One Hundred Dollars a Month

Remember the good old days when you were able to walk into a thrift store and actually come out with a bargain? Not because you wanted to jack the price way up on your new found treasure and sell it on eBay, but because you actually walked through the doors hoping to find something useful for yourself or someone in your family?

Remember when you didn’t have to spend an hour at the thrift store looking for a whopping two items and then debate about whether or not your were actually going to buy them as you stood in line? Remember when thrift stores weren’t filled with everybody’s garage sale leftovers? Or if they were, the items were priced crazy cheap because even the store recognized the items were in fact, things nobody really wanted in the first place?

A few weeks ago I wrote a post on how I thought thrift store prices were getting out of hand. And many of you agreed with me. Thrift store managers even chimed in with their perspective on the situation… and it really made me stop and think.

Where have all the good thrift stores gone?

You know, the ones who are there to serve their community or a specific cause?

The ones who’s CEO’s aren’t making 400K+ a year. The ones that are partially staffed with volunteers, or the ones who are able to keep their prices low because they recognize that they’re actually in business to help people and to recycle products for the greater good of the environment.

I’d like to think most thrift stores believe that the more items they sell back to the community, the more people will feel good about donating their quality used items to those type of thrift stores which will then enable the stores to turn a profit.

While Mrs. HB and I were travelling last week, we came upon Global Neighborhood Thrift in Spokane, Washington. The store has been opened since 2011 and let me tell you Bob, everything in the store was spot on. The shelves were stocked, the store was clean, the employees were friendly and the prices were very reasonable. I was so impressed with the place I even told the manager so.

We were in and out of the store in about 10 minutes and in that time I found several treasures.

A practically brand new {and in excellent condition} down blanket for $2.19. A linen tablecloth for $0.49

A bag filled with travel sized toothpaste, toothbrushes and floss for $2.19. {Yes mom, I checked to make sure the safety seals were all on}.

A White House Black Market dress for $5.50 {similar dresses retail for $120-$160 on their website}. Now I could care less what the name on the label was, I was just trying to find something I liked and that fit at a reasonable price. And I did. 🙂 I also found a pair of like new Calvin Klein long shorts in my size for $0.49.

I know we all shop at thrift stores for different things. However, I’d like to think we all want to walk away feeling like not only did we get a bargain, but we helped out an organization doing some sort of good in our community with the money they made off our donations at the same time.

How about YOU? Where are you donating your castoffs lately?

~Mavis

Frustrated with the prices at thrift stores lately? Well you’re not the only one… Check out the post Am I The Only One Who Thinks Thrift Store Prices Are Getting Ridiculous? There’s a lively debate still going on over there.