OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD 2012

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Top 5 Reasons I L-O-V-E to Thrift Shop



1.  The hunt.   Okay, maybe I’ve read too many self-help books, or watched too many Lifetime movies in my life, but it is a little spooky how I can find things I’m shopping for at thrift stores so randomly.  The merchandise in a thrift store is so varied and random itself.   For example, just the other day I was talking to my children about when they used to watch “The Little Einsteins” on Disney.   After our discussion,  I looked up the prices of Little Einstein toys on Ebay out of curiosity, and was shocked to see what some of them were selling for.  Fast forward a few days and I was back out thrift shopping and what do I find but  none  other than one of the character dolls from the show.   I was thrilled!   I don’t find everything I’m looking for, but I do like to think I’ve been a little bit lucky.


2. The fun.  I usually go shopping with someone.  Actually, I prefer it.  It is always fun to compare and laugh about what type of odd things you can find for sale in a thrift store.   I have found used, disposable, “one time use” ziploc type bowls overpriced for $3.00 each.  I have found mugs with couples personal pictures on them.    I could go on and on.   Its crazy sometimes what I find – and fun.

3. The adventure.  I love to travel.  I mean Love It.  So my natural adventuress in me loves to punch in a new address in my trusty GPS and set a course to a new destination.  Who knows what bargains I might find.  Unfortunately, I’ve found some real stinkers and places I’ll never venture to again.  Generally though, I’ve found some great spots to find some hidden treasures.   Every where we happen to go, whether it be a baseball game, or to visit relatives out of town, I love to scour google looking for thrift shops that are near our destination and plan time to check them out.


Source: poetichome.com via Ann on Pinterest
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4. The re-use.  I’m not quite to the point of being a tree hugger but I do recycle my plastic bottles and my new puppy helps me recycle my newspapers while he gets house trained.    I have bought quite a few items from the thrift store and repainted them and made them my own.  I love getting on pinterest and seeing how everyone reuses different items by painting it or even turning it sideways and making it into something completely different.
5. The flips.   One of my favorite flips was one of my very first flips.  I purchased several craft and scrapbooking magazines from the library book sale for only $.10 each.   I resold one of the magazines for $31.00 and another for $24.00.  Apparently there were collector items.  I just thought they looked interesting.   I use my smartphone a lot in making decisions whether to buy something for re-sell or not.  There are several apps out there such as Terapeak and even the advanced search engine of Ebay is helpful.    I also like to use coupons and sales event to get an even better deal on top of my bargain.   Yes, I get questions from my family if I am becoming a hoarder with all my shopping.  I always tell them its borderline.  ;)

13 comments:

Maureencairney said...

The funny thing about thrift shops is no matter how and where they are they all smell the same.....

ShortRoadTo said...

Great comment about the smell - Like a basement! However, I love visiting them. I have bought many sports jerseys for under $5 and have sold them on Ebay for over $20.

Elise said...

I'm a thrift store nut as well! It's so fun to dig through stuff and see what turns up :).

Kylie Ofiu said...

I love thrift shops (we call them op shops here as in 'opportunity'). My mum always found the most amazing stuff and I have often found exactly what I want in there for very little prices.

kim said...

I think it is great that you can flip things. I wish I had the time to do this. But I may have to learn how. My mom's house is full and I mean full of things. Many are antique and very old and expensive. There is no way I can take all of that and I will be responsible for getting rid of it. When I think about it I get sick.

Miss T said...

Besides what you mentioned, I love the creativity that comes with this. You often find some really neat stuff or old things that haven't been around for a while. It is a great way to spice things up.

CarlaPeicheff said...

I love thrift shopping too! Unfortunately there's none in my general area, so I don't often go, but I do have fun when I get to hit a thrift shop! :)

Denise Gabbard said...

Thrift shops are fun--unfortunately, I am trying to get rid of things for a long-distance move, so not buying anything. I appreciate this post, though, and checked out your Pinterest-- lots of great ideas for re-purposing stuff there, and a great, portable way to take all these ideas with me.

Rafiki said...

I think you've found a real money making passion here and you do so well at it. I wish we had thrift stores where I live. I would go for the adventure.

Andrew @ 101centavos said...

Thrift shopping is always an adventure. I've found some of my more useful tools at the likes of the Salvation Army and Goodwill.

Melissa@PersonalFinanceJourney said...

I love thrift shopping too, but even more I love going to garage sales. There are so many things in good condition available!

PPI Claims/Reclaims said...

I love to thrift shop myself. I like to dress rather fashion forwardly at times but refuse to spend a fortune on clothes so I go thrift shopping instead. And I've always loved the feel of pre-loved books. There are a lot of gems to be found in thrift shops.

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