I grew up with make-do, possibly because of the "Depression" and possibly because of a Scottish heritage which made a lifestyle out of making do. No Barbies at that time, I sewed the doll clothes myself, by hand. I haven't any memory of not being able to sew or darn. I rarely alter my clothes -- never did, preferring classical styles of good design and material, and having a mostly unchanging figure. Mend, yes, I still can 'sew a fine seam' and blind-hem and replace a zipper with the aid of only a few swear-words. But by the time my clothes are worn out, they really are worn out; they progress from crisply ready for office work, to limply ready for yard work, to threadbarely suitable as a coverup when painting. It isn't long until only the paint spatters are holding the material together and then they become rags to use when staining wood or applying wax. Yesterday, I finally threw away a rag which began life as a sleeve on lace-trimmed blouse, about thirty years ago. *That* was good material. I remember embroidering crazy quilts made from sections of my father's wool suits. The suit's seat, elbows, knees and collars would be too worn to wear to the office; so eventually a brother would get a jacket or pants made from the larger still-good sections while the scraps would be saved for piecing into a quilt. I don't unpick yarn nowadays, although I certainly did when I was young... a hole-y child's sweater could provide enough yarn for three or four mittens. Now, it seems that sweaters are acrylic or some other chemical name, and the threads aren't worth the effort to unpick. We weren't poor, or even low-income. Looking back, I suspect that monetarily the family would rate as upper-middle class, although the lifestyle would have been familiar to a budget-conscious back-to-the-lander. Then, thrift was simply a way of life, which has stuck to this day. I am equally unable to throw out stale bread or to wear new jeans when mowing grass, lol. Interestingly, there are a number of on-line sites -- the code word is usually 'frugal' which apparently lacks the implications of poverty that some associate with 'thrift'. Most of the web-sites are yawnable, but there are a few good ones. For young-uns who want real-life, up-to-date, usable ideas for help in living well [which is not the same as living extravagantly], I do recommend a book, "The Complete Tightwad Gazette" by Amy Dacyczyn, which is a compilation of the newsletters she produced for several years. She combines practical money management tools with familial anecdotes in a way that makes for fairly easy pick-up, put-down reading. Rob ~ invest in a large packet of tiny gold safety pins. Each garment kept should have a tag pinned to it, showing the most recent date worn. Anything not worn for three years (the experts say two years) should be donated to someone who can use it. Clothing kept for sentimental value should be safely packed instead of hanging in the closet.

The one near my home ("good" Detroit suburb - oxymoron?) is businesslike, accurate, has a fast, large turnover, and is easy to use. It does smell a little in there, though. Not everything is oderless. There is a big counter for jewelry and assessories which does a brisk business. You can bring things in at any time. You consign for 60 days, and if you don't pick up unsold items during a 2-day window at the end of 60 days they can donate the items to charity. Tbe shop reduces items on a regular basis at it's own discretion. They say they are seasonal; for example, they are no longer accepting winter clothing. But that is kind of a judgement call nowadays. I've never tried to argue it; I don't consign very often. The consignor gets 40%, the consignee determines the price and sometimes refuses items. I believe there was a fee of $5 or $15 to get an ID number. There is a particular day or two on which you are supposed to pick up your check - that is not something you can do any time at all. As far as what they take - I brought in some wool pants with the tags still on them and they refused them because they had pleats, for instance. I have seen people bring in big bags, and I got the impression the clothes came from, somewhere like the big rag warehouse where the clothes I donate to Purple Heart end up. The store goes through each item and makes a decision about it. The designer outfits are kept on a separate rack. Designer has to be St. John or DKNY level- my J. Crew and Liz clothes don't qualify. A St. John suit might be about $50 or $60. The formal wear, whether designer or not, seems to be a little higher. If I have something uniform and recognizable and costly - like a brand new Coach bag that was a gift that I'll never use - I sell it on Ebay. I don't think the store is the best venue for things like that. But the store was just the ticket for some NWT Liz tuxedo pants I wanted to be free of. I didn't want to deal with the vagaries of sizing women's pants on Ebay. As for pricing? They put $15 on the tuxedo pants, size 6. The had a whole long rack of black pants. Someone will probably pay $9 or $10 for them. I have never used another consignment store, nor seen one that I would use. I prefer to shop the sales racks of department stores. I do shop there when I'm dropping off, though, and on my last trip I picked up a lightweight gray blazer that I like which is probably from last summer. There are always lots of customers present when I go there. I don't think there are any "secretly rich" shoppers. I think there are some smart shoppers, some who are looking to pick off the best for resale, some for the rare formal occasion (like a cruise night), and some who want the latest trends in costume jewelry. You'd be surprised how well shoes sell.

I AM OLDIE HERE HAVN'T POSTED SINCE 2001 Stacie,(girlsingardens),I wouldn't mind doing some trading. I am looking for some carnation's and some old handkerchiefs, some vintage linens,styrophome balls. I have a lot of items also. I could box up. I am in the works of redoing my craft room and also formal dining room. I have been doing this since Christmas when hubby got me some shelfs, looking good I do say so my self. We looked and one set of the shelfs is a different kind and is not holding up like the othere's so now I will have to take everthing off these 5 shelfs and redo it. That shelf is going in gargage. Now I have been in a neck brace for 2 weeks and have 4-6 more weeks with this I would love to do some trading. Just let me know ok.

Yea! It sure feels good. Too often I walk past a project time and again and instead of "just doing it" I let it bug me. I bought a Nike t-shirt and wear it on work days to keep me on task. While I am very organized, I have TMS to organize so I am like others here who now scrutinize the necessity of items before making the purchase. Good for you. Here is a link that might be useful: Just Do It!