Are you a holiday pioneer?

Pioneers thought ahead. Come spring, they started chopping wood for the next winter. Thanks to the availability of most products, we’ve lost that pioneering spirit.

Why is it that the events in our lives requiring use of the retail system tend to find us waiting until the last minute to settle such needs? I don’t have one answer but will say that retailers love it when people are stuck in a pinch. Shoppers tend to spend more money and usually end up buying an item that has a higher than average chance of finding it’s way to the customer service desk. And, isn’t it weird that during the holidays, stores automatically print exchange receipts? Do they expect us to return items? I’ll bet studies show that exchanged items boost sales because customers spend more than the exchange amount. Wow, this gives pinch hitting a whole new meaning.

Retailers tend to make it seem like holiday shopping is “fun.” Stores are decorated, windows are displayed, the television is bombarded with ads. Is driving around a huge parking lot looking for a place to park in the snow fun? Is standing in line at 5AM to get into a store the day after Thanksgiving fun? Is walking through an over-saturated mall, shoulder to shoulder with strangers moving en masse fun? How about those lines to the register only to meet an exhausted cashier. Fun? Standing in line to see Santa for over an hour with a little one. Fun? Wow. I want a Valium just after writing all that.

Now let’s go to the Post Office to mail off packages and stand in line with 10 teetering packages. Fun? I once waited one hour and 45 minutes in a post office, in a town I won’t name to save embarrassment, to mail off packages at the last minute. I spent over a hundred dollars mailing those gifts. There was nothing fun or festive about that and I need something stronger than Valium after reliving that postal experience.

So, on January 1st, 2009 I proposed A New Year's Resolution Revolution to readers. Karen Datko of MSN Money, immediately picked it up on her blog. The resolution is to shop birthdays and holidays year round at thrift stores. This eliminates the pressure and allows you time to really think about the people you buy for and give them something they just might really love or need.

Some people may think giving thrifted items is gauche, maybe gross. Well guess what. Many of the thrift store items I give are BRAND NEW. In the midst of a deep recession and massive job layoffs, Americans are still buying new items and wastefully tossing them over their shoulders to land in thrift stores. Some habits die hard. Real hard. Take these candles I bought at Goodwill this Monday. All, new in the box, wicks never seen fire. The entire lot was $7. Price stickers were still on two of these boxes and together totaled $24. Who knows the total retail value.

Over time and some desperation, I’ve developed a routine of shopping year round. On some hot day in late July or early August, I pull out my bins of gifts for out of town friends and relatives. (We have an extensive family and many friends who have become family.) I wrap them up and box them up to mail at the start of November. Because I am in no rush, I mail them ground and even save money as I happily pony up to the mail desk with little or no line.

Speaking of postal rates, I love giving books to out of town friends. The US Postal book rate rules! And, it's very easy to find top notch books, recent releases, and signed books at thrift stores. These children's books, all in new or excellent condition cost me a total of $7.50.

That day of gift wrapping out of town gifts came and went. The top photo shows 20 gifts that were purchased for $129 total. That’s an average of $6.45 a gift. The majority of these gifts are brand new items or antique items from thrift stores supplemented with a few items from the last chance sale tables from Anthropologie and Williams Sonoma.

The ribbon along with enclosure cards where purchased at thrift stores. Sometimes I even find new boxes at thrift stores, the kind you purchase a office supply stores!

So, I spent six months searching out just the right thing to give someone and I found amazing treasures that I could never afford at the retail price. Consider the post, Wow! This is so You! What's happened to the fine art of giving? to ponder what retailers have done to us; especially during the holidays.

And yes, I’ve picked up some darling things for my immediate family too.

The day after Thanksgiving, my family will get up early and take the leftovers of our feast along with a large thermos of hot chocolate and head up to Buffalo Creek in the Pike National Forest of Colorado to select our Christmas Tree through a program sponsored by the Forest Rangers. All it costs is the gas to get there and a $10 permit fee for a tree. If there's snow, and there usually is, we'll go sledding. On the weekends we’ll play games and eat cupcakes. Come January 1, 2010, we won’t feel any financial pain from the holidays. Instead, we’ll keep on with that pioneering spirit.

Call me uptight. Call me manic. What will you be doing in December and what will be your stress level? Mine will be smooth and cool. Oh yeah, and how thick with that credit card statement feel come January, 2010? Mine will be so light, the wind just might deliver it, save for the purchases made at my favorite bakery.

Post script: Many readers wanted to peek inside after this post aired. Click here to peek.

Thrift Store Conventions: Repurpose & Renew

This is in response to a request regarding a plant hanger spied in my daughter’s thrifted room make over.


I love having hanging plants in my home but am not fond of the plastic store bought containers nor macramé constructs that envelope the plant behind 5 inch twisted cording that could possibly anchor the QE2. What I’ve done is quite simple and inexpensive.

Take a plain white enameled bowl from a thrift store. They can usually be purchased with or without lids for $3.99. For some reason, the speckled campy variety of enamel runs a bit higher in price. But, it’s simple that you’re looking for so stick with white. Last week I was in an antique store and they were selling small white enameled bowls for $8-$12. Amazing the difference the word “antique” does to a price.

Personally, I prefer commentary, but will attempt a go at technical writing. I promise it will be more concise than many of the instructions I’ve read on chopstick wrappers that write phrases like using chopsticks helps celebrate China’s “glonous histery.” Chopstick instructions are usually good for a laugh.

The process to make the pot into a simple hanging planter is quite easy:

1. Turn the pot upside down and use a drill bit to make a drainage hole in the center of the pot. I prefer to do this on the lawn so if the drill escapes to the other side it simply goes into the soil, nothing hard to damage the bit. Clear the hole of any stray metal pieces.

2. Keep the bowl upside down and estimate and drill three equidistant holes along the rim with a smaller bit.

3. The local mom and pop hardware store will sell a variety of chain gauges. I recommend a fine gauge. The heavier the gauge the less elegant the design. The length of the chain is based upon how high or low the plant is to hang. Purchase more than you think is required. One can always cut back the chain to the right length. It can be done but it is harder to connect chain loops.

4. Connect three chains equal in length with small S hooks to the three holes on the rim. It is wise to squeeze the hooks tight with a pair of pliers. It is also wise to consider the height of the plant when determining the length of these chains (i.e. a tall plant will require greater length to give the plant more room to spread).

5. Experience has taught me that the best way to marry the three chains is to use a simple key ring, also purchased at the local hardware store. Just slide the ends of the chain onto the ring.

6. Add a chain to hang from the ceiling to this ring and add a another ring at the top to hang from a ceiling hook.

7. If you have a lid, this can be used as a catch plate for water run off. I use a plate hanger and connect the lid to the pot handles to hold it in place. This technique was invented on the fly; I’d just purchased a load of plate hangers. I’ll bet there are many other ways to attach a catch plate. String would even work.

Many items found at thrift stores for pennies on the dollar can morph into plant hangers. Like this teapot. I love it how the fern fronds are growing out the spout.

One can also take teacups or apothecary jars found in thrift stores and turn them into miniature terrariums. Below is a small jar growing my favorite plant, moss. The key to a successful terrarium is lining the bottom of the container with small bits of charcoal to absorb excess water and prevent mold and plant decay.


Visit the mom and pop hardware store. The older the store the better. We just lost our mom and pop neighborhood store. They knew the needs of the neighborhood. For example, when we were tearing up the five layers of linoleum in our kitchen we hit this horrible, goopy stuff on the next to the last layer. We couldn’t get through it. Off to the neighborhood store we go only to hear, “Oh, you’ve hit the layer they laid in the 1920’s. The black stuff is roofing tar, they used to lay that down under linoleum because it is water resistant.” Now compare that wisdom to the look on the kid’s face at the new hardware store when I asked where I could find jute. I think he thought I was looking for an illegal drug deal by the look on his face.

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.

I believe 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. I believe what you need is a instinctual "knowing" of what is truly needed in your life, not a list.

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 possibly save thousands of dollars while participating in a reuse market. 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 Conventions: Electronics

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.

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.

Dump that retail mindset!

There are parts of our lives we know we need to change. Unfortunately we opt for an easy way out to awaken that change by taking away or adding small tasks. This works - for about a month. The above photo is of me, Little Pie and Poe a top Mt. Antero, a 14,269 feet wonder in Colorado. Read on and I'll explain.

Honest change involves a radical shift in the mindset. If we can make that shift, then the supporting simple tasks come without planning, they feel second nature.

Some folks tell me they tried to thrift but it didn’t work for them. My guess is they took the retail mindset to the thrift store. Tsk, tsk. Vinegar and oil that is!

The retail mindset is a concoction of advertising, mass media and simple laziness. It’s based in convenience and the capitalistic nature to make money, even if it destroys nature.

Isn’t it convenient that we can go to the grocery store, have our carts and cupboards full in less than an hour? Well, yes and no. It’s rather nice that we can buy a can of diced tomatoes instead of tending twenty plants for five months only to stand for at least two days over a hot stove during the dog days of summer to can tomatoes for the winter. I did that once. Regardless, I still grow tomatoes in our community plot with Denver Urban Gardens because nothing beats a true vine ripened tomato and I want my daughters to know that. I have a three-plant minimum. But I have nicely sized raspberry and blackberry patches which Little Pie’s Brownie troop regularly tends. Want raspberries to bear fruit all summer? Sic a troop of young Girl Scouts on them and they will.

This convenience comes at a cost. We lost our will to plan for the long haul. Okay, we plan for retirement, our children’s education, but we recently learned that is no guarantee. I’ve not peeked at my retirement in over a month. Why? I don’t have many sound options to exercise. I’m stuck waiting for the market to recover so why wallow?

You know what the pioneers did come spring? They started planning for the next winter. Life was a preparation for the next hardship and winter was one hell of a hardship. If we expected hardship perhaps this recession would not be as horrible as it is. Imagine what you'd have today had you not listened to the TV to engage in conspicuous consumption. What if you had saved your money in a diverse mix, part emergency funds and part savings? Hello America! Hardship is a given in life. It's going to happen. It’s good to be strong and prepared. I’m not talking bomb shelters and doomsday. No! I’m talking strength of character and wise choices.

"I ask you to dump that retail mindset. You don’t have to dump it entirely, but in the least put it in the passenger seat or better yet the trunk wrapped in duct tape. The planet and your pocket book will be better for it."

Thrifting is a green practice? For more explanation I offer the opinion piece that ran in The Christian Science Monitor, "Green Shopping, Don't say eww to thrift stores" or the blog post "Shopping Golightly is Shopping Go Green."

Ever seen those paint mixers in hardware stores? They shake the you know out of the paint in the can to mix it, mix it good. Confession: I imagine putting America’s retail mindset in one of those machines. That sounds horrible of me but it’s the only metaphor I can think of that’s strong enough to descramble all the synapses that have built this intricate, exquisitely honed mind to shop for items en masse or items that ultimately serve no meaningful purpose while piling credit debt upon credit debt. These synapses are so bold one might confuse it with instinct. Yikes!

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. Aside from those fondue pots that I keep ranting about, one has no idea what they will find that the thrift store. There is no promise on inventory. There are high likelihoods on many products but no guarantee. So if you put a three pack of mens white undershirts on your thrift list, the odds are dismal so walk away feeling the thrift store let you down and walk right past that beautiful wool dress coat that will be ready for your daughter in six months for $6.99. Fast forward to the day before you are to take your daughter to The Nutcracker ballet and it becomes apparent your daughter is in need of a warm dress coat. On the list it goes next to stockings and men’s t-shirts and off to the department store you go to buy possibly the same brand coat for $89.95. Okay, The Nutcracker is a luxury. But it’s worth it. I still remember when we went in Chicago and I saw Baryshnikov.

When I shop thrift, I’m shopping months out from today and I shop with Snake Eyes and let The Thrift Effect guide me with my $5 flinch point. If it’s a screaming deal, I’ll shop years out. I hit three stores yesterday with no list and picked up a load of athletic/hiking wear for the girls, a holiday gift for my grandmother and a complete set of Beatrix Potter books for Little Pie’s holiday. Much of it was new for roughly $3 per item.

We plan to camp the summer away and get on top of many of Colorado’s highest peaks so the hiking apparel will be worn a lot. Did you know Little Pie hiked Mt. Antero last year? At seven, she did seven miles with a 3,000 foot elevation gain to suck air at 14,269 feet above sea level. Call me crazy but that family experience beats the tar out of some pre-fab theme park experience. And, it involved honest accomplishment. To think there are children who grow up in Colorado who will never plant their feet on top of a majestic 14ner or 13ner but will tell you they've been to Disneyland to ride a teacup. Sure Disneyland is an American thing. But you have to admit things like purple mountain's majesty trump teacups. But that is my little soapbox.

The thrift mindset is a creative one, adaptable, flexible and capable of reaching into the needs six months out from the present. I’d wager that thrift mindsets make great leaders. Leaders with retail mindset are - quite possibly - misnomers. Why? Because they can’t see past the selfish needs of the moment and don’t factor in how those needs will play into the future.

So if you are to grow a mindset, what’s it going to be? Warning, if you want thrift, turn off the TV or at least give cable the boot. All those commercials on childrens networks, even the shows, are building young retail mindsets. Trust me. Children do not need the toys you see in the aisles of chain retailers but Children Want Spending Power Too and the thrift store is about the only place they can actually buy things with an earned allowance. Unless your child earns $20 allowance which seems steep for an eight year old.

I babysat my dear friend’s 10 month old last week. She and I had a great time playing with pinecones from the Colorado blue spruce in the backyard. Their papery texture captivated her.

Or how about the bamboo Geisha shoes I found for $2 for Little Pie yesterday? Walking in those shoes is like walking on stilts. She loves them. However it's opened up what I know will be a month-long conversation as to why she cannot wear them to school - one month because that is all that remains in the school year. Had I procured them in January, I'd have pulled my hair out explaining by now.

Oh, and while you're thinking thrift. How about putting your name on the petition for National Thrift Store month? Give thrift a little lift. The icon link is at the top right of this page. Godspeed.

Thrift or Miss II

Here's the Yoana Baraschi dress purchased at Goodwill for $8.99 that I will wear to Goodwill's annual Power of WorK Luncheon recognizing individual achievements within the Goodwill community. How appropos to wear a thrifted dress.

The dress is silk with grosgrain ribbon pleates. This is one of my favorite dresses EVER and I saved hundreds of dollars.

So when you hit the thrift store doldrums (referenced in the post below), just remember that treasure may only be a rack away. So, it's thrift or miss baby!

Thrift or Miss

I have bouts of thrift store depression. Surprised? Don’t be. It’s not something that requires medication but it’s still melancholy. I even get resentful, “If I see another fondue pot, I’m going to slap it on my head and walk barefoot into those cragged peaks due west of Denver and make Starbucks out of snow!”

I sometimes fall from thrift shopping grace and want to ride my own rolling dress racks into Anthropologie singing, “Oh What a Beautiful Morning” then stack up more Sundance necklaces than Mr. T only only to race over to Nordstrom to grab more shoes than I am capable of confessing.

My husband and I have enough credit to do that. We just don’t have enough money. There’s a big difference between fantasy and reality that can make for a lot of trouble.

In the throes of my retail self-pity, something small happens that forces me pause. Yesterday I purchased a beautiful Yoana Baraschi dress for $9 at Goodwill. I’ll be wearing that dress to their annual Power of Work Luncheon. My husband will be striking in his $9 Kenneth Cole suit with a practically new Hermes wallet purchased for $3 at the Disabled American Veterans thrift store in his pocket. Acquiring those things new would have at least cost $2,000. The people who meet us will never know unless I spill the beans. When complimented, I say, “Why, thank you. I purchased this at [insert thrift store].” Their eyes pop. I never care to guess why.

Some of my friends like to debate with me about designer and name brands. They ask, isn’t it counter to thrift to shop such brands? Aren’t I falling prey to the retail machine, just at the thrift store level? I understand their point. But, at many thrift stores, a sweater is a sweater regardless of origin. So toss out the name brand mark up. If there is a mark up, it’s usually $3 not $300.

It’s not necessarily the brand but the quality. Quality makes sense and thrift stores make quality affordable. Designer doesn’t guarantee quality. I’ve seen designer items I don’t think would make it through one season let alone one wash.

Many people ask me for guidance on names and brands. I really don’t have much to advise. I’m not a label guru. I’ve learned more about quality fabrics and design in my last four years of serious thrift than I have learned in decades. Get in the racks. Learn the feel of quality fabric; get yourself a pair of Snake Eyes.

When I really think about it, this whole notion of shopping in divine elegance is an American device and you don’t always walk away with better merchandise. Consider the markets of the world. They aren’t hung with chandeliers and music to get you in the mood for a little afternoon consumer delight. They’re loud open places with stalls of people selling handmade wares and people shouting, bargaining prices. Yeah, that’s how most of the world shops. Most of the world doesn’t even shop in grocery stores! Okay, many western countries have posh stores. They do. But, they also have more open-air markets than we have malls and I think they’re better for it.

So when I'm feeling sorry for my self because I am not willing to shop out of league with my bank account, something serendipitous always comes my way via the thrift store that reminds me that I'm shopping smart and still find the good stuff.

Catch ‘em while they’re young

The credit industry is so tired of hounding Mr. Golightly and I to take on more cards they’ve finally given up. Hallelujah!

Now American Express is offering both our daughter’s free airline tickets for becoming esteemed card members. They even sent along fakey boarding passes with their names printed right on ‘em. Litte Pie’s convinced she’s going to Paris. That ticket looks pretty real when you’re eight and why should a silly little word like “sample” spoil the fun? The kid is packing and ready to give any ticket agent a big what for that denies her.

There’s a few hitches with the credit application process for my children. What do we list household income? We haven’t reported allowances or babysitting income. We thought reporting would land us in a trap with child labor laws.

Forget the Golden Ticket in a Wonka Bar, can’t you just hear Veruca Salt with that snappy British accent, “Oh Daddy I want an American Express Card and I want it now!” Pray that never be my child! What would my Mamaw or Grandmother Hardin think, lending agents after their grandchildren!

Channeling Grandmother Hardin

The news is bad. We keep hoping the economy’s hit rock bottom, a radical change in American morale compared to the last 80 years. When addicts beg for rock bottom, they’re usually there. But, our economy? Who knows?

Decades of living large and buying cheap have finally snagged us. It was long run kicked off by the racing gun fired in the 80’s. But, I guess all the junk we kept collecting weighed us down and now we’re caught good, pinned down by debt and unemployment.

Despite our frugality, the Golightly’s are in hard times too. So, I’m channeling Grandmother Hardin, my great, great grandmother, hoping she’ll reach back through the generations and share her sage advice. She was a survivor of The Depression. I recommend we all channel the women in our linage that ran the households of The Depression. Summon them now! They are the ones with the sound advice, not news anchor teams claiming they have the secrets to “Beating the Recession.” Sheesh!

Golightly thrift has saved us from what would feel like complete oblivion, foreclosure or bankruptcy. 10 years ago the line was laid to ignite the Denver market. We started house hunting when the fuse was first lit and spitting and flickering it’s way to the final ka-boom. In response, we were pre-approved on a loan to help initial offers stand solid. It nearly knocked the wind out of me to learn what banks were willing to throw at us. What? You want me to dive that deep into debt? Don’t we need pressurized submarines to go down there?

I fired the first realtor. He kept thinking he could nudge me up showing me homes with master suites with fiberglass monstrosities they call bath tubs and more bathrooms than we have people and pets in our family with a three-car garage. We were a one-car family. It might make sound me old and feisty but I’ve always said, “A car is a heavy thing to carry around and a pain to store and park.” Toss in a few explicates for emphasis if you like. That’s the simple truth. Here that Detroit? Cars are heavy! Make them light not lite! Make them go lightly too! For goodness sake be real and be honest!

I have Grandmother Hardin’s Singer treadle sewing machine. It’s basically a piece of furniture. She made her living off it and I surely suspect she made my grandfather’s boyhood clothes with it. It came to my home a few years ago, damaged by many years of sitting on crowded back porch with a good deal of water exposure. I tenderly took the wooden pieces apart to refinish them. I no idea the scale of this project, which lasted a month where she evened entered my dreams. The damaged veneer on the machine was too expensive to replace so I carefully sanded and stained every part to match. I felt I was resurrecting her legacy and coming to know the woman who was such a profound force in my grandfather’s life. He, in turn, is a profound force in mine.

Grandmother Hardin’s legacy was thrift. She walked the sidewalks looking down for lost coins, did her own dry cleaning for her husband’s suits and reused everything imaginable from buttons and zippers on thread bare clothes to wax paper.

Though she was thrift personified, she had enormous generosity for the things that mattered, mainly her grandson. And, what she gave always grew into something good. He has stories about her that would bring a tear to the hardest of hearts.

I’ve visited her grave only once. It’s far off in the country in a small town. I guess that’s a bit symbolic because her frugal lifestyle has been in an out of the way existence for a long time. The day I visited, I had a few minutes alone with her to thank her for her creation and care for my grandfather. I left a penny next to her gravestone as a small token. Why a penny and not a quarter? Well, I just don’t think there’s inflation in her current plane of existence and I’d like to think it’s a place where a penny can still make someone smile and say, "Thank you."

Sadly, I don’t know my way around a sewing machine, maybe when the children leave for college. But for now, I’m happy to sit at the machine, tap that smooth, perfectly balanced treadle and try to get in closer touch with the part of me that is Grandmother Hardin. Now more than ever, I need her. She knew thrift and never felt like it meant sacrifice, it just made common sense. As I tap the treadle I realize that we might have amazing new technologies, gadgets and gizmos, but what does that earn us without common sense and thrift?

Keep & Sweep

Many questions come my way. One keeps popping up, “What should I buy at thrift stores and what should I leave?” Here’s a quick list of Golightly’s top ten keeps and sweeps from your shopping cart at the thrift store. Other thrifters, please chime and comment.

Keep Holiday & Birthday Gifts: Purchase gifts in advance to avoid that nasty gift pinch where we end up spending more than intended out of panic to deliver on time. Box and store gifts in one place so they so don’t get lost in the household mix. Shopping ahead provides time for a meaningful thought to be attached to the gift. It is my belief that, “It’s the thought that counts” has been replaced with “It’s the amount of money spent,” as described in “Wow! This is so you! What’s Happened to the Art of Giving?” Americans are letting retailers do the thinking when it comes to gift purchases. Let’s take back that choice since we know personally know the gift recipient and retail marketers do not.

Keep Other Gifts: Be gracious. For a hostess, teacher or an unexpected event, purchase items in advance and have them on hold. For example, whenever I find “Gift from the Sea” by Anne Morrow Lindbergh, I snag it. That’s a great book for girlfriends in all kinds of situations. I feel that classics are better served up either vintage or in anniversary editions. Having these gifts al a thrift saves money and when thoughtful, express gratitude, something we probably do not do enough of these days. If not a gift, a hand written note can deliver the same intent – prefabricated cards don’t make much of a difference in my world. Stationary can also easily found at thrift stores for that meaningful and personal note. Even better, hand make cards using thifted paper.

Keep Cookware & Bakeware: Make certain it’s quality. Copper should be heavy and have secure brass handles. Never mind if it’s horribly tarnished. Barkeeper’s Friend and a lot of elbow grease will fix that. Vintage enamelware is wonderful and one of my favorite finds. But Calaphon and Kitchen Aide and other modern products are in supply. There is always a huge assortment of bakeware. I feel the best cookware is vintage cookware because it’s haunted.

Keep Rare Finds: Like my husband’s Givenchy tux, he may not wear it often but he has one and is ready to go. Besides this might open up opportunities to use it. For $8.99 in its in beautiful, perfect-fitting condition, it’s worth it. Or my piece of America, my suede covered “Song of Hiawatha” that I imagine some pioneer keeping it close to read and read again while exploring the new west.

Keep Picture Frames: There is always a great selection of picture frames in both size and style and they can be painted in any color. Just remove what’s already in the frame and replace it. However, there are times when we just might buy the frame for what’s in it.

Keep Items For The Classroom: With chronic budget cuts, teachers are always in need of supplies. Ask teachers for lists. Items could be staplers, three-ring hole punchers, scales, books or craft supplies like yarn, ribbon, crayons – all available at thrift stores.

Keep Jewelry: Look in the glass cases by the cash registers there is always a mix of new items, vintage items and artisan items.

Keep Books: New release, old and rare are readily available at thrift stores often in the $2 range. For more information see the post On Books. Children's books are usually sold for a lower price - another item that classrooms need and teachers appreciate.

Keep Tabletop For Parties & Events: Punch bowls (buy two, one for spiked and one for tame), pedestals, vases, candlestick holders, pitchers, plate stands are available at thrift stores. This is the place to shop for dinner parties. And baskets, there are baskets a plenty at thrift stores. There's a funny story about my preparations for a semi-formal baby shower and acquiring such items in the post "Where's the bait & what's the switch?"

Keep Items Easily Lost: We often lose mittens, gloves, hats, scarves and sunglasses. It doesn’t hurt so much when our children lose a pair of mittens that cost a dollar instead of ten. For example I bought six pairs of new Dana Buchman sunglasses for $12. I saved hundreds. Some sunglasses store did an inventory dump at a thrift store and I was happy to be there.

Sweep Things We Already Have: If we have 10 dress shirts, do we really need four more? Depends on the lifestyle.

Sweep Items In Need Of Dry Cleaning: Unless we absolutely love it or need it, like a suit, leave the stuff that needs to be dry-cleaned.

Sweep Moth-Eaten Items: Be certain to check woolen items over. However, the fabric can be recycled into mittens and other items when one knows their way around a sewing machine. I have a friend who takes thrifted wool sweaters and washes them in hot water for boiled wool and makes the warmest mittens imaginable. She even lines them with recycled fabric from thrift. She's a saint, known to us as Joan of ARC (after the many ARC Thrift Stores that dot Denver). Some people even take sweaters and unravel the yarn to reuse. Sounds tedious but quality yarn isn’t cheap and if we’re going to invest loads of time into knitting something, shouldn’t the yarn be quality?

Sweep Cheap Reproductions: Be patient, originals pop up at thrift stores. I’ve seen several reproductions of Wedgwood and have also found the original, a cake stand in perfect condition for $3.

Sweep Chipped Items: Dodge chipped items unless the chip is hardly noticeable and the item is of a fine maker, like Limoges. However, I understand that some chips in crystal can be sanded smooth.

Sweep Items That Create Projects: That bookshelf is amazing but needs refinishing. If the project queue is full, will the bookshelf ever be refinished? Or, will end up being donating back to the store? If the project list is short and there is time, go for it!

Sweep New Items Still In The Box: A new item still in the box at a thrift store is a score but happens more than one might think. Unless needed, leave it. Items still in the box make many appearances at thrift stores – a lesson in how wasteful Americans have become.

Sweep Baby Furniture: Laws on many baby items have changed. Investigate specifications online.

I Sweep Underwear & Swimsuits: Perhaps it’s because I was an only child and didn’t receive super personal hand-me-downs. However, new swimsuits and undies can be found with tags still dangling in thrift stores. Besides, I think we are fooling ourselves about new swimsuit purchases. I seriously doubt all women follow the rules and leave on their panties when they try on suits in department stores. And that little plastic panty liner? Like that is some assurance! Plu-ease!

Sweep Seasonal Impulse Buys: Sweep fondue pots, spinning popcorn poppers, chocolate fountains and other seasonal impulse buys from years past. Should you decide you suddenly want one, you can always find it at the thrift store. It’s where impulse items go to die.

Pulling a little weed

The March 2^nd opinion piece for the Christian Science Monitor, “Green shopping: Don’t say ‘eww’ to thrift stores” was picked up by several news sources including Yahoo News, Business Exchange, Lucianne, The Daily Kos and many other sites and independent blogs. I’ve always read comments to my opinions on TV, radio and news blogs like MSN Money. I never jump in, just sit back to learn what others are thinking. Some comments make me chuckle. Some make me proud. Other make my scalp sore from head scratching. When I read a funky comment, I enjoy watching another swoop in to bust it. But I’d never felt bitten until the Monitor piece ran. A reader reported that thrift stores spray fungicide on their clothing. He cited no reference. Just wrote it without documented evidence and from what I know that is called a genuine rumor.

I had a bad reaction to this bite. It became an irritation. So I asked my friends at Denver Goodwill to clarify. Follows is their formal response:

"Goodwill Industries of Denver is redefining the thrift store experience. Stores are cleaner, brighter, more organized than ever and shoppers expect an experience similar to a traditional big box retail store. Our stores have never used any fungicidal spray or treatment on clothes. Our donations are carefully screened to bring the best quality goods to the floor for our customers and we ensure that each piece meets certain standards. This is not your grandmother’s thrift store!"
Meaghan Carabello
Public Relations and Communications Coordinator, Goodwill Industries of Denver

Another myth I asked my friends at Goodwill to dispel is the one where people claim that thrift stores only want “poor” people shopping their stores. I asked Goodwill Denver to comment and it ran in our January 21^st post. I’m always amused by this notion of only “poor” people allowed in thrift stores and visualize the security stanchions like the inventory control systems of retail stationed at the front doors of thrift, monitoring shoppers as they enter the store. Imagine walking into a thrift store and an alarm sounds and a fakey, loud, slow female voice barks out "PLEASE leave the store, you are NOT POOR!"

I guess that would assume that we've all been implanted with net-worth chips. Wait! Perhaps that’s how other people walk in restaurants and get seated before my family. Who knew? This must not be good because we don’t visit fancy joints.

Perhaps New is Ewww!

For those of you who think thrift stores are dirty places, I offer this bite, excuse me, bit of news from the Associated Press, Wal-Mart customer finds teeth in wallet. I'm certain attorneys will work with this gentleman for an undisclosed amount of money to hush this up right fast. Just a sampling to reveal the new products retail market just might not be as clean as one might expect like the situation I faced in What's the bait and where's the switch?

This information came vis a vis blogger extraordinaire and National Thrift Store Petition backer, The Q Speaks. When Amanda Quraishi speaks, one might want to listen as she has recently been listed as a 2009 Honoree for National Women’s History Month. If I ever write an alphabet book for girls, Q is for Quraishi.

Shortly after I wrote this, a thrifty reader found another item of dirty interest from Wal-Mart and sent it my way. I am not specifically picking on Wal-Mart, they just happen to be in the news this week. Looks like there will be another undisclosed settlement.

But there is a lesson here. Maybe, just maybe new product retailers are not as up front with us as we'd like to think.

On the flip side, there is a certain gentlemen following every news agency that ran the opinion piece I wrote for The Christian Science Monitor declaring that thrift stores spray pesticide and fungicide on all their clothing. This gentleman cites no source but I'm sadly certain his rumor is discussed. My friends at Goodwill and ARC are developing their response to this bit that sniffs of myth.

Six Baccarat Tumblers

There is a growing mentality in America that success happens overnight. Companies go public one day and 50 new millionaires are running about Silicon Valley. Television shows like “Extreme Home Makeover” roll their bus into town and in a few days, a family’s life is forever changed by a new home with gizmos and gadgets the family never dreamed of. We say things like, “When I win the lotto.” I am guilty of that and the funny thing is I have never purchased a lotto ticket. Not one.

We focus on the success and forget about the sweat equity put into achieving it. That’s assuming the sweat equity was fair, transparent and honest. For years we’ve given praise, bought stock and believed in companies that were jokes, frauds. Of course now, we pay the price for these crooks and their schemes to make quick money.

Here’s a very scary part to this mentality, we shop to it. We shop like our bills are paid, the mortgage is paid, the college savings is ready and retirement will afford us 50 years of luxury and bliss. We stack up credit like, something’s big will happen in our future that will settle it all and leave us even more to spend.

So what does this have to do with thrift? First off thrift is a noun, so every time I use it as a verb or adjective my spell check scolds me. The first definition of thrift in Dictionary.com is: economical management; economy; frugality.

Spending with the intent that someday you will win the lottery, your company will go public, that big promotion is just a few months away or your bonus will be huge is wrong. No, it’s stupid. No excuse for it.

I have a set of six leaded crystal tumblers that my great grandmother, born in 1880, purchased. I believe they are Baccarat. Each tumbler is different. Why? Because my Mamaw, though college educated and well off with an educated husband who traveled the country working for various Pulitzer Newspapers, could not smartly afford to buy six at once. She saved money and when she had enough, she bought another and did so until she had a set of six. Today I’m certain the acquisition of a set of six Baccarat tumblers would have been managed quite differently and my grandmother would be appalled. Of course she would mange her words with care for she studied elocution in college, but her disappointment would be clear.

I also imagine that the reverence for the product bought on today's terms would be significantly diminished. I'm not certain what research has been done, but I imagine items that are saved for are held with a higher degree of worth than items that are simply tossed onto a mix of inflated credit accounts. Over one hundred years after their purchase, I still hold those tumblers in esteem for the effort and patience my great grandmother put into acquiring them. I knew my Mamaw, she lived well past one hundred and told me stories of days before people knew cars.

The Golightly home is over 100 years old and is an eclectic mix of items of things purchased at estate sales, yard sales, thrift stores and stuff pulled from the alley. Our snug home did not happen in one week of visits to posh furniture stores to replicate a prefabricated design, it came from years of digging, salvaging and refinishing. And it’s still not finished. It never will be.

Like a life, a home is not built in one obscene week of shopping. A home is a living thing that slowly changes over time. There is no race to finish it, so don’t shop like there is. Make each purchase mean something special to you. Make it treasure. Don't replicate pages of a catalog. Here’s a money saving hint: most treasure is not found at the mall. Treasure requires effort and effort often grows appreciation.

Fond Memories of Thrift

Earlier this week, I received the following comment from the January 17th post, “Children want spending power too!”

"Twenty years ago, when I was seven, my parents started thrift store shopping. They were looking for the obscure. My two younger siblings and I were each given a quarter every Saturday to spend. We ran to the outdoor area known as the As Is Yard. It was a horrific mess! We loved it! I could pile my arms high with pieces of Barbie's Dream House and castaway dolls. The man at the front would write a ticket for the price for all the items we collected. Eventually, he caught on that we had a quarter each to spend. Funny how our tickets always added up to just that amount.

As with age, my allowance grew and I learned to save for the wonderful pre-priced paper back books found inside the store. Over three quarters of my toys were handmade or came from the As-Is Yard at Goodwill."
~ Kat Shumar of Indianapolis, IN

I realize that some adults do not have fond memories of thrifting as children. But I also know there are many who do.

For those of you who were teased about having to thrift, I am sorry. I ask you to understand it was not the thrift store that was the problem, it was the spoiled children. These spoiled children were ruthless. I was cruelly teased because I wore Keds sneakers. These kids called them Roach Killers. So, after my mother left for work I would take her Adidias sneakers and stuff the tips with socks so I could fit into them. I may have been wearing shoes two sizes too big and looked ridiculous in clown feet but the teasing stopped. It really did.

Many Americans might find it appalling that I take my children thrifting. But, like Kat, they love it. Besides I think most Americans are completely unaware of how wasteful they’ve become. I’m ready to catch that new Sundance sweater, new handmade mukluks, new Anthropologie sweater, new Banana Republic jacket, new purse, and new shoes you so casually toss over your shoulders and I’ll pay less than 5% of the price you paid. Poe, my 12-year-old daughter, has more cashmere in her closet than the average American. Little Pie Goligthly grew her own pair of Snake Eyes and now can spot cashmere off a 10 ft packed rack of sweaters. Most seven-year-old’s don’t even know what cashmere is.

The other day, Little Pie Golightly found a brand new wallet that the thrift store without a price tag. Little Pie took it to the cashier and asked for the price. The cashier smiled, “You really like that wallet?” Pie nodded. “Hmm. How about 50 cents?” Little Pie reached into her pocket, paid for her wallet and walked out of the store with new treasure.

Thank you Kat Shumar for sharing your story.

Wow! This is so…You! What’s happened to the art of giving?

Many people don’t realize gift giving is a subtle art. Often people buy gifts that aren’t necessarily the recipient’s style. Ever received a gift that makes you want to declare, “Wow! This is so you! Why don’t you just keep it? You’ll get more use out of it than me.”

In no way am I trying to sound ungrateful, but I hate being wasteful. I also don’t like clutter. So, I’ll be quick to tote unwanted gifts off to the return desk or thrift store donation bins. This makes me sad because dollars were simply wasted and I wasn’t left feeling honored, just dejected. A little seed called, “You Don’t Know Me” starts to grow, and grow until have to I kill it with some kind of emoti-cide, usually in a prescription form.

Are my tastes so hard to clock? I wear black. Lots of urban black. I wear scarves and berets. I love quality scented candles, almost always have one burning. I wear artisan sterling jewelry. I read a lot. I collect childrens books. I garden like mad. I camp. So why do I get a floral flannel robe festooned with ruffles and cheap, itchy lace? Because the person who bought it for me was thinking of themselves. I won't even wear that thing if I make it to 80.

We do think of ourselves, a lot. Especially when we wait until the last minute to buy a gift, often during the holidays. This is exactly what retailers want because you are unknowingly lost and most relieved to discover that fork in the retail road. To the left is “I Like It Avenue.” To the Right is “Impulse Buy Boulevard”. Most take the Boulevard because it's broad and wide and the stores are piled high with easy-to grab-items of construction that would give the smallest Pyramid of Giza a run for its scale. The sales associates tell you this impulse buy is the hottest thing this season, least that's what management said. So how do these associates really know? Next time, ask them if they have a [inset impulse buy here]. Chances are they cannot afford one or wouldn't want it if they could.

Impulse items eventually land on the shelves of thrift stores where they end up not selling and are thus crated off to third world countries. So I wonder if there is a person in Bolivia in a hut with no electricity staring blankly at a chocolate fountain at this very moment. Where do impulse buys go to die? I mean, how many fondue pots does this world need? Since the '60's there are fondue pots from just about every decade sitting on the shelves at thrift stores. Is there an artist out there who can turn these fondue pots into art? Now that's a challenge! If you bought a chocolate fountain or a fondue pot please don't feel bad. We've all bought impulse buys and must find a way to break this cycle.

Whoops! I'm stepping up on soap box! America needs some serious retail reform! I'm talking hard core, urine test, stress test, blood test get a new personal trainer, doctor and diet reform! Consumers have but one major problem, uh, we've been jobless for months, some well over a year, and therefore no income which basically translates to, WE HAVE NO MONEY! The only change consumers need in our lives at this moment is employment.

So far, retailers keeps pointing their fingers shouting like Gilbert Gottfried, "They're not buying items at a rate that satisfies our profit expectations! Hey Feds we need a bail out!" This becomes national news in print, radio and TV. We watch it nightly. Sigh. Did you know the pornography industry sought a bail out? Another sigh.

Well, a nun (even though I'm not Catholic) told me when I was five that when you point your finger there are three more pointing back at you. I guess the thumb isn't considered a pointer.

Okay, someone's thinking, "Damn! She's being hard on retail!" In the words of my family's matriarch, "Someone's gotta be!"

Okay, off my soapbox and back on point: Impulse items are mostly given by people who feel like they have an obligation to give. Now that sucks. Shouldn’t giving be fun?

There’s another crowd, those who want to honor people on certain occasions with reminders that we love them and give them things that might make them feel a little spoiled or make their life a little easier. I like to hang with these guys. But to do this, you have to be smart and think ahead and shop year-round. And, you have to know your family and friends. Really size them up and be selfless. And you know what's really cool about these people? They are not giving to get. They are just giving, no hidden agenda.

It’s not so hard to learn your friends' likes. Look at how they dress. Do they wear solids, prints, wool, cotton, urban, conservative? What is the style of their home? What are their hobbies? What kind of food do they like? Do they entertain? Do they travel? When they are chatting, what books do they mention they are reading? What are they listening to when you ride with them in their car or visit their home? Isn't this what friendship is about? Listening and learning about your friends? Knowing them?

Want examples? Fine. I have a family member or friend who:

• Could give any French baker a run for their money. She gets unusual cookie molds and copper cookware.
• Can BBQ, smoke, roast, saute anything pork, beef, chicken or lamb to sublime measure. I give him tools to assist with his art.
  
• Was in the Peace Corps in Thailand, has a cabin in the mountains and her home has walls painted a delicious pumpkin color. She gets items in a combination thereof.
• Is a major bibliophile. He gets rare and vintage books.
• Is a Franco-phile. He gets anything French.
• Enters more flower shows in a year than the number of countries in Central America. She gets unusual vases, anything that might provide an advantage over her competition. Hey, they don’t call her “Blue Ribbon Betty” cause she takes honorable mention.
• Loves anything manly, as in "Dogs Playing Poker" and manly BBQ trays.
  
• Has a home that looks fresh out of the pages of Victoria. She gets items that enhance that image.
• Has just about everything he wants. He asks for and gets written letters.
• Loves a spot of red. She gets things with a spot of red.
• A friend who collects scales and wants more cowbell.
  

Plug all this into a grid into your head and take it to the thrift store throughout the year. You’ll be astounded by the wonderful things you’ll find. Why the thrift store? Because it’s like a Morrocan Bazaar, a ParisianFlea Market or Portobello Road. Everything and anything is there, just waiting. Okay, maybe I'm being a bit romantic. I've never been fond of the white institutional feel of most thrift stores. So, use you're imagination, we don't use it enough anyway.

You’ll be fighting back the urge of giving their gift early because you’ll be so excited. It’s true. Ask Mr. Golightly. I do it to him all the time, poor guy. “Honey, here’s your birthday present two months early!” He hates it when I do that. I even have to physically corner him to release my selfish urge. But I don’t think it’s so bad because I find something else to add on to his birthday booty. So it’s not like his birthday arrives and he is left giftless. And, since I thrift, I spend about$20.

Thrift now. Up on the top left of this page, there is a “Thrifting Gift Guide” slide show full of over 200 items of thrift to whet your whistle. Below that is a “How to Thrift" section of posts that should help the novice along their path to becoming thriftmasters.

Here's one more incentive to go. Maybe, just maybe you'll make restitution with all those gifts that you had to be polite about. I assure that on your adventures, you'll find many things that will make you declare, "Oh! This is so me! I love it! Thank you!" And, it will most likely fall in the $0.99-$4.99 range.

Given all that I have just written, you should be a good two months into your holiday shopping and have bought a few birthday gifts early. You're with me, right? If you're not, don't come to me in January, 2010 and ask, "Why am I broke?" While all the gifts you gave are on the shelves at Goodwill. Godspeed!

Who is Shopping Golightly?

For kicks Bunny Glitter listed Golightly as their Interesting Person of the Week.