I live near Birmingham, AL, which is, in my opinion, Thrift Store Heaven. There are many huge thrift stores in the Birmingham area that I frequent, and my family and I get most of our clothing and lots of household stuff, plus the occasional treasure, at these places. For example, I typically pay $3 or $4 for Limited Too jeans in like-new condition for my preteen daughters. Once my husband found a Harley-Davidson jacket for $7, which he promptly sold on ebay for $90. Anyone else have this experience? Do you have any special approach to thrift store shopping that increases your success?

There is a GoodWill nearby that inflates their prices. They do have a 50% off day twice monthly, and everything in the store is 50% off. They get a lot of merchandise that was salvaged from Target. I think their original price is a bit ridiculous, but on the half off day, it's a decent deal. Last time I was there, they had posted huge signs saying that their prices just got better. I think they are going to start pricing better, as they surely get a lot of complaints, and how ridiculous is it to toss a bunch of stuff because it is overpriced and no one is buying. Better to sell it.

There's another small town thrift store that I really like. They price their merchandise fairly, and get some neat vintage stuff.

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I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it!

We have quite a few thrift stores. Salvation Army is the least expensive, but they are pretty far so I don't go there much. Goodwill is still reasonable, but they have been raising their prices. ARC is very expensive so I'll only go there if they are having a 50% off sale. We have a few more too, but I don't like shopping at those only because they don't allow returns or exchanges. I want to return something if it doesn't fit my hubby or kids.

Salvation Army has 1/2 days and they are great. Goodwill has gone Crazy. 6.00 jeans. 4.00 shirts. All kids are 3.00 !!! So much Target and they are sometimes higher than the target final price. They have 1/2 tags but VERY hard to find anything left with that color.

SAM

Our thrift stores have outrageous prices I love to garage sale & rummage sale absouletly love it!! And I love good bargins but around here you can get shirts at pennies for $2 or skorts for $1 at target & the goodwill & other 2nd hand stores charge about $8 for skorts or $6 for shirts

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mom of 3 greats girls

I love snooping around and can generally find something else that we don't need (!) so I try to stay out of them. We have too much stuff already. I really want to go through my clothing right now but will wait until I lose another 10 pounds first. I love donating to them.

As far as kids clothes, I find too many NEW clothes when on sale (ie Old Navy's huge sale after Christmas... picked up tons of tees for under $2; which is what our thrift store charges) so I rarely ever buy any used clothes for them. Most of the clothing in my size is too picked over and mainly garbage is left.

I don't get to the one near me (about 10 iles) very often, but my sons in and just out of college and their friends love them. They love the little older what they consider goofy tshirt. EX; A "meet me in St. Louie" shirt from a school musical. etc.

I have two great thrift stores in town which I usually only go to on their half price days...The one has it every Monday and the other is only the last Wednesday of the month...When I go, I'm prepared to spend about three or four hours in there...You just have to scour the place and look over everything...I love the books that I find...I try to get there right when they open at 9:00...I usually don't find much for my kids because the two older ones (boy 15, girl 13) don't like what I pick out...Although my son does love it when I find him Ralph Lauren polo shirts for $2.00...That's rare though...I've found alot of nice jeans for my 10 year old boy though...I don't want to shop in malls again after shopping thrift!...Last time I got some really nice dresses for church for only $5.00...some had the tags still on them...I also agree, Goodwill's prices have gone up alot...There are two of them nearby and I rarely go in there anymore...~Lisa

It's been awhile since I was in Goodwill, but the last I was there the prices seemed to be the same as always. I like to look through the bins where things are just thrown in. Anything in the bins are $.99.
I've found some nice things for my granddaughter and some nice sweatshirts for myself. I like to get most of my sweatshirts there because I like them for around the house in the winter. But I can't stand long sleeves, so I cut them off to about the same length as a T shirt. I just hate to pay full price for a sweatshirt that I'm going to cut up.

We also have Salvation Army here but the last time I was in one the prices were much more than Goodwill. Their sweatshirts were $4 as opposed to $.99 at Goodwill.

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Barb


My GOD Bless our Country and our Troops, and rid the World of terroists.

*True confessions*

I even shop at thrift stores when I'm on vacation.

My clothes are all clearanced items, gifts or thrift store treasures! My husband hates going to thrift stores with me because I spend hours poring over the clothes, usually trying on dozens. I usually end up buying one or two pieces of clothing when I go. I also love to look through their household stuff.

There's one near me, but I forget if it's Goodwill or Salvation Army. There's also a huge one about 45 min. away that I visit if I'm in the area. Again, not sure which one it is, I want to say Salvation Army. There's also a new thrift store that supports a local school for autistic children. I like to go there because I have a soft spot for autistic children after having a mildly autistic student my first year of teaching.

I don't remember regular prices, but I do know they all have half-off days. One store has a rotating color tag system. Each week, a different color is half off.

Someone once told me the best time to go to thrift stores is the week between Christmas and New Year's because people are trying to get in last-minute donations. He was right! I hit the jackpot this last season; got practically a brand new wardrobe.

I love going to the thrift stores! I can find more decent modest clothes in thrift stores than in regular department stores. I'm always ready to go check any of them out.

I go to a place called Savers. I LOVE shopping there. Every day they have half off items that are a certain color and on Monday whatever color tag is picked is just .99 cents. I have 4 kids, my husband is the only one working so I can stay home... and I am so grateful to live close to Savers. I find the best deals there. They sell everything from clothes to toys to household items from nicnacks to furniture. Yesterday I was in a toy store and saw a toy my kids would love for $35 bucks plus the accessory cartridges were $20 each. Today I went to Savers, that same used toy in excellent condition was there. I picked it up for $4.99 and got 3 cartridges for it for $2 each. WHen you donate items you tell the staff when you bring stuff in and they even give me a coupon for 20 percent off my next purchase of $10 or more so if you have one near you (they have an on line site so you can find stores in your area), look them up. They are awsome. Every Monday I'm there bright and early for those .99 cent items. Last week I picked up 3 really nice dresses, 2 jackets, a pair of shoes, a wiggles singing doll, a set of curtains, a throw blanket, a madeline doll, 2 pairs of jeans for the kids, a strawberry shortcake cuddle pillow... for a total of $13 plus tax.

I love thrifting! I could spend hours and hours in our local stores, my only problem is that my children seem to immediately sense that they are in a store that I want to dwell in, and they go bonkers. My Salvation Army only has a few carts, and it can be a cut throat competition to get one of them... If the baby isn't contained in a cart, forget abut it!

I have found some great deals for ebay, like Diesel jeans, and Hanna Andersson clothes. I love it when I find deals like that, because then I feel like anything else I get for myself is free.

Our Goodwill is a large store, and easier to shop, but sometimes the prices are ridiculous! Even on sale days some things are way overpriced. It pays to take your time and dig though. I am currently on the look out for pretty floral china pieces for mosaic projects. I have been able to pick up some great pieces super cheap.

My favorite place for treasures is our local dump. We have a free area, where people donate items. Last week I got a huge 3 story Barbie House for free! I wanted to get it for my daughter for Christmas, but it was too expensive. I was so excited to bring that home. It's a little odd I guess, but my kids love it when I go to the dump.

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We have a Goodwill Outlet 5 min from us that has KILLER deals. All the clothes, books, shoes, toys, household stuff, everything is in huge bins. You pay $1.49/lb and the more lbs you buy the lower the price per lb goes. I scored a brand new Baby Bjorn carrier there a while back and sold it for $50!! So not only am I able to stock up on like new clothes for my daughter, but I am paying pennies per piece. The perimeter of the store has large furniture items all for dirt cheap. Toddler beds for $8. I got a Little Tikes climber with a slide for $3. I never leave the store empty handed. I am addicted

If you go to www.goodwill.org and click on store locater it will tell you the store in your area, and I think it specifies if it is an outlet. if not just pick the closest to you call them and ask if there is an outlet store nearbye. You'll be addicted.

I like going to thrift store, I think they are fun

I like going to Thrift Stores to find ususual and unique things. But as far as clothes go I can never find modern clothes in the right sizes. I wore second hand clothes for years when I was a single Mom. That was before the Internet, mycoupons, etc I prefer now to buy my clothes new and find with deals and sales I can pay not much more than second hand store prices for something new.

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.

dh goes every day, and I usually go 3-4 days a week. Dh has found tons of rare video game items & I have stocked my classroom library, and have found tons of neat stuff.

It makes me sick how some of the workers price some of the things so high.

It was big news here this week how a guy found a rare copy of the declaration of independence for 2.48. He is selling it for a lot of money. People were crawling over each other at my goodwill this week to look at all the paintings and such lol.

I love to see stories like this! Something very valuable discovered at the thrift store or a garage sale. Hoping one day it will happen to me!

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I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it!

I love thrift stores. I used to frequent the goodwill, but their prices are usually higher than a nice retail store, so I have stopped shopping there. I love to find awesome deals at the thrift store and my kids love it too.

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email is moserlara@yahoo.com

Haven't been lately, but used to go to the Goodwill & Red, White & Blue thrift stores in Pgh's south hills a lot. I collect Character glasses (Care Bears, Popples, Muppets like they give away at McDonald's) and figural Salt & Pepper shakers(Santas, snowmen, cats, cows, outhouses, etc) and have found a lot of good ones at thrift stores. Running out of room, so I've slowed down, plus the best R,W & B store closed last year. Oh, well, my dh seems to think we need to downsize, not buy more stuff!

I was thinking of going this weekend. I am looking for an outdoor bistro table. I want a round one that I can do a mosiac design on the top of. ANyone think I can find this at a thrift store for a decent price?

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Work like you don't need the money,
Love like you've never been hurt, and
Dance like you do when nobody's watching.

MyCoupons Is #1 for Holiday Shopping

I love thrift stores. My daughter and I went yesterday and I am not a snob at all but do you know what my 6 year old said when we where walking in? "I'm sorry Mom but I don't buy used clothes." I told her "yes your right you don't BUY used clothes......I do." We live in a somewhat snobby area and I tried to tell her it's OK that she doesn't tell the kids at school that she wears thrift store clothes but this is a trick we can play. I can buy you the really nice clothes and nobody knows that you didn't get it at the mall. They just think "gosh she always looks so pretty."

Ok I know this sounds shallow but you wouldn't believe the little girls around here. In kindergarten they check out each others clothes and shoes. They all make comments on what the other one is wearing. I am so far from being a snob..I will wear anything that covers my body so she didn't get this from me.

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cmemaloy@yahoo.com


I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not.

Life! is a coin. You can spend it anyway you wish, but you can only spend it once.

The Goodwill around here is pretty pricey, other than the .99 bins. I think they're trying too hard to be "upscale" these days.
Now the Salvation Army near my house is great! I go on 1/2 price day and almost always walk out with great deals!
I have a dd who's almost 16 and name brands are "everything" at that age..lol She loves shopping the SA because she gets the name brand clothes she likes at a fraction of the cost!
We once went in and got 12-15 pairs of the "high end" jeans for just over $30. All her friends are always commenting on how many clothes she has. I have several who ask me to take them shopping because they know I can get the most for their $$
We also hit the big clearance sales. Old Navy and JC Penny are great for stocking up on clothes. I've been lazy about hitting the Target clearance lately but I'm almost always at a ON or Pennys sale

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Amy mommy to Ash,Zach&Alexis


MyCoupons Is #1 for Holiday Shopping

I LOVE thrift stores!

I look for thrift store signs when I'm on vacation. It's fun to thrift in other areas of the country, you can find all kinds of good stuff. I've even converted other people to thrifting.

Everyone in my family thrifts, even my father. My favorite things to thrift are clothes, books and dishes.

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Jesus SAVES by shopping smartly and using double coupons!

Mswiginton:

Could you email me the stores you've found in Birmingham? I'm new to the area and only have discovered the new Salvation Army in Hoover.

TIA!

Robin
robintessin@hotmail.com