Thrift Store Score!

[kristenrice]

DD14 agreed to go to the thrift store with me today. We walked in about 10 minutes before they closed so we had to be quick. She found 3 pairs of jeans (Ralph Lauren, Levi's and Eddie Bauer) and 3 like-new shirts. She tried everything on and it all fit just fine. The jeans are all a little baggy, but she has LONG legs so she needs a larger size for the length alone. She loves them and so do I because they are not those skin-tight "booty jeans" that her peers like to wear. She has room to grow into them and they are all in great condition. The store was doing a BOGO deal so our total cost was $11.50!

I can't believe I got a total of 8 pairs of jeans and 8 shirts for $24...kind of makes up for the $50 in school supplies we had to get at Staples.

 

[QueenIsabella]

We had a couple good scores in the thrift store last week. My MIL died last month--sad, of course, but she was 86. Obviously, my kids would need clothes for the memorial service. We splurged on a real suit for DS20, but I didn't want to invest anything in DS11--he's growing like a weed, currently 32/30 in men's, but his dad is 6'2", and he's likely got a foot or so to go. Well, DH took him to the local Goodwill, and for $4.59, got him a suit jacket that fits perfectly. He already has black cargo pants for orchestra, so he's good to go. And I won't cry when the jacket doesn't fit him in a few months.

Even better was DD14. This one was tricky--I had ordered her a black sheath dress off the Walmart website ($17.95 on clearance, fits like a dream), but then realized that she'll be playing the cello at the service. This requires her to spread her legs wide to hold the instrument--she needed either a very full skirt or dress pants. well, at the same Goodwill we found a jumper with wide-legged pants--it looks like she's wearing a skirt when she stands up, but she'll be fully covered while playing. The jumper is black and formal and quite pretty--she can wear it for other cello performances, as well. This was $4, and we'll get good use out of it--she isn't growing anymore. And added bonus, DD22 can wear the sheath dress--she has a black dress, not sure she can find it, so we'll bring it as a back-up. And DD14 can wear it in the future to any number of occasions (when she's not playing the cello).

 

[Judique]

Another fan of thrift store shopping. I love the set of Disney drinking glasses that were offered through McDonalds years ago and I had not known about them then. But I came across a set of them that included; MK, AK, EPCOT and Blizzard Beach/Typhoon Lagoon, so all except Hollywood Studios. But nice thick chip free glasses for $2 each...

I still have those glasses and they are used every day. They are practically indestructible. I have both the round set and the square set.

On one of those glasses (the round ones) it has Donald Duck's middle name. We were at Beach Club Villas on one stay years ago and they were doing a little thing where if you knew Disney trivia you could win prizes - more Disney stuff!

My young daughter stuck her hand up when they asked what Donald's middle name was. No one else there knew. But she quickly said 'Fauntleroy' when selected to answer. I couldn't figure out how she knew until she told everybody there that it was on our 'McDonald's glasses'.

She won a watch.

 

[platamama]

I love the thrill of the hunt in thrift store shopping. Once I bought a Burberry skirt for $4, and sold it on eBay for $90. I buy a lot of clothing for the fabric, to repurpose into something else, especially around Halloween time. Last year it was a skirt I turned into a Mad Hatter hat for DD's costume. I think I like it so much because it's as much about getting a bargain as it is about reusing instead of throwing things away.

 

[usnuzuloose]

I love thrift store finds. I love garage sale finds as well. I found really well made shirts from a garage sale , the lady had not even worn them. I got all 3 shirts for 3 dollars. I was so thrilled.!!

 

[fifthdimensiondweller]

Aw man I love the thrift store! We are actually headed to goodwill today after DH gets out of the shower!!!! He needs new work pants and shorts. We always laugh because all of his coworkers think we are rich because he dresses in Ralph Lauren, brooks brothers, etc. at work but little do they know it all comes from goodwill! We are lucky that just down the street from our goodwill is a neighborhood where you won't find a home for under $400k, so those people donate some seriously NICE stuff!

 

[johnaalexis]

Awesome thrift store finds! I've found some great pieces at thrift stores before like a classic black leather moto jacket for really cheap in great condition! Recently, I found so great Disney gear, not a thrift store but a store that was closing, and got a pair of Minnie Vans-esque slip on for $10 and 3 Mickey shirts between $2-$5 each so thrift prices

 

[marcyleecorgan]

Oh yeah!!! I am another thrift store junkie. I think I have been all my life, lots of childhood memories involve thrift stores!

 

[fifthdimensiondweller]

Wanted to update you all since we were talking thrift stores! Yesterday DH and I went to Goodwill and Value Village to look for work pants for him. He scored some Land's End pants in like new condition for $5.99, a pair of old navy khaki shorts for $5, a duffel bag he needed for the gym (his old one broke) for $1.50, and a briefcase for work for $2.50. We went home to find that the pants he bought retailed for between $50 and $70, and the briefcase between $80 and $150! I also found a shirt and a hoodie for our baby who we are expecting in November for $3 total for both, and a Castaway Club backpack that they used to give away to Silver members (which I am) on DCL for $2! It's way nicer than the ones they give on the Alaskan ones now so I was really happy to get it! We also found Disney Sorry (one of the discontinued ones) for $2. We checked it and it had all its pieces so we immediately bought it!

Spent about $25 total and came home with well over $200 worth of things, many of which are discontinued or collector's items that you can't get anymore! Maybe not my absolute best thrift haul ever but it definitely goes in the hall of fame!

P.S. We should really start a thread (or use this thread) where everyone can post their thrift store finds- especially Disney related ones!

 

[marcyleecorgan]

P.S. We should really start a thread (or use this thread) where everyone can post their thrift store finds- especially Disney related ones!

I quite agree! I think my most recent Disney find were little vinyl figurines of EPCOT Donald from Mexican Pavilion and EPCOT Minnie from Japan Pavilion. I saw pictures of these figures in a thread "Things You Never See at WDW Anymore" here on the DIS, we went to the thrift store and magically... there they were in the toy bags. If I hadn't JUST seen them a few hours prior, I might have passed them over!

Also my DH came home from a yard sale last weekend with 3 of the 4 books, plus storage slipcase of 1965's Golden Books "The Wonderful Worlds of Walt Disney" storybooks!

My BEST score, value-wise... scoring like $5000 worth of LEGO for $100. I have a lovely, warm Saks Fifth Avenue calf-length red wool coat I got for $20. Or the three American Girl dolls for $3 apiece.

The ODDEST score? The time that a Goodwill location in the Nashville TN area sold me a full bottle of sake when I was like 18!!!!! I was looking through the breakables, searching for fun Asian items, when I came upon this cool bottle with a geisha on it. It had some weight when I put it in my shopping basket but my motto is, "get it in your cart" so I simply walked to the checkout and paid.
Wasn't until we were in the car, my mom looks at it and is like, "Um. This is still sealed. *shakes* Um. I think there's still sake in here." Now, nobody has opened the bottle yet because sake has a shelf life and this was expired by many years to begin with, but it's still sealed with the string and wax and paper wrapper atop so presumably also the cork is in there and some really nasty sake! LOL So weird... how did this bottle of ALCOHOL miss all the checkpoints in donations, to be sold accidentally to a minor?!

 

[Eastern]

... but my motto is, "get it in your cart" so I simply walked to the checkout and paid.

 

[DizMe]

I'm also a thrift store lover. I try not to go too often, though, because that "BUY!" bug kicks in as I'm walking around and I'm liable to stick things in my cart that I really don't need.

But when I find that GREAT buy, it's so exhilarating! I've gotten 2 vintage KitchenAid mixers (the original ones, made by Hobart) for next to nothing. I've found original artwork. And I love buying things for my 3 teens that save me money and make them happy at the same time. Yesterday, I bought 5 pairs of new-looking Nike athletic shorts for $15. I have one kid in Field Hockey, one who coaches gymnastics, and one in Cross Country so that was a good score for us.

 

[ejcraft]

gotta jump on the thrift store bandwagon here also, My first Grand child was born in Dec, and I have pretty much clothed her till she's 2yrs old in thrift store/ clearance deals. Luckily( or unlucky for me) she lives in Guam so summer clothing all year round, so I just started collecting summer clothing in all sizes for her. Now her mother spends her money at the navy /Marinecorp thrift shop buying toys ans stuff for amazing prices instead of having to spend it on clothes. Grand child #2 is due in Dec of this year from daughter # 2 this one is a boy and lives in Cali, but I'm doing the same for him, just got over $850 worth of clothing for a little less than$200, and that mother loves to refurbish furniture found at shops or garage sales, so I taught both of them well.

 

[leebee]

We got DD's junior prom dress at the thrift store- Hands of Hope. It was a floor length A-line gown with princess seams, sweetheart neckline, spaghetti straps. The fabric is a deep plum with a black thread through it, a non-shiny satin. It fit her like a glove, like it was made for her. Cost me $15.

 

[snarlingcoyote]

I took 9 white kitchen garbage bags FULL of nice clothes to Goodwill last weekend. Yes. 9 bags. Thrift stores are off limits for a few weeks as is the apparel section of ebay and amazon - especially the running shoes in Amazon's warehouse deals. <sigh> I miss thrifting for finds, but, yeah, too much a good thing isn't a good thing. Unless we take up ballroom dancing or extreme ice fishing, there's just nothing I need for me or my house ATM. I've even rounded up enough scrubs in grape for my niece to start nursing clinicals loaded for bear, and sent her one basket of running shoes, with a second basket sitting on the floor of my bedroom. (She's to keep the ones she wants and find homes for the others among the nursing students then donate the leftovers. Amazingly, we wear the same size and width of shoe; I just have a higher arch than she does.)

My nephew is moving to Michigan, so I do need to round up some winter clothes for him, but I may just buy him 3 or 4 cashmere sweaters, a parka, 3 pairs of silk long johns, roust out some of my better gloves, a hat and an ancient cashmere scarf, and send him money for insulated waterproof boots. . .I mean, it's not like silk long johns turn up at thrift stores in Louisiana every day. . .

 

[gulf breeze]

OK....I was supposed to be on here looking for DVC info and found thrift store stuff instead. lol Thrifts and yard sales are my favorite places to shop. My best score to date was just a couple of weeks ago. Found the die cut machines and several dies (used for cutting shapes for quilting) for 125.00. Looked them up on Amazon and it's over 1000.00 worth of stuff. At my local thrift I found a Fossil leather purse for 1.25. My kids are teenagers but they don't mind thrift store clothes. Fellow students are always saying what cute clothes or boots, and they say Thrift store!

 

[agavegirl1]

I love thrift stores. I donate frequently as I downsize the condo but am working on my permanent retirement home and need accents, unique pieces etc. Also, quitting smoking and developing arthritis in my ankle has caused me to put on some weight I cannot easily lose. When I donate to my local Good Will store, I receive a coupon for 25% off on a checkout purchase. I love hardcover books, old glassware, clothing basics etc. bundot have found beautiful leather designer boots for $6.00, a London Fog raincoat for $5.00 and other great things.