Memorial Day Thrift Haul

Sooo I bought a couch. I know what your thinking, why? why did you buy a couch? Well it’s cute and mid century and I got 50% off, it was only $30.00. I wasn’t looking for furniture but I was at Savers memorial day and they announced that all furniture and electronics were also 50% off until 5pm. So, I casually wandered over to the furniture. I saw a cute mid century highboy dresser but it was painted black and I don’t really want to refinish a dresser I’m not in love with. I continued walking around and  looked at the chairs and couch’s and then I saw it.

Originally it was $60.00, still a pretty good deal, but with 50% off it was only 30 and It was really tempting. So I thought about it but there was one hitch, It’s too big to fit in my tiny car. I called my mom to try and get her to talk me out of it, but she didn’t. Unlike the Salvation Army, Savers doesn’t hold an item for you for 3 days, you have to pick it up the day you buy it. Savers should really think about changing that. So after lots of back and forth with my mom, circling around the couch like a vulture, giving the evil eye to people who looked/sat on it, we finally got a friend of the family to come with his van to help me get the couch home. He was across town and after the guy helping me told me why they don’t hold furniture I was super anxious about my couch. He said people take off the sold tag, buy it and the original buyer is left high dry and out $30 bucks. Luckily no one did that and my couch made it home safe.  Anyway I promise no more big furniture purchases, unless it’s Brasilia I don’t know if I can say no to that. Anyway from now on if it’s not Brasilia and I can’t fit it in my car I don’t get it. This works since what I really want to find is some cool storage so I can get rid of these two plastic storage bins in my room. Isn’t it cute though! When I looked at it part of my rationalization of buying it was that it could go in our TV room. Currently we have two chairs in there but they’re not very comfortable and we’ve gotten kind of sick of them. So, when we eventually clear out the chairs and ready the room it’ll be in there. 

I also got these cool tiki style cups/goblets. I looked them up and I guess they’re from Party City, I knew they weren’t old when I got them since they’re plastic and say made in china. Vintage or not I still think they’re cool. I’m usually looking for vintage tiki stuff but these were cheap and cute so I figured what the hell. I always thought I never found any good tiki stuff at thrift stores, then while searching for tiki stuff online I found out I’ve been seeing it a lot and just didn’t know it! So if your into something it never hurts to google/ebay it.

I did find a cool Cynthia Rowley kimono-ish top but I put it and the cups down to measure my car and when I got back it was gone. I found the cups again but the shirt was gone. Maybe next time. I didn’t really find anything else memorial day, I only ended up going to two stores. I was planning on going to more but I started late and the whole couch debacle took up a lot of time, by the time I got the couch home most of the other stores I was going to visit were closed. Did you find anything good this memorial day?

*Also, I decided not to post the photos to the photo-a-day challenge everyday and instead will do a roundup of the weeks pictures every Saturday until the end of the month.

** Also linking up with Her Library Adventures’ Flea Market Finds .

It’s that time again

image via google images

It’s memorial day and aside from barbequing and remembering our fallen veterans it’s also 50% off thrift store day. If you, like me, plan to brave the crowds and score some deals this memorial day here are few tips I have for participating in these bargain hunting escapades.

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1. Know What’s on Sale. Yes they’re called sale days but that means different things to different retailers. Make sure you know what is and isn’t on sale at each thrift store. This ensures you don’t end up falling in love with an item you thought was on on sale.  If you’re in the Twin Cities metro area Meghan of High Plains Thrifter has a round up of local thrift stores and what they’re offering on sale today.

2. Expect Crowds and Crowding. Believe it or not your not the only one who loves a good deal. So, on sale days all the bargain hunters descend on your favorite thrift stores in search of great deals. This means lots and lots of people. If your not in the mood to brave the crowds don’t go and save your sanity. People can be pushy and irritating and there will be lots of them.


3. Know Your Limits. Don’t just buy something because it’s on super sale. Make sure that even if the item is a measly $1.50 it’s something you really like, fits you well, and you have room for it. If you can, make a budget for the day and try not to overspend. A tip I got from Sammy of Sammy Davis Vintage is to budget a set amount for each store you’re planning to go to and stick to it. Sammy rations out $20.00 a store, which I think is a pretty good amount, if you go over that amount at one store subtract your overages from your budget for the next store and spend accordingly. You can read more of Sammy’s thrifting tips here.

4. Be Prepared. Another tip I got from Sammy Davis Vintage is to be prepared. Make sure you’ve eaten before you go and bring a snack. Bring along some tunage if your favorite thrift store has less than desirable tunes. One of my favorite thrift stores’ station of choice is a christian radio station. I don’t have anything against christian music or radio stations they’re just not something I listen to on a daily basis. Sometimes the music a store plays can really get to you, so bringing along and iPod just in case never hurts. Also be aware of what your wearing, this is especially important on sale days. Sale days are notorious for long dressing room lines, so wear something form fitting so you can try on clothes outside of the dressing room. Many people recommend leggings, a tank top and maybe a skirt.

5. If Your Unsure Grab It Anyway. I do this sale day or not but it’s even more pertinent on a sale day since the amount of people in store grows significantly. Try on the item or carry it around with you, but don’t put it down unless you’ve though it over and are sure you don’t want it.

6. Be Courteous and Keep a Cool Head. I can’t tell you how many sale days I’ve gotten irritated by my fellow thrifters. Someone blocks the aisle with their cart, moves slowly, pushes you into the aisles with their cart etc.Try and keep a cool head. People are going to irritate you, being amongst so many energetic bargain hunters will do that to you. Breathe deep and if it’s really getting to you leave. No bargain is worth your sanity.

7. Carts Only When Necessary. Personally I hate carts in thrift stores, especially on sale days. I generally try to avoid carts like the plague no matter when I’m thrifting. But, sometimes rules are meant to be broken. The last sale day I participated in I ended up getting a cart of sorts (one of those weird roll-y shopping carts they have at savers) because I found a piece of Pyrex I wanted and didn’t want to put it back as doing so may mean losing it. If you get a cart be courteous of other people and try not to push them around with it. Carts are also necessary if you plan on stocking up on lots of items or are having a particularly fruitful day at the thrift store.  Also, if you end up with a cart also be sure to guard it well and don’t leave it unattended, doing so may lead to missing items.