Slow thrifting

[valleythriftshopper]

My local thrifts have really been dead the last few weeks.  I don't remember September being a slow time in years past, anyone else having the same problem?  Thankfully there was a church sale today, I always find something good at those.  I got a box of vintage Christmas millinery items for 2 bucks and a Yamaha portasound keyboard/synthesizer for 2 bucks as well.

An older lady working at the sale came over and asked if I liked Christmas stuff.  She said she had a whole attic of Christmas stuff from her mother and her husband's aunt.   I am assuming the stuff must be pretty old, because the lady was at least in her late 60's.  She said she would bring it to the next sale, but that won't be until next spring.  I should have given her my phone #, but i thought that might be weird.  Anyway, I will be the first one at that sale next year!

[mccoysnina]

Thrifting here has been slow too.  I've found a few odds and ends but nothing substantial.  I did find a necklace marked down to $1.  It was pewter and had what I thought was a Celtic design on it.  I got it home to look at closely and there was a name stamped on it.  I Googled it and it turned  out to be a man in Norway who handmade pewter jewlery in the 60s and 70s with Nordic designs.  Not terribly valuable but interesting to know it was hand made several decades ago.
I have had better luck at estate/garage sales lately.
Today DD and I were out treasure hunting when we stopped at a sale nearby.  I found a handmade bowl with lizard designs on it, a silver serving spoon with a very ornate handle, a railroad paperweight for DS, and an old cigar box from a cigar store.  It has several drawers and is about the size of a tackle box.  $12 for everything.
I found some brass lamp bases there too that were nice, one a scene of a a couple on a picnic, very French looking, the other a smalelr one of a a bird.  Guy offered to them to me cheap but I didn't know what I would do with them and I have a houseful of stuff I don't know what to do with so I passed them by.
DD didn't find anything there but a little later she found several Ann Taylor silk or linen dresses and a cashmere sweater for $8  at a sale in a very expensive part of town.
A good day of treasure hunting for us today.
Jeannie

[valleythriftshopper]

Sounds like great stuff.  I don't even bother looking at clothes at the Salvation Army for the most part anymore.  They are high priced and not even that nice.  You can definitely find nice stuff at yard sales for much less like your daughter did.  I  would even rather shop at TJ Maxx, Target or Marshalls.  The little independant thift near me has good prices on clothes.  I think alot of their clothes come from older people though, so they tend not to be super stylish, but I occasionally get stuff there.  They only put out good quality stuff, then the Salvation Army picks up their leftovers. 

[Tammy]

Our larger thrifts basically consisting of Sal. Army and Goodwill have been packed lately.  Probably people taking stuff in from end of summer garage sales. 

Valleythriftshopper, it's funny how stores must price things
in different states.  I'd rather buy clothes at the SA stores as here they are pretty cheap.  Most shirts and pants run .99-$4.00 where at the GW stores, jeans and pants are firm starting at $5 and shirts start at $3.50. 

Tammy

[Magpie18]

The GWs are busy setting up their Halloween shops.  Kind of funny -- they tape off a corner of their regular stores into a kind of costume & horror boutique.

No admittance & no sales until OCT 1.   

Looks like the donations of jewelry & accessories is pretty thin.

[valleythriftshopper]

That sounds really cool, my local thrifts never have much for Halloween. 

[valleythriftshopper]

Our larger thrifts basically consisting of Sal. Army and Goodwill have been packed lately.  Probably people taking stuff in from end of summer garage sales. 

Valleythriftshopper, it's funny how stores must price things
in different states.  I'd rather buy clothes at the SA stores as here they are pretty cheap.  Most shirts and pants run .99-$4.00 where at the GW stores, jeans and pants are firm starting at $5 and shirts start at $3.50. 

Tammy

It has just been the last year that the prices have started to really climb.  For a while this summer I was getting automated calls from the Salvation Army to donate clothing.  Maybe they are low on donation so are raising prices on the stuff they have?  The people at the Sal Army I go to say they "rag out" (send back unsold stuff) alot of clothes.  This new pricing system doesn't seem to be doing well.  The large Sal Army down by the colleges closed I heard.  Don't know if that had anything to do with the new Goodwill nearby.  That Sal Army was even more pricey than the ones here.  Doesn't seem like they know what they are doing.  A few bargains can be had on half-price day, but it is a pain to have to track stuff the day before then show up early on Wednesdays.

[elvisgurly]

That sounds really cool, my local thrifts never have much for Halloween. 

One day at the GoodWill in Hawaii my sister found a Tigger costume for a toddler but it was in a Pooh package.  She then looked inside and it had both a Pooh & Tigger costume that included little hats.  She went back another week and found a cute Eeyore costume.  I think she paid only a few dollars.

[subversivegrrl]

Things aren't terribly slow around me - I think summer's the time when people are more likely to be clearing out stuff that's stored. 

I look forward to half-price day at a chain of local thrifts - there are actually two different chains that do it during the last week of the month, but one only does 50% off on soft lines (clothing, linens) while the other does half off on everything in the store. 

Here's a pic of one day's haul from one store



You can also look at it on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/43112736@N07/5052613709/, with notes of what all the things are.

[valleythriftshopper]

Nice stuff, I like the tidbit tray.  Thrift started picking up here again thankfully, also it was a big tag sale weekend since the weather was so nice.  I will try to post pics of stuff soon.  Great flickr page, I have been meaning to put together one of those seems easier than blogging! 

[Jay2TheRescue]

Thrifting has been slow, but I've been scoring at the flea market lately.  Today I found vintage patio furniture cushions, factory sealed in their packs for $1/ea!  My bungee cords were almost not big enough to get around them!

[mccoysnina]

Thrifting has been slow lately.  However I had great luck yesterday in a city wide yard sale in a small town nearby.  I found the brown leather bomber jacket DD had been lusting for.  Company went out of business in the late 80s or early 90s so jacket is at least 20 years old.  A grand sum of $7.  I found a vintage Zippo lighter and an advertising  pocket knife  with a leather case.   Graphics look to be around 1950s.  A hand sewn  sampler  and a hand made scarf, 3 books, a leather punch and some kids patterns.  A grand total of less than $20.  A good day.  To make it better, yesterday was my birthday and a gourmet cupcake bakery  in the same town had emailed me a coupon for a free cupcake.  Chocolate cake with raspberry butter cream, yummy even better since it was free.
Jeannie

[Sir Thrift-A-Lot]

It's slow here. It's always slow this time of year; the Halloweeners are hitting the shops..

[azia88]

Every thrift store has been slow here.. GW has been pretty good lately. You have to get there on half prices  day though, or prices are high. Garage sales are high prices or junk..  People go on ebay and think thire stuff will sell for that at a garage sale NOT..I think thrift stores go on ebay too..I can tell when we look something up...

[anastasiabeaverhausen]

slow here too..but hittin g some auctions and estate sales..
dang Jay always thought you were the cooest thrifter....but now seeing the harley..wow  :}
come thru NC on 11/21/10 its my 22nd annual toy run......