When you refer to thrift stores...

[kep]

Are you really referring to Goodwill, or are there other fun/funky shops in your area? I am dying for some great deals, but our GW stinks. :loveeyes:

[WatchingThemGrow]

Others. Our Goodwill charges $2.59 per kids' item. I can do better than that at ON clearance time (provided y'all tell me when to go!). Our school system has a couple thrift shops. One of our hospitals has one. The Junior League in the next city has one. At my mom's house (where we have babysitting) I like to hit the many Goodwills plus all the private school shops. They usually have some fun pieces and they are in a different climate.

I shouldn't totally knock Goodwill. I guess my better scores are from there. Hanna pants, a brand new zipper that DS2 is sleeping in now, a smocked dress we used for portraits, some cute Boden jeans, Kamik snow boots, lots of pjs (they're $1.19). Books galore, some puzzles in the past. This has been over time and in small doses.

[KrisM]

Goodwill or Salvation Army here. I find that SA is better, in general, than GW in my area.

Yesterday at Salvation Army, I got a Cricut Expressions for scrapbooking for $75. Actually, I got 2 of them for $75 each and my friend bought one.

http://www.amazon.com/Cricut-Expression-24-Inch-Personal-Electronic/dp/B000WOV83M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1254536882&sr=8-1

[AshleyAnn]

When I say 'thrift store' I mean Goodwill, Salvation Army, or Mircle Hill. The local battered women's shelter also has one.

The fun/funky shops in my area are generally cosignment stores (one is called a resale shop). We have 4 in our area that are baby/kids stuff only and several more that are just general stores or specialize in other things (clothes, furniture, ect.)

The sale prices at the cosignment store tend to be able the same as or better than the prices at the thrift stores. The toys and other stuff tends to be better priced too. I don't like the thrift stores so much, the stuff tends to be lower quality (either broken or stuff like walmart/kmart brands). My SIL lives 2 towns over and says that Target takes a lot of thier returns to her goodwill and she has scored some awesome deals but no luck for me.

[C99]

I don't go to Goodwill that often because they are not near me. However, in general, I'd say that they are better organized and cleaner (but prices are higher) than my local Salvation Army. My local SA ROCKS. I buy about 75% of my clothes there (it was more before I went back to work), and a lot of my kids' clothes too. I also shop at some local Chicago chains - Unique Thrift Stores and Village Discount Outlet - one of these is associated with AmVets, but I can't remember which one.

[wellyes]

To me thrift store = Salvation Army, Goodwill, March of Dimes, Savers, etc.


But those stores do have local personalities, one GW is awesome while another stinks, so it's too bad yours isn't working for you!

Local used shops are more expensive here but also choosier in what they put out, so there is less sifting through junk. I don't think of those as thrift shops because there isn't that "roll your sleeves up and hunt for treasure" aspect.

[Melaine]

I tend to be talking about Goodwill, Salvation Army or another local charity thrift store. The others seem more expensive and I am not really near those.

[brittone2]

I live near WatchingthemGrow. We have a variety of thrift stores nearby. My local Goodwill actually isn't too bad, although I find some of the prices high. It is a newish store...only opened in the past 2-3 years so it is fairly clean and bright inside. That particular store almost always has some good books. I found a like-new (old style that I prefer) HA zipper on my last trip there in the 1.29 infant bin. Clothing is hit or miss for me there.

There is a church-run thrift store nearby that we can often do well at for certain items. They regularly run half off days...one day will be half off books, another half off all kid clothing, and the last day of the month is usually a "clean sweep" which is half off anything in the store. So if I can time things for those days, I can find kid clothes for a buck. Sometimes there is nothing, but sometimes there are great items.

There is a hospital run thrift originally started by "wives of faculty" (how dated LOL!). I have seen Armani dresses, high end purses, etc. I find some incredible books there as there for my kids.

[kijip]

When I think of thrift stores I am usually thinking of places where mostly all the merchandise is donated- like Value Village, Goodwill, smaller guild stores, Salvation Army etc. Resale to me means that the owner is buying things to resell for a higher price and thus eak out a profit that way. Consignment is where the store owner and owner of the item each keep a percentage. There are a number of resale and consignment places here with a baby/family/child focus and those are the ones we go to. We also go to thrift stores but not often to any resale or consignment that is not baby/kid focused.

[ha98ed14]

To me thrift store = Salvation Army, Goodwill, March of Dimes, Savers, etc.

But those stores do have local personalities, one GW is awesome while another stinks, so it's too bad yours isn't working for you!



:yeahthat: I LOVE the Goodwill in my town. There are 3 within a 10 minute drive, so I feel lucky. Between the three, I manage to outfit DD with all her daycare clothes in high end brands and good quality stuff. We have a Savers a town north of me, and I think the stuff they have there is 99% trash. They are known for having good Halloween costume items, but having gone there several times in the last year, I have never found anything I wanted; i.e. clothes for DD. The SA in my town is mediocre. It may have some good stuff (I found a NWOT pair of stride rite sneakers for $2 once) but you have to dig through bin after bin of junk to find it. Not my idea of a good time. Goodwill is organized by color, so I can look through the pinks and skip the blacks when looking for DD. They also separate out the denim, which makes looking easier, but I still get the "roll up your sleeves and look for your treasure" fun that a PP mentioned.

[jess_g]

We only have a Savers and Childrens Orchard near us. I usualy shop at the Savers and I have found some great kids clothes there. There winter coats are $7 and there sweaters are about $5. I only buy stuff I love and I have foudnd nice clothes.

Jessica

[catsnkid]

Goodwill is okay around here. The SA is pretty dirty but a bit cheaper, but the stuff is lower quality. We have a small church thrift store with limited hours. I went today and they had cleaned out all the junk and it was nicer, found some higher quality stuff than usual. (almost brand new carters top)
We have a new Savers, and I have been twice. Took me some time, but I have found a few things there, including a TCP brandnew onesie. I found some pants for myself, which is hard b/c I wear petite and I like the books section. Got brandnewish Richard Scarry books. Keep in mind though that it is for profit.
We have a children's orchard store, it is okay. I'm planning on going there when I'm done having kids. I resell a lot of books at a paperback store for merch credit. There are a few consignment shops which have adults/kids stuff, they are okay but haven't found much yet.

[vonfirmath]

My favorite thrift store here is called Thrift Town.

Salvation Army is great for furniture, not so great for clothes, toys, etc.

Goodwill -- depends on the location.

Oh, best place for toys: Anna's toy Depot (but that is more resale than thrift)