Full disclosure

[bubbles62]

We have secret santa at my work and the name I picked had (among other things) a movie night set on her list. I had previously picked up (at a thrift store of course) a brand new but no box set of popcorn supplies with a huge popcorn bowl, 4 individual popcorn bowls, butter cup and salt shaker all ceramic and painted in a cool red and white stripe. It was perfect, the giftee loved it and I told the people asking where I had gotten it either Tuesday Morning or tried to change the subject. I only told the truth to one friend who also thrifts. I also gave my boss some homemade shortbread in an LL Bean little canvas bag that was thrifted but new and she loved the bag as much as the cookies. She asked where I had gotten the bag and I told her LL Bean, since the tag was there. I'm very careful about who I tell that I thrift since a lot of people have the wrong impression about thrift stores.

[daswitzer]

I tell my mother, but she taught me the whole art of resale anyway.  I have a penpal in Iowa who leaves the price tag on everything she thrifts and when she gives it as a gift, she thinks it's fun.....she only does this with her mother and sister and they do the same thing to her.  Her and I exchange gifts through the mail and she leaves the prices on and insisted that I do the same, although I just couldn't do it.  Knowing it's thrifted is fine, but knowing the cost just isn't my style.

[dewdrop_me_a_line]

Almost anyone who knows me knows that I TS. We have door prizes at the Local Senior Meetings. I am very careful when I choose donations. I even find some at the 'by the pound' GW. They are either perfect or I 'know' how to remove the tags stains and signs of use w/o leaving a trace.

No one asks!

Major gifts vary. I bought Sissy a brand new pair of shoes this year, but the rest of her family gets my finds. It's so much more fun and they are all TSers too. It's in our blood.

Friends that would object to TS finds are just acquaintances. I don't plan it that way but it seems that I am attracted to frugal people, some more frugal than me.

When I receive a gift . . . I truly believe it's the thought that counts. Re-gifting and donating are A-okay. I would never expect a person to 'cherish' a gift I gave them. I do expect the grandchildren to cherish the things that are handed down from a previous generation, not much in our case.

TC is 19. She recently got the dress her other grandmother sewed by hand for a baby doll when she was tiny. The doll she got to play with, this granny saw the dress (christening gown and cap) as a priceless heirloom. I wish I had things the parents made or created.  I was over at the 'other' grandparents house one day when they were having a garage sale. Grandpa was selling handmade toolboxes for $2 each. I snagged one for TC though she was about 18 mos. old. It held magazines until recently. Grandpa is a cabinet maker.

My husband, God rest his soul brought home a lot of pearls from an oversea trip. The girlz all get jewlery made from the pearls when they are old and responsible enough to appreciate it. Lovely.

Old is wonderful. Museums thrill and delight me. I was just thinking today as I was thrifting, how much would this abundance of stuff, mostly made in China have astonished a few generations back.

Can you imagine tearing apart worn garments to reuse and saving the thread for another go-round! We are indeed lucky to live in such abundance.

Stepping off the soapbox,
dewsy