patandchickens
Crazy Cat Lady
I look thru one or more thrift shops whenever I am in the nearest "real" town (which is usually about once a week), but because I always have 1 or 2 kids in tow I unfortunately cannot spend a whole lot of time sorting thru jeans and stuff like that. (I wish I could, as it would probably be easier to find the kind of jeans I need -- nonstretch heavy duty denim -- at a thrift store than it is in a real store these days!)
So I usually just cruise thru the housewares dep't, because every now and then there is a good low-priced storage container or pot or pasta machine or whatever, and then look at the furniture and large items section, which in this area is where most of the real bargains that I'd be interested in are to be found. But pricing is super erratic, and I won't buy something unless I *both* really seriously could use it *and* it is exceptionally cheap. I almost never spend more than $15 in a thrift store, and rarely that much
I also try to check our local Habitat for Humanity ReStore a couple times a month. The vast majority of their stuff is very upmarket WAY too expensive cr*p, but occasionally they have some basic stuff like lumber or fence wire and sometimes the mgr happens to be in a good mood about price. OTOH sometimes they quote you prices higher than retail, so it is a turkeyshoot.
Pat
So I usually just cruise thru the housewares dep't, because every now and then there is a good low-priced storage container or pot or pasta machine or whatever, and then look at the furniture and large items section, which in this area is where most of the real bargains that I'd be interested in are to be found. But pricing is super erratic, and I won't buy something unless I *both* really seriously could use it *and* it is exceptionally cheap. I almost never spend more than $15 in a thrift store, and rarely that much
I also try to check our local Habitat for Humanity ReStore a couple times a month. The vast majority of their stuff is very upmarket WAY too expensive cr*p, but occasionally they have some basic stuff like lumber or fence wire and sometimes the mgr happens to be in a good mood about price. OTOH sometimes they quote you prices higher than retail, so it is a turkeyshoot.
Pat
