Thrift store & Garage sales brags

[Deleted]

I've been thinking we needed a thread like this.  The fun of scoring something great for cheap is telling someone.  

Mine this weekend was very modest . . . 5 books for $6 at the thrift store.  

• Tightwad Gazette (how appropriate)
• Curtain/Valance book (how to make certain styles)
• Two books relating to Hamlet, which I will be teaching for the first time shortly.  One is the Cliff Notes and the other is a modern/Shakespeare dual version.
• One is just a good mystery

Whenever you score something good, here's the place to tell about it.  

[Deleted]

I hit the motherlode of wool sweaters for felting the other week I actually don't know what I spent but a whole lot less than wool would be otherwise!

[taz157]

I went to Goodwill with my MIL and DD to kill time after eating dinner before we went home.  I tried on a couple of dresses.  I ended up buying one expecting to pay $7 + tax.  The cashier ranging up it up at $4 + tax.  I made a remark about cheaper than I thought and remarked it was a long blouse.  

Ive worn it twice to work and have gotten good comments both times.  

[Artemis Windsong]

I wore my chambray denim pant suit today.  A thrift store find a few years back.  Maybe $10 at the most.

[wmpeon]

I once bought a skillet at a garage sale for 10 cents.  It was a sturdy 12-inch skillet and I still have it today.

This wasn't a sale find, but I got it for free so it counts.    Back when the first Lord of the Rings movie came out, a local theater had built their own hobbit hole structure inside the theater.  For a drop-cloth, they used a wall-size vinyl poster of Men In Black with Tommy Lee Jones on one side and Will Smith on the other.  My sis was a huge Tommy Lee Jones fan at the time, and I asked (okay, I begged) the theater for the poster once they were through with it.  All I had to do was clean it up, and it was in pristine condition.  Quite a surprise for sis. 

[marvholly]

One of the main reasons I have replaced my drip coffee pot over the years is that the replacement glass pots cost 2/3 of a replacement entire unit. I found the ots at Salvation Army discounted to 0.69. Bought 2 about 6 months ago. HAVE YET TO BREAK THE ORIGINAL POT.

Cheap insurance.

[wvugurl26]

Got some deals yesterday at the outlets. 2 sweaters for work at Loft for $21. 2 new pairs of pants for work (desperately needed) and a black shrug for $73 at Ann Taylor. I can never find a little sweater to go with sleeveless dresses when I need one so I bought it!

[GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl]

Just before Christmas I scored an Ethan Allen couch and club chair in like-new condition from the pristine home of a local resident who passed away for $100.

I don't normally like to buy upholstered items second hand, but this set was just too well-cared-for and too cheap to pass up.

I'm also buying the woman's complete, solid wood, dining room set. It's Pennsylvania House or some such brand, so a little old school, but I can't get that kind of quality these days for 10 times the price. It, like the couch and chair, is also in perfect condition. I have a 91 year old Cape, so it will work well in my traditional dining room. I pick it up this week.

[cael]

We had a maternity consignment store in town, which is sadly closed right now so she can find another space to move to. But back in December when she was having a going out of business sale, I made out like a bandit - I got several pairs of pants for under $5 each, a few tops for like $3 or less, it was great! Haven't done much consignment shopping lately as a) don't need more stuff cluttering up our space right now, and b) I'm paranoid of bedbugs so used clothes make me anxious.

Do Craigslist purchases count? We bought a used Coleman canoe 7 or 8 years ago from a couple moving out of state. Talked them down from $250 to $200, and we still maintain that's the best fun money we've ever spent. Great investment.

[zibazinski]

I bought my grandma three Hummel figurines from a garage sale for $10. I didn't even dicker so I think the guy selling figured out "oops."

[sesfw]

At a huge book sale in downtown Phx DH bought an art book in mint condition for $10.  It's listed on Amazon for $150. At the same sale I bought several music books and DH a couple more art books. Total bill was $53. I won't spend the money for new books.

I love thrift stores and estate sales.

[Deleted]

Books and cds are two of my favorite things to buy these days. I just pass the books on when I'm finished.

[NoNamePerson]

Mar 11, 2016 2:24:48 GMT -5 @patstab said:

I didn't buy them but got 3 oil lamps from MIL's, 2 are definitely very old but with new

glass mantles, the other is complete and made with a round handle to be able to carry

it. I now have 5. I thought they were quite a find there.

Also got a few glass pieces from her that are old, washed them good and displayed them.

And got about 4 or 5 pieces of blue flower corningware, I must have 10 or 12 pieces of

it now and no I don't need them all. Hoping son and wife will one day be where I can

give them some.

I have a lot of stuff in the basement I have nowhere to display. This open concept leaves

me limited wall area for display cabinets and shelving. I'm thinking of having hubby put

some up in the ends of the room, it has a 12 for 14 ft cathedral ceiling. Has to be that tall

since the regular ceilings are 9 ft.

I still have mine that were wedding gifts back in 64. I even have the corning tea pot but I don't use it. Can't seem to part with it for some reason but have no trouble parting with other kitchen stuff over the years.

[gracendignity]

When I moved out of my house last year I didn't take any furniture and only a few knick knack type stuff, so I've basically been starting from the ground up.  There is a local for-sale FB page and I've used it to get quite a few things. A teacher I used to work with passed away last fall and from her daughter I bought 2 end tables, a small side table, a rocking chair and 2 small wooden chest of drawers. Altogether I spent $50 for them. In the next month or so when our weather gets warm and dry I'll paint all of it to match my new house. By shopping at Goodwill-type stores I bought several lamps for under $20 total cost, some of which even had lamp shades on them.

I am trying very hard to remember less is more and not feel like I have to stuff every nook and cranny here, but I just could not resist a crystal dish for $1.50 and a little ceramic pitcher with blue/yellow flowers on it for $1.  The little pitcher sits in my bathroom holding my toothbrush and the little dish is on the end table by my sofa and I put my thread snips in it when I'm quilting in the evening.  Both little pieces are so cute and I enjoy them so much that I have already gotten my money's worth out of them.

[dogmom]

We just got a wrought iron table for $20.  Like new.  New, best price we've seen $175.00.  We pick it up tonight. 

[GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl]

Mar 11, 2016 12:55:26 GMT -5 @patstab said:

I used to buy all kinds of stuff like that and kept it for years. I still have a few pieces but

I finally got really good furniture the last few years and finished it off when we bought a lot

of the furniture with this house. I know the items I got with it had to be near $20k to $25k.

We would have never paid that much for these items, they are very good quality so we are

happy with them.  She had bought these for the rest of their lives I'm sure.  The

table and chairs she had made $3000 , the 2 big hutches are solid wood from Bassett and huge,

one is a china hutch, at least $4000 each and the entertainment center, its beautiful, I'm

guessing $3000 to $4k for it.  A leather recliner from Lazy Boy $1000 at least, 10 ft or longer couch

from Flex Steel $3k half chair Flex Steel $1500 I think there was a couple end

tables I didn't like if so they are in the basement.  I have 2 Tell City I bought at a estate sale

for $25 each.  Then she left the D/W, fridge, W/D, and an electric stove, I have since replaced

all those, but likely $5k to $6k for those so we did ok.  She said after she moved she tried to find

hutches to replace those and they don't make them anymore, I know as I tried to find some when

I saw them that's why I offered to buy them.

We are really please with the furniture we got, then I found a sofa table that matches the lines

of the chairs and a wood bookcase for the office.  I have a huge 6 ft desk all wood I bought

years ago from Gallery Furniture in Houston for $3500.  I'm happy with what I have and hopefully

my son will want this stuff when we are gone, this is furniture that will last lifetimes.

We'd inherited a fair amount of furniture of those brands and quality that then got ruined when the tree hit the house and 5 inches of rain poured through the holes in the roof:  Tell City, solid hardwood, etc.  We collected the money on them, but one can't buy that kind of quality new anymore. Fortunately, unenlightened folks are selling these pieces online for a fraction of their value.  The styles and lines might be a little dated, but I use them as a neutral backdrop and in a 90-year old Cape, it works well.  

[alabamagal]

I inherited my grandparents cherry dining room set. I think it is from the 1950s when they moved to Florida. It is the same set that gave me a scar on my forehead when I was running through their house at age 6.

[CCL]

Mar 11, 2016 12:53:45 GMT -5 @patstab said:

I want a 4 piece set of cornflower blue so bad but I do not need them

and they aren't cheap, didn't even know they made place settings.

I could use the excuse wedding anniversary!!

I just bid on 2 covered pans, I had 2 way back when for $8.99, the

shipping is more then that!!

I have some Lenox I need to get rid of just part of a set I got at Tuesday

morning years ago. I need to sell the 8 plates, 7 salad plates, 1 small

bowl, and 1 soup bowl, I need to list them somewhere. Even $20 would

be worthwhile, I think I can list them at a site that sells dishes like that

people are looking for.

What does it look like? I love Lenox!

[Anne_in_VA]

I found a set of three cast iron skillets of different sizes at a thrift store.  They were all crusty and a little rusty too.  I brought them home, cleaned them up and seasoned them.  I now use them all the time and love them.  

I shop at thrift stores as often as I can.  I find all kinds of great stuff at them, like a pair of oriental style lamps, picture frames, kitchen stuff, and even a great couple of pairs of drapes.  They are a cute chintz pattern and after I had them cleaned, they were perfect in my spare bedroom.  

[Apple]

My son found a like-new, wool and cashmere, full-length, black overcoat for $7.  Dry cleaning was $17.  

My find was much less exciting--I told him to ask about the price on a watch in the display case (analog, Taz on the face, with leather band).  It was $5, so he picked it up for me.  New batteries (less than $1), and I now have another fun watch

ETA: both were from our little Salvation Army  (my SIL also found a tux for my brother and my dad there, a few months before her and my brother's wedding.  She paid $5 each.  My son has since worn one of the tuxes for a play, and he could wear it to any future formal stuff if he wanted.)

[Apple]

Mar 12, 2016 9:06:48 GMT -5 Anne_in_VA said:

I found a set of three cast iron skillets of different sizes at a thrift store.  They were all crusty and a little rusty too.  I brought them home, cleaned them up and seasoned them.  I now use them all the time and love them.  

I shop at thrift stores as often as I can.  I find all kinds of great stuff at them, like a pair of oriental style lamps, picture frames, kitchen stuff, and even a great couple of pairs of drapes.  They are a cute chintz pattern and after I had them cleaned, they were perfect in my spare bedroom.  

I got my two favorite cast iron skillets from SVDP.  Both are old and heavy, and we use them pretty much daily.  My son will get one of them when he moves out.  I had a $10 off coupon, so I think I ended up paying $1 each.

[Anne_in_VA]

Apple, what is SVDP?

[Apple]

Mar 12, 2016 14:06:35 GMT -5 Anne_in_VA said:

Apple, what is SVDP?

St. Vincent de Paul.

[cael]

Went to a huge baby/kid consignment event with my BFF today, I spent $20 on 5 or 6 things! Got an ACDC onesie for the kid that DH will love (boy/girl I don't care, I'll put it on the kid ), found a Red Sox one too, several cute sleepers and a pair of tiny jeans. their next sale is in August so I can bring the kid with me and get some cheap clothes for the fall/winter!

[Anne_in_VA]

Oh, we don't have that here.  I used to work with someone from NY and he and his wife used to get the best stuff there at great prices.  

[tallguy]

The number of things I have picked up for free or near-free is almost stunning.  Multiple TV's, DVD players, VCR's, etc.  Some I have, some I have given away.  Digital camera for $5, standing floor fan with remote for $2-3, tons of movies....  Some of the better deals are a five-disc DVD changer for 50 cents, a 27" Sony TV for free, and a 46" Samsung LCD TV for $30.  It was left with someone by a neighbor who was moving and couldn't take it.  It had sat in the garage for a year until he finally decided to sell it at a garage sale.  I also "rescued" (salvaged) several sections of shelving from two Blockbuster stores that were closing.  I now have four 3- and 4-foot sections of video store shelving holding my movie collection, with enough extra pieces in the garage to build two more.  

Yes, some people have told me that I have a problem....  But, you know, I used to be an athlete and am still pretty competitive.  This is just another game.  Play to win! 

[marvholly]

I have 2 Salvation Army stores that I sometimes pass while running other errands. One appears to have closed down? The other was SOOO busy I could not park anywhere nearby this past Sat.

[GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl]

My new-to-me solid wood Pennsylvania House dining room set was delivered today. It is a complete set with a two-piece hutch, buffet, table with 2 leaves, and 8 chairs. It is truly in like-new condition. It even came with the custom felt table pads. The movers I hired to move it the three miles couldn't get over the condition -- the late owner took very good care of it over the years. It looks very much at home in the dining room of my 90 year old Cape and will serve as the perfect neutral backdrop for many fabulous meals to come.

Ka-Ching!! Score!!! :-)

Can't wait to finish the freaking repairs to my house so that I can unpack all of my china, crystal, and table linens and have a celebratory dinner party!!

[lund]

Hi-5, GRG!

It must feel great to see your home come back together, to be able to enjoy your nice items, and to be able to have guests for dinner parties again!

[CCL]

Mar 18, 2016 10:46:27 GMT -5 @patstab said:

Lenox Décor University Place is the name of it cheesecake lady

Thanks I'm gonna look it up when I get a chance.