I often shop in our animal shelter's thrift shop. I often donate there as well, and occasionally I find myself thinking about buying something that I donated!

Usually I buy books and the occasional article of clothing. One recent find is something I'll use in fallÂa full-length red waterproof raincoat. Perfect for walking the dogs in the rain. Visibility is a big plus on our road.

And here's another find. I bought two of these last year and refinished them. They're reproductions (milking stools, perhaps?) from a well-known pine shop that closed in the 1960s.

A month or two ago I got a brand new manual treadmill or $20.00. Now if I would just use it!!! 90% of my clothes come from GW.

When my kids were little I bought lots of their clothes at thrift stores. Of course, I re-washed them before putting them on my kids. I also bought lots of things for myself. They had special sale days, like $4 for all you can stuff in one bag. They even had jewelry-nothing real, but pretty looking costume jewelry I know dated back to the '50s and "60s.

Going tomorrow. Can't wait! You're right about the books. Can't beat the prices. Its great to find books the kids are trying to collect. I have 3 kids-we have all the Berenstains, most of the Cliffords, alot of Curious George's, 100+ Babysitters Club Little Sisters. Now the kids are getting older but I'm going to store those books for when they have kids. I recently bought DD(11) some Nancy Drews to see if she liked them. We buy clothes, movies, knicknacks, toys, kitchen items, lots of stuff. Glenda-do you still have the unclaimed baggage place?? I was just telling DD(15) about that. What fun that would be!

I usually go about once a month when they have a half price day. I look for books, artwork, cooking items and sometimes clothes. Though as DH said, I have more then enough of the last. LOL I have gotten some good deals. Last one was a 16x20 print with mat in a wood frame for $12.
Clare

lisa, there is an unclaimed baggage, that Oprah went to, years ago. I went, and found everything still expensive.
Was somewhere close to Chattanooga, Tn, but in Alabama.

I just bought Kamren 3 pairs of practically new uniform pants at Value Village. I've always had good luck finding them for the boys there, but it's on the mainland.

Our local thrift stores have mostly JUNK!

I usually find a few books for the kids or magazines. I found several 'I Spy' and 'Where's Waldo' books for $.35 each. My kids love them. I find lots of little birds and things for the garden. Thrift stores are a great place to find those extra supplies for school. I got a shirt and football uniform pants for ds#1's king costume. I bought ds #2 a blow dryer so he could take it apart for an invention project.

Glenda..the Unclaimed Baggage Store is in Scottsboro,AL (not too far from Fort Payne). Last time I was there, I wasn't impressed at all!

I love to shop at the Thrift Store. We have a new one..America's Thrift Store and a friend and I can spend HOURS in there!

Our Goodwill and Salvation Army stores are just too expensive..to be USED & donated stuff!

I used to buy a lot of stuff at thrifts. When my daughter was little, I bought lots of books for her there. Goodwill used to have good stuff and was cheap. I went every day for about a dozen years because they put out stuff just before opening.
People lined up to get in there and I have seen fights break out over someone grabbing something that someone else wanted.

Now most of my clothes come from the thrift shop dumpster. I found out that they throw away about 90% of their donations, and it doesn't matter if it is better than what they have in the store. I have furnished 3 apartments out of that dumpster too.

All of my clothes come from the dumpster or yard sales, but since I have so many from the dumpster, I seldom buy clothes at yard sales any more. You would not believe the things they throw away!!!

Of course I shop at thrift stores, I also own one. lol

I buy books, clothes, dishes, just all sorts of things. A lot I keep and some to resell,if I get them cheap enough.

Dressed my kids from the Salvation Army 40 years ago, but that was when they had cheap prices. That was the only thrift store around where we lived at that time and was before yard sales became so popular.

Yep - I'm an avid thrift store shopper. I once posted on here that "you might be a redneck if you have a charge account at the secondhand store..." LOL They keep a "card system" and I take things out, try them on and then go back and pay for what I didn't bring back.

Marilyn, wish it was legal here for us to go through the dumpster but they have signs everywhere and they'll prosecute.

I go to the local thrift shop a couple times a month. Sometimes they have good stuff and other times, not much of anything. The last item was an electric fry pan, in excellent condition for $3.

I've never been much of a thrift shop shopper. Mainly because there wasn't one in my town. We have one now and I decided to go check it out. It is fantastic! It belongs to the people who own the flower and gift shop next door. Besides putting in used items, they also put in items from their gift shop that they want to move on. And their prices are great! I need to check it out more often! I do go to the Goodwill in a neighboring town occasionally to see what books they have. Have gotten some good deals there.

There are thrift stores everywhere here in FL as well as used furniture stores. I purchased a beautiful cherry curio for $350 that I had just priced at the furniture store for $900. People come to FL and purchase new furniture for their condo or second home, then they decide they don't like it here and off the furniture goes to the secondhand shop or they donate it.
One of my friends has furnished her mobile in Naples either from yard sales or thrift shops.
I've found GW to be expensive for alot of their things unless you go when they are having as sale. They have to pay for those brand new buildings somehow.
I buy almost all of my shorts at the thrift shop. I garden and own a motorcycle shop, so I'm know to get dirty or greasy. I don't feel bad if I've ruined a $2-3 pair of shorts.

All unclaimed luggage goes to a store in Scottsboro, Al. DH and I went there in the late 90s. I bought a fox fur coat for $100. They had everything there, golf clubs, coats, jewelry, snow skies, lap tops and lots more. Here is a website.
http://www.unclaimedbaggage.com/tourthestore.html

I bought a nice headboard for my bed at the GW here. Also a rocking chair for the family room. I put a throw over the chair and it serves it's purpose now.

I just bought a Liz Clayborn lined linen skirt the other day for 3 bucks. Fits like a dream and very very nice for these hot days.

Yes Ma'am...I surely am...

I go there every chance I get...Been picking up some Nora Roberts books to read.

They have all kinds of book...paper backs 59cents and Hard Bound books are $1.99.

patti

I go every once in a while but hardly ever find anything worth buying.

I have not been to a mall or a department store in years. I find everything I need at GW or similar stores. It's just more fun to look at things you can afford and "hope" it's in your size rather than look at things in your size you "hope" you can afford!

I am another thrift store shopper. Between those and garage sales my kids are pretty much clothed from there. Also have an addiction to books and they are cheep enough there to afford. Rhiannon is 5 and when we are driving through towns on Fridays or Saturday's is always on the lookout for garage sales. Both girls also love GW and Salvation army.The best time to go if you have little kids is in October when they start putting out the costumes. Our GW stores things that are out of season and brings them out at the right time. I have gotten tons of dress up clothes and dance outfits for the girls. I just have to laugh that some poor mom paid 55 dollars for her little girls dance costume, and I picked it up for 2 dollars. I also buy all the girls and Hayden's shoes at GW. Most of the clothes I hit garage sales just beacause, I am so cheap that I don't want to spend more than a dollar for any clothes, but I do buy most all of my maternity clothes at GW.

Stacie
girlsingardens

Love TS shopping,my favorite one in our area is the DAV (disabled vets store) I've found brand new blouses there with the tags still on them,and got them for 3.00.Early this year i also found a brand new bedroom quilt with shams and the curtains for 25.00 and it goes so well with my bedroom color that i recently painted.Yup,gotta love those thrift stores.
My motto is ,"never pay full price for anything".
Kathi