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Thrift Store Fun

Robert Spencer |

Anyone else here love thrift stores, antique markets, garage sales, etc.? I am slightly addicted, it is so fun to find something neat. What is the coolest thing you’ve ever found thrifting/antique-ing/garage sale-ing etc.?

I dont get to go thrift shopping too often, but I went to my favorite thrift store Tuesday and found so much cool stuff. I spent about $40 and got a bunch of vintage dishware, pottery, frames and baskets. Most of the frames were 29 cents and the baskets 59 cents. I got some fiestaware and Hull pottery for like $4 each. And a vintage pyrex bowl and lid that my mom had asked me to find for her.

by Anonymousreply 235October 8, 2021 6:04 PM

I used to go all the time, OP. Why don't you get to go thrift shopping too often? My favorite things to find include Austrian thonet chairs sold for cheap, art deco and mid century Venetian lamps, and unused vintage Austrian, Swiss and Italian linen. When I was young in the USA I looked for: any looks that were good for nightlife in the early 80s.

by Anonymousreply 2September 30, 2021 6:43 PM

I can’t take the smell in a thrift store.

by Anonymousreply 3September 30, 2021 6:43 PM

Well yeah. But it varies. If they have too many racks of garbage clothing, it will stink.

by Anonymousreply 4September 30, 2021 6:48 PM

I like vintage clothing stores. Clothes were just better made in the past.

And I’m into used vinyl. Love finding random jazz vocals for a buck or two.

And books, of course, if they have any, but I’m picky at this point.

But I’ve got enough bric-a-brac in my home, so I skip the rest of the stuff.

by Anonymousreply 5September 30, 2021 6:48 PM

I found a beautiful set a vintage toy wooden animals, not unlike these, that are flat, on stands and they weren’t from a Noah’s Ark as they were singular animals at a Southside Pittsburgh Salvation Army, and they are in impeccable condition. From a Berks county Pennsylvania antique shop I purchased a Folk Art miniature building set of a farm, farmhouse and out buildings (about 22 pieces in all) that were probably made by a Pennsylvania Dutch or Mennonite woodworker.

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by Anonymousreply 6September 30, 2021 6:49 PM

It's the same smell as when you open your legs R3

by Anonymousreply 7September 30, 2021 6:51 PM

R2, between work and family obligations it is hard to get away for a few hours right now and spend an afternoon shopping. I go every few months and it is so fun! Maybe if I went more often it would lose the same sense of fun

by Anonymousreply 9September 30, 2021 7:24 PM

Since the vaccination, I'm back out there but I'm not finding anything. I'm having better luck at the swap meet.

by Anonymousreply 10September 30, 2021 7:29 PM

In my day, you could pick up a few slightly used Negros to help around the house.

by Anonymousreply 11September 30, 2021 7:32 PM

I like old sheet music - single songs, like from the 20s, 30s, 40s and up. Some of the artwork on the front is beautiful, while some is overtly racist; for example, my copy of YES, WE HAVE NO BANANAS pictures an extreme caricature of a Jewish fruit peddler. Lots of blackface as well. But many of them feature hard to find songs, or themes from well known and not so well known movies, as well as photos or portraits of the long gone artists like Russ Colombo, Tony Martin, etc etc. And it's cheap to collect - most of it literally goes for a song!

by Anonymousreply 12September 30, 2021 8:29 PM

Thrift store shoppers are retarded

by Anonymousreply 13September 30, 2021 8:46 PM

I seen people's houses who go to thrift stores a lot, and it ain't pretty.

by Anonymousreply 14September 30, 2021 8:52 PM

That post is typical of your others, r13. You "seen", r14? Uh huh.

by Anonymousreply 15September 30, 2021 8:55 PM

It's always junk that clutters up the house. Your kids with throw it all away when you die.

I speak from experience

by Anonymousreply 16September 30, 2021 8:56 PM

The goodwill now picks through all donations and sells them to the highest bidder online, hence they have ruined their stores and i guess the " poors" they are supposed to be helping get left the garbage. Disgusting.

by Anonymousreply 18September 30, 2021 8:58 PM

R17, it makes your house gross

by Anonymousreply 19September 30, 2021 9:00 PM

Oooh! Have you found a treasure?

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by Anonymousreply 20September 30, 2021 9:02 PM

Honey R16, this isn’t the Parenting forum. We don’t have kids.

And if we did, they would know better than to throw away my two thousand piece Lalique collection.

by Anonymousreply 21September 30, 2021 9:03 PM

So...what, r19? It's *my* house, you judgmental bloody stool.

by Anonymousreply 22September 30, 2021 9:04 PM

R16, I think about people who have had to deal with their deceased loved one’s belongings when I go to thrift stores. You are bringing someone else (like me!) joy and keeping stuff out of landfills when you donate to thrift stores. So, thank you

by Anonymousreply 23September 30, 2021 9:05 PM

I donated a leather harness that I had never used to my local Goodwill. I've always wondered what they did with it! It was a very fancy one with a butt plug holder.

by Anonymousreply 24September 30, 2021 9:07 PM

R18 I am actually not really a fan of Goodwill. My locally owned thrift stores are where I find the best stuff

by Anonymousreply 25September 30, 2021 9:09 PM

R24, some lucky horse is enjoying that harness right now. 🙀

by Anonymousreply 26September 30, 2021 9:09 PM

Did anyone used to go to that huge thrift store in Cambridge, Massachusetts … they used to have clothes by the pound. I cant think of the name but I spent many a fun afternoon there in college

by Anonymousreply 28September 30, 2021 9:29 PM

In Maine, I found an amazing old violin. It had a mellow tone, so it obviously had been played a lot. It cost me only $25 and was worth many times that amount. The site of the antique shop had once been an old farm, and the shop itself was located in a barn. The farmhouse was a sprawling building, with a veranda that extended the entire length of the house, and on the veranda there were 25 kittens. I counted them. Apparently all their barn cats had given birth at the same time. I was offered a kitten free, but unfortunately couldn't take one. (I was travelling with my own cat and we had a long way to go.)

by Anonymousreply 30September 30, 2021 9:34 PM

An interesting article on clothing donations, not sure if I believe everything they are saying applies in most situations but I still found it interesting.

[quote] less than 20 percent of clothing donations sent to charities are actually resold at those charities. Generally, the other 80 percent is sent to textile recyclers

[quote] “There are just far more unwanted clothes in the United States than there is demand.” “Charities receive far, far more unwanted clothing donation than they could ever possibly sell in their thrift stores

[quote] the United States bullying East African countries into importing our old clothes

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by Anonymousreply 31September 30, 2021 9:35 PM

St. Vincent de Paul in my southwest town is the last of the old style stores / the others are corporate franchises ie; Goodwill that sell a lot of dollar store crap.... Savers is a local for profit thrift that aggresively seeks public donations / Savers had to change their messaging implying they were Big Brothers...

by Anonymousreply 32September 30, 2021 9:49 PM

I could spend every weekend of my life doing those shops, plus garage and estate sales.

by Anonymousreply 33September 30, 2021 9:51 PM

R30 that sounds super fabulous. What a fun place to visit

by Anonymousreply 35September 30, 2021 10:08 PM

R28 Domsey's was the version in 80s Brooklyn. Back then before the internet, a local picker could find treasures and a shopper could afford to buy them. Nowadays pickers know exactly what they find and its value anywhere in the world. Where is the vintage Schott jacket going to get the highest price? Japan? Russia? How many hundreds can I get for the Vintage Star Wars t-shirt? Etc.

by Anonymousreply 36September 30, 2021 10:25 PM

I can't imagine accumulating all that crap. One of the greatest pleasures of life is throwing things out

by Anonymousreply 37September 30, 2021 10:26 PM

I agree, de-cluttering feels great. But so does needing a dresser and finding an Ethan Allen dresser that fits your space perfectly for $20

by Anonymousreply 38September 30, 2021 10:30 PM

I got a set of 6 cassina dining chairs at a local goodwill a while ago. Same sets go for around $5k-$10k on 1stdibs.

by Anonymousreply 39September 30, 2021 10:44 PM

Yeah that's the way to do it! The Gio Ponti ones?

by Anonymousreply 40September 30, 2021 10:46 PM

I’m a dedicated thrifter. I fucking love it.

by Anonymousreply 41September 30, 2021 10:49 PM

Domsey's was the go-to place when you were shopping a show, r36. I remember finding this book there.

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by Anonymousreply 42September 30, 2021 10:54 PM

How did that party go for Barbie?

by Anonymousreply 43September 30, 2021 10:56 PM

For the life of me I can't remember, r43. It's Barbie, so you know that Barbara Millicent Roberts made quite the splash. I learned her name from this book which I found at a thrift store many years before.

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by Anonymousreply 44September 30, 2021 11:01 PM

I'm guessing all the anti-thrift store people have REALLY bland and boring looking homes. Very bare and stark.

Like their souls.

by Anonymousreply 45September 30, 2021 11:09 PM

Not necessarily R45. Some people really do not like to have used or old things, things that belonged to others. I can understand that, though it's not the case for me.

My mother doesn't like anything old. She refused some great antique furniture from my fathers family stock of heirlooms.

by Anonymousreply 46September 30, 2021 11:28 PM

I used to live in good areas for thrift stores. Not any more.

I mostly shop for clothes, yes, including shoes. Of course I won't try on / purchase if it looks disgusting.

I have bought all kinds of useful household things in there. No tchotchkes.

When I was younger and more bold about fashion, I would wear a mix of thrifted stuff (fake fur, corduroy pants, etc.). There are also some classic-looking stuff (i.e., stuff that does not look thrifted).

I think you have to be creative to see usefulness in something at a thrift store. I actually hate shopping at TJ Maxx, Ross, etc.

by Anonymousreply 47September 30, 2021 11:47 PM

You're either a thrifter or you aren't. It's all about the thrill of the hunt.

by Anonymousreply 48September 30, 2021 11:54 PM

R15 How about you jump up my anal canal and fight for air. You are a creepy stalker, eat shit.

by Anonymousreply 49October 1, 2021 12:01 AM

[quote]Some of the artwork on the front is beautiful, while some is overtly racist; for example, my copy of YES, WE HAVE NO BANANAS pictures an extreme caricature of a Jewish fruit peddler. Lots of blackface as well.

R12 I found the sheet music for a minstrel song called "When That Little Yellow Fellow Plays Piano". Talk about racist!

But I actually got to use the song in a show. I was the musical director for an off-Broadway production of In White America and we inserted the song (with choreography) into the show. Quite a conversation piece at that time.

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by Anonymousreply 50October 1, 2021 12:02 AM

This guy, Kevin ("Cavalcade of Food") bought a building that was formerly a Ben Franklin store (Michigan). He uses the building to house his collections, incl. vintage stoves. I'm pretty sure he (Kevin) is gay.

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by Anonymousreply 51October 1, 2021 12:29 AM

I don't find 'cool' things, I find practical things. I go there first for stuff like shovels, rakes, sneakers, tshirts...

I recently found a wicker clothes hamper to put my small outdoor tools in when not in use (I have no garage). It doubles as a place to set my drink.

by Anonymousreply 52October 1, 2021 12:46 AM

I couldn't watch it, r51. The camera work was almost giving me a seizure.

by Anonymousreply 53October 1, 2021 1:31 AM

Sorry, R53. Kevin's partner, Ralph, does the camera work. He's actually younger (I think) than Kevin, but shakes the camera around and talks way too much. In more recent videos, they use a camera that minimizes the shaking.

by Anonymousreply 54October 1, 2021 1:36 AM

My wardrobe is almost entirely thrifted. I have beautiful classic things, some vintage, all excellent quality. I’m picky as fuck, and it’s taken me years to build it. Cashmere, linen, silk scarves, suede skirts, Irish tweed, all-leather shoes; natural fibers always. The pricers at Goodwill don’t recognize obscure luxe/upscale brands, so they don’t mark them up. I live on the UES so there are some incredible deals. I can’t even tell you.

There’s no way I could ever have the wardrobe I do, otherwise.

by Anonymousreply 55October 1, 2021 1:48 AM

I have tried Goodwill a few times and other than a great place to find lids for pans everything looked like crap, I mean worse than garage sales. I have had a lot of luck shopping at Habitat for Humanity Restore stores. Some of their stuff is even new things not used.

by Anonymousreply 56October 1, 2021 1:49 AM

My mom said that the Goodwill workers don't know how to price the dishware (they could charge more if they wanted).

by Anonymousreply 57October 1, 2021 1:50 AM

R55 I want to go thrifting with you, I feel like it would be the Taj Mahal of thrifting experiences.

R56, I love the ReStore store as well! Mine has gotten pricey lately but they always have neat stuff

by Anonymousreply 58October 1, 2021 1:53 AM

They overcharge usually at the Goodwills around me, r57.

by Anonymousreply 59October 1, 2021 1:53 AM

Kevin is not a young man. He's going to set up his 100 fridges and 300. mixers then drop dead. What will become of this collection? Seems like it would be good for show biz rentals - but no need for that many items.

by Anonymousreply 62October 1, 2021 2:43 AM

Gross, you're wallowing in people's filth and years of sweat. Disgusting.

by Anonymousreply 63October 1, 2021 3:00 AM

Old queens are hot messes.

by Anonymousreply 64October 1, 2021 3:10 AM

The professional resellers have ruined the thrift stores in my area. There are about 7-10 at any given time at my local Goodwill who stand their in their phones all day until a new cart of things are brought out and they snap up anything that’s worth having. I take solace in the fact that PayPal or EBay will be sending all of them a 1099 at the end of the year thanks to the new spending package.

The coolest thing I’ve ever found was a framed piece of Momento Mori hair work, probably Civil War or shortly thereafter. The flowers had one of three tiny little letters hidden somewhere on the flower which I take to mean the hair came from one of three people.

I don’t go as often but go about once a week and look at their jewelry. Many marks are hidden and hard to find but if you know how to look at the construction you can do well just buying on a hunch and feel. I still find sterling and sometimes gold jewelry regularly for less than the scrap weight but I have a large collection now.

The girl that works the counter asked me what I do with all the jewelry I buy and I told her, truthfully, that I put it all in a drawer in my kitchen and once or twice a month I get good and drunk and put more than a few pieces on and swan around the house like Lovey Howell. It’s a fun collection that only takes up a couple of shoes boxes in a closet.

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by Anonymousreply 65October 1, 2021 3:15 AM

I picked this up for $1 at a local dollar store. I'll be god damned, this thing actually works like a charm. It's easy to clean, doesn't get stained or trap odors like plastic containers do, and the vented lid is perfect for keeping the splattering away without popping off. The handle stays cool too due to its hollow design. I wished I would have picked up a few of these, but when I went back to the store they were all sold out.

Super convenient for steaming vegetables, heating up sauces, rice, oatmeal, and more.

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by Anonymousreply 66October 1, 2021 3:17 AM

R65, that is a crazy interesting find. The resellers on their phones standing around blocking the shelves and aisles are so annoying, I hope they get bed bugs.

R66, I love finding random stuff like that, when it ends up being a kickass find it is such a fun thing.

by Anonymousreply 67October 1, 2021 3:24 AM

I live in an area with 12 Goodwill stores. Each one is slightly different. Last summer I stopped by one and purchased a full set of Noritake formal china for $50. I checked Replacements dot com when i got home. It was a pattern they were buying. Sold all the pieces for $400.

by Anonymousreply 68October 1, 2021 3:26 AM

If you wash the clothes with some white vinegar it removes the thrift store smell

by Anonymousreply 69October 1, 2021 3:30 AM

I live in a town next door to an exclusive residential area. When the rich folk pass on, their families donate all the stuff they don’t want to the thrift stores. My partner used to go them and always wanted me to go with him. He persisted and one day I went with him. There was a lot of original art hanging around so I pulled out my phone and started checking artist signatures. Jackpot! For $20 I got a landscape worth $2400. Then I picked up a contemporary art piece for $7.50 worth $800. Then I picked up two little oil paintings for $10 worth $750 each. The guy at the counter when I paid for them said he thought about buying them when they were donated. I told him he should have. That picture hanging on rich granny’s wall is actually worth something kids.

by Anonymousreply 70October 1, 2021 3:31 AM

I don’t go as often as I used to, but it’s still a fun way to waste some time. I’ve found some great things over the years. I love mid-century bar ware and dishes, and have built a decent collection.

A few years ago I found a mandolin (the utensil not the instrument) from the 70s, still in its original box. I use it regularly for slicing vegetables. At the same store, I found a turntable for turning vinyl into digital files, never opened, for 20 bucks.

I also found this huge 70s wall/desk unit for $30 and sanded it, stained it, and added new hardware. I use it for a bookshelf, tv stand, and bar. It looks great.

I have to wear somewhat conservative dress shirts or button downs to work, and I get bored of my rotation after a while. I’m not interested in spending a lot on those shirts. I’d rather spend money on new, high quality items that are more personal to me. I recently went to a Goodwill in a nice neighborhood not too far from me. I bought five nice dress shirts, including two RL Polos and one Eddie Bauer, all for $25. I donated 10 of my old shirts later that week. I try to take out about as much as I take in.

There is a fantastic mid-century furniture store in my city, but the owner is crazy and her stuff is way overpriced. Still, she’s been in business forever so someone must be buying it.

by Anonymousreply 71October 1, 2021 3:36 AM

I have also gotten original and valuable artwork at thrift stores

by Anonymousreply 72October 1, 2021 3:37 AM

Yes, R72! One of the coolest things about thrift stores is finding original artwork. I have a couple gallery walls in my house where most of the frames or paintings were thrifted.

by Anonymousreply 73October 1, 2021 3:57 AM

Sometimes I take my camera to the swap meet.

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by Anonymousreply 74October 1, 2021 4:03 AM

A vintage studded dildo which I proceeded to use in the driveway!

by Anonymousreply 75October 1, 2021 4:26 AM

Ive been a thrift fanatic since I was 12 . I also hit estate sales,flea markets and yard sales. Over the decades my knowledge has increased and I can spot a treasure pretty well. Ive got many,many nice things and Ive sold a shitload over the decades . I agree with upthread when someone posted the "professional " resellers have pretty much ruined the fun . I made a nice tidy sum over the years buying and scrapping silver (keeping the good stuff for myself) but its been a year since Ive barely scrounged up even a spoon. I will never forget the one time I went to my honey hole thrift (old ladies,zero idea of worth) where I had found lots of sterling silver and sitting there was a solid silver punch bowl with 14 cups for $20 ! It was egyptian silver and the old dears didnt recognize the marks. I couldnt grab it fast enough ! Sold it to an Egyptian gentleman for $6000 ,wich was about its scrap value. I just last week found a Sevres vase with bronze mounts for $3 . Worth at least $500.My house is indeed loaded with thrift finds,but I promise you its very beautiful and full of quality things. They are going to have a hell of an estate sale when I croak,if I dont sell it all first.

by Anonymousreply 77October 1, 2021 4:35 AM

Don't forget estate sales. Go on Craiglist for your area and enter words like 'tag' 'estate' 'moving' 'down-sizing' 'whole house', etc.

by Anonymousreply 78October 1, 2021 4:35 AM

I still have a shirt I bought at Alpha Thrift (on State) in the early '80s.

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by Anonymousreply 79October 1, 2021 4:45 AM

I bought a sharp looking long black coat at a thrift store for $5. A couple of weeks later, a friend of mine who is a tailor asked me who made it. We found the label and his face was shocked. He said it is a $700 coat that will likely last me 30 years.

It's the warmest coat I have ever had.

by Anonymousreply 80October 1, 2021 4:50 AM

What was on the label, R80?

by Anonymousreply 81October 1, 2021 5:01 AM

[quote] Kevin is not a young man. He's going to set up his 100 fridges and 300. mixers then drop dead. What will become of this collection? Seems like it would be good for show biz rentals - but no need for that many items.

R62, Kevin is in that 1% of hoarders (sorry, Kevin, you do seem like a hoarder) who actually can afford a warehouse for all of his stuff. I do wonder if he has more stuff in separate storage units. Kevin is actually organized, it seems.

by Anonymousreply 82October 1, 2021 5:03 AM

i love estate sales. I got a bunch of designer 80's clothes at one once. A vintage Levi's duster jacket i sold for 100.00. It was in pristine condition. I have found lots of Ralph Lauren. I found an early 90's Ralph Lauren windbreaker.. It has Ralph Lauren 92 on the side arm. It looks like a members only jacket. I tried selling it on ebay but kept getting low offers. I hate ebay now, i may try selling it again though. Goodwill pretty much sucks and their prices are way too high. I like local thrift stores better.

by Anonymousreply 83October 1, 2021 5:05 AM

Love thrift stores and estate sales! Since the pandemic, it’s probably the most fun I have now when I’m out hunting. It definitely is the thrill of the hunt. Great thread OP!

by Anonymousreply 84October 1, 2021 5:36 AM

R83, if you have vintage, try Etsy. Friends do much better on Etsy. Plus, it is cheaper for longer list times. I notice their idea of vintage is before 2000.

by Anonymousreply 85October 1, 2021 12:51 PM

My parents loved thrift shops and yard sales. In the end it was all just stupid junk, but it brought them joy.

I will never go to another thrift store or garage sale in my life.

by Anonymousreply 86October 1, 2021 2:04 PM

Years ago, during the housing slump, my husband and I bought a condo where we plan to live half the year in retirement. As we were a long way from retirement age at the time, we planned to rent the place out, but after crunching the numbers decided we could afford to keep it and use it as a vacation home a few weeks a year before retirement. Since we didn’t want to spend a lot to furnish it, the entire two bedroom/two bathroom has been done from thrift and used furniture stores (with the exception of mattresses and area rugs). We have even managed to amass an entire wardrobe so we don’t have to pack when we go there.

As others have said, if you take your time and look through everything, you can really find some great things. I know others will scoff, but when it comes time to condense what we have in retirement, I’m going to have a hard time deciding what to keep from the full-time house and what to get rid of in the condo.

by Anonymousreply 87October 1, 2021 2:07 PM

My mother called it "going junking". I asked her to look out for vintage Halston's when I was 12. She knew I was a gayling but that request solidified it.

by Anonymousreply 88October 1, 2021 2:10 PM

Kevin (Cavalcade of Food) even has a large collection of coffee urns / makers. Geez.

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by Anonymousreply 89October 1, 2021 5:38 PM

R88, I once found a very dark blue, velvet Halston blazer at a thrift store which I got many compliments on when I wore it. I, mistakenly, gave it to a straight boy I was in lust with and have always regretted it.

by Anonymousreply 90October 1, 2021 5:58 PM

I don't shop in them but I've donated a ton of stuff over the years, especially when I was cleaning out my mother's house after her death. She was a Depression baby whose basement was like the final scene of "Citizen Kane" but with yarn. I'd fill up the front porch with stuff and then call the Vietnam Vets. Once I had so much stuff they couldn't put it all in their truck and recommended I call the Salvation Army (whom I usually never give to because fuck them.)

by Anonymousreply 91October 1, 2021 6:11 PM

My best find was a cool looking pair of like-new boots. Turned out they originally retailed for $600. Sadly they were a tad small for me so I passed them on to a friend.

Some other good finds were a Helmut Lang sweater that originally cost hundred$, a vintage Harris Tweed jacket for ten bucks and a gorgeous cashmere overcoat from the by-the-pound section.

I never have much luck with housewares, though I did pick up some kitschy 70s Pyrex.

by Anonymousreply 92October 1, 2021 6:15 PM

When I was young and poor and underpaid in NYC in a fancy occupation I went to the AIDS Charity thrift shops and once or twice a year I would find ENTIRE wardrobes of fancy business attire of a well-healed youngish man who had been my size. It was sobering, I knew I was buying and wearing the clothes of some 30 something at the oldest (nobody older would be so tall and thin), dead of AIDS so young. One time it was a full suit of Paul Stuart and Oxxford suits. Another time it was more Eurotrash with Sulka, Brioni, and Cerruti. I came to cherish the clothes because I felt I was able to extend the life energy of young men who were gone. Sometimes the clothes had been custom tailor for some man, yet they were exact fits on me, so it was uncanny.

by Anonymousreply 93October 1, 2021 6:20 PM

By the way, later I left NYC and that occupation and became a professor. My college had a "freebie" corner, and when I was in my 40s and no longer a string bean, I decided to leave these clothes - impeccable designer suits and Burberry top coats, and Chesterfields, Savile row tuxedos that cost thousands already in the 80s, Irish and Scottish tweeds, cashmere sweaters, etc, - I would leave one or two a week over 2 semesters until they were gone. The items never lasted a day. So in a way, those young men dead in the 80s were still helping out some young man who didn't have the cash to look fine.

by Anonymousreply 94October 1, 2021 6:27 PM

It’s not for everyone, and that’s okay. Those of us who enjoy it, enjoy it.

I like being able to buy beautiful high-quality garments. I like knowing that my thrifted outfit cost as much as that girl’s acrylic H&M sweater.

by Anonymousreply 95October 1, 2021 6:31 PM

Another trick is to go to Goodwills in certain neighborhoods. A friend and I used to like the Goodwill on Fillmore Street in San Francisco. It's been ages since I've shopped there, so I don't know if it's good any more. There is or was a consignment shop further up Fillmore. Not as cheap, of course, but a good shop.

by Anonymousreply 96October 1, 2021 6:48 PM

This is the shirt I got at Alpha Thrift...

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by Anonymousreply 97October 1, 2021 7:29 PM

Got a fantastic London Fog trench coat in mint condition, really long (I'm tall) and a perfect fit - for $29. Still have it.

by Anonymousreply 99October 1, 2021 10:25 PM

I love thrifting but not for clothes. I do it in the hunt for board games. Every store I've ever been in has a bunch of board games in some corner. Not so much vintage, although they occasionally have those, but the brand new, still wrapped expensive games that people just get rid of amaze me.

by Anonymousreply 100October 1, 2021 10:29 PM

I used to collect TV show games, r100.

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by Anonymousreply 101October 1, 2021 11:43 PM

Thrift shops and "resale" and "consignment" shops are all slightly different animals. I've gotten nice things in all three - thrift shops tend to be attached to local churches, and I've seen some really nice things in these. Some shops not attached to a local church and that support local charities prefer to call themselves "resale" rather than thrift shops. I've run across nice items in all three variants, from the London Fog trench coat noted above, to cashmere pullovers, some really nice glassware, and table appliances like coffee makers and knife sets.

You never know what you'll find, and that's the fun of it.

by Anonymousreply 102October 2, 2021 12:36 AM

Thank you for sharing, r102. Are you capable of posting something other than your fetid fecal matter?

by Anonymousreply 103October 2, 2021 1:20 AM

Apologies, r102! That was meant for the troll upthread.

by Anonymousreply 104October 2, 2021 1:22 AM

R101, did you have the Dukes of Hazzard? Ha.

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by Anonymousreply 105October 2, 2021 1:27 AM

I’ve had luck with clothes. Haven’t been to a department store in years. Yesterday I found a nice Ralph Lauren linen shirt, brand new with the tags. Original price $98. I paid $16. Also got a quilted J Crew jacket for $10. Nicest find was a Hugo Boss wool blazer that fits perfectly. Inside one of the pockets I found the original price tag—$495.

by Anonymousreply 106October 2, 2021 1:28 AM

Is everyone on this thread a woman?

by Anonymousreply 107October 2, 2021 1:31 AM

I've bought almost all my clothes at resale shops for the last decade. No underwear, socks, or shoes but pants and shirts are a no brainer unless you just like throwing money away.

by Anonymousreply 108October 2, 2021 1:38 AM

I don't remember having one, r105. I don't remember what all I had. I remember the Murder She Wrote because I thought Angie should have sued for that image of her on the box. I had a few that weren't TV shows. This was probably my favorite for the artwork.

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by Anonymousreply 109October 2, 2021 1:49 AM

I also had a Cherry Ames game...

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by Anonymousreply 110October 2, 2021 1:49 AM

I bought a brand-new Peter Millar cashmere and wool blazer with tags still in it for $6 a couple of months ago. With jackets all you need to do is run your finger down the shoulders slowly and you can just tell the quality. I haven’t been anywhere since but maybe this Christmas. The horrible thing about the Goodwill’s in my area is that they sell the pants separately from the jackets. Lots of good suits get separated that way.

by Anonymousreply 111October 2, 2021 2:19 AM

I like to collect movies on Blu-Ray and I have pretty much amassed most of my collection from thrift stores. I've found many sealed Blu-Rays, including a few 4Ks. I've also purchased a number of 3D Blu-rays. Bought The Hobbit Blu-Ray box set for $5 and the Christopher Nolan Batman series on Blu for $10, both sealed. Also collect CDs and find a number of nice finds.

My favourite find was finding all three Scream Factory Sleepaway Camp Blu-Ray collector's editions sealed.

by Anonymousreply 112October 2, 2021 2:24 AM

I’m 61 single and finally realized that I have no room for any more stuff. My buying days are over. Now started the decluttering.

by Anonymousreply 113October 2, 2021 3:27 AM

I do that about 3 times a year R113. I sell what I can,donate the rest,then rinse and repeat ! I love the hunt too much to ever stop.

by Anonymousreply 114October 2, 2021 3:47 AM

Now’s your chance to get a booth at the local antiqu-I-porium R113 and try out the famous “Did we find a treasure?” line to all of the next generation of gay collectors. We are the repository of vintage style and taste, after all.

by Anonymousreply 115October 2, 2021 3:48 AM

Midmodthrifter is a great Instagram page....he shows all his mid century thrift finds

by Anonymousreply 116October 2, 2021 3:55 AM

What exactly is a “swap meet”? We either don’t have them here or they are called something else. I’ve never heard anyone in “real life” say that.

by Anonymousreply 118October 2, 2021 4:39 AM

Basically an outdoor flea market, r118.

by Anonymousreply 119October 2, 2021 4:48 AM

R16 I am not living for the day I die.

by Anonymousreply 120October 2, 2021 5:05 AM

Wow, I wish I had your luck R100. I always check the board games but it's usually jigsaw puzzles and tattered Trivial Pursuit. I did find Coup once but I already own that one.

by Anonymousreply 121October 2, 2021 9:19 AM

R103 Ah, thanks. I was puzzled, wondering how trenchcoats and housewares translated into fecal matter :)

by Anonymousreply 122October 2, 2021 11:33 AM

They really have, R65. I used to be able to find some cool vintage stuff. The ones in my area would just be full of it. Then bam, the flippers show up and wipe the place out. They are so aggressive, too. They will push their carts right in front of me while I am looking at shelves or try to block people in some way. I had surgery earlier this week and was not in the mood yesterday and mumbled “fat frau bitch” under my breath a little louder than I meant to do. I thought her large ass was going to kill me. She just stood and glared at me…but didn’t move.

by Anonymousreply 123October 2, 2021 11:52 AM

I am addicted to thrifting but I resell most of it online. I bought a Weller-Sicard candlestick (google it) holder for $3 which I sold a few months later for $525 shipping included. I bought it a Goodwill in NYC.

by Anonymousreply 124October 2, 2021 1:50 PM

R90, I found a similar Halston in 1988 in a thrift store somewhere in upstate New York. Still have it, still fits!

by Anonymousreply 125October 2, 2021 2:01 PM

I remember those Halston blazers there made for JC Pennys I think.

by Anonymousreply 126October 2, 2021 2:35 PM

I am almost tempted to start a separate thread on “free” stuff—when we lived in Orange County we found some amazing curb stuff (including a little wood cabinet that we still use to store books). And our neighbors were so nice to us there….the elderly couple across the street who had lived there forever gifted me with some old Lalique stemware and gorgeous cast iron garden planters, and our next door neighbors gave us a bunch of beautiful wood furniture including a dresser I still use. We had moved in to that neighborhood as newlyweds with barely any furniture and our older neighbors took such good care of us

by Anonymousreply 127October 2, 2021 2:40 PM

[quote] I'm guessing all the anti-thrift store people have REALLY bland and boring looking homes

I'm guessing you have scabies

by Anonymousreply 128October 2, 2021 2:49 PM

Mom volunteered at a thrift store for 20 years. It was a nice store. The store was in an old rust belt town, but the town next door was much richer and so all the big McMansion types would come with valuable donations. I remember VERY high end ladies wear coming through those doors late 80s/early 90s.

College-era friends of mine that did drag came to the store and got gowns for <$15. One won the pageant in his.

My mom brought home a lot to clean and repair, bless her heart. She washed teddy bears and kids' toys. The shop was somehow connected to a women's shelter where abused women and their kids were given items and she'd set aside things for the kids. She was awesome like that. Most of the other employees would steal them blind and then sell on eBay.

by Anonymousreply 129October 2, 2021 2:58 PM

I noticed on my local Facebook Marketplace that a bunch of people are selling China and silverware for next to nothing. If I had the space to store it, I’d buy a bunch of it. Guess no one uses that stuff any longer.

by Anonymousreply 130October 2, 2021 3:11 PM

There's nothing that fits, if it does it's out of style, it has holes in it, or it smells really bad.

It's creepy to wear a dead person's shoes.

by Anonymousreply 131October 2, 2021 3:16 PM

I just don't need much stuff

by Anonymousreply 132October 2, 2021 3:19 PM

I prefer clean well-lit stores with clearly marked inventory in an array of sizes. I'm surprised people waste their time picking through somebody else's rags.

by Anonymousreply 133October 2, 2021 3:20 PM

Weren't they worried about scabies, r129?

by Anonymousreply 134October 2, 2021 3:37 PM

Why does that surprise you, r133? We ain't all hoity-toity like you.

by Anonymousreply 135October 2, 2021 3:40 PM

R135 It's hardly a class issue. I buy what I want from places that have what I want. You like fluorescent lights and bad smells, that's on you. They're gross environments, filled with other people's shit.

People on this thread boast of spending hours looking through mountains of polyester garbage, hoping to find a Burberry trench that doesn't truly fit and has couple of tiny holes that you hope nobody will notice. You want to wear clothes you can't really afford.

Now that's hoity-toity, cupcake.

by Anonymousreply 136October 2, 2021 3:59 PM

Well, this thread was fun until the bitch fight happened.

by Anonymousreply 137October 2, 2021 4:04 PM

Judgmental much, r136? Fun threads always get the few whose idea of fun is to shit on other people's enjoyment, r137. They feel the need to make others lesser than so they can feel superior.

by Anonymousreply 138October 2, 2021 4:14 PM

Today was our neighborhood garage sale and I got a new-in-box never opened fancy porcelain cheese plate and knife from the Smithsonian store for $2

by Anonymousreply 139October 2, 2021 4:21 PM

And what a perfect hostess gift that will make, r139!

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by Anonymousreply 140October 2, 2021 5:18 PM

I had moved to a new town with my then-partner and we needed furniture. He pointed out an ugly gold-colored couch and I thought what the fuck. But I realized that the couch was in perfect condition and clean. Had either never been used or had been covered in plastic its whole life. It was cheap and we did buy it.

What I would like to find is a low, 2-shelf 1960s (?) metal bookshelf, preferably black. I had one (black) in my old office (gov't) and it was surprisingly useful (can use the top as a credenza), doesn't warp, easy to clean, etc.

by Anonymousreply 141October 2, 2021 8:35 PM

I collect vintage airline NYC travel posters from the 50s - 60's. One afternoon a friend texted me with images of two, framed, at a hospital thrift store -- each marked $200. I told him to stand guard and headed right down. I already had the TWA, but the United, featuring a stylized UN building was one I had been wanting, and it usually sells for about $1,400. It's an obscure enough image that I knew this wasn't a later reproduction. At the counter I was honest with the staff about how severely underpriced these were. They replied that they wouldn't get a much higher price in this store, so I bought the one I didn't already own and left the other for someone else to score.

by Anonymousreply 142October 2, 2021 9:23 PM

At my old job, someone donated to the kitchen area some first class (airplane) dining items (cutlery, metal). It was really cool. Good for using as sugar spoons (b/c small), etc.

by Anonymousreply 143October 2, 2021 9:27 PM

There's nothing wrong with going to thrift stores IF you HAVE to, but WE don't have to

by Anonymousreply 144October 2, 2021 9:30 PM

A visit to a Salvation Army from a couple years ago. They started putting some of the housewares into a "Collectibles" section and pricing them too high (for a thrift store). The Hall Crocus teapot was $35.00. I did buy the 7 forest green Charm plates for $3.99.

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by Anonymousreply 146October 2, 2021 11:13 PM

R142 well you should have bought both, sold the second one, reimbursed yourself, and given that shop a donation of 1K.

by Anonymousreply 147October 2, 2021 11:16 PM

R146 is that a Molesworth cabinet ?!? If so,thats worth a fortune ! I dont even bother with Salvation Army thrifts here. Never found one damn thing in any of them. What little you might be interested in is priced ridiculously high.

by Anonymousreply 148October 2, 2021 11:32 PM

I remember the Broadway Antique Market in Chicago having a fuckton of those travel posters once upon a time (4 years ago).

by Anonymousreply 149October 3, 2021 12:53 AM

Just my observation but the locally owned (ie, not Goodwill or Salvation Army) thrift stores in areas with lots of upscale older neighborhoods are the best for finding antiques and gems. Thrift stores near newer areas (even wealthy newer areas) just have a bunch of TJ Maxx, Target, WalMart and Dollar Tree castoffs. But the good pottery, original artwork, antique furniture etc is to be found in the older neighborhood thrift stores.

by Anonymousreply 150October 3, 2021 1:54 AM

R124 and his ilk ruined thrifting

by Anonymousreply 151October 3, 2021 2:43 AM

By far the swankiest tag sale I’ve ever been to were the spring and fall sales held at Union Church in Pocantico Hills in Westchester, NY. This is the church that the Rockefellers built to attend services from their compound on a nearby mountaintop. It has the last art work made by Matisse in the rose window of the chapel and another set of windows by Chagall. Most of the artworks and antiques would come with authentication certificates and houseware, clothing and furniture were usually from the best houses in the county and where the very wealthy would unload their belongs especially as they redid their home design every four years or so, or their wardrobe seasonally. It literally became competitive about what people would donate. Unfortunately, even before the pandemic they seem to have ended them.

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by Anonymousreply 152October 3, 2021 2:49 AM

R138 Bitch came for me. Why not go buy some secondhand mugs to cradle?

by Anonymousreply 153October 3, 2021 3:13 AM

R151 is a jealous ,bitter ,crazy old bitch. I buy what I need for my home , or to wear and if I find some things I can gift to a friend that too . I give things that I can sell for free to people because I know I can make them happy. I do a very small amount of business online reselling that brings in a small amount of cash . I also take care of my mother who has Alzheimer’s with almost no help and not enough money to get a full-time attendant. My thrifting is fun for me and I’m not cut throat about it at all. You have no idea what you are talking about . So you are your ilk can just cunt off.

by Anonymousreply 154October 3, 2021 3:25 AM

Those are all great, R156, and fun to see! Thank you!

by Anonymousreply 157October 3, 2021 4:51 AM

My treasure, I mean pleasure, r157.

by Anonymousreply 158October 3, 2021 4:55 AM

Sadly many if not most of the thrift stores of old have gone in NYC.

UES once had tons of them, but last (Cancer Care) in Yorkville on Third avenue closed about a year or so ago. Space was quickly rented again and will be some new luxury high end spot which seems all that is happening in area now.

Downtown things aren't much better. East Village, West Village, Soho, Lower East Side once had tons of thrifts, they've all largely gone.

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by Anonymousreply 160October 3, 2021 6:18 AM

Antique Boutique and Cheap Jacks, enough said....

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by Anonymousreply 162October 3, 2021 6:46 AM

Don't forget Army/Navy surplus stores like Kaufman's where one could pick up NOS vintage pea coats, uniforms, blankets, etc.....

by Anonymousreply 163October 3, 2021 6:49 AM

R128 I"m guessing you have a three inch dick hidden under 100 pounds of gunt.

by Anonymousreply 164October 3, 2021 10:39 AM

Not exactly thrifts per se, but Housing Works has shrunk their presence as well in NYC.

Think only a few stores remain (UWS is one), but Tribeca, UES, etc... are long gone.

That Housing Works on UWS is a great resource. Sadly everyone and their mother goes there, so it can get rather crowded. Especially with dealers, flea market sellers, and others looking for deals on things to sell on.

by Anonymousreply 165October 3, 2021 11:33 AM

R164 Only two, thanks. I bathe myself with a rag on a stick!

by Anonymousreply 166October 3, 2021 2:15 PM

I scored a pair of Laurel mid century mushroom lamps several years ago for $35. At the time they were fetching at least $200 per lamp on eBay. I retired them as the cords were beginning to get gooey. First and last time I ever made a big time find.

by Anonymousreply 167October 3, 2021 3:24 PM

^^^rewired^^^ them. Damn spellcheck.

by Anonymousreply 168October 3, 2021 3:26 PM

R160 must be my neighbor. Cancer Care was a loss; I’ve gotten some wonderful things over the years. Some of the others took a lot of visiting to yield treasures for me. But I’d love to have them back. The church ones are mostly gone, too, although there’s one on W 96th that occasionally gives up a decent item.

Housing Works has plenty of locations. They’ve closed a few, but I still make the rounds. I miss the big one on 77th, though. They are a good charity, and I’m always glad to give them my money. The furniture is always a good deal.

Kaufman’s is still around, r163.

I finally visited the Salvation Army in Hell’s Kitchen and it was absolute dregs. Highlights were a pair of orange Benetton trousers from the 80s and a French terrine, though I bought neither. Depending on your taste, I suppose you could find something.

by Anonymousreply 169October 3, 2021 5:23 PM

I remember the left-handed pencils at Kaufman's, r169.

by Anonymousreply 170October 3, 2021 5:47 PM

R169

Actually biggest loss iMHO was Council Thrift (National Council of Jewish Women New York) thrift on East 84th (it's now a pet grooming spot).

Goodwill up in 90's is hit or miss. Haven't been up that way in a along time, stopped going up that part of Second when SAS construction started, and never got back into swing of things.

Place used to get everything from Target returns and overstock to donations from wealthy UES residents , and everything in between.

Dealers prowl that place daily, so if anything good comes in you have to nab it then, chances are it won't be there next time you go.

Will have to check out remaining Housing Works.

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by Anonymousreply 171October 3, 2021 6:05 PM

Haven't set foot in a Salvation Army store in ages.

Would tag along with friends when down on 8th Avenue near 21st street, and someone wanted to go in, but haven't stopped in that place in ages. Don't even know if it is still there or not.

by Anonymousreply 173October 3, 2021 6:13 PM

Heres a "one that got away " tale. I was in a Goodwill that was notorious for never letting a treasure slip through. It was on my route of thrifts so Id stop there anyway . As I was looking around this old hag passed by me with a buggy full of the most exquisite china. I instantly recognized t as the exquisite and highly prized Flora Danica By Royal Copenhagen . She had about 20 pieces,all taped in a pile ,with a price tag of $20 . I almost died of envy . She had $1000s of dollars worth of treasure in her buggy.

by Anonymousreply 174October 3, 2021 6:15 PM

I can't take the smell and the certainty that I'm wasting my time with thrift stores and antique shops that are all junk.

Having bought antiques since age 10, I can tell at a glance if a place might have something for me. That, combined with age and selectivity means I look much more often than buy now. I've never liked feeling crowded in my own space; things have to have space to appreciate them. Most times buying something new means getting rid of something up: upgrading quality, or changing the look.

Most things I buy online at auction houses all over the place, like most people like me do now. Shops are still fun, and big high quality shows, but they are relatively few and spread out now.

The one place where I go that's mostly junk is a weekly outdoor antiques market, that began 800 years ago as a second hair market. It always 99% junk, but amusing or curious junk, and once in a while a nice find. And being outdoors, there's not that terrible smell of ratty old clothes and furniture upholstery that someone died on.

by Anonymousreply 175October 3, 2021 6:22 PM

[quote] that began 800 years ago as a second hair market.

I always prefer first hair, don't you?

[quote] It always 99% junk

Oh, dear.

by Anonymousreply 176October 3, 2021 8:41 PM

I love the old pieces David Sedaris would write out the Paris Flea Markets and the macabre things he would pick up there.

by Anonymousreply 177October 3, 2021 9:43 PM

More swap meet miscellany...

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by Anonymousreply 178October 3, 2021 11:11 PM

If you're ever in LaJolla, CA you simply MUST go to the Goodwill there.

I have been into locations of Nordstroms and Saks that were not as piss elegant and glam as that Goodwill.

by Anonymousreply 179October 3, 2021 11:19 PM

[quote] I love the old pieces David Sedaris would write out the Paris Flea Markets and the macabre things he would pick up there.

Sedaris said he caught crabs from flea market pants. This didn't put him off of flea markets, but he vowed to launder flea market clothes before wearing them.

by Anonymousreply 180October 3, 2021 11:40 PM

They're called flea markets for a reason, r180.

by Anonymousreply 181October 3, 2021 11:43 PM

Yikes. I don't even try on used clothes, let along wear them without washing first.

by Anonymousreply 182October 4, 2021 1:25 AM

I once bought a really cool mohair vest at a thrift store. After a few years of wearing it, my partner made me get rid of it because it looked too much like human hair

by Anonymousreply 183October 4, 2021 1:31 AM

I don't think I could wear the hair of a mo, r183.

by Anonymousreply 184October 4, 2021 1:32 AM

R178, those are all so neat! Love the vintage wedding photo especially. Swap meets are really fun. My husband’s cousin got a box of VHS 80s home movies from the Santa Fe Springs swap meet and they were hysterical. We all sat around one night drinking and watching old 80s tapes.

by Anonymousreply 185October 4, 2021 1:59 AM

Seeing them again has me kicking myself that I didn't get that Faster Pussycat, Kill!...Kill! poster, r185.

by Anonymousreply 186October 4, 2021 3:12 AM

r186 All thrift store shoppers have a list of things they regret not buying.

Mine include an awesome pub sign with a matador on it and a pink straw cowboy hat.

by Anonymousreply 187October 4, 2021 7:20 AM

Ritz Thrift Shop became a victim of "Billionaire's Row"

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by Anonymousreply 188October 4, 2021 10:56 AM

For those unfamiliar with the place.....

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by Anonymousreply 189October 4, 2021 10:57 AM

The last time i went to a Salvation Army the prices were so high i might as well have shopped at a regular store.

by Anonymousreply 190October 4, 2021 6:26 PM

R190 that's what I find on many items.

The Goodwill near where I lived in Chicago was OK on clothing - they had $6 men's shirts because they had thousands upon thousands of those ubiquitous checkered shirts - but household items were often priced so high it was cheaper to go to the Target a few blocks away.

by Anonymousreply 191October 4, 2021 6:31 PM

R190

Thing is thrifts don't receive a discount on rent, so when that and other costs go up they have to raise prices.

Take UES/Yorkville; time was Third east to York avenue from about 60's or so was rather reasonable to maybe rather inexpensive, thus one could find all sorts of thrifts and other interesting small shops. By the late 1990's and certainly 2000's rents began going up. That pushed out many of the old thrift and antique stores like Jean Hoffman and Jana Starr. Same could be said for Columbus to Broadway on UWS, large parts of Greenwich and West Village, East Village, SoHo, etc....

Margins for thrifts and antique stores often are rather tight. Some places do a brisk business, others if they are lucky sell a few things each day (or worse week). As retail rents creeped up ever higher days of a opening up a little shop to sell "interesting" things largely dried up.

These thrift stores run by various charities (Jewish Women, Cancer Care, etc... ) at once time IIRC largely depended upon volunteer labor. Well off housewives who didn't need to work gladly gave of their time and energy. Those ladies have largely died off, so places had to hire labor, and that costs money. Even Housing Works tries to make do with what volunteer staff they can get, but still must hire a good number of people otherwise they couldn't survive.

Of course rise and growth on internet has killed off a huge part of thrift store traffic.

by Anonymousreply 192October 5, 2021 5:36 AM

Link to a 1992 issue of New York magazine featuring various thrifts, antique and other shops. Many now sadly are long gone.

Not exactly "thrift" but does anyone else remember going down to the "Flower District" either early in morning or late in day to get flowers or plants instead of paying marked up florist prices?

These places were all largely to the trade only, and you were supposed to have a taxpayer ID number. However cash does speak rather loudly, and since flowers don't keep forever.....

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by Anonymousreply 193October 5, 2021 5:40 AM

One great thing about Housing Works is they often seem to work that gay decorator and RE professional connection. Tons of things from the wealthy or merely well off are steered to Housing Works, much of it either gently used to totally NOS.

Gal who was one of the assistants at a place one worked back in 1990's came in one morning all panting about a totally new Baker furniture dining room set that was at local Housing Works. She spied the table, chairs, side board and china cabinet evening before when stopping in on way home from work.

After making enquiries was told a decorator whom staff at this HW knew (and made comments about, thus the "family" connection) had just arranged to have entire set hauled from some apartment on Park Avenue. Apparently set was purchased for a client, but upon arrival and installation she changed her mind and didn't like looks of it; so told her decorator to get rid of the things, and start over. Set was duly donated, client got tax deduction, decorator did a good deed...

Wrapping up story as per Housing Works policy newly arrived items aren't priced until next day. So all the whining, crying and begging wouldn't get manager to sell it *now*.

Assistant was late that morning because she went to HW hoping to be there when place opened, buy the Baker set, then arrange for collection later. Sadly for her two other women were standing outside of Housing Works also waiting for place to open and told her they wanted set as well. Both were women of color likely either maids , worked at Lenox Hill hospital or somewhere in area.

by Anonymousreply 194October 5, 2021 7:09 AM

One of Alan Bennet's best monologues was "Hand of God", about owner of an antique shop that gets what's coming to her...

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by Anonymousreply 195October 5, 2021 7:28 AM

I just today found a Buccellati sterling silver bowl for $1 ,in a Goodwill of all places. That right there is what keeps me hunting .

by Anonymousreply 196October 5, 2021 8:07 PM

We went to an estate sale in Detroit a few years ago. It was a home that was owned by this fancy Ford Motor Company executive. He was very artistic and had rooms for his photography, drafting, painting and so on. He had so many awesome black and white photos/postcards, gallery prints, vases, statues, lamps, etc. I ended up buying this beautiful Norwegian chair and a bunch of prints and postcards. It was the best estate sale I had ever been to. I remember Googling his name and he was part of the Detroit elite back in the day and threw epic parties. His taste level was off the chain and the house was an architectural delight.

by Anonymousreply 198October 5, 2021 8:28 PM

Wow, R196 that is amazing! Good eye! Are you going to keep it or flip it?

R198, that sounds like it would have been so fun to see, I love getting to walk thru homes of wealthy people with impeccable taste.

by Anonymousreply 199October 5, 2021 10:04 PM

They don't need impeccable taste, r199, they can just buy the house furnished.

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by Anonymousreply 200October 5, 2021 10:18 PM

“Comedy legend” Jay Leno, so they say. That house is incredible. Newport is so fancy.

by Anonymousreply 201October 5, 2021 10:51 PM

[R195] thank you for posting the Alan Bennett Eileen Atkins Talking Heads clip / really superb

by Anonymousreply 202October 6, 2021 3:44 AM

Hand Of God, by Alan Bennett, with Eileen Atkins as Celia is just brilliant.

As with rest of Talking Heads series you never see it coming. Also the actors take what otherwise could be dull recitation and bring things to life.

Celia is so smug, so sure of herself as a professional in the business when in reality she didn't have a clue. Which is how what could have been the biggest deal of her life ends up a humiliation. It's also what she gets for scheming to get her hands on the elderly woman's estate before she was even dead.

by Anonymousreply 203October 6, 2021 3:48 AM

Of all most common vermin that will use humans as hosts, mites that cause scabies can live longest on clothing, about one week. Fleas and lice (head or body) can only survive about 24 hours or less without being on a human or whatever mammal host.

Now bed bugs are another matter. They can live several months to a year or longer without feeding on human blood. Thus just because a bit of furniture or whatever has been sitting in a shop or on curb for period of time there is no guarantee it is free of those insects.

by Anonymousreply 204October 6, 2021 3:54 AM

Cats like to smell and eat human ear wax and it is actually good for them!

by Anonymousreply 205October 6, 2021 3:56 AM

[R71], I didn't know such turntables existed! I have a few vinyl LPs that I need to convert to digital because they were never made into CDs by the record company. I'll have to look for one now online. I imagine the cost will be prohibitive.

by Anonymousreply 207October 6, 2021 5:39 AM

Am opening up the floor to include flea markets.

NYC once had a nice selection of such places, including the grand daddy of them all Annex market in Chelsea.

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by Anonymousreply 208October 6, 2021 7:32 AM

Chelsea FM at new location....

What killed Chelsea and many other flea markets in was gentrification and rising land values.

Those who lived in NYC before or at least since 1970's would know all over Chelsea, West Village, mid-town, down town, etc... there were tons of parking lots.

Most of those lots were merely empty spaces that property owners left vacant because zoning or other issues didn't make building anything profitable. That all changed starting in 1990's or so, and certainly by 2000's. Developers made killings either selling empty lots, or putting up buildings themselves.

As it relates to Chelsea Sixth Avenue from about 22nd street north towards 34th was rezoned to allow residential or hotel construction. This was something property owners had lobbied city for years, and finally Flower District was rezoned. All those parking lots soon vanished and result is what you see today.

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by Anonymousreply 209October 6, 2021 7:41 AM

Flower District rezoning....

Remember back in day that SE corner of 23rd and Sixth few blocks north of Limelight was a parking lot.

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by Anonymousreply 210October 6, 2021 7:43 AM

Remember the delightfully tuneful Macklemore and his rap about thrift stores? We all believed his career would be one for the ages. Instead, history has turned a page.

by Anonymousreply 211October 6, 2021 10:15 AM

I thought Macklemore was a terrible "singer" but I would have so sucked his dick!

by Anonymousreply 212October 6, 2021 5:19 PM

R200 I had no idea Jay Leno bought Seafair, and for only 13 million, which is a bargain compared to LA real estate. Good for him.

by Anonymousreply 214October 6, 2021 7:59 PM

Especially with everything IN IT!!

by Anonymousreply 215October 7, 2021 12:26 AM

He old and has gazillions. Why not live it up on shore in Newport. Its very nice in the summer. That's why people chose the spot.

by Anonymousreply 216October 7, 2021 4:01 AM

Patti hawking her wares on eBay...

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by Anonymousreply 217October 7, 2021 11:09 PM

I'm a frequent visitor to local antique markets and fairs, estate sales, thrift stores, and vintage collectives and have found all sorts of beautiful things at reasonable to cheap prices. Places like Goodwill and certain thrift stores are sort of depressing, depending on the store, but I've still found some nice things in those places.

I don't buy clothes and am especially creeped out by strangers' shoes. I go more for antiques, barware, and vintage décor, and vintage/antique wood furniture.

by Anonymousreply 218October 7, 2021 11:45 PM

Good to see one of my favourite spots, City Opera Thrift is still open.

Once on 23rd street, they've moved a few blocks away, but often still worth a peek into if down in area.

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by Anonymousreply 219October 8, 2021 3:00 AM

Cure Thrift Shop down in East Village is still around as well, though hours are a bit short.

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by Anonymousreply 220October 8, 2021 3:02 AM

Austria and Switzerland are thrift shop heaven in recent years. The interest for old things as evaporated among the young here, who are bland and want new bland things or new high end design. Accordingly, all the bourgeois houses are regularly emptied of truckloads of brown furniture, handsome lustres, good tableware and crystal, linens galore. 25 years ago people my age were interested in this stuff and kept the market strong. Now we have our stuff and aren't buying, and the young people don't want it. I know a decent shop that regularly goes through the glass and china and smashes stuff that has lingered a few months. There are cartons in the back that have to be put out. Solid armoires and commodes and dining room sets that would have gone for 1k to 4k in the past can't find buyers at 500. It's sent to be burned. Quite lovely things that are not quite "name" enough to be bought and shipped to where it might fetch a price, is destroyed. Maybe no 1st world has a market for this. If its not names and models that are in design museums, its considered of no value at all.

by Anonymousreply 221October 8, 2021 3:14 AM

The silver however, disappears and is sold for melt value, which is high. Only rarely do you get a church lady who doesn't know that 925 and 950 flatware is valuable - just for the silver - and marks it at 100 euros like the silver-plate. young people DO NOT want silver service thats for damn sure.

by Anonymousreply 222October 8, 2021 3:19 AM

Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen once was lovely when it was one of the better not so well kept secrets Americans stumbled upon. Yes, dealers and those in trade knew about it, but you didn't have masses of fraus from Boise, Idaho or Paris, Texas.

Sadly now that's all changed thanks to interent, guide books and worse of all Americans who live in France that make a living doing guided tours of Paris or other cities for hordes of other Americans.

Where once it was possible to do deals, not so much anymore. Dealers have gotten wind of Americans who are willing to throw money at anything they want, and prices have gone up. So hard to do deals anymore even if one speaks French.

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by Anonymousreply 223October 8, 2021 3:22 AM

R222

No one under a certain age wants silver service of any sort anymore it seems. This is all over Europe, UK, and North America.

Don't think Mother even bothers taking things out anymore. She's even stopped leaving tea/coffee set on display in china cabinet because it then sooner or later wants polishing.

Have some lovely things myself, but who wants the bother nowadays? If something cannot go into dishwasher am leery of hauling it out regardless of who is coming for dinner or whatever.

by Anonymousreply 224October 8, 2021 3:25 AM

Yes, the market is stronger in France, and Italy too. Which is why its a paradise in quiet but rich countries. The demand for the goods has collapsed. I remember all the vintage quasi-design shops in Geneva and Zurich and Vienna and smaller cities too - the mid century ones, the Art Deco ones - filled with semi-treasures that thrifting homos were flipping for good prices. These shops are gone.

by Anonymousreply 225October 8, 2021 3:26 AM

I would buy another silver service or two if they were special because I just like silver cutlery. In my experience, you can polish it once then eat with it daily and it stays pretty good. After a year, you can get bored and change to another set. But as I said, the silver doesn't even make it into the church and charity thrifts like it used to. They know it has melt value. It's a pity. You only find silver plate. Silver goes to auction houses if its extra special, or is melted.

by Anonymousreply 226October 8, 2021 3:29 AM

Silver must of course be checked and cleaned once a week. It may look clean to *you*, but I like to see my face in it....

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by Anonymousreply 227October 8, 2021 3:40 AM

I’ve gotten some great clothing: a Hugo boss tux, a Calvin Klein suit and a couple of Italian designers. It’s amazing what rich people give away in certain ZIP Codes. You just have to find the right stores. There are some amazing finds.

by Anonymousreply 229October 8, 2021 4:28 AM

The weight of most hollowware doesn’t merit most shops, at least American ones, to list it online.

A regular bonbon dish weighting 200g is own thing, but the average weighted candlestick pair or a weighted epergne or tableau, can’t be sold for more than $30 or $40 dollars unless it’s in a nice shop.

by Anonymousreply 230October 8, 2021 5:13 AM

Honey if I can't sell it, I'm going to sit down on it. Why should I give it away?

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by Anonymousreply 231October 8, 2021 7:03 AM

Also famous for, “If you can’t cut the mustard, don’t go licking ‘round the jar” Love me some Ruth.

by Anonymousreply 232October 8, 2021 7:44 AM

The dealers I know who manage to turn things over quickly and at a profit sell on Instagram. They have done well in the old "mid-range market" of things that start at $/€/£500 or so and go to the mid-five-figures, tipping occasionally to the 10,000 or15,000 mark. They develop a following, then post items as they acquire them. Good photography and a good backdrop aid enormously and their buyers are already disposed to their taste in things so grabbing something before another does is a small victory for the buyer (and an easy, quick sell for the vendor.) For some this is a sideline to other work, as art dealers, interior designers, etc., and for some it's definitely a serious full-time business. At the higher end are dealers with brick-&-mortar shops with good things at good high prices but whose trade has turned increasingly to people buying online never seeing the object until it arrives at their door.

A few online-only dealers post new things every Tuesday, say, starting at a certain hour and are busy posting and accepting offers as they go, maybe starting at 6PM and winding up at 12PM if there are a lot of things and a lot of questions and answers with buyers. They sell at wholesale prices and it's rare that everything doesn't sell within hours if not seconds sometimes. The rest of the week is spent dispatching bought items and buying new stock for the next batch. It happens at the rapidity of an auction but with set prices, the economy for the dealer made by being able to buy extensive quantities of things at a time and sell them at attractive prices avoiding the need for a shop or the bother of carrying stock for long periods of time. Many of the best pieces moving on the market in that price range are sold on Instagram, and sold within minutes after posting, so I wouldn't say the market is wholly dead, just that it has constricted greatly, the new buyers are a different lot, and what sells has certain aesthetics in common whether at the old brown furniture end or modern design legends of 1970s Italy.

by Anonymousreply 233October 8, 2021 9:26 AM

I got this record at a thrift store, r232...

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by Anonymousreply 234October 8, 2021 5:07 PM

A few years ago, I picked up this exact square lidded Le Creuset baking dish at my local thrift store for $10. They also had a set of 6 matching Le Creuset ramekins for $4 each but I passed on those.

Then last year I found a Le Creuset stockpot for $6.99 at another local thrift store. I am using it to make my lunch right now!

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by Anonymousreply 235October 8, 2021 6:04 PM

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