Thrift Store Tips #3: I'm in the thrift store. What now?

After reading Thrift Store Tips #1 and #2 (scroll down for the two previous posts), you are now ready to visit the store.

Thrift stores are diverse and are not for snobs. Some may be very clean and some may not. We’re there for the merchandise and not the atmosphere. Breathe deep before opening the door and remember the thrift store market requires one to Dump that retail mindset to be successful. Remember that thrift stores are not places to shop to lists. Often times when I see tips on thrift, one of the first things I read is “Make Lists.” No! No! No! Shoppers make lists when they go to the grocery store. Making lists is so retail! It’s thrift passé. Why? Because we know that apples, butter and cream will be in supply at the grocery store. Who knows what will be available on any given day at the thrift store. Making a list closes the mind to just items on that list and treasure is lost.

Follows are detailed guidelines on etiquette and practice for a successful thrift experience. Remember, the key is to go frequently.

1. Upon entering the store, always grab that shopping cart; 80% of the time, I end up with at least four items that total under $10.
2. Do not worry if the cart if empty upon leaving the store. Keep a regular thrift shopping routine and the cart will overflow during different visits.
3. Check to see if there are any sales that day. Sales are simple; 50% off purple tags, blue tags, etc. I have never seen anything but 50% off in thrift stores. Ever been in a department store where the rack sign reads, “Take an Additional 20% off the Already Reduced Price.” The tag has three prices but which price? We think we have it straight, but at the register we learn the 20% had already been taken off or worse, that item was not in the right place and does not count towards that promotion. I don’t like playing guessing games when I shop. I don’t like doing calculus either.
4. Many thrift stores have 50% off most merchandise on Saturdays. This can be a mob scene and one might stand in line for 20 minutes to save $5. If thrifting on Saturdays is a must, go in the early evening when the mobs have died down. There will still be plenty of fresh merchandise because, unlike most stores, thrift stores stock all day.
5. Thrift stores are not placing items on sale because the product is unpopular and not meeting sales expectations. Given this, a store-wide sale is going to have good stuff, not fourth-hand pickings. They just simply must move inventory.
6. Seniors, check to see if there are additional senior discounts the day you are there. Some days offer an exclusive 50% off for seniors.
7. Thrift stores might be cheap but they are not archaic. The big boys take plastic. Many stores have converted to bar coding and scanning.
8. Do not worry about unmarked items. The cashier will offer a price and will be very fair.
9. Cashiers take no offense if an item is put back at check out. Thrift store cashiers are not snobs and respect personal budgets.
10. Learn the store different pricing structures. Of the major thrift retailers, many have different pricing structures - a good thing to know. For example, one thrift retailer prices all adult womens sweaters at $4.99, no matter if it originated at Target or Nordstrom. Other's price by quality.
11. Don’t shop by season! Shop with reason.
12. Don’t be intimidated by glass cases. Items in the cases are often not as pricey as one might assume.
13. Don't ignore the racks of items packaged in clear plastic bags. Great stuff can be found in those bags.
14. Don't go down the clothing racks looking at each, individual item. Think about clothing preference like fabric and color and learn how quality fabric feels.
15. One thing sometimes leads to another. Once I found a gorgeous cashmere sweater in perfect condition in my size. A few items down, I found another and another. I really liked the style of the sweater's and was grateful she was so generous to the store. It's interesting to see how collections flow through the store. The same applied to the two suits that perfectly fit my husband.
16. Even if the price seems a little high, buy it. The money goes to charity and stays within the community. Thrift store shopping is a sustainable practice. Sustainable is a popular word these days and for good reason.
17. Don’t fall prey to brand name mania. Sure, it might be a DKNY sweater for $4.99, but will you wear it? Does it really fit?
18. I’ve seen some people successfully negotiate prices. It’s rather uncommon. I don’t do it.
19. Some cheaters attempt to hide merchandise in hopes they can grab it later at an upcoming half price sale. That’s one reason to poke and prod the shelves, which leads to the next item.
20. Empty arms are a requirement to poke and prod the shelves; the shopping cart is a personal island.
21. Some stores have sports and outdoor equipment outside. It will be obvious if this is the case and the area will most likely be marked with traffic cones.
22. Thrift stores are snooze and lose places because most items are one of a kind. On the fence about something? Better take it. For example, I was not that excited to spend $250 the day I found the Pottery Barn sofa sleeper. But I quickly dive-bombed that sucker like I was five–year-old Superman, spread out wide and yanked that sales tag right off the back. I could hear the woman lurking in the shadows curse me.
23. Putting it in the cart is like licking it or calling dibs.
24. Stay close to the cart. For the most part, thrifters are a friendly lot that cast a wide net of diversity. Everyone has his or her own business and needs. However, I have had single items taken from my cart. Whoever took that pristine first edition hardback of Gump & Co. (the sequel to Forest Gump by Winston Groom; I wanted that for my personal library! If you read this, I figure you need to send me the copy! They retail $80, that’s probably why you took it. Shame on you. Bet you even read it! Wait a minute! That book was autographed too. Triple dog shame!
25. Another reason to stay close to the cart is that the floor staff in thrift stores are some of the world’s fastest stockers. If they notice a cart left unattended for five minutes, they’ll restock it. I wonder if they’d make a good Olympic Cup Stacking Team. Is cup stacking an Olympics sport?
26. When going to the dressing room, park the cart by the door. Carts by dressing rooms are on base. However if the cart is left unattended for a good long while it will be subject to restock. I think these stockers have some kind of radar on cart activity.
27. Nice finds on clothes can be found by the dressing room. Someone liked it and pulled it out for a reason. That's where I found the Banana Republic vintage style jacket with $99.99 tags still attached.
28. As previously mentioned, thrift stores stock all day. Once the grey/blue bins and clothes racks roll out of the backroom, they are fair game. Go and sort through them to get first pick. Stockers do not mind, in fact it makes their job a little lighter.
29. Remember grabs from bins are okay but grabbing from a cart, no matter how full, is not playing fair. I believe in thrifting karma.
30. Look up. There are items on high! Look down. Items down low.
31. Be prepared to break personal rules. I had a rule about not buying upholstered items at thrift stores. Upon spotting the condition of that sofa sleeper, that rule was immediately filed. Some people have hang ups with shoes. Then they’ll spot those like new Via Spiga strappy sandals and it’s all over but the shouting. Besides if you have a shoe hang up, buy inserts. I bought four bags of three sets of anti-stinky feet inserts for $2.99 at, guess, the thrift store.
32. Before checking out, check cart inventory. We are here to buy what we need. While going through the store it’s very easy to go nuts with these prices and very easy to end up with duplicates or items that were clutched in a psychotic break. Give the cart a once over.
33. Check any clothing to see if it’s dry clean only. Is the added cost of dry cleaning worth the item? Do you think possibly this item could be hand washed? If you ruin it you're only out a few bucks not a couple hundred.
34. Direct all questions to the cashiers.
35. Once home with the booty, check Ebay on items that seem like they might be of high retail cost and don’t forget to add the cost of shipping. I’ve found vintage books that sell for $180, shirts in great condition that retail $185. I have never sold a thrifted item it’s just not my game.

Remember, the market may set the price but YOU determine the value. Some of my most treasured or valued items do not have a high retail cost.

Above all else, thrift for a few months and you'll soon find that you now have a set of Snake Eyes along with a good dose of Thrift Pride that will serve you well.

Thrift Store Tips #2: Designing a thrift store routine

Have a good understanding of what can be found at the thrift store. It's More than just mustard stained-t-shirts! The more you thrift the better understanding you will have as to what to Keep and what to sweep. Also there are Items that are wise to have on hand in the home when shopping thrift stores.

Successful thrift store shopping involves a routine. Like so many things in life, pay dirt is not usually struck on the first dig. Thrift stores are designed to quickly move inventory and they are very good at it. The trick is to go often.

Visit Goodwill, Association for Retarded Citizens, Disabled American Veterans; Salvation Army; or The Society of St. Vincent de Paul web sites to view store pages. There are other smaller thrift stores run by hospitals that can be found in your area with TheThriftShopper.com. Odds are that several stores will be within the radius of your life. For example, there is a store by: the grocery store I shop; my daughter’s swim practice; my bank; and two are a few blocks from my home. One is by my favorite plant nursery and another by a movie theater we sometimes visit. So, I visit several weekly. Others may see me every other week or once a month.

I highly recommend shopping at charitable stores where the purchase of a repurposed item poetically sends profits to repurpose lives. But, thrift is thrift and whether it be from a non-profit store or a private store. It is a fantastic way to lower one's personal carbon footprint as I wrote for the Christian Science Monitor, Green Shopping, Don't say 'eww' to thrift stores.

When in the vicinity of one, stop in for a 10-minute sweep. You may come out of the store with the mother load. You may come out empty handed. Make it a routine and I promise it will balance out.

As with many things, you may develop a favorite store. That’s fine. But, keep going to all stores in your routine. Treasure can pop up in the most unsuspecting locations and your favorite store may change. Throughout my thrifting adventures, I tried to figure if there is a better day to hit the stores. I can’t say there is. Don’t worry about the day, just go. And, if you're twice in the vicinity of a certain thrift store in a few days, go again. There will be plenty of fresh inventory.

Say there are three stores in the vicinity of your weekly routine. That translates to 30 minutes a week. Now, consider that 30 minutes could save a couple hundred dollars; maybe thousands. Next to spending time with friends and family, thrift store time is valuable. Besides, how many hours does one spend in a mall?

Perhaps you're not in a major metropolitan area with 25 stores. Odds are high that you will visit one. Plan out a thrifting adventure for that adventure. Imagine the treasure that can be found in the Boston/Cambridge area!

There will be times when you grow weary of thrifting. But remember, It's thrift or miss so don't hesitate, just go! Also bring the children, because Children Want Spending Power Too and this will create Fond Memories of Thrift.

Thrift Store Tips #1: Converting the retail mind to the Zen of thrift

I've been receiving many requests for advice on thrift store shopping lately. In response, I'm pulling out a series of posts from The Thrifty Chick archives. I just don't believe one can provide sound advice on successful thrift store shopping in one post. The Thrift Culture is far removed from that of the retail and requires a complete shift in mentality and strategy. This is the first in a series of posts to help those interested in getting more out of thrift and saving thousands of dollars. These archives are some of the very first posts from this seven month old blog. I treat them as living documents and have added information and new reflections as they surface.

The funds for purchase of a home, retirement and our advanced education are planned. So why are we so ad hoc about shopping? Why wait until the last minute? Some annual events are simply certain: birthdays, holidays, graduations, births and gifts for a host/hostess. I know my daughters will be invited to at least 20 birthday parties in the coming year. We know our children will probably need new coats next winter. So what’s up with last minute purchases? Retailers, that’s what. Why? People spend more money under pressure, when they're in a pinch. And, let’s be honest, pressure sucks. I feel like the world is trying to turn me into a pressure junkie so I'm offering advice on gift giving in The 2009 Thrifting Gift Guide, a New Year's Resolution Revolution. This post was picked up by Karen Datko of MSN Money Blog.

Ever spent hours roaming a crowded mall or department store annoyed that a birthday gift is in immediate need only to buy something out of complete exasperation that has a high probability of sitting on the return desk the next day? Add to this misery that more money was spent than anticipated. I have done just that and it completely vacuums the joy out of giving. I fiendishly imagine showing up at the party and chucking the gift only to say, “Here’s your damned present that you’ll probably return. Now give me a stiff drink so I can brood!” There should have been a Seinfeld on just that loathsome experience.

Now there are a smart lot of people who shop sales with planning in mind. I used to do that. It’s economical. But there’s a hitch. Sales are not a constant and subsequently bring crowds, which is exactly what conventional retailers want. Bargain shopper conflict is brutal and lines are long. Ensuing battles seem to be growing more intense. Is this fallout from a tough economy or is there a new social phenomenon, Bargain Rage? And there’s always that one item we thought was on sale, but really wasn’t, which we argue about but buy anyway.

There are the chain bargain discount stores with big advertising budgets. I tried many times, but I don’t like them. Since they are for profit stores, I believe there is an obligation to keep things tidy. Also, I really the don’t like limitations set on the numbers of items I can take into a dressing room or the dirty plastic tally cards they give me. Do they think me a thief? Beside that, they’re really not counting. How could they when the dressing rooms look like the lost and found at my daughter’s elementary school? No thanks. If I’m to be insulted, it better be by someone that I have given honest reason not to trust me, in particular.

Now, let’s change the venue. Think about causally roaming the aisles of a thrift shop, with a mind open to any possibility. It’s not too crowded. The perfume lady is not chasing you down. Sales associates haven’t asked you multiple times in that fakely voice, “Can I help you find something? No? Well, you should know that we do have a special on men’s sock supports.” Your mind, free of retail perversion and shocking cardboard displays, spots:

A French Madeline baking tray for $2.99 that was $35 on sale at the local gourmet store. My best friend loves Madeline’s. They remind her of a train ride to Versailles on a cold, rainy day. She also loves to bake. So what if her birthday is six months away? Buy that tray and save the $32.

An original, hand painted Dutch oven. It's vintage and in great condition. I can almost smell the things that have roasted in this treasure and I have a friend who can make this oven waft smells that will make his neighborhood salivate with scents of lamb, pork, brisket. It's $4.99, I already know it's something ridiculous on EBay and what would be the cost of shipping this hunk of iron?

A Wedgwood cake pedestal for $2.99. My grandmother collects Wedgwood and loves birthday presents.

A four-poster bed and frame for $9.99. My older daughter will soon be getting her own room. But wait! There’s a separate matching dresser and bedside table for $50. The bed and dresser may not match now, but they would look great in ivory. We’ll just put them in garage until we’re ready to paint and outfit the room. Once assembled, this room was featured on the Ohdeedoh Home Design Network.

A stainless globe birdcage for $9.99. My younger daughter is sad about not sharing a room with her big sister. Perhaps having a pair of finches to sing and chatter for her might make her feel less alone.

An off the sales floor (but new) butter-colored Pottery Barn sofa sleeper. It’s beautiful and $250. I dreamed of some day buying a sofa sleeper. Buy it today for $250 and save at least $2,250 if not more. This sofa sleeper made it into my 2008 Top Five Thrift Finds.

A huge bag of spools of beautiful ribbon for $3.99. I’ll need that for wrapping gifts and this will save me at least $40.

Two gorgeous cashmere sweaters, free of moth holes, $2.99 each. My oldest daughter will learn the luxury of cashmere this holiday.

A bag of vintage buttons for $2.99. My youngest collects buttons, another holiday present.

All the above are some of my personal stories and I must stop now else I shall be giving away too many secrets to my friends and family. The hardest thing will be the temptation to contain the excitement and not give a gift early. That’s a hard feeling to fight but I love it because I am reminded of being a child. My husband actually runs from me when I'm try to give him a present early. I'm not joking.

One thing that’s cool about planning gifts and buying early, is that you have more of a chance of hitting pay dirt and scoring something a person really wants. When I receive a gift, I want it to somehow symbolize this person really knows me. To me, that feeling is more precious than the gift as discussed in the post, Whg Retail, Tat's happened to fine art of giving?

Now, sit down and list things for the future year or so. Birthday presents are a given. A newly bought cabin needs stocking. Prepare for the arrival of a new baby. A soon to be new college student or new graduate student will be need loads of provisions. You can do all of this at the thrift store.

Have a mental wish list, like the sofa sleeper I someday wanted but thought I couldn't afford. Dreams, like my sofa sleeper, can come true at the thrift store.

When you are left to wander the thrift store, you'll find that your mind is free to ponder the items that you really need in your life and you'll develop something that is a rarity in the retail world. You'll develop a Flinch Point that will serve you well. My flinch point is $5. Five bucks can buy me a lot in a thrift store. It can't even buy me a tube of mascara in a discount retailer.

For even more details, Dump That Retail Mindset!

Thrift store televisions are not toasted

I only do it about ten times a week, max. I tried to on Tuesday and it was shot. No picture came on the television just a black screen. This RCA television came new to our home three years ago fresh out of the box as a gift. In less than a year, the DVD stopped playing and now, three years out, the whole darn thing is officially junk. We left it in the alley for electronics and appliance vultures that circle our neighborhood. They once devoured an entire dishwasher in less than an hour. Perhaps I should take better care because I don’t know how much of the appliance they use and then recycle. But, it’s too late now, they flew by night and that tatty television is gone. I’m guessing its carcass is completely disemboweled in some den in the Denver metro area.

This left us in a conundrum. We don’t have the money or the desire to race out to some superstore and purchase the latest generation of television. Despite what the world tells us, we felt no need to upgrade. I wonder if that is an American thing, when personal or home electronics or appliances flop it is mandated that one must upgrade to the latest generation regardless of what one can afford or truly needs.

To my family, television is television. It’s not an experience. We don’t have cable. We’re very predictable; PBS, CBS Sunday Morning with Charles Osgood, 60 Minutes and maybe an evening show if we’re too dog-tired to read to the kids. 60 Minutes comes from my childhood with my grandfather and we would watch Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom beforehand. Now my girls and I watch PBS’s Nature after 60 Minutes. Good to know that some things stay roughly the same they just might get shuffled about.

My husband, Mr. Golightly, quickly solved our problem. He took a television he’d bought at a thrift store for $20 a few years back from his garage workshop and replaced the toasted telly. He likes to watch football games while he does manly things that involve power tools which occasionally result in stitches in this workshop.

I spoke yesterday with the cashier at Goodwill and asked if they check TVs to ensure that people aren’t donating toast. She explained they plug them in to ensure that, unlike my television, a picture comes on but they don’t have time to hook TV’s up to cable to gauge picture quality. If a recent generation TV comes along, they will do further testing. Besides, customers are free to find an outlet in the store and make their own determination. Furthermore, customers have 10 days to return the product if it doesn’t meet needs.

We are up and running with the old new television and it only involved a little household shuffle, not $700 or more. I’m curious to know how long this television will compare to its out of the box rival, a kind of a John Henry thing. My old new coffee maker is still brewing up morning joe as told in the November post “A Kindness Like No Other.”

What happened to the days when electronics and appliance companies took pride in the quality and durability of their product? I’m reluctant to buy new. After so many breakdowns with so many repairmen telling me it’d be cheaper to replace the appliance than repair it, I’m quite disenchanted and figure I’ll stick with thrift.

My grandparents just replaced their clothes washer of over thirty years. In the last ten years, I’ve gone through three. Things are wickedly wrong. How can we feel so at ease tossing huge things like clothes washer/dryers, televisions, PC monitors over our shoulder and buying more just to add that to the waste stream in a few short years?

I’m not so certain that the super stores that worked on making items “more affordable” to the public did us much a favor. Based upon my personal experience, I have the firm impression that a cheap price on the new goods market translates to poor quality. Add to that the constant turnover of product and I must wonder if we are we actually paying a higher economic and environmental cost in the long haul. I think we are and that makes me think that cheap is ultimately steep.

The Harbingers of Decline

I’ve spent months touting the treasures and cultural gems uncovered at thrift stores for pennies on the dollar. I will remain an advocate of the reuse and repurpose market. But today I walked away from the thrift store sad and shaking my head in shame.

The other, esteemed Ms Golightly, Holly, called them the Mean Reds and I have a bad case of them. After an errand I stopped by the neighborhood thrift. With the exception of a few quality items priced beyond my $5 Flinch Point, I mostly found junk, piles of it. Thanks to those Mean Reds, I didn’t want to put on my Snake Eyes and seek thy fortune. I just wasn’t up for it.

It saddens me to see mounds of consumer waste. We’re talking trash. What would make a person buy a Chia Pet? Would you be happy to receive one? How about a Homer Simpson or Shrek Chia Head? Doh! Homer and Shrek are BALD! So why should they grow Chia hair?

Why would we produce and sell dolls that would scare the pants off Chucky? I’ve often thought of hosting a thrift store ugly doll contest. Granted there are lovely vintage dolls that journey the thrift circuit but most thrift dolls are cheap and ugly. I can’t imagine a little girl wanting to have a tea party with any of the dolls I saw today. Let alone cuddle up with one. They’re so tacky your fingers feel synthetic just after touching them! Blech!

This cultural refuse and the economy that created it deeply disturbs me and gives me the shivers. Several months ago I heard an economist comparing our economy to that of the Ottoman Empire right before collapse.

I am left to wonder if Big Mouth Billy Bass or Louie the Large Mouth Bass are indicators of a society in mass decline. I’m referring to the plastic fish ornaments mounted on a faux wood base that convulse and sing “Don’t Worry Be Happy” at a volume that would make a centenarian wince with the timbre of Grizzly claws on chalkboard. It’s not pleasant and any time someone activates one in the thrift store there is a common emotional surge felt among shoppers to grab the closest fondue pot and chase the offender out the store. But most thrift store shoppers are decent people so we suppress the urge to engage mob behavior.

Come to think of it, I think I saw a PBS Nova in which a Big Mouth Billy Bass was excavated in Rome and carbon dated a few years prior to the Empire’s fall. At this archeological dig pottery was found that appears to be Chia in origin. But, don’t worry America, be happy.

Thrift Store Deep Secrets

I do some of my best thinking in thrift stores. Really. I've solved many a conundrum in the thrift store. It just comes to me. I guess that’s not so surprising when surrounded by thousands of possibilities.

This hardly happens in the retail environment. Everything is designed to direct people to point of purchase; the store layout, the music, the fixtures, the lighting and the freaky mannequins. I’ll bet I could start a Facebook group “Mannequins Scare Me” and have 5,000 members in a week.

If you’re having a mental block, I suggest that a trip to a thrift store just might set you free. Now go! Scoot! Take a notebook too!

I wonder if Oprah or Dr. Phil thrift. We all know that Suze Orman would applaud it. Too bad we can't squeeze Congress into a thrift store.

The Thrifty Chicklets Thrift Store Trunk Show

Unlike teens, it's easy to scoot younger children into thrift stores. They prefer adventure before pretension and the thrift store is a treasure hunt they can afford with their very own money, Children Want Spending Power Too. Better yet, it's a hunt that does not break mom and dad's bank account or put a dent in the college savings. Double click to enlarge photos.

It is fair to warn adults they may feel a sudden desire to invent an enlargement ray gun upon seeing how darling many of these thrift store finds are. There is a little girl in all of us staring at those pink boots to the right, wishing that we could go puddle stomping in boots as cool as those. I'm saving the pièce de résistance for last.

Above right, proud Miss Kit models a like new Hanna Andersson dress (3) with American Eagle pink patent boots (3) completed with a pink parasol (3) for a total cost of $9.

Parasols are easy to find in thrift stores and usually run $2-$3. Little Pie Golightly has them in many assorted colors, so many she builds elaborate tents with them and when not needed, they hang from the ceiling of her room. This is but one example of how items that evoke imaginative play are NOT bought in the aisles of discount retailer chains in hidden in layer upon layer of useless packaging.

Lower left, Little Pie Golightly also wears a like new Hanna Andersson dress (3) with like new Capelli New York rubber boots (4) complete with a parasol (3) for a total cost of $10. Little Pie sits in a wicker chair purchased for $10 that fits snug in the corner of her older sisters bedroom outfitted largely in thrift and featured in Ohdeedoh, Home. Design. Children.
















Upper right, Miss Kit and Little Pie play with another favorite and common thrift store find, hand fans. They are usually purchased for about $2. Little Pie wears a dress from Oilily for $3. Kit is in a print cotton jacket (3) and denim skirt (3) for a total of $6.

Directly below, Little Pie loves her My Michelle long, slip-lined dress (3) with coveted platform flip-flops (1) for a total cost of $4. Why covet the flip-flops? When you are below 5 feet tall, every inch counts!

Below right, Miss Kit models a cotton sundress bought on sale for $1.50. These like-new handmade Italian shoes cost $4 and happen to be one of the envies of all The Thrifty Chicks. We are like Cinderella's evil stepsisters trying to squeeze our not-so-dainty feet into this gorgeous pair of timeless shoes.








Below, Little Pie in a new Candie's bubble gum pink vinyl jacket (another item us adult chicks wish to enlarge) for $4. Pie wears Abercrombie & Fitch jeans (3) and geisha sandals (3) with a LeSportSac Anime inspired bag (2); total cost of $12. The geisha sandals are like toys that you wear. Wouldn't that be fun if adults could have something like that?

Little Pie Golightly and Miss Kit had a loads of fun with this photo shoot. They held their poses in a respectful and serious manner. Their very mothers were proud of the kindness and encouragement each offered the other until it was time to decide who would model the Cole Haan sandals. Tears were shed. Feelings were hurt. So it was determined that neither would wear the sandals.

Ms. Golightly found these dainty sandals a few years back for $5 and brought them for Petit Poe Golightly to begin practice in the fine art of high heel walking - only allowed in the house. Immediately charmed, Petit Poe wore them for months and improved her stance. Miles were walked about the house in those shoes. Ms. Golightly refuses to have daughters that grow up and tremble and tumble their way about the world looking like fools. These sandals were recently handed down to Little Pie.


Are you looking for a enlargement ray gun? If you find one, please let me know because I could sure handle these gorgeous Cole Haan sandals.

The Golightly's Teen Thrift Store Trunk Show

Love thrifting but having a hard time pushing your teen to the doors? Let me guess, "Thrift store shopping, uh, that's so gross!" Here are a few photos to show your girls what thrift store shopping can do for them. Double click to enlarge photos.

Jeans of every size and make can be found in thrift stores (Levis, Gap, Abercrombie & Fitch, Old Navy) for around $4.99 for womens and less for girls. For more advice on purchasing jeans, please refer to a previous post Easy Jeans! Tops of similar brands can also be found in thrift stores ranging from $2.99 to $4.99. It is not uncommon to find items with tags still dangling from them with retail prices directly contrasted against thrift store prices.

Above,

Below, this spaghetti strap summer dress by Hype was $4.99 and can be casual or dressy depending upon the shoes.

An ArdenB. dress with slip for $9.99 is reminiscent of the style of this vintage purse bought years ago at a thrift store by Thrifully Modern Mommie. The earrings were $2.99.

I bought this blouse a few years back for my daughter knowing that it would be quite fetching on her. I do not remember the price but remember it was purchased at the Goodwill for under $5.

Teach your children to be resourceful and thrift. Over the span of their lives they will save tens of thousands of dollars but still own quality merchandise. Money is no guarantee for style.

I think this mates up nicely with "Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish and he will eat for a lifetime." I don't believe mainstream Americans and the media send healthy messages about spending or style.

More trunk show photos will be up soon of The Thrifty Chickets, our elementary school girls. Scroll down to see Ms Shopping Golightly's trunk show.

Shopping Golightly's Spring Thrift Store Trunk Show

For Mother’s Day, Mr. Golightly agreed to a day’s photo shoot of thrift store fashion. We are novices so this made for an exceptionally exhausting day of quick changes, child management and prop management. I am still in emotional recovery. After falling down at the end of the day, we’d only took a small sampling of items from Ms Golightly's and Thriftfully Modern Mommie's closets along with our four daughters we now call The Thrifty Chicklets.

This post features just a few hangers from Ms Golighty's closet. Double click to enlarge. Upcoming posts will feature items for tweans/teens, elementary girls and a little baby known to us as Bubbles.

Above right, this beautiful handmade dress, perhaps a local designer (8.99) with Colin Stuart shoes (5.99), scarf (2.99) with new Dana Buchman sunglasses (2.99) all for $21. The vintage pearls came al a Thriftfully Modern Mommie.

At left, this Petit Pois dress (8.99) required an Express Tricot slip (6.99). Paired with these BCBG Paris sandals (4.99) this ensemble cost about $21. The dress is either new or like new. I am dead certain the sandals are new.

Below, four silver rings, two of them poison rings at $6.99 tops rest upon an Abercrombie & Fitch sweater, $4.99.









Below, this classic Banana Republic coat (9.99) blends nicely with a sleeveless Arden B. dress with slip and back tie (8.99) with the chill of spring still in the air. The BCBG Paris shoes (5.99) still had the TJ Max stickers still on them, never used. This ensemble set me back about $25.
















To the right, an Isaac Mizrahi For Target dress (8.99) pairs well with the Caslon red stripe jacket (6.99) and Kenneth Cole Unlisted shoes (5.99) for a total cost of about $22. Tags where still attached to the dress and the jacket is like new if not new. The Schwinn cruiser was an free alley find. We bought new tires, seat and the mesh basket.

Ms Golightly serving up the freshest of kitchen herbs. Enameled pots make great planters with a single hole drilled in bottom. These can be found for $3.99 and can also be made into hanging containers with lightweight chain from hardware stores with the lids as water saucers. Little Pie Golightly repurposes lids as cymbals.

Below, this soft Banana Republic cardigan (3.99) with a Jonathan Martin Studio skirt (4.99) paired with Callisto of California sandals (3.99) together cost roughly $13. The galvanized steel watering can was $2.50 at a half-off Saturday sale. The shoes and the skirt are like new if not new.

Below, an XOX O In America And Abroad sleeveless top for $3.99 with my worn in Ralph Lauren jeans for $6.99. The jeans were thrifted but I take credit for their worn establishment.

At right, this Fitigues tank and skirt still had the price tags dangling on them. If I recall correctly the price was $64 directly contrasted against the Goodwill price of $8.99. I feel a bit galactic in this but have a notion that my feelings will change when it’s 90 degrees outside. It would have helped to iron this but who has the time when you're not getting paid?


Via Spiga thick-heeled sandals, a thrifted gift from Thriftfully Modern Mommie with a like new if not new Hobo International purse for $3.99. Many years ago I bought a Hobo cell phone carrier for $35. Glad I finally found the way of the thrift store. I'd hate to think about how much that snappy little purse would set me back in retail standards.

More trunk show posts are pending.

We count calories. Why not carbon? Golightly's opinion in The Christian Science Monitor

It's been on my mind for several months. On every store shelf, in every product, I now see energy and imagine over-sized atomic models spinning about the store. Hey look, there goes oxygen! Cool! Check out the carbon in those bananas!

It's not frightening. It's perplexing. Why do we pretend that the daily product market is devoid of energy? Is it because physicists and engineers of energy don't go shopping? Do they leave their ideas at work? I find that hard to believe, I always have stuff simmering on the back burners of my brain.

I tossed my thoughts over to The Christian Science Monitor. They caught them and published them online, "We count calories. Why not carbon?" This article will appear in print on May 3rd.

Please read this and perhaps you'll start to see these giant atomic models in layman's terms and realize we have to slow down and overhaul the information flow between manufacturers and consumers. Wait! We need an infrastructure for this information exchange because manufactures are not sharing.

When points like mine are raised, many people find them overwhelming. Well, some things in life are just that, overwhelming. My point is certainly one of them.

We have become an impatient culture and become annoyed and find a hundred reasons not do something that might make a healthy difference when we cannot have results on demand. We bark at our PC/Macs when they don't load fast enough! I often see adults pitching fits of impatience made for a toddler.

My answer? Recognize that we need to mend our ways for a healthier world and, in the least get on the road of continual improvement. It's a long road but someone has to walk it.

Why would anyone have a problem with consumer carbon education given the current energy crisis?

What about Global Warming? Don't tell me Global Warming is all in my head. Someone hand me a fan! I'm getting warm and no it's not menopause quite yet. Ladies, remember when we were told hot flashes where in our heads?

Until the debate that will be raised is settled and the fits of impatience are tossed, I can write with certainty that if you wish to do right by the planet in your shopping carbon footprint, get thee to a thrift store where we reduce the flow of items to landfills and reuse and recycle perfectly fine products.

Looks like money is not the only thing we need to be thrifty about.