foo-foos and it's almost always top-notched stuff. For years I had 2 of one type of plate, 3 of another, 1 of another, etc. Last year at the rummage sale I found an almost complete set of beautiful octagonal-shaped Royal Staffordshire china for $30.00. I'm a bargain shopper but even *I* couldn't believe my eyes. Needless to say I snapped it up.

I've also discovered the Re-store store. Not all towns have them but they're run by volunteers from Habitats for Humanity. It's sort of a thrift store for home improvement. We've been S-L-O-W-L-Y remodeling our home for the last 10 years and I'll go to the Re-store store before I hit the hardware store. We're talking designer cans of paint that would normally go for about $35.00 a gallon going for $3.00 a gallon. Unbelievable savings.

[Ruby the Liberal]

56. Our habitat for humanity just opened a re-store here

Unfortunately, it was after I had remodeled the bathroom, so I missed out on the bargains, but I was able to give them a bunch of stuff.

Love recycling!

[Hatchling]

49. I shop the local Salvation Army

I do ceramics and find a lot of cheap items that can be used for texture, etc., but I only go on sale days if I'm getting clothing. The prices have gone up dramatically and I can often get things just as good at Walmart for a cheaper price.

Now I know y'all are going to yell at me for Walmart and on a philosophical level I have to agree with you. But on a pragmatic level since after bills, rent and utilities, I only have a $150 dollars a month to buy food, sundries, etc., I have no choice. You get me a place to shop that has the items I need at a price comparable or less than Walmart and I'm there. Plus this place must be easily accessible by public transportation.

Believe me, I've tried. There's is a Target at the other end of the Mall where my Walmart is. I took my shopping list there and before my cart was half full, I had run out of money.

So, yeah, I feel guilty, but I have no other choice.

BTW, did you know that "Walmart" isn't in the spell checker? :rofl:

[CrispyQ]

52. The Walmart in our town has managed to put a major grocer & our Ace hardware store out of business.

Now if you want a pack of nails, you either go to Walmart or you drive 8-10 miles. I've avoided going to Walmart, but I'm not sure that drving 8 miles to go to Target or Home Depot is much better. :shrug: I really miss our locally owned Ace hardware.

[Hatchling]

63. I get you.

There's just no other viable choices being offered. :(

[CrispyQ]

50. I just took seven boxes of stuff to my fave thrift store.

I asked the clerk if they had a lot of business & she said some days people are buying the stuff as they are unpacking it from the boxes.

[old mark]

51. I started buying books there because I read so much I can't afford to buy them new.

Then I started buying clothes for work, then I started finding collectables and antiques from time to time, and I was hooked. I still love to go from time to time - you never know what you will find.

mark

[pipi_k]

73. That's my problem too

I absolutely refuse to buy books new.

Tag sales, Goodwill, and eBay are my main sources, with the occasional foray into town to the (very small) public library.

[queenjane]

79. Library books sales are THE best place to buy books

My local library has these sales twice a year. On the Saturday morning of the sale, it's $5.00 per box, and you can bring/pick a box as big as you want! I buy for myself and gifts for friends. It's amazing the stuff people will donate for the sales, and the library also withdraws books for each sale. The thrift store books are almost too expensive now. :)

[old mark]

85. qj, you are sadly correct - the local thrift shops are starting to charge $2.99

for hardcover books - more than I like to spend-cuts back on my trying new authors. I love the library sales, but they are too infrequent.

mark

[Ruby the Liberal]

53. Our local Salvation Army has been PACKED the last 2 years

Prior, you might be the only one in the store. Now, it is difficult to find a parking space.

Lots of excellent bargains out there! I picked up a Talbot's sweater that still had the tags on it. $7.

[bdamomma]

54. love them

what is that saying one man's/women's junk is another man's/women's treasure?

[Vinca]

55. I browse a thrift shop several times a week, but I find the best clothing

at upscale church clothing sales. In recent weeks I've picked up L. L. Bean sweaters and shirts with the tags still on them for just about nothing. It's also my favorite place to find designer handbags cheap. Last year I found a like new Coach bag that was worth hundreds of dollars. There was 1 great thrift store find - a Dior suit for $7.00. Too small for me, but I sold it.

[walldude]

59. Thrift stores, flea markets, consignment stores...

If you go to the thrift stores near "rich" neighborhoods you find some amazing stuff.

[pipi_k]

70. College town leftovers

I live within 20 miles of Smith College. One of the best times of year for getting good stuff cheap is at the end of semesters when the Smithies donate all the things they don't want to take home or maybe they've worn it a couple of times and it's no longer "new" so they get rid of it.

Woo hoo!!!!

The only problem with buying clothing at the smaller places is that they mostly only have the smaller sizes. Even the Goodwill store in another nearby city doesn't really have a "plus" size section. "Plus" sizes there are lumped in with the Maternity clothing.

It's sort of amusing to see women my age shopping in the "Maternity" section... :7

[Dappleganger]

60. Yes, quite often.

Our kids have learned to enjoy it as well (even the teenagers).

[Greyskye]

62. Pay cash if you do

There was a thread on DU some months ago about people getting negative credit scores from shopping at Dollar Stores - it seems that shopping 'thriftily' is a sign that you are in financial trouble. :eyes:

Wouldn't surprise me in the least if shopping at thrift/second hand stores would trigger the same thing. :grr:

[donco6]

64. I do quite often.

And yes, they are MUCH busier than they used to be.

I buy stuff for schools - coats for kids who don't have any, silverware for the teacher's break room (they rarely have anything but one bent fork and someone's gramma's Pyrex baking dish), games and puzzles, utensils, that sort of thing. I like the recycling and helping them make money for their programs (ARC - sorry, won't go to Salvation Army until they lighten up on the homophobia).

But I have noticed they are always, always BUSY nowadays. Crammed full of people. Kids all over the place. And not much stuff left over - if you guys have things to donate, now's the time to get it in there.

[AlienGirl]

66. Yes, especially the Goodwill Outlet

Goodwill Outlet sells almost everything by the pound! I have gotten very high quality goods there for next to nothing--for instance, a small bag intended to be a handbag but the perfect size for my water bottle. I paid about $0.35 for it. There was still an original sales tag stuck inside it, and the original retail price was $160! You have to sort through a lot of stuff, literally, because the merchandise is just sort of spread in big plastic troughs--but wow, the things they sometimes have!

Our retail Goodwill and Value Village stores have really high prices these days, so I rarely shop at them.

My best clothes I order from Ebay; that way I can shop by measurement and not by size. (I am variously an XS, a 4P, a 6, a kids' 12, and a 0P, depending on date of manufacture and manufacturer's whims. Sizing is untrustworthy.)

Tucker

[ChickMagic]

68. I'm a convert

I doubt I'll ever shop retail again. There's a
thrift shop near where we live and a church
runs it. The clothes are clean and pressed and
some have the original tags on them. I got a
pair of Gap jeans - brand new, tag equipped,
for $4.50.

I stocked up on winter sweaters and will
go back soon for some other shirts.

[Occam Bandage]

69. Yes. I'm glad to see them doing good business. nt

[GentryDixon]

71. Go to the nearest Deseret Industries.

It is supported by the Mormon Church, and you can get super deals on anything you are looking for.

Yes, the money goes back to the "Church", but as egregious as they are, they do support humanitarian efforts worldwide.

[WCIL]

72. My mom volunteers at the Salvation Army

she and a group of her friends go every Tuesday to sort items and get them ready to sell. She says that what is coming in these days is really used, not just "I'm tired of it". She can't remember the last time something came in with tags on it. She also observes that there are fewer people who just come in to browse for antiques or books - more and more are shopping there by necessity. Our Salvation Army is desperate for winter coats, especially for children, and few are coming in.

[Ghost of Tom Joad]

75. always

where else can I get made in the USA, $200 designer jeans for $5.

[TheKentuckian]

77. Sometimes I try to hit the thrifts but the bones are usually pretty picked over anymore.

I think the second hand stores have put a huge dent into them. The second hand stores themselves are like panning for gold or something not because everything is junk but because most items are priced too close to new without generally any additional quality.

As far as the crowds, I guess I miss them but the evidence of their passage is clear in the stripped carcass they leave behind.

[RidinMyDonkey]

78. Most of my clothes come second hand from Savers

There has been an increase in the amount of shoppers there, I've noticed. Sometimes you have to wait in line for close to an hour (They only have three registers!)

With Halloween coming up and costumes being so expensive, these past few weeks it's been worse. I actually couldn't find a costume for myself, as everything in my size had already been picked clean.

I don't mind the extra shoppers though. Savers works by giving a 30% discount to all who donate their old items. More shoppers should equal more new things coming in each day.

[Dulcinea]

82. You bet!

I like going first thing in the morning when I have the place to myself. I buy used name-brand clothing & sell it on eBay. That's been helping keep me afloat since I lost my job.

[tammywammy]

83. I also suggest looking at ebay

I've found some great dresses on there for under $20.

[Raine]

84. I LOVE second hand store shopping

done it since I was a kid with my parents. Even when I can afford to buy the best I still love the thrill of finding great things second hand.

[Brooklyns_Finest]

86. Not thrift stores

But I buy a lot of high end clothing on a mens clothing forum and I have been getting some really sweet deals on pre-owned (but very well kept) italian suits.

[Art_from_Ark]

87. I shop at all sorts of places like that

Flea markets, dollar stores, thrift shops, low-end retailers. J.C.Penny is very high-end for me. When I go back to my hometown I usually check out shops like that. Last time I was back, there were a couple new dollar stores, downtown was all but deserted, the local mall looked to be on its last legs, but Wal-Mart was busy as always.

[krispos42]

88. They seem to be unusually busy

My local one (Family Pathways) just reworked their layout to add a bit more floor and shelf space.


I check their book section before going to the local bookstore, just in case they have any good deals.


I also buy my work pants and work radios there. I wear Docker-type pants at work because they are more comfortable and have roomier pockets than jeans, and I can get them for 2 or 3 bucks a pair in very good condition. And I need a cassette player to play my iPod at work, so I pick up old dual-cassette boomboxes as needed for about 4 bucks a pop.


I also picked up a pair of snow pants for my kid for $4... excellent!