we all know WHAT we're doing here.. but WHY?

[genuineimitation]

i was asking myself this question, so i thought i'd just open it up..
WHY do i thrift?

is it because i'm cheap? or i want to keep stuff out of the landfill? or the cool retro stuff i find? or the thrill of the hunt? or i can't afford more? or i'm against large corporate box-store buying? or i want to support the alternative economy?

why are we all here on this website, feeding off each other??

(i haven't come up with the single answer yet, BTW

[valleythriftshopper]

I was reading an Ebay newletter a week ago & found a very humorous article about a new board on the discussion board page called "biddies".  The biddies are people who enjoy online auctions & want to chat with others about their finds & bidding strategies.  Two groups within the biddies are those who wait until the last minute of the auction & try to swoop in & outbid at the last second (they have a name for it but I can't remember) & those who have other bidding strategies. 

I think this site is for the "thrifties", who also enjoy hearing about other peoples finds & where they shop.  I signed up for freecycle because of someone's post regarding the site.

So please keep sharing your finds!  I only have one friend who enjoys thriftshopping & she does not live in the area.  All my other friends & family have to pretend to act interested unless its something I sold for alot of money.

[Thrift Shop Romantic]

Me, well, many reasons-- cheap, unquestionably. Good to support charities, absolutely. Excellent for the environment, yes.

But my favorite reason is because I'm weird and I like weird old things which not everyone has-- which are easily and merrily findable at thrift stores. I like the history of things, and I like learning about the items I've found that I never knew were out there before. It's thrift archaeology, I guess.

And keeping interesting old things with history out of the landfill seems like a pretty great hobby to me.

[foutchie]

maybe it's the thrill of the hunt, combined with rare finds - I know I like high end brand things but retail is more than I want, or sometimes can, pay - finding the name brand I seek cheap, like new or new, has spoiled me for retail shopping!

[foutchie]

yes, and for furniture, glassware, etc. - I LOVE old!   and want it cheap, cause I use them and they may break!

[Jay2TheRescue]

I was reading an Ebay newletter a week ago & found a very humorous article about a new board on the discussion board page called "biddies".  The biddies are people who enjoy online auctions & want to chat with others about their finds & bidding strategies.  Two groups within the biddies are those who wait until the last minute of the auction & try to swoop in & outbid at the last second (they have a name for it but I can't remember) & those who have other bidding strategies. 

I think this site is for the "thrifties", who also enjoy hearing about other peoples finds & where they shop.  I signed up for freecycle because of someone's post regarding the site.

So please keep sharing your finds!  I only have one friend who enjoys thriftshopping & she does not live in the area.  All my other friends & family have to pretend to act interested unless its something I sold for alot of money.

They call that "sniping"

-Jay

[Other People s Junk]

But my favorite reason is because I'm weird and I like weird old things which not everyone has-- which are easily and merrily findable at thrift stores. I like the history of things, and I like learning about the items I've found that I never knew were out there before. It's thrift archaeology, I guess.

I couldn't have said that reason better!  That's a definite one for me!

Also it's therapeutic.  Just browsing around looking at the various junk and book titles and more junk is just a fun, relaxing thing to me.  You never know what you are going to find.  And when you actually do find a neat old treasure for cheap?!  It's a nice thing!

And yes, I also am just plain cheap.

[Big Daddy Audio]

I thrift because I like good audio stuff and COULD NOT AFFORD it otherwise.  It also amazes me as to what people donate.  Stuff that could be sold for a decent (if not handsome) price is simply donated.  I guess it's better than taking it to the landfill.

High Quality audio is extremely expensive today.  The world is in love with the terrible- sounding compressed digital files which are the favorite of iPods everywhere.  If you want quality music, you have to step into the TARDIS and go back - back to anywhere from the late 70's to the mid 80's and find gear back there.  The cheap black boxes of today cannot reproduce what I like.  I'm not saying the artitist of today stink (okay, I AM saying it) but to truly hear the music as desired, a fully functioning vintage rig is essential.

See you next time
Bye for now. 

[oceangurl]

I like the thrill of the hunt, the anticipation of what I might find that day and for what price, I like unusual items and one of a kind things and I like clothes and since Iam easy to fit I always end up with all the latest fashions for a very cheap price. I have a good eye for clothes and know the latest thing so I know exactley what to look for when I am thrifting, love walking out the door only spending 5$ to 10$ with a whole bag full of new things to wear, cant think of anything else but I know their are like 50 million other reasons, the comforting thing is knowing that Iam not the only one, that's why I like this forum because it lets me know that its o.k. to be like this! Hooray!

[Femme1]

I'll admit it, I'm cheap. But the things I look for in thrifts are the odd, the weird, the beautiful, the quirky. I'm an unusual person and I like to surround myself with unusual things.

Then there's the thrill of the hunt. It's much more satisfying for me to FIND something great in a ts than to buy that same thing on E-Bay. I'm sure it's akin to the feeling that a lioness gets when she's strolling across the veldt and just happens to spot...what's THAT!...a lone wildebeest just asking to be dinner. 
Hey, I like to go berry picking, too. It's a hunter/gatherer thang.

[Jay2TheRescue]

I'll admit it, I'm cheap. But the things I look for in thrifts are the odd, the weird, the beautiful, the quirky. I'm an unusual person and I like to surround myself with unusual things.

Then there's the thrill of the hunt. It's much more satisfying for me to FIND something great in a ts than to buy that same thing on E-Bay. I'm sure it's akin to the feeling that a lioness gets when she's strolling across the veldt and just happens to spot...what's THAT!...a lone wildebeest just asking to be dinner. 
Hey, I like to go berry picking, too. It's a hunter/gatherer thang.

I think you hit the nail on the head.  I remember back to Biology class in college.  We have evolved over the eons to be hunter-gatherers.  We have a hunting instinct that has been applied to shopping, collecting, etc.  In most cases its benign, however in some cases of severe pack-ratism it becomes an unhealthy obsession, or even OCD.

-Jay

[Big Daddy Audio]

Then there's the thrill of the hunt.

I think you hit the nail on the head.  I remember back to Biology class in college.  We have evolved over the eons to be hunter-gatherers.  We have a hunting instinct that has been applied to shopping, collecting, etc.  In most cases its benign, however in some cases of severe pack-ratism it becomes an unhealthy obsession, or even OCD.

-Jay

It is all these things, combined with a sense of being cheap.

1) Hunter-Gatherer
2) Intrigue with the unknown (see my signature, below)
3) Financial stinginess
4) A desire to beat the consumerism mentality that is Modern America at it's own game
5) A desire to go against the grain for our own personal aesthetic
6) Desperation/Incense at the cost of new things

Anyway, I thrift because there is always hope for the NEXT GREAT FIND.  It is what I do - it is by design.

See you next time
bye for now

[Sprocket]

"I'll admit it, I'm cheap. But the things I look for in thrifts are the odd, the weird, the beautiful, the quirky. I'm an unusual person and I like to surround myself with unusual things."

This describes me exactly!  In fact, I am heading out to the GW now =)

-Sprock

[Krisathome]

I like odd things and nice things. 
I can't afford to shop antique shops. 
I like being different than other people.
I love the hunt and the excitement of finding a treasure. 

[genuineimitation]

i think i've finally answered my own question:
i thrift because i am CHEAP!
yesterday - i got a banana republic leather jacket for $20. and a velvet dress with the price tags still on for $10. the original price was over $200!! WHY would a thinking person buy clothes at retail???!!