Where's the best thrifting?

[Good Buddy]

In my opinion anywhere along the coast of South Florida, from Vero beach to Miami is some of the richest thrifting territory in the world. There's millions of retirees and therefore tons of great stuff that they donated to thrift stores each year. We went to Ft. Lauderdale to vist some friends and we made an absolute killing. If we would have had the car with the trailer hitch we would have come home with a 10 piece dining room and 5 piece bedroom set for a total of $250.

*Note* Always bring the right vehicle with you when you thrift, if you can.

Lesson learned and passed.

[ChrisMiss]

You are so right about Florida having some of the best thrift stores around.  The gulf side also has great thrift stores.  Tampa, St. Petersburg all the way down to Naples, Venice, etc. there are bargains galore.

I have found many many high end clothes and accessories that were either brand new or almost new and I paid next to nothing for the items.

Many thrift stores also have a designated day that many of the items will be 1/2 off.  The day after Thanksgiving was one of those days. I left home with $40.00 in my pocket and shopped for hours and brought home bags and bags of clothes for less than $40!  

I too look forward to many trips that involve visiting thrift stores.

Today I just had to visit a thrift store after reading the stories on this forum.  So I ran up to a couple and I was very glad I did.  I found a brand new blouse for myself.  It still had the tags on it and was originally priced for almost $40.00.  I paid $4.00 for it today.  I'm down in the keys so this is a bit higher than the prices I've paid up on the mainland.  I just love saying that!  The Mainland!  It sounds like I'm in Hawaii or someplace exotic doesn't it.

Next week I plan on visiting my favorite thrift stores in the Sarasota FL area.  I just know there will be many many bargains there too.

[Black Cat]

Hi Thrifters,

Good thrifing today in the Oviedo, FL area.  I went to the Village Shoppe at Lutheran Haven.  it had been closed for a month.  Lots of nice quality women's clothes at good prices.  I bought a red blazer, navy slacks, and a purple shirt/jacket, burgundy purse and damascence earrings all for $14 and some change.  

The next stop was even better.  I went to Sonshine Thrift Community, also in Oviedo.  Çlothes were half price today.  I got 2 bags full of clothes for $13!  Also, bought a nice, large Çherokee basket for $3.  Hopefully, I can make some money on the last item.

I also bought homemade Snickerdoodles at the Village Thrift; 3 for 40¢.  They also have nice plants for great prices.  Look for their huge flea market sale in Nov.

[alexandra]

I have travelled to Florida to visit a friend in Ocala.  While there, we went thrifting -- and the shops in Ocala were great.  In one store, I scored a Gucci bag (with the original dust bag attached), a Kate Spade, along with what looked like a new pair of Bass loafers.  I wish I could remember the name of the store -- but I think it was one that benefitted the local animal shelter (and I also adopted a cat from there while there -- I guess I really am addicted to all things previously owned).  These bags were under five dollars each.

The one thing that I always keep in mind when I purchase something, is quality -- how well the garmet or object is going to hold up over time.  I think that is important if what you are buying already has some wear.  That's why I look for items that are come from a quality label/manufacturer.  With purses, you are never sure if you're getting the real thing or a knock-off, and I won't buy from street vendors for that reason.  But... if you're buying from a thrift (especially an NPO), then the purchase price isn't supporting piracy, it's supporting philantrhopy.  That's my rationalization, at least!

Anyway, I like the stores in places like Ocala, because the quality of donations are higher than in less economically advantaged areas.  That, plus it was just plain fun to drive around with my friends and see the various stores....

Thriftily,
Alexandra
www.livingwithoutmoney.blogspot.com

[Marion]

I agree that Florida is great, though I've experienced only Miami City, and that was decades ago.  Probably other places are even better. But I recall a "real" antique totally hand-made quilt for $1.

There's also an absolutely fantastic Salvation Army in Chicago -- wish I could remember what street it's on; it's probably the MAIN Salv. there.  I've seen "biggies" but this one is so big that I needed the entire afternoon to go through it all.  (I admit, I often use the whole afternoon for Salv's that aren't quite that big, but this one could easily take up the morning, too.)  Their row of long black dresses alone was several yards along, and then there were the OTHER long dresses, and the long black SKIRTS, and the long-sleeved black tops, the long-sleeved black SWEATERS, each several yards along.

The item that I remember getting there is a Garfield & Marx JUMPER -- NEVER have I seen a Garfield & Marx JUMBER, anywhere.  I had to alter it (It was my size but I prefer skirts to  GO OUT a little, not fit tighrly), and I wear it, usually, with a tight-ish black or grey knit top underneath.  (The cost of the jumper was, of course, $2.99.)

But I'm very happy, thrift-wise,  living in Phila.  They've got enough great "biggiers" to keep me going once a week, or more if I want to (meaning, if I can find some excuse to...).  Mostly, they've got the Salv's and the Villages (although two of the Villages closed down this summer, and my daughter and I are in mourning... But then, I often dress in black, anyway...)  Right now I'm wearing one of my avante garde outfits (not risky, since all I'm doing is staying home today, though I might venture out in it tonight -- Saturday night, out to dinner and probably a movie with my hubby).  I'm wearing a dark-grey Flax (meaning linen, though not ALL Flax's are linen) long-ish top (just shorter than knee-length), kind of flow-y, sort of oversized (which I'm very wary of these days...) over a Victoria's Secret lacey knit top (black), long enough for my long arms, but the very opposite of oversized,  all over black footless tights (which I didn't think I'd find in a thrift store but I did -- THREE of them).

The jewelry, though, I got in Montreal, and will probably be written about in another post, or in the next issue of The National Thrifter.  Great as that jewelry is, Montreal thrifting is not, in my experience, as good as Phila. thrifting (though I have a friend who feels otherwise -- but she says I'm the thrifting expert...).

If anybody comes to Phila. and wants to thrift, I'll tell you where the good ones are. For starters, the two best Salv's are on Pechin Street (in Roxborough) and Torresdale Ave. But the one on Kensigton and Allgheny is definitely something to look forward to, and it's less than a mile from the Kensington Ave. Village.

Here's a question:  Is there anywhere that's the WORST thrifting?

[genuineimitation]

i vote for san francisco as worst thrifting: everything is way overpriced!! ouch!

[DianneK]

Orlando has the BEST GW in the area.It is always clean.

[oceangurl]

Jupiter Island (near west Palm beach) , Florida. The goodwill there has alot of good quality name brand items. Also Tarpon Springs , Florida, south of Tampa has oodles of good charity nonprofit shops.

[akbjr]

As far as worst thrifting, I can't say that Anchorage, Ak has it, as there are a lot of people moving into & out of the area due to two military bases, which have their own thrifts that us regular people can't get to, but compared to towns that have existed for a long time, well, Ak has only been a state for 50 years now, many people arrive without anything, like I did, (a backpack), therefore need to find stuff at the thrifts, (again, like I did) & there just isn't an unlimited stock of "cool stuff" to stock the thrifts from.
    On another note, yesterday I was donating a bunch of stuff to my favorite thrift,  Bishop's Attic, & noticed that trade (oversize) paperbacks were 10 for $1.00. Well..... I got $2.00 worth of great books, including the newest Patricia Cornwell that I had been eyeing at Costco, as they're almost half off there, but then was able to get it for .10. Part of the back cover was torn off, but still, good shape otherwise, & the paperback edition was just published this month. What are the chances? That's about the best kind of deal that I find here, a book that I really want showing up in the thrift. I've gotten so many good books to use for trade at the local used book stores, that the other day a lady at the intake counter at the largest used book store asked if I were a "book scout". I took it as a compliment. I'm not one, officially, but I will admit to picking up books that I think have good trade potential if they're cheap. I have hundreds of dollars of credit now at that used book store, from years of squirrelling away books, & finally getting them to the used book store. I don't advise squirrelling them away, as some popular culture books get to be not so popular after awhile. Better to trade them right away....

[Big Daddy Audio]

The greater Phoenix area has GOT to be in the top 5 nationwide, simply based on sheer numbers of thrift stores, and based on size, prices (sure, there are aberrations) cleanliness, and available stock. 

[genuineimitation]

does anyone thrift in Las Vegas? seems like that would be a great place to thrift - what with the numbers of new population, and people coming and going so much...