Meeting-A-Thrifter

[alexandra]

What I find can be hard, is when you take a novice along on a trip -- you see that they are passing by the really good quality stuff for items that you know are priced a bit high, or maybe they could do better on if they thrifted more often.

I have a twin sister and our relationship can be competitive and contentious a lot of the time.  When it comes to clothes, our styles are absolute opposite - so that is never an issue when thrifting. But when it comes to household and decorative items, we're very similar, yet we never seem to have a problem. Partly it's because I stick within a budget so if I see something I like but I can't rationalize the purchase, she will often still get it.  If we both like the same thing, whomever found it first is the victor.  But, there have been times were the spoil was traded before checkout time -- if other stuff that was more desirable was found.

There have been a few times where I really liked something but passed on it because of price or other concerns, where my sister ended up buying the item and gifting me with it.

I think I fall into the Guerilla camp -- I have a plan, and I execute it without much variance.  I tend to get a lot done in a short period of time.  I've had the clerk commend me for pulling together a lot of merchandise that others in the store missed.  One girl even said "wow, you found all the best stuff!"

I think that when you have a focus, you will find stuff in all corners of the store, and it's not obvious that you've found a bounty until it's all grouped together at the checkout.

Thriftily,
Alexandra
www.livingwithoutmoney.blogspot.com

[Jay2TheRescue]

I never thought of it as "guerilla thrifting" but that's pretty close to what I do, too. I thrift largely at lunchtime, I have almost NO time to spare, and I sort of sweep in, see what's in housewares and furniture, and zip off again.

I don't think I'd be a lot of fun for anyone else. I have a friend who goes with me sometimes on weekends, but she goes her way (usually the books) while I sweep the store. She's aware of my technique. :-)

I often use this same technique when thrifting.  I try to hit every store in a town, and I really want to be out before rush hour starts so I usually scan quickly and if nothing jumps out at me I move on.

-Jay

[Cookie]

I had a friend in college that I would thrift with and we both collected tiki stuff, cocktail stuff, and old paperbacks with cool pulp fiction covers and titillating titles like "Kill Me Tomorrow."  If she rushed over to the books, I would rush over to the glassware.  It kind of sucked.  Anyway, it was so nice to thrift with Sally and Lee because nobody was collecting the same thing and we had some really good conversations.  I came across a collection of LP's in mint condition and I only bought one, which was Elvis Costello My Aim is True from 1977.  I passed on the rest because I wasn't super interested, but I did write down the titles and look them up in completed listings on eBay when we got home.  It turns out none of them were worth anything, so I was glad I didn't just buy them with the hope I could make money.  Lee talked to me while I was looking through the albums, and we discussed the records as I found them, which was a lot of fun.  Usually Good Buddy and I browse through housewares together and then take off in different directions, so this was a nice break from our thrifting routine.  And it was great to get other thrifters' opinions on things.  I found a FireKing bowl that I liked because it had blue fruit on it, but I was about to put it back because there was a ring on the inside where the glass felt rough and had turned yellow.  Good Buddy bet Lee, Sally, and me a dollar each that he could get the ring off.  Sally agreed with me that the ring was not coming off and said it looked like it had been used as a mixing bowl and that's where the damage came from, but Good Buddy insisted on buying it.  When we got it home I scrubbed it with a Brillo pad, but there was no change.  Good Buddy was sure all it needed was a good soaking and filled it up with water.  But after the soaking the bowl was not shoved in my face for "I told you so" taunting, so I guess me, Sally, and Lee will all be a dollar richer now.

[Jay2TheRescue]

I had a friend in college that I would thrift with and we both collected tiki stuff, cocktail stuff, and old paperbacks with cool pulp fiction covers and titillating titles like "Kill Me Tomorrow."  If she rushed over to the books, I would rush over to the glassware.  It kind of sucked.  Anyway, it was so nice to thrift with Sally and Lee because nobody was collecting the same thing and we had some really good conversations.  I came across a collection of LP's in mint condition and I only bought one, which was Elvis Costello My Aim is True from 1977.  I passed on the rest because I wasn't super interested, but I did write down the titles and look them up in completed listings on eBay when we got home.  It turns out none of them were worth anything, so I was glad I didn't just buy them with the hope I could make money.  Lee talked to me while I was looking through the albums, and we discussed the records as I found them, which was a lot of fun.  Usually Good Buddy and I browse through housewares together and then take off in different directions, so this was a nice break from our thrifting routine.  And it was great to get other thrifters' opinions on things.  I found a FireKing bowl that I liked because it had blue fruit on it, but I was about to put it back because there was a ring on the inside where the glass felt rough and had turned yellow.  Good Buddy bet Lee, Sally, and me a dollar each that he could get the ring off.  Sally agreed with me that the ring was not coming off and said it looked like it had been used as a mixing bowl and that's where the damage came from, but Good Buddy insisted on buying it.  When we got it home I scrubbed it with a Brillo pad, but there was no change.  Good Buddy was sure all it needed was a good soaking and filled it up with water.  But after the soaking the bowl was not shoved in my face for "I told you so" taunting, so I guess me, Sally, and Lee will all be a dollar richer now.

LOL, The vintage "adult" novels from the 60's are cool.  I once helped out with an estate sale that had a bunch of them, and was given a few after the sale.  They were great at parties.  I would pass them out at parties and I would give 2 minutes to skim through and find the best passage to read aloud.  It really breaks the ice at a party.

On the subject of vintage glassware you can do several things.  Soaking in a vinegar solution is good, or scrubbing with Bon Ami or Barkeeper's Friend will usually remove stains and utensil marks without damage.

-Jay

[Good Buddy]

Big Daddy Audio wrote:

I'm also a guerilla thrifter which means I have something in mind, and will blow into a store and out of a store in 5 minutes or less, simply checking for what I seek.  I don't browse - I enter, look at the areas in which my goals would be located, and leave.

Amen Brother!

He also wrote:

Not much fun in that for someone else.

I don't get your point...

[lizardsally]

How cool that you got to go thrifting with Sally and Lee!  I got together with some other members of the ThriftList (Frank, Hillary and Vern) a couple years ago for a full day of shopping and it was FUN.  After you've been talking with someone online for a while, it feels like you're old friends when you finally meet.

When are you going to come to Orlando, Mattie?  I'd love to go thrifting with you!  Seriously, it was great meeting Michael and Cookie on Saturday - we should have done it sooner!  We all had a great time (even Lee who to be honest isn't always into a full day of thrifting like I am).  I really don't have any friends who like to thrift - all my thrifting buddies are online, so it's nice to put faces to names, too!

[ChrisMiss]

I'm kind of a guerrilla thrifter and kind of not.  When I used to live in Tampa I could breeze through the stores quickly looking for certain items.  You get to know where the employee's are placing the new items and the items that you're interested in.  So I could hit several stores on my way home from work, sometimes taking a different route home to hit different stores.  

But now I'm a quick browser in dishes and knick knacks.  I can scan fairly quickly what's on the shelves.  But the clothes I have to slow down and go through a little slower.  I'm getting faster at that too though.  I scan with the eyes narrowing down sizes then colors, spot it, pull it out, quick glance, put it back or keep looking it over closer if it really strikes my fancy.  I then move on to books, and that usually doesn't take very long anymore either.

I've taken my hubby with me and we can separate and swoop through a store pretty quickly.  He's still amazed though that I'll spot something and he missed it.  Or he'll bring something over to me and I'll say I saw that and give the reasons why I passed on it.    

I've gone shopping with family members.  We'll separate and look at what each of us wants to look at; checking to see if the other one is still shopping or ready to go.  My mom is the slowest shopper though when I take her shopping.  I'm done and ready to move on and she's still looking.  I tend to start helping her look just so we can move on to another store.  I know that she'll get tired soon and I won't have seen all the stores.