The Joys of Thrifting

First off, let me start this post by exclaiming my undying love for thrifting.  Rummage sales, Salvation Army's, Goodwill's, consignment shops- they all attract me and I spend many afternoons browsing through the items trying to picture how they'd look in my home with some tlc and a couple coats of paint. 

It does take some time and some vision to find treasures in second-hand stores though. I find it helps to have a general idea what you're searching for. For example, I just painted one wall of my family room teal so I have my eye out for frames, candles, owls (always owls!) that are teal or can be painted teal to add pops of color in that space.  Also, Katie from Bower Power just wrote an awesome post on how to successfully thrift; definitely give it a read.

The last couple times I've been thrifting I've had some M-A-J-O-R success.  My first stop at the Salvation Army landed me a sweet vase and a pretty frame for $7.  I know their teals are a bit off but that's nothing a little spray paint can't fix.

My best trip was yesterday's run into Goodwill.  I found this Avington console table from Target brand new and still in the box for $20 and I literally squeed and hugged it right then and there in the store.  As soon as I got home I grabbed my tools and went to town opening & assembling it.  Now this gorgeous table has a new home in my living room.

My second find yesterday in that same Goodwill is this 8-cube ClosetMaid organizer also from Target, also brand new and still in the box, for $10.  And the best part? Somehow by the grace of all that's holy, I was there during the 50% sale and bought both pieces for $15.  FIFTEEN DOLLARS.  I still can't believe it. 

 

I swung by Walmart and picked up the baskets for $4 each and now both Emerson's nursery and the living room have two pieces of furniture that they were despertly needing for only $31.  I feel high from trips like this (only, you know, without the nasty hangover).

I couldn't believe that this Goodwill had so many unopened Target items and come to find out Target donates all of their unsold clearance items to surrounding Goodwill's. And from what I've found online, it seems to be a national Target trend which means it's not just the Targets & Goodwills in my area.  Items donated also include seasonal items, some customer returns and/or other items that managers deem unsellable. Like that Avington table?  The box was ripped to shreds.  It probably fell out of a storage truck or in the backroom and never even made it to the sales floor.  I'll admit I was a bit hesitant buying it; what if I got it home and it was missing a part or one of the pieces was also damaged? Well Goodwill has a RETURN POLICY.  If it was damaged I could have taken it back and I wouldn't be out anything.  As it is, it's in perfect condition.

And the cube organizer?  I could tell when I was putting it together that it was made incorrectly.  The pre-drilled holes that you needed to line up with a shelf were drilled on the wrong end.  No worries. I'm quite handy with a drill and so I just created my own holes and filled in the others with a dab of putty. 

So what are you waiting for? Get to thrifting!