Thrift Stores - Who Should Shop There?

Parent Cafe
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<p>First, I promise I’m not criticizing anyone in particular here, but I think this is an interesting issue.</p>

<p>I grew up with a view that Thrift Stores are primarily for poor people. They don’t give away merchandise, but donating to them should be a double-barrel gift. The lower income people can benefit by shopping the low cost merchandise. The very poor people can benefit by services funded by the charities that run the stores. S1 has occasionally shopped at Goodwill when he needs a costume for various activities. I thought that was fine.</p>

<p>On CC, I have often seen folks who I believe are at least upper-middle-class discussing their finds/bargains at their local stores. What do you think?</p>

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<p>Anyone who wants to. </p>

<p>My dad’s best friend and his wife are very wealthy. They shop at thrift stores because it’s more environmentally friendly than new clothes.</p>

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<p>I go to consignment stores more than thrift stores because not so much stuff to go through and the thrift stores are not any less expensive than consignment stores in some cases.
I have bought designer clothing from consignment stores in upscale neighborhoods at the beginning of the season for less than a similar outfit at macys.</p>

<p>I like them because you can get basics, but you can also find really unique things from nyc or la boutiques without having to pay for airfare!</p>

<p>Thrift stores and consignment stores are much more popular than when I was growing up.
One reason may be that some folks have a lot more disposable income, but they don’t want to see all that stuff go to waste since they don’t have other kids to pass it down to.
My oldest had a wardrobe of dresses, but I think her younger sister maybe wore a dress 3 or 4 times before high school.
I am still hanging onto the cuter ones though, I just cant part with them!</p>

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<p>The real question is why wouldn’t you shop at a thrift store? One can find all manner of things at one, from clothes, to housewares, to furniture and more, generally in perfectly fine condition. Why should I pay $30 for a pair of trousers when I can get a nearly new pair for $3, or pay over $100 for a sport jacket when I can get a perfectly fine one for $5?</p>

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<p>My D1 shopped at thrift stores during graduate school. And ebay. While technically low income, she could have afforded new clothes but saw it as a waste of money. She didn’t need to look “sharp,” like one does when working, so thrifts and second-hand stores worked well for her.</p>

<p>By having merchandise move in and out, the thrift store is able to pay its employees and keep the store open. Frankly, I think they are happy for whatever customers they get, and there never seems to be a shortage of clothing.</p>

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<p>Whatever floats your boat! If someone gives something and buys something that is double giving in anybody’s book. The organization needs money–not a bunch of merchandise sitting on their shelves (like any good business). When someone gets a good deal and brags about it that amounts to free advertising.</p>

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<p>I shop at our Goodwill. I am not upper-middle-class in income, but I am not low income, either. We have had our ebb and flow of family income over the years. I also donate used items to Goodwill.</p>

<p>My understanding is Goodwill helps with job training and placement programs for a variety of people. If I shop there in their stores, I am supporting their mission. Offering low-cost items to people is not the mission itself; the job training is.</p>

<p>I don’t see it as taking away items from others who are needier than I am. If I don’t purchase an item, what assurance do I have a needier person who happens to be the same size and who has the same taste in clothing would purchase it instead?</p>

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<p>When I was in high school, virtually all my clothes came from Nordstrom’s with the exception of a few local boutiques & discount stores.( I still have a purple ribbed sweater that I wore in 10th grade from Valu-mart. It is acrylic and while would never be mistaken for a high ticket item, it is in great shape- it doesn’t even have any pills!)</p>

<p>One thing that my youngest enjoyed about her high school was that it was cool to shop used clothing ( which I am pretty sure started before Macklemore went there). She and her friends would find things that were well made & good material and then alter them or even repurpose them.</p>

<p>Of course I had to do that anyway, as I was very petite & had narrow hips. The sizes didnt run as small as they do now. Childrens clothing also looked like little kids clothes, not jr. Juniors fashion.
[MACKLEMORE</a> & RYAN LEWIS - THRIFT SHOP FEAT. WANZ (OFFICIAL VIDEO) - YouTube](<a href=“MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS - THRIFT SHOP FEAT. WANZ (OFFICIAL VIDEO) - YouTube”>MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS - THRIFT SHOP FEAT. WANZ (OFFICIAL VIDEO) - YouTube)
What goes around comes around.
:)</p>

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<p>My friend shops at thrift shores only because she likes being cheap. She’s not poor or anything. She’s upper middle class</p>

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<p>The money you spend at Goodwill/Salvation Army goes back into the community in the form of training and social programs. So you are not taking anythign away from anyone. You are giving back to the effort. The money spent at consignment stores goes to the store owner. Unless it is a charity set up.</p>

<p>I shop at both, I am cheap. </p>

<p>I mean frugal. ;)</p>

<p>I will not purchase certian things, and everything goes into the cleaners/washer immediately from the shopping bag.</p>

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<p>None. Do people really suggest that? Our Goodwill, Savers, St. Vinnie’s, ReStore, etc. are filled to the gills with merchandise–I seriously doubt anyone who “needs” to shop there will go without a shirt or shoes because the ONE THING they were looking for had been bought by someone who could have afforded Macy’s instead. My daughter and her friends, along with many of my friends and I, shop thrift stores when we can for everything from clothes to furniture to bikes. And all the crafty people I know go to the St. Vinnie’s Dig & Save, where the clothing is in giant refrigerator boxes that you have to use a pole to dig through. They go for wool sweaters that they can use for felting projects. I also love that the Dig & Save sells pots and pans by weight–a young person just starting out can often get a great set of kitchenware for very little.</p>

<p>On a side note, I recently saw the dress I wore for my sister’s wedding at our local Goodwill. The wedding was in 1997 and I probably dropped it off a year or two later.</p>

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<p>Don’t assume that prices at a thrift shop are always better. I bought daughter some dishes for her apartment at Goodwill. Son bought a set at Walmart, same quality for less.</p>

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<p>Guess we are those poor people! Son’s entire apt. is furnished with thrift store, Craig’s List, ebay, hand-me-downs/castoffs and curbside finds. Every penny he saved was one less penny he needed to borrow for his medical school loans.</p>

<p>He has a beautiful 5 piece wall unit for under $200, price included moving it to his third and fourth floor townhome by professional movers. Ethan Allen, circa 1988. Craig’s list, solid glass shelves, lighted, center console for media/tv/cable box, and 4 large bookshelves with below cabinets-two of them glass.</p>

<p>Garage sale find was his table and 6 chairs and matching hutch and cabinet base, $150. Solid pecan, hand carved dated 1964. His bedroom set is from the 30’s for $95, headboard/footboard/rails, 2 nightstands, tall dresser, 9 drawer dresser and matching mirror. Seller threw in a very nice wooden rocking chair. For $20 he picked up a Mayfield leather rocker with matching ottoman, swivels as well.</p>

<p>We also shopped at Ross Dress for Less (RL linens came from there), TJ maxx, HomeGoods, Marshalls and Big Lots. Picked up lined linen drapes at big lots for $15 a pair, regular JC Penny’s price sticker was left on for $225.</p>

<p>We painted the apt. with Oops paint from Home Depot for $5 a gallon. He was able to rent out the second bedroom after we painted it and furnished it for more than half his rent. Again decreasing the amount he needed to take in school loans. Average med school loan runs about $170,000 all the way up to $350,000, his will be about $30,000 for all 4 years.</p>

<p>His RL wool overcoat and interview suit was bought at a garage sale for $1 each piece, so $3 total. He paid more to have it dry-cleaned and tailored to fit him, somewhere around $15. Must have worked ok, he received a scholie for med school!</p>

<p>Same garage sale he bought a picture framed of a tiger. But the picture is made of CARPET. $10, tiger…p’ton undergrad??</p>

<p>So yes, we LOVE our thrift stores, clearance sales…heck my 5 kiddos helped fund their college expenses with their buy/sell ebay, garage sale, thrift store and Craig’s list finds and Dillard’s 50% off clearance price New Year’s Day sale!!</p>

<p>Kat</p>

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<p>I buy a LOT of stuff at thrift stores, usually at the Goodwill where Macklemore shops (shopped?). </p>

<p>My mother grew up in a wealthy part of NYC but learned that as a SAHM of 5 in a much smaller and less worldy part of NH that she needed to stretch her dollars in any way she could. So she learned to thrift. And she taught us how-and it stuck. Doing this saved my bacon when I was a poor single mom-and I continue because I enjoy the thrill of the hunt-finding a designer item on $1.29 Mondays, or high-end shoes never worn for 1/10th the price. I got an entire set of fine china there this Christmas for about $3 a plate. I can use it only once a year and not feel bad it’s just sitting there.</p>

<p>My D was actually a fashion model for their vintage fashion show once and we got a behind the scenes tour. The money I, and others like me spend goes to a wide variety of training programs for immigrant and low-income people. This is the largest Goodwill in the US and has departments just like a “real” store. The workers are all trained there and many go on to work in regular retail. I know I’m doing good and saving money at the same time.</p>

<p>No good consignment stores near me, but I find them to usually be more expensive. The two I used to go to in another part of town have raised their prices and cut their inventory so I don’t bother anymore. My college-age D shops at thrifts for her restaurant clothes if she can because they get ruined so fast she hates paying full price.</p>

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<p>From the age of 16 to the age of 28 I either made my own clothes or bought from thrift stores. And<with the exception of undies etc, NEVER ever went to retail stores for clothing. I looked fabulous.
We have some fantastic thrift, resale, consignment etc stores here in So Cal. D is addicted.
As a classical singer she needs a closet of expensive and glamorous dresses. She got a '80’s Bob Mackie Couture for $30. (hot pink chiffon woohoo!) and a Valentino couture ball gown valued originally at $9000 for $300.
Our theme song: [MACKLEMORE</a> & RYAN LEWIS - THRIFT SHOP FEAT. WANZ (OFFICIAL VIDEO) - YouTube](<a href=“- YouTube”>- YouTube)
woopsie–song already posted (produced by a friend…so that’s another reason to post again!!)</p>

<p>AND as far a WalMart being cheaper than Goodwill…I would much rather give the extra money to the good folks at the Goodwill</p>

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<p>Everyone! It’s called recycling and it’s good for the planet!</p>

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<p>Darn–everyone got the Macklemore links out before I could!</p>

<p>That’s on permanent rotation in our car right now!</p>

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<p>Tatin I agree you can find good deals at nordstrom rack ( just bought a silk chiffon blouse for $6), TJMaxx ( bought 13 Kösta Böda 4" 3/4 crystal snowballs for about $8 a piece)</p>

<p>But many things are made better. Solid wood instead of plywood with veneer or particle board. Fabric may be better woven with more stable dyes.
I wouldnt buy dishes from thrift stores though, because you dont know about lead content or melamine.
However the old cornflower CorningWare pattern is so sturdy that my casseroles that were my mothers look & cook like they are brand new but Ive heard that some of the newer stuff can go explodey!</p>

<p>My favorite consignment stores are actually in Portland.
I have found practically a whole wardrobe of Patagonia( which lasts forever) during one trip.</p>

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<p>Son and daughter did well one year, they paid for all their books and travel with the sale of one first edition book found at a local thrift shop and a set of ironstone. Engaged daughter found beautiful lace for her dress for just pennies at another shop.</p>

<p>But to their credit they were seasoned shoppers from me shopping at garage sales/thrifts since they were little. And they have an uncanny ability to make a silk purse from a sow’s ear! A little paint, elbow grease and some imagination can work wonders. </p>

<p>Kat</p>

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<p>I never shopped Thrift Stores until I started working/helping newly arrived immigrants. I was amazed by how many perfectly good things you could buy there for very little money. Since I’ve always DONATED to Goodwill, ARC, etc., I feel no guilt shopping there occasionally. I do think that recycling, keeping things our of landfills, and supporting thrift stores which often support good causes – it’s all good.</p>