Thrift Store Wonders

When you need to get something – a new item of clothing, décor, furniture – where do you think of shopping first? A mall? A department store? Online? In our house, the go-to first stop for most things is…a second hand store! And here’s why:

Buying second hand isn’t just green (hello Reusing!), it is also smart. Used goods usually go for half, or less, the price of new. There may be a stigma of second hand stores only carrying crappy, unwanted stuff, but let me tell you, it just isn’t true. People donate amazing stuff! There are items from estates, moving purges, or even brand new stuff that simply could not be returned.

Obviously you can’t get everything second hand, but here are my favorite things to look for:

Kitchen stuff
If I’m in need of a kitchen gadget or container I will often check a second hand store first. I have had a number of miraculous finds. For example, during apple season one year, I wanted to core, slice and dry some apples. I needed a little apple corer (a metal loop on a handle that punches out the core without having to slice the apple in half). Pretty specific, right? But also the kind of thing other people might get rid of because they never use it. I went to the Mennonite second hand shop, and they had one. For 25 cents. Can’t beat that!

Another example is when I was making a cake for my son’s birthday, but did not own a reusable cake holder. On a whim I tried the Village Green thrift shop in my neighbourhood. They had one, but it was pretty shabby looking. But just as I picked it up to have a look, the lady working happened to bring out another one that seemed much nicer. It was a like-new Tupperware cake holder for $2 (those things sell for $40-$50 new if you can believe it). Needless to say, I bought it.

Clothes
Partly I enjoy clothes shopping second hand because it is (usually) cheaper than new. But what I love most is the variety. I find going to a mall or big box store pretty boring because everything looks the same. And if the current ‘look’ doesn’t suit my body type or tastes, then I’m usually just frustrated and leave empty handed. When I go to a second hand store, there is a little bit of every style -- old and new. I love that I can just skim along till I see a fabric or pattern I like, pull it out, and if it suits me, try it on. So much more satisfying.

I can get a little carried away and find a lot of clothes that I like, so here is a little rule I give myself: in my head I multiply the price by 10. If I would gladly pay 10 times as much for the item, then I will buy it. If not, then I’m probably just going to be donating it right back in a few months and there’s no point in getting it.

Bric-a-Brac
I wasn’t sure what else to call this category, but second hand stores are just great for random stuff. It’s like a giant garage sale ALL THE TIME. I love it. And I don’t go in often or my house would be full of ridiculous neat things that I don’t need. However, when you DO need nifty things for unique gifts, wedding showers, birthday parties, family reunions, etc. second hand shops offer a wonderful alternative to dollar stores. Best place to get baskets for sure!

Furniture
Furniture is such a great thing to buy used that it has its own blog post! You can read about it here. 

Those are just some of the things I love to get second hand. Just thinking about all the kinds of things I buy used, I’m inspired to write another post about how shopping for used items is now moving to on-line. What about you? Have you had any amazing second hand finds? Is there anything that you absolutely would not buy used? Join the conversation below.