Going Nifty Thrifty
Thrift
Store is a shop that sells used articles, especially clothing, as to benefit a
charitable organization.
Charity shops are often popular with people who are frugal.
In the United States, people shop at a charity store because they prefer
buying second-hand goods as this uses fewer natural resources and would appear to
do less damage to the environment.
Goods are usually collected locally, and reusing second-hand items is a
form of recycling, and thus reduces the amount of waste going to landfill
sites.
The health risk of buying used clothing is unknown, but by washing
purchased items in hot water is just one of several ways to eliminate the risk
of contracting infectious diseases.
Nowadays everyone shops at Thrift Stores because they carry everything
people use, or even imagine it existed. It is like visiting a museum with
articles for sale with very low price. Not only that, but Thrift Stores carry
collectables.
At first, in order to purchase an antique people would refer to antique
stores, and it accommodated rich folks. Yet, most articles were used once in the
past. The same concept is used for Thrift Stores, however, it is donation and
one never knows what can be on display.
My first visit to a thrift store happened in 1987 in Queen, NY at the Steinway
Blvd. At that time New Yorkers used to
place their used products in the garbage. The city collected these articles
once a week and discarded them in a field. Most immigrants decorated their entire house
with products from the garbage, or from the streets. I was surprised to see a store with used
products. People were still placing their trash on the streets. I remember
collecting a TV from the garbage, to find out that it was in perfect condition.
The news that New York had a day to collect these types of discards became important
for most immigrants, who occupied the streets in search of treasures.
Today, most cities have a day when used furniture or broken appliances etc.
are placed in the street for collection. It is still common to find good
appliances during these collecting days. However, the majority of the people
are familiar with Thrift stores and they donate their used products to these
facilities.
It is common to donate used articles to thrift stores. They offer a receipt
up to $250, which can be used as a tax deduction. At the same time people feel
that second hand products are good for the environment.
Thrift stores are famous today because they carry treasures! You find
articles that were manufactured in the United States during the 50’s and 60’s,
and they are all vintage products. Off course, most small decorating-products
were made in China, but you can find rare products manufactured all over the
world.
I love to collect books, and preferably first edition. I have found many
signed first editions on Thrift Stores. I also have sold some books on E-bay.
Second hand books are a gem for any book collector.
My dishes in the kitchen are a complete collection Windsor Ware made in
England. They are beautiful and it was manufactured first class in England.
Their price varies today, but anyone who appreciates china will know that you
only find these items in antique stores. It’s probable was imported by someone not
frugal. My entire dish collection,
besides Windsor, is completed with Corning Ware. These white bowls, have a
design with vegetables such as artichoke, mushrooms, tomatoes and onions, and
they come with their glass cover. On the outside there is a description in
French of the use of each dish. I have every dish named L’Echalote, every size
ever made, along with cooking pan and refrigerator jars called Coning Ware 1 ¾ cup.
I never found it all in one place, but whenever I visited a thrift store I
was concentrated on books while Jack was purchasing dishes and housewares. Housewares
from the 50’s and 60’s are Jack’s passion. He finds pots and pans made with
iron by Le Creusset or Dansk, or
anything that has enamel. He collects
them, and forms complete set by going in search of these particular items.
Nowadays it is easy to find antique store owners visiting thrift stores
daily. They purchase what they know can be sold and they stay all day inside
the store waiting for the item to be placed on the shelf. They usually know one
another, and they camp at the store and always find something valuable. Others
are owners of thrift stores overseas. They come in and purchase lots of merchandise
and ship to their country.
It is beautiful to watch people little by little gaining more trust in
second hand products. We find all types of people shopping for second hand
products, and they have their agenda, as I also have mine. I know what books I
am looking for, their cover, size etc. I glance at the shelf and look for it. I
do not re-sale them anymore, therefore I only buy what I know I will read it.
At times I get tired of my books (the ones I have read), and I sell them in a
yard sale for $.25 cents each. I keep only those rare one’s such as the first
edition of “A Boy’s will by Robert Frost”, which is valued around $3500
dollars. However, I learned that mine is not a first edition because it should
have a misspelled word on page 13. I kept it anyway.
Jack and I prefer American Products to have at the house. We know that they
will be a rarity in the future because they are not being manufactured anymore. Jack’s Pyrex collection is complete, with
every item in the reference book. He has all colors, all sets, all shapes. One
type of refrigerator jars with covers; he has at least 20 sets with tops, in
different colors. He found one here, another one over there, and little by
little he completed his collection. Jack also collects McCoy pots. We have many
of these pots around the house, and they are very expensive at antique stores.
One fruit hanging pot goes for $150 each.
If a movie Industry decides to make a movie taking place in the fifty’s we
have all the housewares to display in any kitchen.
For this reason, I would recommend all of my readers to donate their used articles
to a charitable organization, instead of discarding them. Most charitable
organizations have the objective of Providing Social
Services for Individuals & Families daily; Transitional Housing program
provides Substance Abuse/Mental Health Counseling, Life Skills Training &
Anger Management; Angel Tree Program provides Christmas assistance to local underprivileged
children & families, Holiday Gifts to Nursing Homes, Detention Homes,
Hospitals, & Correctional Facilities; Other programs include After School
Care, Summer Camp, Music Programs, Group Sports & so much more.
If you are not a collector, you should become
one. You will be surprised by what is sold in these stores.
Remember one thing: We are all humans, and we
do not have to destroy anything we don’t want. We can donate it and make
someone else happy. We can help these organizations by purchasing their goods,
and donating it back again eventually.
Yours truly,
Milton Laene Araujo
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