THRIFT STORES! Show Us, Tell Us About Your Finds!

[iLander]

I went to a thrift store yesterday and got this completely unused wallet!

It had a little paper label inside that said "Cuervo Caiman" which told me that it was real crocodile! I could see a small area on the backside of the skin, so I knew it wasn't leather stamped to look like alligator. I think it's from the '70's. It is soft and smooth like butter, and really beautiful. I'm sure a similar item from Saks would be hundreds of dollars.

It was a $1.00!!

Do you got to thrift stores, antique stores, junk stores, flea markets, Goodwill, etc. ?

What were your big scores? Let's here about it, or better yet, a quick pic.

I go occasionally, how often do you go?

 

[kenny]

I am not making this up.
I know a man who buys jewelry at thrift stores, antique stores, estate sales, the Internet and resells it.
He's not a full GG but was trained by GIA.

A few weeks ago in a thrift store he found a Platinum (I can't remember if he said necklace or bracelet) with many diamonds.
It was just being put out by the employee and priced at $7.00, yes seven dollars.
He kept his cool and acted not terribly interested but asked for his 10% senior discount and saved 70 cents.

He is guessing he can resell it for around $15K.
I haven't seen it yet but Kawabunga!!!

 

[Karl_K]

We picked up a really nice wood night stand for $8 the other day.

There is rarely any good jewelery in them around here, they have a contract with one of the local jewelers to go through and buy anything that is nice.

 

[April20]

I love thrift stores.

A few years ago, I found about 15 hand embroiders pillowcases. I am a sucker for vintage linens and this was a score. It looked like someone had cleared out an elderly relatives house and donated it all to the thrift store.

I also occassionally resale clothes I find in thrift stores. If it's a name brand or something I know can be a hot ticket item and especially if it still has tags and is new, I will buy it. I bought a J Crew argyle sweater (classic) with tags still attached for $4.35 and sold it on Ebay for $36. It retails for $60plus, so the person that bought it still got a good deal.... just not as good as I did!

A friend had on a fabulous tweed suit the other day. I asked him where he got it and he's picked it up in a thrift store that's literally called "thrift store" in a dicey spot in town. It was $2!!!! I've never stopped in that one because it looked so awful, but he says they have great stuff. I'm going to stop in one of these days.

 

[y2kitty]

I bought a box of books for something like $1 that had a first edition Grapes of Wrath in perfect condition with a dust jacket on it. Too bad that is my least favorite book of Steinbeck's!

 

[Italiahaircolor]

I LOVE flea markets...I'll go far and wide for a good one.

I have a few goodies that really thrill me...

But my favorite three (well, 4...okay, 5) are...

My 2 antique Euro dough bowl. They are so beautiful. I have one on my coffee table filled with seasonal decor and the other is filled with fruit in my kitchen.

My other is a high boy I bought off the porch of an antique store. I loved the style...but the history of it is really great...it was from an old church, and that is where they kept the Bibles.

And lastly it's my coffee table in my family room...it's from an old Chicago furniture factory and actually is an old furniture cart. I fell in love with the style when it was featured at Restoration Hardware, but I like the real not--not repo's--so I was on a mission forever to find one. I eventually did, but it was this awful pistachio green that was the worst...even the cast iron was painted! I stripped, sanded, and slaved over the cart and eventually have this great piece that I LOVE.

And finally, the icing on the cake is my workbench bar. It's very, very cool. I wanted one after seeing a repo at Pottery Barn, but again, I wanted the real deal. I ended up finding an old carpenter who was going out of business but had he bench he had worked on for years and he was willing to sell. So I bought it! When I met him (drove very far for it!) he explained to me in his busier days he built cabinets for stores and Chanel was one of them. He was so full of stories and I enjoyed buying it from it. Now when I look at it, refinished of course, I get a thrill out of thinking about all he created on it.

 

[purselover]

You can find some great things in the thrift shops in NY. At one of the housing works I bought a really cute pink floral Burberry jacket for I think a little less than $100.

 

[iLander]

You can find some great things in the thrift shops in NY. At one of the housing works I bought a really cute pink floral Burberry jacket for I think a little less than $100.

Have you been to "The Cure"? I like that one the best.

Here's their website: http://www.curethriftshop.com/

If you ask them "is that your best price?" they'll make you a deal. I like them for furniture and decor, mostly, but the clothes downstairs are pretty good, too.

 

[iLander]

I am not making this up.
I know a man who buys jewelry at thrift stores, antique stores, estate sales, the Internet and resells it.
He's not a full GG but was trained by GIA.

A few weeks ago in a thrift store he found a Platinum (I can't remember if he said necklace or bracelet) with many diamonds.
It was just being put out by the employee and priced at $7.00, yes seven dollars.
He kept his cool and acted not terribly interested but asked for his 10% senior discount and saved 70 cents.

He is guessing he can resell it for around $15K.
I haven't seen it yet but Kawabunga!!!

Plain jealousy here

 

[iLander]

I bought a box of books for something like $1 that had a first edition Grapes of Wrath in perfect condition with a dust jacket on it. Too bad that is my least favorite book of Steinbeck's!

Have you tried checking the price of that on Abebooks.com? Condition of the dust jacket and binding make a huge difference in price, but it's easily worth a few hundred dollars! You can sell it yourself on Amazon, too.

 

[y2kitty]

I bought a box of books for something like $1 that had a first edition Grapes of Wrath in perfect condition with a dust jacket on it. Too bad that is my least favorite book of Steinbeck's!

Have you tried checking the price of that on Abebooks.com? Condition of the dust jacket and binding make a huge difference in price, but it's easily worth a few hundred dollars! You can sell it yourself on Amazon, too.

I sold it right after I realized what it was (I think I got close to a thousand). The thing is, I think 1st editions are special and need to be loved but since I'm not a Grapes of Wrath fan it meant nothing to me.

 

[purselover]

You can find some great things in the thrift shops in NY. At one of the housing works I bought a really cute pink floral Burberry jacket for I think a little less than $100.

Have you been to "The Cure"? I like that one the best.

Here's their website: http://www.curethriftshop.com/

If you ask them "is that your best price?" they'll make you a deal. I like them for furniture and decor, mostly, but the clothes downstairs are pretty good, too.

I completely forgot about this place,(and I had no idea you could negotiate) thanks Ilander!! I love when I can shop at places and it helps a good cause.

 

[dragonfly411]

I am not making this up.
I know a man who buys jewelry at thrift stores, antique stores, estate sales, the Internet and resells it.
He's not a full GG but was trained by GIA.

A few weeks ago in a thrift store he found a Platinum (I can't remember if he said necklace or bracelet) with many diamonds.
It was just being put out by the employee and priced at $7.00, yes seven dollars.
He kept his cool and acted not terribly interested but asked for his 10% senior discount and saved 70 cents.

He is guessing he can resell it for around $15K.
I haven't seen it yet but Kawabunga!!!

There is a woman here locally who does the same thing. She goes to thrift stores and garage sales, and find things that people just don't realize the value of, and resells them in her antique store. She does jewelry and collectibles. What a neat way to make a living too!

 

[dragonfly411]

I bought a box of books for something like $1 that had a first edition Grapes of Wrath in perfect condition with a dust jacket on it. Too bad that is my least favorite book of Steinbeck's!

Have you tried checking the price of that on Abebooks.com? Condition of the dust jacket and binding make a huge difference in price, but it's easily worth a few hundred dollars! You can sell it yourself on Amazon, too.

Ditto!!!!!!! Or on ebay!


I haven't been thrifting in quite some time. I LOVE thrift stores though when I can find good things. I think you have to sometimes weed through. I also do garage sales and flea markets. You'd be surprised what kind of treasures you can find. Our local flea markets also have lots of home grown organic foods. We have a high population of Mexican workers and many of them grow in their back yards. I'm telling you, they grow the best peppers and plantains EVAR!

 

[Haven]

More than half of my clothes come from thrift stores! The other half comes from Anthropologie--I figure my thrifting balances out the costs!

I get more compliments on my thrift store finds than on anything else. I have (in my opinion) some of the coolest jeans and tops ever.

 

[AdiS]

I wasn't a huge fan of thrift stores until a few months ago, as I lack the patience to sort through overwhelming amounts of garbage in the hunt for something decent. However, I had a change of heart recently. My husband and I were window shopping and as we passed by one thrift store, he convinced me to go inside and take a look, just for fun. (I have to say that he enjoys shopping way more than I do-everything from buying groceries to buying cars, he just loves it. )

So, inside we went and the first thing I see is a matching set of a gorgeous wooden cabinet and a small wardrobe, shiny and beautifully carved. My jaw drops and I simply utter "Want!". Hubby managed to restrain himself from gloating at me and instead asked for the price and it was such a steal that we didn't even hesitate. Don't ask me how we managed to take them home, though. The store did offer their own transport, only not on Sundays, and apparently not on Tuesdays and Thursdays either. (Julianne Moore trying to rent a car in Laws of Attaction, anyone? ) Anyway, we did bring them home on our own and I just love them. Amazingly, they look brand new, no scratches or dents, the polish is immaculate, and even the mechanism on the doors is still a little stiff, like they'd never been used before. I think I'll be going back to that store soon

 

[HollyS]

I would rather go 'junking' or 'thrifting' any day over regular shopping. I have found wonderful things, some with original tags, or wrappings, so you know they were never used.

I buy mostly household items, rather than clothing or accessories. This Saturday, DH and I went to my favorite shop in a nearby town to sift through their offerings. This time I came away with an almost perfect vintage Hall Red Poppy pitcher, a collectible Coca-Cola bottle opener, a big glass jar with lid, and a decorative plate.

 

[iLander]

I bought a box of books for something like $1 that had a first edition Grapes of Wrath in perfect condition with a dust jacket on it. Too bad that is my least favorite book of Steinbeck's!

Have you tried checking the price of that on Abebooks.com? Condition of the dust jacket and binding make a huge difference in price, but it's easily worth a few hundred dollars! You can sell it yourself on Amazon, too.

I sold it right after I realized what it was (I think I got close to a thousand). The thing is, I think 1st editions are special and need to be loved but since I'm not a Grapes of Wrath fan it meant nothing to me.

 

[iLander]

More than half of my clothes come from thrift stores! The other half comes from Anthropologie--I figure my thrifting balances out the costs!

I get more compliments on my thrift store finds than on anything else. I have (in my opinion) some of the coolest jeans and tops ever.

My DD loves thrift store clothes! It's interesting, because they are from different time periods and out of the context of "fashion", so you can evaluate a piece on it's individual merits. I find that this gives people more of sense of style and more of an individual look.

I bought a lace and linen shirt in the Village in NYC, in the early '80's, it was so beautiful, almost victorian. It was back in the day when they were really "thrifty" and it was under $5.

 

[iLander]

I wasn't a huge fan of thrift stores until a few months ago, as I lack the patience to sort through overwhelming amounts of garbage in the hunt for something decent. However, I had a change of heart recently. My husband and I were window shopping and as we passed by one thrift store, he convinced me to go inside and take a look, just for fun. (I have to say that he enjoys shopping way more than I do-everything from buying groceries to buying cars, he just loves it. )

So, inside we went and the first thing I see is a matching set of a gorgeous wooden cabinet and a small wardrobe, shiny and beautifully carved. My jaw drops and I simply utter "Want!". Hubby managed to restrain himself from gloating at me and instead asked for the price and it was such a steal that we didn't even hesitate. Don't ask me how we managed to take them home, though. The store did offer their own transport, only not on Sundays, and apparently not on Tuesdays and Thursdays either. (Julianne Moore trying to rent a car in Laws of Attaction, anyone? ) Anyway, we did bring them home on our own and I just love them. Amazingly, they look brand new, no scratches or dents, the polish is immaculate, and even the mechanism on the doors is still a little stiff, like they'd never been used before. I think I'll be going back to that store soon

See? It's the occasional big score that makes the boring trips worth it.

Now you will be sucked in, like the rest of us.

Tip: Shop in expensive areas/towns.

 

[iLander]

I would rather go 'junking' or 'thrifting' any day over regular shopping. I have found wonderful things, some with original tags, or wrappings, so you know they were never used.

I buy mostly household items, rather than clothing or accessories. This Saturday, DH and I went to my favorite shop in a nearby town to sift through their offerings. This time I came away with an almost perfect vintage Hall Red Poppy pitcher, a collectible Coca-Cola bottle opener, a big glass jar with lid, and a decorative plate.

I'm with you, a thrift day is a fabulous day.

I LOVE pitchers! I just started counting in my cabinets, and I stopped when I got to 10. No need to know the full extant of my sickness. I used to collect only blue and white, but recently made the switch to Fiesta ware. I have 4 of those already.

I LOVE your Red Poppy pitcher, it is really cute. I love retro and vintage stuff, makes me feel cozy.

 

[iLander]

Did I hear somebody say YARD SALE?

I bought this for $50 from a wealthy lady that was moving to Panama.

It's marked 14k, the pearls are genuine and the whole piece is 1890's. I researched it and found a very similar piece from the Skinner of Boston auction site. They said the pearls are actually split and mounted. Wow, what a pile of work! The similar piece sold for $800!

 

[sphenequeen]

iLander... I love the brooch! What a find! Now I have an itch to go on the hunt...

 

[iLander]

iLander... I love the brooch! What a find! Now I have an itch to go on the hunt...

Thanks, sphenequeen!

Here's the original thread that I started in pearls, it shows the similar piece that was auctioned:
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/okay-not-an-actual-strand-per-se-but.151446/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/okay-not-an-actual-strand-per-se-but.151446/[/URL]

Yard sales in rich neighborhoods! Start there!

 

[Circe]

J'adore vintage shopping (sorry - the husband's latest assignment is Paris, and I couldn't resist sneaking along for the Winter Break- I think it's starting to rub off). It's partially because I'm cheap, partially because I love the craftsmanship of earlier periods and the individuality of the pieces, and partially just because I've found it's the best way to explore a city: almost inevitably, the thrift stores are by the record shops and the cool coffee places and the other hep'n'happening areas.

So! Yesterday? At the Puces de St. Ouen (which, btw, is not in a neighborhood I would particularly recommend for wandering), I found a fabulous black Astrakhan coat with matching capelet/neckpiece. I have always wanted one of these, ever since I read about them in a children's book - The Little Princess, maybe? - but they cost the earth in NYC. Here, they're everywhere! I've been keeping an eye out since I arrived, but most were too boxy, or in bad shape, or just too pricey even at vintage costs. In the parts of the market dedicated to clothing, that was certainly the case - but I found one in the "eeccentricities" part of the market! The stall was run by a lovely woman in her mid-80s or so named Giselle: she pegged me as a fellow Jew within minutes by the way I moved my head, complimented me on my "lovely bust," (direct here, aren't they!), and was quite a pleasure to talk to.

Last Friday? In Montmartre (which is in a neighborhood that I would recommend, and enthusiastically) I finally got the red boots I've been waiting all my life for. Cherry red with 5 inch platforms, they're Chloe Doc Marten-style boots that I got for a 10th of their original price. And they're so comfortable! I also got a gorgeous hand-sewn wine-red dress of very fine light wool from the 50s or 60s, very mod-looking with a diagonal line of glowing MoP-style red buttons running from the v-neck to the little fan of pleats over the left hip for ... 10 euros! Ah, that's the stuff.

And today? I'll let you know. Wish me luck!

 

[dragonfly411]

Adi - I'd LOVE to see pictures of your new furniture!!!

Ilander - That brooch is beautiful, what an awesome find!

I need to start going and looking again. My favorite find (which I had to give to my mom) was a hand made pink trench coat, and it had threads of different color lavender and pink yarn woven throughout it. I ended up shortening it, and loved it for quite some time, but it is unfortunately too large for me now. My mom wears it on dress occasions.

I also really like antique stores as you can find some great steals in there too. I have a hand made wooden salad bowl set that I got for 25 dollars. The large main bowl sits on a tripod, and there are large serving spoons, and then six smaller bowls. It's really beautiful! It's also useful for Halloween to dole out candy!

 

[AdiS]

iLander - I do think I'm already hooked And that brooch of yours is so pretty!

DF - unfortunately all I have right now is a really bad pic of the wardrobe, sitting in our dining room which is still without flooring. We're actually planning on putting it in the vestibule to use for our coats and jackets, once we finally move in (the wardrobe, that is, not the dining room flooring ).

 

[dragonfly411]

Adi - Great find! It's really pretty and so unique!

 

[elrohwen]

I'm very impressed by (and jealous of) all of you who can find fabulous things at thrift stores and re-finish them to make them amazing. I don't think I have the vision or the confidence for that, but I'd really like to try after we buy a house.

I'd love to see more pictures!

 

[AdiS]

Thanks, DF! These little vestibule wardrobes were very popular here in Bulgaria around the turn of the century, and then again in the 50-60's. My grandparents even got one as their wedding present. This one doesn't look that old to me, so it's probably a reproduction, but I still love the sentiment