Misconceptions about thrifts

[Thrift Shop Romantic]

I think because I've found you folks, and because visitors to my blog also tend to be pro-preused items (whether its antiques, garage sale items or thrift items) I've become insulated.

Because yesterday I was surprised when I'd shared with a curious coworker the reason I left at lunch was to go thrifting, and his response was, "I only buy things new. At thrift stores you never know what bum has had them."

Excuse me?

I tried to explain that it's not like that at all, and I actually find cool vintage weird stuff through the stores, but he remained unconvinced.

Thrift store items were owned by or handled by BUMS? Are ya kiddin' me?!

[superiorgirl]

The level of ignorance baffles and astounds me!

The other one that I hear is that ts's are only for poor people. Duh. How do you think the charity based ts's help with  food, heating, medical bills if they are only for poor people to shop in???

[Magpie18]

well,  I get that used stuff line sometimes --- I just remind people that they eat in restaurants & stay at hotels etc.

It is a matter of knowing what can be cleaned & sanitized & what can't

[alexandra]

I'd like to find the bums in my city who are wearing and then donating all those cashmere sweaters!!!

Here's a story (don't I always have one?).  We were cleaning out some old family stuff from the attic.  By mistake some old Christmas stuff was sent to Amvets.  My sister was bummed.  I told her not to worry as it was the kind of old quaint stuff I see so many bloggers and crafters snap up.  I'm convinced whomever gets this stuff will give it a good home and think it's as cool as we always did.

The other reason to thrift... no one bowls anymore.  How else are we gonna get trophies???


Thriftily,
Alexandra
www.livingwithoutmoney.blogspot.com

[valleythriftshopper]

To those who would not be caught dead at a thrift store I say - Great! Less competition for me.  Yesterday I bought two sweaters & three other tops at the S.A. 1/2 price day.  Three were new, two gently used- got them all for under $6.00.  That was at the end of the day also, so I am glad only some people (the smart ones) are into thrifting- I want all the good stuff!

[Mattie]

Amen to that, Valleythrift!  Let the dumb ones shop at retail stores.  Ha!

And if thrifted stuff was once owned by bums, then call me a bum - because I donate stuff all the time.

[SecondhandSophisticate]

Fellow bum here, ladies and gents! We "bums" save money, have great personal style, reuse and recycle, tread gently, go lightly, are creative, imaginative, generous of spirit, and have thumping good senses of humor! Those are all good things

I am proud to be a member of this "elitest" group

Ciao Bellas!
SeSo

[dukek9]

Alexandra,

The one thing I am tempted by in thrift stores that I definitely don't need is trophies.  But I keep on thinking it would be cool to have a bunch or them and do something creative with them, but have no idea what.  Or else have a bunch of them of all different kinds, and really make people wonder!  Is this wierd, or waht?

Dee

[valleythriftshopper]

I remember an old bowling trophy in my parents basement which was weird because neither of them bowled.  I think we did sell it at a yard sale so obviously people do collect them.  I have a number of sports trophies I earned in high school/college & I would never part with them even though I don't have them displayed.  If you find some heavier ones you could use them as bookends.  Or create a little display with, for example, a hockey trophy, old skates, & related items for a winter display (a ski trophy would be really cool).  If people collect vacuum cleaners (check out www.vacuumland.org ) then why not trophies?

[Other People s Junk]

Maybe the thrift stores he has seen are in bad parts of town where the bums hang out?  Even so, that doesn't mean that the stuff in the store was from them!  Sheesh!    

[MrsGoodwill]

Fellow bum here, ladies and gents! We "bums" save money, have great personal style, reuse and recycle, tread gently, go lightly, are creative, imaginative, generous of spirit, and have thumping good senses of humor! Those are all good things

I am proud to be a member of this "elitest" group

Ciao Bellas!
SeSo

Right on!

Meh. People can think what they like about me. As long as folks keep giving their stuff to thrifts, I'll keep shopping!

I think only thrifters *really* "get" thrifting.

[Thrift Shop Romantic]

Ten to one, I bet my coworker never set foot in a thrift store to even have any idea what one was like. There's no real frame of reference when people say things like that.

Power to the thrifty,

[dukek9]

Oh, good idea about using a trophy in a display.  Definitely a lot of skiing and ice skating trophies around here.  I love the idea--combines creativity and thrift with a bit of history!

I used Seso's great statement about thrifting today on a very reluctant thrifter.  She has all those qualities that Seso mentioned, but was feeling a little down because of money issues--feeling it was making her have to shop at a place that she would rather not.  But she was definitely intrigued by Seso's statement and so agreed to give it a try.

Ha!  She is hooked.  The only annoying thing was that I wanted to look around a bit too which was really difficult when she kept running over to me screaming, "look what I found!  Isn't this great!"

Dee

[ChrisMiss]

It is amazing how many people wouldn't go to a thrift store but will go to a consignment shop, an antique store or vintage clothing store.  They're the same thing just the pricing is different.  We cut out the middleman by shopping at the thrift stores.  I've been in quite a few antique stores that were nothing better than glorified thrift stores.  Many vendors in these antique stores pick up their finds at yard sales and thrift stores.   

[Thrift Shop Romantic]

I had an AMAZING thrift day yesterday, finding a really nice framed print from 1904 and another World War II military souvenir pillow cover with a poem on it.

People don't know what they're missing. :-)