The Joy of the Thrift Store

People shop at thrift stores for different reasons. Consequently, the thrift store means many things to many different people. To me it’s the ultimate adult candy store! I’m sharing 10 reasons why I love to thrift store shop!

My History with Thrifting

Growing up in Philadelphia, there was a local Salvation Army in my neighborhood.  In my 28 years in Philadelphia, I had never visited it! I had never even entered a thrift store until I moved to Alabama. My parents didn’t shop at thrift stores when I was growing up.  Mom always budgeted.  She was the budget queen.  And she didn’t go out to buy every new décor trend.  Did they even have those trends in the 70’s?  It’s hard to even imagine life without Wayfair, Amazon, and Dollar Stores to get a quick fix for today’s decor addictions. I do remember Mom’s excitement when a friend would have a Home Interiors party and the goods arrived.  Did you have these boxes in your home growing up?

I still have the nativity scene she gave me for Christmas the year we bought our first home. And the box makes me smile every December when I grab it from the attic.

We always had décor for every holiday and candles, always candles.  There was always a tablecloth on both the dining room and kitchen tables.  Mom simply did not collect what she didn’t need. There was no clutter in our home. Ever. Unless you considered my bedroom.

Discovering Thrifting

I remember my first visit to the Thrift Store.  It was 20 years ago.  We had just moved to Alabama.  I spotted America’s Thrift Store in Alabaster.  Little did I know that this place would spark an interest that would grow into a business and a passion that would continue to impact my life even to this day. There is absolutely no anticipation greater than pulling up to a newly discovered thrift store and no satisfaction like discovering it is an absolute gem and placing it permanently on your radar.

I suspect that my love of “things” began when I was 6 or 7. I would spend every Saturday night at my grandmom’s.

Mom Mom was an Avon Lady with an extensive inventory and a fabulous collection of antique salt and pepper shakers. I would inspect every item on every shelf at every visit. My dad was an accomplished DIY craftsman. I spent alot of time watching him complete projects around our home or putter around his basement workshop. The result is my passion for vintage things and DIY.

What fascinated me then still fascinates me now and unfailingly inspires me to return.  Though I don’t frequent the thrift store as often as I did when I had my antiques and consignment store, I stop in to get a fix and a treasure or two or ten. The thrill is always invigorating and the passion for old things reignited.

Here are my 10 main reasons for shopping the thrift store!

1-Unique Finds

First and foremost, I shop the thrift store to find unique items.  Yes, I love great buys. Yes, I love discounted items. But first and foremost, I love one of a kind, rare, personalized, custom, and well made items that you can’t find online or at big box stores. These can be items that I need in my home or items I have been searching for.  Sometimes I go there just for inspiration.  Sometimes I need a laugh.  Sometimes I am curious as to what price used items are selling for.  But nothing screams BUY ME like the unexpected and the unusual! And even better if it has a practical use in today’s home!

The fact is that the majority of items displayed in your local thrift store cannot be found at Walmart or Target. When my creative or decorative genes are itching, I head to the thrift store in search of something fabulous.

I can’t tell you how many collections I have started on the spot in the thrift store because of the inspiration of a fabulous find.

I am pretty sure I have this glass pattern in every color.

I bought 20 of these in green for $1 per glass and we use them every Christmas! With the family growing, I’m going to need more. Great excuse to head to the thrift store.

There is no place like the thrift store to start a collection.

Hello. My name is Suzanne. And I have a milk glass addiction.

Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love Antique Stores. I just can’t always justify spending the money on the price tags there. So, I look for similar items to transform. The thrift store always has the variety I need at a minimal price. So I can enjoy something similar to what I saw in the high end stores all the while enjoying my little creative project.

2-Bargains

Many thrift store items are discarded for logical reasons like they simply aren’t needed. Folks need to declutter and cannot keep everything. So a good majority of thrift store items are in great shape with plenty of life left in them. You can even find brand new items still sporting the original price tag. Often, you can find brand new items at the thrift store for a fraction of the normal retail price. From household supplies, to fabrics and office supplies. There are bargains to be found.

I’ve even caught myself looking around me in disbelief when I pick up an item with an incredible price. I don’t know what I’m looking for…maybe the cameras to catch my surprise? Or another person swooping in to grab my incredible find.

I found this sofa a few years back for $79. She was in pristine condition!

How about gadgets? Did you ever see one of those infomercials and want to try the product but not want to pay $19.99 in two installments? This Salad Shooter is probably one of my best purchases ever! No more slicing potatoes on Christmas day for my special scalloped potatoes. It quickly slices or chops carrots and other vegetables too. This save so much time and I think I paid $1.99 for it many years ago.

She kept Lorna Doone cookies and biscuit cookies in there. Never EVER were there yummy chocolate chip or rich chocolate cookies that kids love. I will say, however, that one of my favorite cookies now is in fact Lorna Doone. Funny, right??!

3-Miscellaneous Supplies

I often look for florals and picture frames to use in décor projects.  I even shop for craft supplies at the thrift store.  You can usually find reasonably price florals or wooden items that can be used in a variety of craft projects. And what about hardware? Need another hinge or new knobs for a furniture piece? Check the thrift store!

How about fabric? For small projects, I buy shirts to use as a fabric source. Like this project where I decoupaged fabric onto pumpkins.

Or sweater material for all of those trendy sweater craft projects.

4-Warm Memories

Tucked strategically on the shelves of any thrift store, you can inevitably find reminders of times past.  A plate from a dish pattern that my aunt had…

Or and Avon item that my grandmother used to sell. 

Or a toy from the 60’s, 70’s or from 2021!  An old camera or doll.  Tupperware and kitchen gadgets my mother used.  Nothing warms the heart like a stroll through the thrift store.

I recently stumbled upon this high chair. This is the same model that I sat in in Mom and Dad’s kitchen!

And this bakery bin came home with me not so long ago too. My Great Aunt Marion, who lived in the apartment above my Mom Mom with my Great Grandmother, had one of these over her refrigerator.

5-Replacement Parts

When I break a dish or a glass lid,  the first place I check for replacements is the thrift store.  Did you lose a cord to an appliance?  Thrift Store!  Missing parts to a game?  Thrift Store!  Looking for that missing knob on a drawer? You know it…Thrift Store!

Do you have a picture frame with broken glass? You will find a great selection of replacement glass at the thrift store. I often find beautiful frame with the glass missing. A quick trip to the thrift store and I can almost always find the perfect replacement for just a few dollars. I often switch out the frames on artwork and decor items just to freshen the look.

Do you need more “guys” for that playset? Or blocks, or wheels?

6-Well Made Old Items

I learned a long time ago that the quality of items made way back when is far superior to the same items rolling off of the factory floor today. So when I need a new chest or dresser or side table or nightstand, the first place I check is the thrift store. It only took me one mistake of buying a Walmart shelf only to have it fall apart the first time I went to move it. Never again!

While the price of local thrift store items has definitely risen since 2002 when I first started shopping the thrift store, you could ALWAYS stumble upon a great deal like this desk pictured above. $29.99! The details are lovely and the hardware is intact. She obviously needs a new finish but she doesn’t have any damage or mars. This makes her the perfect thrift store find!

With a little bit of paint or stain and some attention to detail, you can have a well made furniture item that will last a lifetime for a small percentage of the cost of a brand new poorly made similar item.

My parents had a set of these tv table. So I smiled big when I passed them. They are made of solid wood, unlike Mom and Dad’s first set back in the 1970’s. These would be easy to refinish or simply paint.

Do you need additional seating for your home?

Chairs are abundant at the thrift store. You can revive them with a little TLC, Old English Furniture Polish, or some paint.

I even upcycled some folding chairs. These store nicely in a closet or garage.

7-Environmental Responsibility

Simply said, we must keep things out of our landfills. Recycle, reuse, restore and conserve. The thrift store makes this plausible. We just must commit to the mission.

Do you really, really, always have to buy new? The answer is NO! Thrifts stores ALWAYS have flower pots!

Many thrift stores buy wholesale new items to provide great deals for their clients. Take these outdoor rugs, for example/

And how about thread?

Find the same item at the thrift store at such a lower cost. Help the planet at the same time! I call that a double WIN!

8-Killing Time

If I am early for an appointment or event, I always look for a thrift store. If I’m ready to leave the house for an appointment but it’s a little early, I will swing by the thrift store. I suppose I could stay on the sofa and watch tv. Or I could sit in the car and scroll on my phone. But part of the charm of the thrift store is popping in at unexpected times and finding unexpected treasures.

While traveling, simply search your GPS or Google maps for “thrift stores near me”. It’s that easy!

Many thrift stores stock their shelves in the morning before the store opens. Some restock again in the afternoon. Others stock in the evening after the store closes. But, random items are placed on the shelves throughout the day. Whether they are items that were misplaced around the store, returned by a customer, or discarded at check out, special items sometimes just appear! And if I am in the right place at the right time, my chances of grabbing an incredible find increases! At least, that’s my theory. And my theory has been proven over and over again.

9-People Watching

I would be remiss if I didn’t add this reason to visit the thrift store. You find the most unique individuals amongst the products lingering in the aisles of the thrift store. From folks who can’t afford the big box stores to the entrepreneur who resells for a living to the small business owner with a booth in an antique mall to the retired veteran looking for memorabilia. There are a million reasons to shop the thrift store and a million personalities who do!

I love to chat with folks from all corners of the state and from various neighborhoods. Teachers, doctors, the unemployed, the retired, mechanics, boutique owner, grandmothers, bankers, the list goes on. On a really great day, I chat with several older folks much wiser than I and I walk away with a life’s lesson or a practical use for a strange item I saw on the shelf.

My local thrift store is around the corner from the location where I operated my store, The Blue Building Antiques and Consignment, for 10 years. So it’s always a treat to stroll those aisles and run into my Blu friends. I sure do miss those personalities.

Which brings me to my last reason for shopping thrift stores…

10-History Lesson

There is rarely a visit to the thrift store that does not result in a pause to remember a person, event, or moment in time that brought me joy.

If you follow me on social media, you know what this guy means to me…

And he loves to pop up randomly in thrift stores to make me smile and take a jog down women’s history lane.

I often will check the internet to research an item or an event or person that I discovered during my trip to the thrift store. From early American household items, to oddities and collectibles, the thrift store makes me appreciate times past, historical figures, and most importantly, the lessons we can learn from visiting practical use and items from the past.

I always walk away with an appreciation for but still a wondrous awe of simpler times when technology was not a daily necessity.

I was reflecting on why we didn’t thrift shop when I was a child. Times were so different then. Our neighborhood, though in the city of Philadelphia, didn’t have a ton of local big box stores. We had to drive a good 20-30 minutes to the closest small department store. And a little farther to the big malls. Of course there were little shops on Ridge Avenue, the main street that still runs through Philadelphia’s Roxborough neighborhood. And we had a Woolworth’s and a few little gift shops that were always a joy to peruse.

But the simple fact is that my parents were simple folks who budgeted their time and money very carefully. Splurging meant new clothes at the beginning of each season and an additional vacation somewhere other than our budgeted week or two at the Jersey shore. It makes me wonder how different my life would be right now if Mom was a pack rat like me. It makes me laugh at the thought. I think maybe clutter skips generations. Because every one of my 5 kids? Are minimalists! I guess I took one for the team. Proud to be a patriot!

This post was inspired by a blogger friend, Gail at My Repurposed Life. Gail invited some of us bloggers to share reasons why we thrift for a post she is writing. Check out her post HERE: https://www.myrepurposedlife.com/thrift-store-shopping-secrets-and-tips/. At the end of this post is some of my all time favorite thrift store finds!

In the meantime, here are some friends that are professionals at thrifting. I, as will you, ALWAYS find inspiration in their posts. Check out their pages and should you find something incredible, leave a comment and tell them Sue at Blu sent you!

Sarah at Sadie Seasongoods

Kathy at Petticoat Junktion

Beth at Olde Tyme Marketplace

My Favorite Thrift Store Finds

Most, if not all of the items in the next series of pictures were found at the thrift store. Some were found as is, and some upcycled (like the furniture).

Furniture pieces with great bones needing a little cosmetic help are the best thrift store finds.!

So many great solid wooden pieces just need a quick upcycle.

Small accent pieces and accessories are the easiest upcycles!