Another Chance

[Pedeka]

There is a SA on the opposite side of town from me on Sylvania Ave.. The last time I was in there was a few years ago. It was dirty and smelled and was unorganized and the pricing was all over the place with no rhyme or reason. I took it off of my list of "rounds". I stopped in on Friday cause we were driving past, just for kicks. It was completely transformed. The place was clean. The clerks were soo friendly.I can't even list what I bought. I got a bunch of B.C. glasses (.29 each), some glass cowboy boot mugs that my father designed (.49), a brand new fisher price little people sleeping bag (2.99), a bunch of toddler clothes, fisher price and gymboree and children's place (all under 1.00), some Star Wars books, a toy woodworking set (with all of the wood and transfers and tiny tools), I actually found some clothes for myself. Women's clothes over a size 14 seem criminally elusive to me usually, but they had 3 stuffed racks! I kind of regret the fact that I left the full set of turquoise Pyrex bowls, but I don't have space for the ones that I do have now. They had a beautiful set of mid century pastel tinted glasses with a matching punch bowl (3.99!!) that I left because I couldn't rationalize space for either. 

I was just all excited that a place changed for the better. It is usually my experience that once a place starts to slide it just gets worse. Are my experiences unusual in this way? Anyway, I'm glad I got a thrift "back".

[SeSo_Says_So]

First, Congrats on your wonderful finds!  It sounds like you struck the motherlode!

And I can totally relate about the clothing thing...hardest thing for me to thrift is clothes. 

I admire your willingness to give the store another chance. It sounds like a "keeper" on your thrift jaunts.

There are a few thrifts here that I just won't visit for the exact reasons you cite. Every few years, I may go back and check, but there has not been any change so far.   

[akbjr]

Awesome finds! you really did good. I agree with both of you that clothing for a + size woman is the most difficult to find. I am tall & "broad" "big boned" as my mother used to call me, & I tend to find men's clothing to fit easier, like denim jackets, etc. I end up finding more clothing for friends who thrift than for myself, but it's all good.
      As to the store that cleaned itself up, that's really great. Pretty unusual. Sounds like their prices are great as well. I enjoy watching local thrift shops sometimes go through changes in style, probably usually due to changes in management. Your's sounds like it really metamorphosed for the better.

[nancydr2]

I'm glad you gave the SA another chance.  Thrift stores, like people, can change! 

Over the past few years, Goodwill of AZ has been moving their stores into spaces abandoned by large grocery stores.  What an improvement!  Cleaner, more spacious, ample parking, half-way decent bathrooms...  it's been great!  I'm convinced the merchandise looks better because of the better location. 

I feel ya on the plus size clothing.  It does seem to be rare, so I don't usually bother to look.  Some of the Goodwills around here have started separate plus size sections which makes my shopping a lot easier.

How on earth did you walk away from a set of Pyrex, turquoise mixing bowls?  That would have been hard for me.

[Mattie]

The Sacramento SPCA thrift did a 180 when it moved into new digs just a block away.  It used to be dirty, sloppy and disorganized; now it's a beautiful store and it's fun to shop there.

some glass cowboy boot mugs that my father designed (.49),

Wait...what?  Your father designed glass cowboy boot mugs?

[Pedeka]

I am always in search of Libbey glass and L.E. Smith "dimensional glassware" from the 70's and early 80's. Things like paper weights, cookie jars, candle holders, and promotional glassware (think Red Lobster lighthouse glasses). My father was the head designer in the 3-D department during that time and hand sculpted most of those molds in clay. I have been picking things up as I have seen them for quite awhile, just because it felt cool to tell someone that my dad made the glass/ashtray/serving dish they were holding. He suddenly passed away recently and being able to grab a smoked glass owl shaped bank off of a shelf for 49 cents somehow makes me feel like I am saving some tiny part of him.

Sorry to get all heavy there. If we weren't sentimental on some level we wouldn't thrift would we? We would clip coupons.

I pulled that from a post that I did on this thread http://www.thethriftshopper.com/forums/shopper/index.php?topic=967.msg9628#msg9628  "what are you always looking for?"
But, there is a looong shopping list of very common and very rare glassware that I will ALWAYS buy, where ever and whatever the price.(almost). I'm always poking through the glasses looking for L.E. Smith, Libbey,or Libbey of Canada stuff from that period.

[Jay2TheRescue]

The Sacramento SPCA thrift did a 180 when it moved into new digs just a block away.  It used to be dirty, sloppy and disorganized; now it's a beautiful store and it's fun to shop there.

some glass cowboy boot mugs that my father designed (.49),

Wait...what?  Your father designed glass cowboy boot mugs?

There used to be a restaurant in my hometown that served drinks in those.  I had many iced teas in them.

-Jay

[Pedeka]

Thank you so much Jay. I love to hear things like that. It made my day.