The Diamond in the Rough
There are few things that I love more than rummaging through a great 2nd hand store. I keep to a well planned routine to ensure that I don’t miss a single bargain. First, I scour the toy section of the store. And finally, I leave no stone unturned when it comes to foraging through the clothes. I am sure to not miss any linens or housewares in between. It is almost as if I am racing, afraid that someone might beat me to that perfect well loved item dangling from it’s rack. I have to have these amazing thrift store finds!
In my 30 years of treasure hunting I have dug out countless Halloween costumes, ugly Christmas sweaters, snow suits, Jean’s for years of growing kids, board games for the lake. You name it, I found it!
Just for Fun to For Necessity
Two years ago, I lost my home of 23 years to a natural disaster flood. We lost everything and had to start over. First and foremost, it was devastating. And then, it was overwhelming. We slowly replaced things and began putting our home back together. My over 30 years of thrift shopping experience paid off. It allowed us to replace so many things for a fraction of the price.
A Few of My Favorite Thrift Store Finds
Many out there wouldn’t’ even consider purchasing someone else’s hand me downs. But I am about to show you what a wasteful mistake that is. There is beauty in recycled things. You just have to look with believing eyes. Imagine the life that is still left in the smallest of things. Here are a couple of my favorite things that I have found on my scavenger hunts. May they give you inspiration to the possibilities that await.
Dishes and Serving Pieces
Dishes. When putting together my post flood kitchen, I decided instead of buying a boxed set of dishes, I would search for mismatched pieces in the same color scheme at the thrift stores. I absolutely love how beautiful this turned out. And it has made it so easy to add extra pieces like platters or serving bowls to my set. I never have to worry about my pattern going out of stock because they never matched in the first place.
Toys, Games, & Books
2. Toys. I have set up a great play place for my 6 grandbabies in our new home. The older kiddos still remember some of the toys from our other house, but I have tried to replace them with a mixture of new and used things. This is one of my favorite items to hunt. I want good quality, gently used, educational toys and games. I have replenished my Lego, Duplo, and mega block collections. (My grandchildren ‘s ages range from 20 months to 6 years.) I have stocked a library from cardboard books to chapter books. I have scored Melissa & Doug puzzles, Barbie’s, and potato heads. (Linking my posts on these educational toys and how they help with development.) I once got a gallon size zip lock bag full of never used Crayola crayons for 44 cents!
Home Décor
3. Home decor. There are amazing deals on picture frames, candle holders, wall art, and knickknacks. The thrill of digging through shelf after shelf and finding that perfect piece is a great rush. I have even replaced Christmas lights and garlands from thrift stores.
Clothes
4. Clothes. For most of my children’s elementary school lives, I was a SAHM. Trying to outfit 3 little darlings that outgrew everything quickly was quite the challenge on one income. This is when I perfected the hunt of finding quality clothing. Always check for working zippers and missing buttons. Looked closely for worn out knees, rips, stains, or fading. As my children got older, I spent less time visiting these thrifty places. But when the flood changed our lives, I needed to replenish EVERYTHING. Shirts, pants, jackets, pajamas. This task took a year of seasons to accomplish. But combing through rack after rack for that perfect shade bluejean jacket or vintage hoodie is like finding a diamond in the rough. Priceless.
Check out my post on Shop the Look here. It shows how I made great outfits from my Pinterest inspiration board come to life all from the thrift store. Also find clothes inspiration at my post on Dressing Room Diaries.
Furniture
5. Furniture. If you don’t mind applying a little elbow grease, 2nd hand furniture is plentiful at these places. I have some great pieces that I have redone and spent minimal amounts of money doing it. They have turned out prettier than the original. Each one is of good quality materials and tie my rooms together perfectly. Here is an easy DIY on How to Clean Used Furniture .
I am always looking for great deals to add to my home and love the fact that thrift store finds are easy on the wallet. I am looking forward to the next time I go on a hunt. You can read about My Favorite 2nd Hand Stores in St. Louis here.
What are your favorite thrift store finds? Let me know in the comments below. – Susie Pea
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