I'm sorrry major retailers, say what?

Okay folks, we are in hard times. As of August, the US unemployment rate is 9.6% and it’s on the rise. More layoffs. I’m baffled by the lack of response from the retail market. I don’t watch much TV and we don’t carry cable or dish. But when I do, I see business as usual in commercials and am left feeling deficient because there is no possible way I can go out and live as the television instructs. Retail denial, that's what it is.

We need to reform our retail structure and there has not been one word about in Washington. It's head-scratching to watch this Economy of Excess flap around like a fish trying to get back to water to swim through this deep recession. Retailers, the days of more upon more upon more are behind us. An Economy of Excess is simply not sustainable. It's hurting our pocket books, the economy of our communities, our health and our planet. How do we overhaul this broken retail system?

Retailers don't get it as highlighted in this article brought to me by The Queen of Fifty Cents from the LA Times, "Savers need to resume buying habits to aid recovery, experts say." As far as I'm concerned she is the Queen of the Fiftieth Sense! "Experts" are telling us, who have no money, we need to start spending to get us out of this mess? Do "experts" really think the average American's tiny little pocket book is going to get us out of this mess? Who are these "experts?" I desperately need a job and think I could make a lot more sense and produce a healthier economy than they've been. I want to elbow my way through this crowd and take the helm.

Hey America, it's time to Dump Our Current Retail Mindset! Eventually retailers are going to be forced into change because I need that money for my mortgage payment, not some stupid chocolate fountain or a $90 pair of jeans!

This is reminiscent of the whaling industry scoffing at the prospects that a coal industry would ever take over the need for whale oil. Why everyone needs whale oil!

Stock your stores all you want guys. We cannot feed your registers if we can barely feed ourselves. Many of us cannot even afford your sale racks.

My grandfather grew up in The Great Depression. He honestly tells me he never felt deficient because "we were all in it together." I sense no togetherness here. I sense an odd isolation and a confused fragmentation. I sense identity crisis.

We cannot let times like this pass without it making a permanent mark on our ways. This is a time to suck in some serious life lessons. I wish we could turn back to the days of economic practices of my great grandmother as described in the March 10th post Six Baccarat Tumblers.

I personally like Le Dandy’s Shopper’s Fast.

You are not alone like the TV might like you to think! And this recession is not your fault. Maybe this post sounds a bit angry, but given the path that the American consumer's have been led and being told shopping is patriotic, someone's gotta be! We're none the better for it! In fact, we're jobless and in the hole.

Should you want more on this Economy of Excess and the lessons it MUST teach us, please read Kurt Anderson in the April 6, 2009 issue of TIME The End of Excess: Why this crisis is good for America. Anderson went on to write, "Reset." I've been hoping this book would eventually land on thrift store shelves and I've yet to see it, which possibly means it's something to hold on to. Yeah, new books can land on thrift store shelves in a matter of weeks of release. I was hoping Anderson's cover page feature would have made more stir in the economic dialog. But, I guess the major retailers are going to have to go by the way of the whaling ship captains.

Golightly trips to the mall and what does she see?

I’d burned through my stash of premium scented candles and decided to trip to the local upscale mall. Off to Anthropologie I go to score a few good candles in the back 40 of the store also known as the saleroom. Illume’s Yuzu Mint fragrance gets a big thumbs up and also I bought Sweet Rhubarb. They were $20 but I pay $9.75. That’s $4.75 above my Flinch Point but, hey, this is my one simple luxury. Well, it’s more than a luxury. It’s piece of mind. We have three cats and I am forever in fear that visitors can smell the litter box. The candles come in handy. The other day, I almost didn’t clip any fresh basil because I’d feared the worst. But no, it was just a pungent basil odor, nothing more. I’m not shy about my fears either and will often interrupt good friends to ask, “Do you smell cat pee? You’d tell the truth wouldn’t you?” I’m a bit flakey that way and my friends are used to it.

As I walk out of Anthroplogie I see SALE posted in five-foot tall letters in some garish color over at Urban Outfitters, a younger cousin to Anthropologie. Sale is one of my favorite words, so I’m game. In the kitchenware section I spot something that instantly flashes me back to a comment from Saver Queen from the August 27th post Faux is Foe!

“I also notice styles from antiques or vintage house wares being recreated. I recently noticed a bunch of kitchen products being sold in stores and advertised in magazines that have the "hobnail" look. I wonder why anyone would by modern hobnail items when this style can be found on vintage items that are easily gathered from garage sales or thrift store. For example, hobnail milk glass vases are a dime a dozen.”

Saver Queen is right! But what I saw reproduced at Urban Outfitters made me laugh. I cannot count how many times I seen this covered dish made in the shape of a nut with a squirrel sitting on the lid in thrift stores. It’s usually marked at $2.99 and does not fly off the shelves. So, technically one could wait for a 50% off Saturday and buy it for $1.49. The buyers at Urban Outfitters have a different approach; they are promoting a remake of this head-scratcher of a classic for $18. Don’t believe me? Click Here. If you don't see it on that page to back or forward a page. They keep moving it.

As an aside, on my way out of the mall, I spied a new boutique that caters to uninformed Francophiles. A quick look-see raised my eyebrows to find items I’d seen on the shelves of Goodwill just that week. This shop was selling a certain item at a 500% mark up. Who knew? Thrift shoppers that’s who! All other customers are unsuspecting and are paying heavily for their lack of awareness.

What a strange retail world we shop in.

Oops! I almost forgot. You know how you see all these wonderful candles in Anthropologie alight and resting in a glass container atop sand, birdseed or acorn tops?You can find those containers at thrift stores for $0.99. Or you can pay huge mark ups else ware. Tough choice, but someone's gotta make it. So, say I bought the original at the thrift store on a 50% off Saturday, which run frequently. I could pick the original for about 8% the cost of the remake. Funny, I always thought originals were worth more than remakes.

Would you? Could you be an environista?

We’ve been having a lot of laughs lately. But I feel a need to bring back an old post from January and get a little serious.

Thrift is easy on the pocket book. It’s a sustainable economic practice. It drives funds into charities that repurpose lives. Thrift is an eco-friendly practice and this is not always discussed.

The act of thrifting can be silly and light and fun. But, it is a serious endeavor and we need more people participating because, trust me, American homes have enough inventories to feed our nations thrift stores for a good long while.

We need to change our retail ways and going to the neighborhood thrift is one of the easiest ways to start.

January 28, 2009
For months I’ve been brainstorming a sister for frugalista. I’m a proud frugalista. But, it’s not just frugality that drives my thrift store pulse. As mentioned before, Shopping Golightly is also Shopping Go Green.

I’ve been hard pressed to find a word that describes a person who “shops with the intention of reducing their personal carbon footprint.” I’ve thought and thought and thought. I’ve banged my head against my desk. I went on a week-long vision quest in Death Valley without water, food, clothes and sunscreen. (Well, okay, I did that my dreams.) I even got punchy and fell into Rob Schneider’s SNL Copy Guy persona, “The Greenster, the Eco-ater, the Green Meister savin’ the planet, protectin’ dolphins. Greenorama, Green!”

I tried eco-thrifter on Wikipedia and the wiki police eventually gave that humble attempt the boot. Admittedly, I didn’t think it all that great but had to try something.

Then it hit me, environista! It rolls off the tongue just like frugalista! We need environistas! We need a whole lot of environistas!

I kindly ask you to comment to this post and pledge that you too are not only a frugalista but a smart and beautiful, handsome environista too! Okay?

For other references on this topic, please see my commentary in The Christian Science Monitor on March 2nd “Green shopping, Don’t Say ‘eww’ to thrift stores” and on May 3rd “We count calories. Why not carbon?”

Sturdy Black Dress

My hand-crafted, little black dress for $8.99 from Goodwill was so well made, I just learned I've been wearing it INSIDE OUT for over six months since purchase! Call me a fool but the only words I’ve received while wearing that dress were compliments.

It took Little Pie, while zipping up the back this morning, to discover this fact. Tell me folks, can you buy something of THIS quality, so nice you can't tell inside from out, for $8.99 at a mall? Don't think so.

Now get to the thrift store and find your item of exquisite quality. It’s there. I’ll race you!

Thrift Store Conventions: Camping

This post is truly off the beaten path. Enjoy.

I have a theory. On the last day of school, districts across the country slip teachers, parents and children a specially-designed sleeping potion. It’s produced in uncharted New Mexico, probably near Area 51. It could be in the punch at end-of-year picnic, in an undetectable mist, or in mechanical mosquitoes that juice you up. After receiving a dose, we go to bed feeling exceptionally tired. We sleep heavily, and have a series of dreams that make for an entire summer. The next morning is the first day of the next school year. I think schools made a deal with the rest of the world for continuity to their scheme. This is done make to us believe there is a reprieve from the grind. They call that reprieve "summer."

So summer is merely a dream. I realize there are a lot of holes in my kooky theory but I’m certain many of you are nodding, thinking, “That explains a lot! Like how me move from Memorial Day to Labor Day in a blink! Yet we cover a lot of ground before we get to the New Year.” So, I might be on to something after all, no?

Here we sit on the eve of Labor Day, and because I was sleeping, I was unable to write a post on thrift vacations where my family wanders through pristine wilderness and pays next to nothing to do so.

What is available in the bank usually dictates what is a vacation. This recession has landed on my family like Dorothy’s house landed upon the Wicked Witch of the East. Though we didn’t fall into Oz, I sometimes wish we had because all I’d need is a bucket of water to blast that evil witch and get her bat monkeys off my back. And, don’t they go to a spa in the Emerald City?

I had a “dream” my family took a 4th of July vacation that cost us nothing but the gas to get there and back; groceries (we would have needed anyway); a few cups of joe at our favorite coffee stand on THIS PLANET; a Frisbee; and one dinner out. Oh yes, I purchased my $3 vintage mohair wrap and vintage earrings for $6 mentioned in the previous post "Have you been claimed?" Not bad for five days of vacation.

For those of you who don’t camp, I’m adding pretty pictures to carry you along, so you don’t leave me. Come, be an armchair traveler to the backcountry of Colorado.












The five-hour drive from Denver to Crested Butte is a vacation in it’s own right, weaving along mountain streams; up to a plain touching 10,000' where antelope freely roam, surrounded by snow covered majestic 14,000' peaks; up to Cottonwood Pass which becomes a winding dirt road; down through a tiny canyon of red rock; and off to Jack’s Cabin Cutoff to land on the fringes of the small community of Crested Butte. The ski resort is up on the mountain and is not visible from the town. I like that. Resorts are a dime a dozen in Colorado. It's nice to feel like you're actually visiting a town, a community.

We camped about 10 miles outside town on a dirt road on Brush Creek with Teocalli Peak well above 13,000', heading off the valley. (Above is the view from our campsite near sunset.) Teocalli is reminiscent of Colorado's famous Maroon Bells near Aspen. This is not surprising because Aspen is not far as the crow flies from Crested Butte, but it’s one heck of a long car ride. You can hike it or mountain bike to Aspen via Pearl Pass but it ain’t easy.

I’m guessing by now you’re thinking, this is all lovely but “Show me the thrift!”

To really do up a happy camping trip for four to six nights with a family, you need A LOT of gear. Purchased new, this can add up to a quick thousand, easily two and on up to three. My family is completely fitted for the outdoors and much of it is owed to thrift stores. Anyone who has shopped an REI or EMS knows that outdoor clothing is expensive, but a must for serious campers. Regular cotton fabrics are no-no’s. Get them wet, you’re uncomfortably wet for hours (or days) and you'd better hope that it’s not cold, because then you’re wet, uncomfortable, and cold and that’s NOT good.

Yes, it helps to live in Colorado, I find all elite outdoor gear clothing in thrift stores and it usually sells for $3.99 to $2.99, doesn’t matter if it’s adult or child. There are flashlights, Nalgene bottles, stoves, air mattresses (for le car camper), tools, daypacks, pots and pans, coolers, stools, folding tables…all cheap. And, say you get that stove home to test it and it’s a flop. Thrift stores are easy on returns, just save the receipt and get back in ten days. For items like tents and sleeping bags, go to used sporting goods stores. They sell sleeping bags in thrift stores but generally not the kind you want for outdoors.

Acquire all this, and you now have access to supremely inexpensive, wonderful vacations for years and years to come. I’m not joking. My mummy sleeping bag is 30 years old. This stuff is good and sturdy. Our tent literally blew down the side of Medano Pass while we were away for days. But, that’s another story, a real whopper.

Many of you might not view camping as a vacation. I say a vacation must meet four criteria: 1) the biggest decision is what’s for lunch and dinner; 2) you don’t know the time or what day it is; 3) you can sleep in - but don’t because you can’t wait to start the day, and; 4) you want to extend your stay. For me, that’d be camping.


The frequency of bickering between my daughters drops down from about a gazillion times a day to one to zero when we camp. There’s something about being outdoors that puts one’s soul to peace. Look at the photo to the right. Is that love or what?

When camping you find yourself doing unexpected things that contribute to trust in the family and builds self confidence and esteem. Imagine how much trust was being offered up in the photo to the left with Daddy Golightly carrying Little Pie across freezing cold white water. Imagine the trust I had to stomach. Then the celebratory aftermath of how brave everyone felt, including myself for not freaking out.

The photos should provide enough description as to what we did on our thrifted vacation. The girls are laughing above because I just flung a cow chip on the fire. It smelled very herbal. As for Labor Day, I believe we'll go a bit north before we turn into the mountains for yet another family adventure that costs us some gas and a bag of groceries.

Ever been claimed?

I’m not a love-me-love-my-pets crazy cat lady. But judging by the photo above, it’s hard to deny there isn’t some special bond between me and this petite tortoise-shell cat.

Alley Cat claimed me in 1999. Petite Poe, then two years old, and I were walking up the block to the neighborhood coffee shop. From a gangway, a collarless cat came running, meowing, dropping desperate affection at my feet. She didn’t particularly enjoy Poet’s interest but looked at me in a manner that conveyed, “I’m willing to tolerate the child.” She followed us up the block, head-bonking my ankles every time we stopped. She refused to cross the parking lot to the coffee shop preferring to hide in a bush calling to us as we went it. She waited, followed us home and stationed herself on the front steps for five days. We worked with shelters and placed ads in the paper. No one answered. The vet, who gave free exams on strays, estimated her to be two or three and noted she’d been spayed. This sweet little cat obvious claimed us so we accepted her. At first she was exceptionally timid with Mr. Golightly (who loves cats) but eventually claimed him too.

I was raised without pets so I don’t have a lot of experience with them, but I believe it is an exception when a cat claims a person. Alley is different than any other cat I've met. She’s gracious and loyal and seems to transcend the standard definition of what is Cat; she doesn't push any boundaries.Her purr, which she is always quick to offer, is very loud and comforting. For such a small cat, she could purr down a 100-year Cottonwood tree if we let her too close. She is the only cat I've ever met that says "Wow" instead of meow.

It feels great, "Alley, how do I look in this dress?"
"Wow!"
Do you think Mr. Golightly's cute? Is he handsome?"
"Wow!"
Are my daughters amazing or what?"
"Wow!"

This 4th of July weekend found my family camping outside of Crested Butte, CO in the Elk Range. Mountain weather is fickle and I thought I’d brought enough clothing to keep warm. I’m an exceptionally chilled person, and by that I mean I'm often physically cold. I’ve had many a nurse look at me, stunned after they take my blood pressure and temp. They’re thinking they might just be staring into the face of the living dead and my head might just suddenly take a spin on my shoulders.

We’d gone into town to watch the fireworks. I was freezing and checked into the community thrift store. This was a very small store with items piled upon items in stacks taller than my daughter Little Pie. But it immediately caught my eye, a plaid mohair wrap for $3. It claimed me! This vintage Neiman Marcus wrap needed a new user who would treasure it just as the last had done and it knew I would hold to that promise. (I also purchased the earrings in the photos for $6. The brass beads are antique.)

We spent some time walking about Elk Avenue window shopping, passing time until nightfall. Crested Butte has several boutiques that cater to a wealthier crowd. More people than I have fingers complimented my $3 wrap, which is an odd thing to happen while standing in a store where sweaters can sell $300. This was an original like I encourage in the previous post Faux is foe.

When I came home an unpacked, Alley immediately said, "Wow!" and rested herself upon the wrap. Seemed like each knew the other. There's something special about being claimed and I don’t believe it happens in a mall or superstore. It happens in out of the way places when you least expect it.

If you thrift, many of you already know this. What has claimed you?

Faux is foe!

I encounter it all the time. Say it’s a dainty teacup with elaborate crazing and a blurred emblem with letters that look like they might be from a French restaurant long past. I think, “Why, that’s darling!” I am so enraptured by the prospect I fail to note the finish is a bit too shiny, the style too modern. I turn the teacup over to see that cursed Made in China sticker stuck to the object like a canker sore devaluing it and my confidence that I can sniff out a fake. I feel infected.

Why do we have an entire retail movement dedicated to presenting a vintage appearance to NEW products? Isn’t vintage earned? Fading and crazing often accompany use. Add a slight chip to represent honest use. Now that’s a real treasure, a piece of history. With age, don’t we chip and craze? Many cultures place a high value on scuffs and tears; signs of wisdom and experience.

I like to imagine that these items, products, have little souls. Take that fake vintage teacup I referred to and serve it at high tea. THAT teacup, with no experience, would shout, “Help! I’ve never done this before! Quick, I need Valium! Oh, I’m starting to shake and hyperventilate!” Who wants a shaking teacup? While, an old, experienced teacup would lovingly say, “How many lumps of sugar, dear? Milk? Lemon?” The aged, experienced teacup provides comfort.

The fact that manufacturers attempt to create vintage in factories in China is a complete head-scratcher. Add in that people actually buy this stuff and it gets troubling. Now, think about the prices people pay for these new, old-looking items! Is having something that looks old in pristine, new condition a sign of a refined style? I don’t think so. I've fallen prey to this before but those days are gone thanks to the thrift store.

In many ways, thrift stores are a mere reflection of the new product market but with a wonderful dash of estate goods. The fakes run out onto the field but at least there is competition from the originals. In thrift stores we have level playing field and the shopper is referee. I blew an “Out of bounds!” whistle at that fake teacup.

I’m not writing about furniture found in alleys and thrift stores brought back to life by painting and refinishing and sold in boutique home stores. That’s reuse or repurposing. It’s imaginative; art. I’m talking about massed produced furniture that is made to look like its distressed and 100 years old. Good gracious!

I guess it’s somewhat parallel to the American ideals of preserving physical youth. We can’t fight off age. So we suck in Botox and attempt to surround ourselves with objects that look old (like we are) but are new in origin (like we are not). Perhaps we are trying dictate what is agreeable and stylish when it comes to signs of age in both plastic surgery and product manufacturing. Perplexing, no?

If I could wave a magic wand on women and I'd convert crow's feet to peacock feathers. Frown lines would become endeared frauleins to keep your spirit young. Frolicking frauleins to accompany you wherever you go making you laugh and smile, getting richer with age.

How a woman ages is not based in plastic surgery, it is based on her ancestry (genetics), her choice of her lifestyle, the scars from mistakes…In the end shouldn’t our bodies be a part of the book of our lives? I agree that trauma deserves help, but everyday living should be celebrated.

Put an end to this madness! Celebrate age! Say, “No to faux! It's off to the thrift store I go!" Acquire originals and be an original.

Absolving Thrift Stores

The previous post, Standing Naked in a Thrift Store, discusses the crap that lands in such stores, but it also notes that thrift stores are a mirror of sorts reflecting the new market. It’s only fitting to follow up with a post touting the recent treasure I’ve found by shopping thrift.

My daughter, Petite Poe and I, are pictured in our recent double Anthropologie score from Goodwill. Each dress cost us $7.99. Petite Poe’s can be currently found on the racks at Anthropologie for $178. My velvet dress will be lovely for the holidays.

Today and yesterday found me at three stores where I purchased:

1. A beautiful 11” Le Creuset Oval Au Gratin for $2.99. It retails new for $90. My Francophile friend will love me, unless I decide to keep it.

2. An in the box, Cross Tech Pencil; chrome without the slightest scratch for $3.99. It retails new for $50 on the Cross website. Mr. Golightly needs to maintain his professional image.

3. A B Rogers silver footed ice bucket with attached lid for $3.99. It’s requiring a load of elbow grease but is polishing up nicely. I’ve been waiting for the right ice bucket for years. Now, I feel so refined with such an elegant one. I’ve yet to find one like it on the Internet.

4. Two Merino wool turtlenecks, both high-end brands for $5 each and a cashmere turtleneck for $7. I was shocked to learn that the Vince sweater sells at Barney's and Sax! (My old black turtleneck mistakenly flew into the dryer. No worries, I paid $5 and it now looks darling on Little Pie.) As Thriftfully Modern Mommie writes in A Solid Foundation, the black wool turtleneck is a fundamental piece to the classic wardrobe.

5. Five recent edition hardback books donated to my daughter’s school along with several staplers and hole punchers all for $1 a piece. As in Back to School Thrift, we learn these stores are excellent sources for classroom needs; especially as education keeps getting hit with serious budget cuts across the nation and schools turn to parents.
Off with the crappy vision and on with the Snake Eyes to find the treasure and be rewarded.

Oh, and I’m lamenting the one purchase I did not make today. It was a beautiful antique bamboo stationary rocking chair. It was beautiful! Priced at just $30 it was $25 over my Flinch Point but would have been worth it. I just don’t have room for it. Ah well, I’m certain it’s already purchased because it’s Thrift or Miss.

I almost forgot to mention these Old Navy jeans. I bought them half-off for $2.49.

What have you found that you wish to brag about?

Standing naked in a thrift store

Advance Warning: This post is a bit cheeky and heavy on the word “crap”. It's a harsh word but I could not find another. Junk came to mind, but there have been many times I found value in junk. (Junk food being the exception.) Unless it’s a nitrogen-based soil amendment, crap has no value. I’m writing about pointless retail crap that will sit in a landfill for the next 250-500 years. This post felt sluggish in writing, but Anonymous Reader, living in the self-proclaimed land of the newly-wed and nearly-dead, this post is for you.

Unknowingly, we attach too much value, monetary value, to the packaging of new products. In this case, "new" simply means never-used and is not an indicator of quality. Shoppers remain unaware they are paying extra for packaging they will trash. Rarely do I purchase a new product that comes home in a container I could reuse. Given that new is not an indicator of quality and neither is the packaging, I offer up Observance #1: New crap is often packaged heavily in crap to hide crap.

There’s been a discussion weaving through recent posts about the quality of items in thrift stores. We agree that treasure passes through thrift stores. We also agree that one must wade through a lot of crap to get to that treasure; using a backhoe even came to mind. I believe this discussion was first raised in June 2nd post The Harbingers of Decline.

Most items resting on the shelves of thrift stores have long been stripped of their original packaging. Observance #2: Thrift store items stand humble on shelves; naked with only a price sticker pasty. The packaging that once glorified and hid the item is now scuttled deep in the bowels of some landfill.

The crap that rests in thrift stores came from somewhere. I believe, it came from discount retailers hiding crap in packaging, neatly stacked on shelves, or hung on hooks with an “As seen on TV” sunburst in the container corner. Put on a pair of x-ray goggles to see past the packaging and you’ll see a lot of crap in these stores. Observance #3: Many items in new retail stores, discount retailers in particular, are indeed organized, spiffed up crap.

Observance #4: Just like thrift stores, shoppers wade through a lot of crap in discount retail chains. Thrift stores are, in many ways, a mere reflection of the new product market with a wonderful dash of estate sale goods.

In my opinion, many retail chains that dot the malls of America only sell crap. The stores that specifically target young tweens and teens particularly disturb me as they greedily rake in allowance money. Once left unattended for 10 minutes my daughter spent close to $30 in one of those stores. Upon hearing this, I crumpled to my knees with arms raised to the heavens crying, "Noooooo!" Fortune would have it that most of the items broke in the first week of possession and a lesson was learned.

Remove the packaging and possibilities come to life or maybe not. Either way, the shopper knows what they’re in for at the thrift store. Observance #5: At the thrift store, the little product's soul is looking right up into your eyes, awaiting judgment. If it's crap, at least it's honest about it.

Conclusion: We need to learn the difference between cheap and cheap crap. Thrift stores will not be free of this noxious crap until the new product market is free of it.

Perhaps crap is in the eye of the beholder. If that is the case, we have a lot of people out there with bad taste and it's creating a lot of waste.

Thrift Stores. Do you shop where you drop?

I recently conducted an end of summer clean out and gathered clothes that no longer fit my youngest daughter, a bicycle she outgrew, and a few of those hideous folding camping chairs that take up too much valuable packing space; especially when it’s better to find a log and settle it next to the campfire. Gone are the days when I had girlfriends to pass on Little Pie’s clothes. There was a set of twins that received volumes of Pie’s clothes until the twins outgrew Little Pie.

Off to the thrift store I go carting my bags of truly gently used clothing. Really nice stuff. I donate because, once again, in the words of my family’s matriarch, “Somone’s gotta do it!” [Psst! Those words really come in handy.] I figure if I take from the system, I should give back to maintain the system’s health.

Confession number one: I do have clothes, nice ones, that I have not worn in at least two years. My latest drop included some of these clothes. Maybe they were gifts. Maybe it’s because I turned 40 over a year ago and wonder if those clothes are still appropriate. Maybe I was a bit too hopeful when I saw it hanging on the rack. Or maybe I was shopping to fill the void that will never be filled. Yes, I’ve been guilty of that but am diligently working on stopping that behavior. Having a $5 Flinch Point really helps.

Confession number two: I do not shop where I drop. I have one store near my home and I drop goods there, but dare not go in.

Last year, my daughter’s school had a massive tag sale fundraiser. I ruthlessly excavated the entire house for items to raise funds for my daughter’s school. I gave up unfinished antique tables in the garage that I probably wouldn’t touch until 2020. Granted, they were gorgeous tables found in the alley but they were tremendous space hogs. I did not attend that fundraiser.

I have a hang up with seeing SOME of my stuff on the racks or shelves; a donation remorse of sorts. The same thing that initially attracted me to it is somehow reawakened. It hypnotizes me and, with swirls in place of pupils, I am tempted to buy it back. “Wow, maybe I do have time to finish that table that I have no room for in my home.” Or, "Hm, maybe I can tailor those pants even though I don't know how to sew." Crazy, no? Fortunately I've never encountered a situation where I see someone wearing one of my donated items. Oh, that would be a disaster. I'd probably tackle the poor woman screaming, "It was a mistake! Those little red Kenneth Cole clogs looked better on me! Give 'em up! Now!" I guess that means if you ever see me stalking you with swirls in my eyes, you better run. The shoes that I write of are pictured at the footer of this blog.

I try to donate seasonally. This works well because sometimes it takes me a season or two to accept that I no longer need a certain thing. This is especially the case with my daughters. I’d love to store everything they’ve ever played with but, I don’t have the space and what would I do with it? Yes, I have some toys set aside in hopes of grandchildren. But these are high quality items and are timeless, not some featured Hollywood toy of the season that would probably terrify future generations without the context that Shrek is a nice ogre. Add to that the rate Hollywood is pumping out children's movies, who can keep up?

So please, if you take from the thrift store system, be certain to donate. I’ve had this specific post in mind for months and was inspired to finally write it after reading a comment from Anna of the Harvey Street blog to the lengthy discussion from the July 31st post, What’s Inside. Anna wrote:

“This discussion reminded me of an important part of the "robust repurposing market" in the headline of this blog -the donating part of the thrift market. I try to make sure what I donate is stuff that is worth someone buying. I totally agree with the discussion about the marketplace being pumped full of junk that no one wants. I'm always disappointed to see cheap, crappy stuff at the thrift store.

So, instead of using up an entire Saturday just to try to make a few bucks off my stuff, I just toted it all to the thrift shop. Sure, I could have made a little pocket money but this discussion made me want to put my stuff directly into the thrift stream. It's not all name brand designer stuff but I hope someone is happy to find the nearly new (and freshly cleaned) Nordstrom's women's suit or the Venetian glass bottle stopper or the 2 table lamps with shades (and bulbs).”

Thank you Anna, for giving me that added nudge. And, thank you for keeping the system healthy.

As thrifters, the vast majority of us are best to follow the unwritten code to give back to the system. I believe this is a basic economic principal that the higher ups in the American economy have abused in efforts to make more money with cheap labor abroad. We bought from them, but they stopped returning the favor by donating jobs to the market. Now look where we stand. Practically penniless on piles of junk.

Someone out there is thinking, “Damn! She’s being hard on the American retail system.” The response? All together now, “Someone’s gotta do it!”

Do you shop where you drop?

A Solid Foundation

Stop! You are being forced into a box and tied up neatly with string and a tag that says SEASONAL TREND. It’s mass marketing and it has you in mind left to ponder the exact bikini you will wear next summer of 2010, now on the eve of September, 2009. It tells you the skirt length this season. It tells you chartreuse is the new black.

Confused? Well of course you are! That’s why it is good to have an idea of fundamental style; something that can be molded into one’s own. Once you have a hand on the idea of the necessary basic foundation of a wardrobe you can add elements that meet contemporary trends without compromising your own unique self, your pocket book, or your dignity.

The best part – these wardrobe essentials can be found at your local thrift store. Say no way to the department store Stepford wife keeping up with the Janets you must wear it because we said so style. The Thrifty Chick's idol, Audrey Hepburn was noted for admitting all she really needed for style was a scarf. Style is best served simple. Here’s our top 5 simple essentials to get you started:

Essential #1

The little black dress. You need one. It is the perfect transitional piece from season to season, daytime to evening and casual to black tie. Choose accessories accordingly: sandals and a floppy hat to the garden or a picnic; off with the hat, on with heels and red lipstick for dinner; add a sparkly bracelet, earrings, and pull the hair back and you're off to the opera.

Essential #2

A well fitting pair of trousers. In Colorado we wear jeans, jeans everywhere – much to my chagrin. One can however; find a trouser cut that is flattering to most if not all figures. Look for neutral colours and medium weight quality fabrics of a natural origin (wool/cotton blends, cotton, wool/silk). Again the idea of a basic is that it can be worn season to season. Check the length, better to be too long and hemmed than to be waiting for a flood.

Essential #3

A black wool turtleneck. (cotton will do, as long as it is ribbed, to maintain shape, and not faded) I believe Miss Golightly has mentioned this before. No, one cannot wear wool turtlenecks in June but the classic silhouette is a fall through early spring necessity. It can be paired with a skirt, short or long, trousers, jeans – think Audrey Hepburn with cigarette pants and ballet flats. Another day to evening sure thing.

Essential #4

A short skirt, a long skirt. Think neutral, solid, quality fabric, and a shape that flatters your figure. A-lines that flow away from the body are always a good choice for most body types considering knee length.

Essential #5

A cute jacket. Appearing in thrift stores by the thousands; they have their own rack. Not a matronly suit jacket, something with a vintage cut, or a fun pattern. This breaks up the neutrals and it can be worn with your trousers, your little black dress, your turtleneck – get the picture?

Take this knowledge to the thrift store and skinny down your wardrobe without doing major damage to your pocketbook.

To be known & understood is the true gift

I originally wrote the following in response to a kind comment from Saver Queen in the “What’s inside?” post below. The more I wrote, the more I realized it grew in a short, but poignant post.

I love it when someone gives me a gift that is something I was unaware that I needed, something that puts a little added ease into my daily grind. Or a gift that embellishes something that is important to me, like serving tea, baking, gardening, adding to a collection…

The act of taking time to truly listen to me, observe me and truly know me is, in essence the gift, not necessarily the object. That’s the part that sets tears in my eyes. To feel, in this wide world, there is someone who has taken the time to truly know me and wants me to continue on as myself and not be swayed. (Ever get those gifts when you can tell someone is trying to change you?)

I have given gifts that have turned out unintended flops. We all make mistakes. But, I’ve found that time really helps in finding something that another will value. It is flat out foolish to think we can go holiday shopping with overbooked schedules in December and give gifts that mean something or that are even worthy of giving. How can we talk of charity and good will during this season when we are just, more or less, products of retail sales and advertising? The state of retail sales is all we see in print and TV media. We’ve even been told it’s patriotic to go shopping.

The retail machine puts a lot of static in our heads and does an amazing job of confusing our wants with our needs. So, come holidays, it can be very hard to figure what it is that you even need.

But, to have a friend, take time to truly know you to the point that they can spot little treasures that make your heart leap, now that makes giving a gift worthwhile.

Best to you in these hard times Saver Queen, I share your condition, more that you might suspect.

What's Inside?

A few readers have been curious as to what’s in some of the holiday gifts pictured in the post photo below. Here’s a sampling:

· 14 Alfred Meakin England Royal Ironstone China, Tea Leaf pattern dinner plates purchased for $7 total. All plates are in excellent condition and usually have a Buy It Now price of $5 per plate (not including shipping) on Ebay. This is for a collector.
· A Cinnabar Lacquerware beaded necklace for $8. For a jewelry enthusiast.
· A 14” tall, engraved crystal vase for $3.50, purchased on a 50% off day.
· A vintage heavy copper-baking cake mold with lid made in Italy for $4. For a baker. There is a name for the type of cake this mold makes, but alas, I am not a connoisseur of European cakes. I just enjoy eating them. The baker I am giving this to will know and I am selfishly hoping I can eat cake.
· Two bestseller hardbacks for a total of $4. Both are amazing books.
· A new Neiman Marcus boxed set of holiday-themed cocktail forks, $3. For a person who loves to entertain during the holidays.
· A new scalloped French sandwich press that makes my daughters favorite grilled cheese sandwiches for $4. For a person who needs easy dinner ideas and loves my daughters.
· A still in the box handmade pewter ornament for $3 with a quotation from Coco Channel my friend will appreciate and can hang in a place for encouragement when she needs it. Retails $19.
· A new box of six English Pimpernel place mats for $4. For a person who loves afternoon tea.
· A set of three vintage enameled bowls for $5. For a person with a rustic cabin in the mountains.
· An Alan Stuart handbag with tag still attached for $4. This will make a certain teen quite happy.

Be assured, I didn’t wrap mustard-stained t-shirts and avocado fondue pots but for these prices one might think that's just what I did.

It would be wise during this deep recession to think of what people need and will use and give simple luxuries when possible. This year, more then many before, requires thought for a gift. Imagine a person who is financially scrapping by through the skin of their teeth receiving $250 dollar chocolate fountain. What a shoulder-slumper that would be.

I'll end this post with a noteworthy comment from a Ms. A from the Living Without Money blog on the March 7th Wow this is so you! What's happened to the fine art of giving? post:

"I found a first edition book of small prints all about the Virgin Mary and how she was depicted in art. It was .89 cents. It's out of print and was printed by a religious company early in the last century. I gave it to a friend at Christmas and couldn't believe how profoundly touched he was by it. It was a small book but he spent most of the morning going through it with his children. His mother has borrowed it too. I thought he'd like it, but I didn't realize it would end up meaning so much. I absolutely do not believe that there was any gift out there on a store shelf that he would have felt more touched by. It is very likely that more and more people will find that what's on a store's shelf or retail floor is not the most fulfilling option when it comes to gifts (or life in general)."

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.