Thrift Store clothing

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that enjoys cooking.
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Love some of the finds I get there as well. A nice CD/Radio/Dual Alarm clock for $5, a Hitachi bread machine for $10, an electric ice cream maker for $8. Great places to shop IMHO.
And yes, I think better than buying new made in China stuff a lot of the time. Especially those old Rival Crockpots that keep showing up!
 
A couple of friends and I do a tea party to go for elderly and homebound ladies in our church. I purchased all the tea dishes from a Salvation Army thrift store. Everyone always oohs and aahs over them when we serve. I paid more for one 3-tiered server from a catalogue than for all the dishes. I haven't bought clothes that were used, but wouldn't have a problem with it as long as I washed them before wearing. I always wash new underwear before we use them.
 
I love going to the Goodwill and looking through the stuff. It is like a treasure hunt and you never know what you find. I always wash or dry clean whatever I get immediately. Can't tell you how many Pyrex bowls I've picked up at the GW.
 

The woman who brought the clothes in had some unbielievable funk growing on her arms and neck. It looked like open sores and ....well let's not go there. The thought occured to me, as I watched the counter girl put the clothes on the racks, that no one would ever know that these clothes were worn by someone with such a horrific skin problem. No way in this green planet will I ever buy clothes from a thrift shop. Never did but now I never will.
But thank you all for responding. You came up with some interesting things.

....and that same woman could have tried on the outfit you just paid full price for at Neiman Marcus. Everything I own goes in the washer on "hot" and in the dryer for an hour so I am not concerned.
 
....and that same woman could have tried on the outfit you just paid full price for at Neiman Marcus.

Now DARE you imply it's possible shoppers at Neiman Marcus could be diseased!! That is completely uncalled for ... Harumph!

:ROFLMAO:

But seriously, Wife is in Victoria's Secret trying on bras, I see several little girls (mid to late teens) trying on swim suits. I'm thinking Golly, we have no idea where 'thats' been or how long ago 'it' was 'there'.

And remember the PSA: VD is For Everybody?



Everything I own goes in the washer on "hot" and in the dryer for an hour so I am not concerned.

Don't forget the Clorox!
 
....and that same woman could have tried on the outfit you just paid full price for at Neiman Marcus. Everything I own goes in the washer on "hot" and in the dryer for an hour so I am not concerned.

I'm not intending to beat you over the head with this because I asked for opinions and appreciate that you gave me yours. BUT I have to disagree. Knowing there is a possiblility and a small one at that, that any article of clothing that I would try on at Neiman Marcus, (actually I buy my clothes at Nordstrom) was tried on by anyone at all, much less someone with a skin condition is NOT the same as knowing for SURE that the clothes that woman brought in were worn by her. Not every piece of clothing in a department store is tried on by anyone, that's a fact, but the nearly all of the clothing in a thrift store was worn over and over by someone. Not the same as just trying something on for a couple of minutes.

And I have to disagree on the washing technique. I don't know of anyone who washes sweaters, jackets, or slacks in hot water, with clorox, and in a hot dryer. Cotton yes, but not the rest of it.

As far as swim suits are concerned, the better stores will tell you or have a sign indicating that you must be wearing underwear to try on a swim suit. How many people walk around without underwear? (Rhetorical question, not another thread. :rolleyes:)
I'm wondering why anyone would take off their underwear to try one on in the first place.

I fully understand the need for some people to save money and I agree this is one way to do it. I'm just wondering, and gathering information, how many of you do and how many don't and the reasons behind your decision. I wish I could do it too, but....
 
Love some of the finds I get there as well. ...... Especially those old Rival Crockpots that keep showing up!

Oooo! Good idea, Mav! The ONLY thing I like about my newer crock is the larger size.

I'll keep an eye out for the older ones that cook all day without burning stuff (wish I hadn't tossed mine out!)

Lee
 
I'm not intending to beat you over the head with this because I asked for opinions and appreciate that you gave me yours. BUT I have to disagree. Knowing there is a possiblility and a small one at that, that any article of clothing that I would try on at Neiman Marcus, (actually I buy my clothes at Nordstrom) was tried on by anyone at all, much less someone with a skin condition is NOT the same as knowing for SURE that the clothes that woman brought in were worn by her. Not every piece of clothing in a department store is tried on by anyone, that's a fact, but the nearly all of the clothing in a thrift store was worn over and over by someone. Not the same as just trying something on for a couple of minutes.

And I have to disagree on the washing technique. I don't know of anyone who washes sweaters, jackets, or slacks in hot water, with clorox, and in a hot dryer. Cotton yes, but not the rest of it.

As far as swim suits are concerned, the better stores will tell you or have a sign indicating that you must be wearing underwear to try on a swim suit. How many people walk around without underwear? (Rhetorical question, not another thread. :rolleyes:)
I'm wondering why anyone would take off their underwear to try one on in the first place.

I fully understand the need for some people to save money and I agree this is one way to do it. I'm just wondering, and gathering information, how many of you do and how many don't and the reasons behind your decision. I wish I could do it too, but....

First of all you have no knowledge that this persons condition was in any way contagious.

Aside from rarely worn suits.. pretty much everything I own goes in on hot and the dryer... from sweaters to the dog bed... I am lazy, I am a bachelor and I don't sort....

Otherwise its to the dry cleaner for chemical death... so again I dont worry...... what about he bus or the handles on the taxi... I just dont spend my time freaking out about every surface.

what about restaurant kitchens... people are gross... the world is scary if you think too much....
 
First of all you have no knowledge that this persons condition was in any way contagious.

Aside from rarely worn suits.. pretty much everything I own goes in on hot and the dryer... from sweaters to the dog bed... I am lazy, I am a bachelor and I don't sort....

Otherwise its to the dry cleaner for chemical death... so again I dont worry...... what about he bus or the handles on the taxi... I just dont spend my time freaking out about every surface.

what about restaurant kitchens... people are gross... the world is scary if you think too much....

The stuff that I KNOW about bothers me enough without wondering about the stuff I DON'T know about.

Just so you understand I am not talking about kitchen items, toys, etc. Those things can be sanitized and washed in very hot water. I have found some of the best serving pieces and glassware in Goodwill shops. I don't buy electrical appliances because I have no way of knowing if they will work beyond the end of the week, but I do think there are some great buys in thrift stores. Just not for me as far as something as personal as clothing.
 
I'm going to do a blog on this subject but before I do, I would like to find out how you all feel about buying used clothing from thrift shops.

If you do, does it ever occur to you that the person who wore the clothing may have had a some kind of skin problems? This can't be washed out since the clothes cannot be washed in water hot enough to sanitize and that goes for using bleach on the clothes.

Tell me how you feel about doing this. There is an article in the L.A. Times New safety rules for children's clothes have stores in a fit - this deals with lead in clothes coming from China and several people are up in arms about it. New safety rules for children's clothes have stores in a fit - Los Angeles Times

I'm not intending to beat you over the head with this because I asked for opinions and appreciate that you gave me yours. BUT I have to disagree. Knowing there is a possiblility and a small one at that, that any article of clothing that I would try on at Neiman Marcus, (actually I buy my clothes at Nordstrom) was tried on by anyone at all, much less someone with a skin condition is NOT the same as knowing for SURE that the clothes that woman brought in were worn by her. Not every piece of clothing in a department store is tried on by anyone, that's a fact, but the nearly all of the clothing in a thrift store was worn over and over by someone. Not the same as just trying something on for a couple of minutes.

And I have to disagree on the washing technique. I don't know of anyone who washes sweaters, jackets, or slacks in hot water, with clorox, and in a hot dryer. Cotton yes, but not the rest of it.

As far as swim suits are concerned, the better stores will tell you or have a sign indicating that you must be wearing underwear to try on a swim suit. How many people walk around without underwear? (Rhetorical question, not another thread. :rolleyes:)
I'm wondering why anyone would take off their underwear to try one on in the first place.

I fully understand the need for some people to save money and I agree this is one way to do it. I'm just wondering, and gathering information, how many of you do and how many don't and the reasons behind your decision. I wish I could do it too, but....


You have me wondering what kind of blog you intend to write?

Aparently you won't wear the clothing so it's reasonable to assume you wouldn't buy the clothing so you couldn't blog about the great deals you got.

I guess you could write about the clothing you find on the racks, but once it was revealed you wouldn't wear the clothing , well , people would wonder.

I guess you could stake out the drop off door and write about the diseased people dropping off clothing, once again people would wonder.

What kind of a blog would/could be written from the point ov view of a non participant?
 
You have me wondering what kind of blog you intend to write?

Aparently you won't wear the clothing so it's reasonable to assume you wouldn't buy the clothing so you couldn't blog about the great deals you got.

I guess you could write about the clothing you find on the racks, but once it was revealed you wouldn't wear the clothing , well , people would wonder.

I guess you could stake out the drop off door and write about the diseased people dropping off clothing, once again people would wonder.

What kind of a blog would/could be written from the point ov view of a non participant?

I guess the gist of my blog was lost in the long list of responses. I posted an address directing you the LA Times article regarding thrift shops and people being up in arms about the idea of passing a law saying that thrift shops could no longer carry children's clothing because of the danger of lead poisoning from clothing made in China. (Refer back to the article).

Customers as well as thrift shop owners were very upset with this law because the shops would have to close their doors and so many people depend on clothes from thrift shops because children outgrow their clothes very fast. And I fully understand that.

I wanted to say something about the fact that people don't seem to be concerned about their children's safety as long as they can save money. It was more a question of whether this is true rather than a judgment.

A baby died as the result of chewing on a button from a piece of clothing made in China. The button contained enough lead to kill him. This was the reason for the law coming into effect. Apparently from other articles written, this was not the first incident of it's kind.

The sight of the woman with the skin condition reinforced my thoughts on the fact that we really don't know anything about the clothing we buy from sources other than shops dealing in new clothing. (New clothing coming in from China will now be tested for lead content before it can be sold in American markets, but used clothing is another matter.)

I really wanted to point out that this was a dilema that so many people will be facing since there are many, many people in these bad times who have no choice but to buy used clothing because of the savings. And I understand the plight of the shop owner who will have his business curtailed considerably if not closed down because of this law. ****ed if we do, and ****ed if we don't. What's the answer to this problem? That was to be the point of the blog. I gathered enough information to understand why you buy where you do.

HOWEVER, I decided a couple of days ago to rethink doing the blog at all. I guess I don't want to hurt anyone with the thought that the clothes they are buying could be contaminated. Most people never gave that a thought. Some people have no choice and bringing that fact to their attention would not be in their best interest. I've discovered that my blogs are read all over the world so this would be reaching a lot of people who are not affected by the new law.

 
I have bought clothing from all kinds of thrift shops for my children and grandchildren over the years and i've even donated a lot and none of these children have ever come across with any disease nor have they passed on any diseases to anyone else.

I still think that the thrift shops are a great place to go for all interested in a good buy of what ever the need or want is.
 
Why do these things always seem to happen in California? So, I can buy new clothing made in China, but not used?? So, they think new clothes from China are safer than used clothing from China?
 
Why do these things always seem to happen in California? So, I can buy new clothing made in China, but not used?? So, they think new clothes from China are safer than used clothing from China?

You didn't read the article and you missed the part in my post where it told about new clothing coming in from China will now be tested for lead contentl
 
You didn't read the article and you missed the part in my post where it told about new clothing coming in from China will now be tested for lead contentl

Unless they ban all kids clothes coming from China being sold anywhere in the US it is unrealistic to think that banning it used in one state will change anything. And again, I fail to see how used clothing from China is more unsafe than new clothing from China.
The only thing really being accomplished here is that clothing that can be readily, cheapily, and easily had can suddenly no longer be passed on but rather must be thrown out. So where is it all gonna go?
 
Oh, and I did read the article, but I went back and re-read it and did misread that it was enacted by Congress not the California Legislature.
Still, very poorly written law that will benefit the wealthy by forcing to buy their just as cheaply made but greatly marketed up merchandise while putting small business' out of business, straining the middle class and poor even more, and sends tons upon tons of perfectly good merchandise to the landfill.
Heavens knows our landfills are so empty we just need to find stuff to fill them with. How come they couldn't have just banned the import of said items once found to contain lead so no new ones came in?
Oh never mind, that would make just too much sense...
 
Okay guys, let's see if I can explain to you just what the article means. Maybe you're not reading or understanding what's really going to happen.

The NEW clothing coming in from China FROM NOW ON, must be TESTED, not BANNED. The clothing containing lead will be banned and ONLY those items that contain lead.

Used clothing from China is unsafe because it has never been tested as in the case of the lead filled button that killed that child. Clothing that is NEW and tested negative for lead content will be safe to sell.

What I'm finding disturbing is that you are advocating the sale of unsafe clothing, putting children in danger, just because it will put people out of business or keep people from purchasing CERTAIN unsafe items.

NOT ALL CLOTHING WILL BE BANNED, AND THE USED CLOTHING, SOME OF IT CONTAINING LEAD WILL BE DESTROYED. THE GOVERNMENT FEELS THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF CHILDREN TAKES PRIORITY OVER MONEY.
 
I have no qualms about thrift store clothing. Fear of indirect contact with someone like the thrift store donor Drama Queen mentioned would also scare me away from the furniture in a restaurant or dentist office.

Some people assume that clothing in thrift stores has been washed by the store. I know for certain that The Salvation Army in Memphis does not wash clothing before putting it into the store so, as so many have already mentioned, it is a good idea to wash the stuff when you bring it home.

I bought Country Gentleman and London Fog fedoras for a couple bucks each.
 
Okay guys, let's see if I can explain to you just what the article means. Maybe you're not reading or understanding what's really going to happen.

The NEW clothing coming in from China FROM NOW ON, must be TESTED, not BANNED. The clothing containing lead will be banned and ONLY those items that contain lead.

Used clothing from China is unsafe because it has never been tested as in the case of the lead filled button that killed that child. Clothing that is NEW and tested negative for lead content will be safe to sell.

What I'm finding disturbing is that you are advocating the sale of unsafe clothing, putting children in danger, just because it will put people out of business or keep people from purchasing CERTAIN unsafe items.

NOT ALL CLOTHING WILL BE BANNED, AND THE USED CLOTHING, SOME OF IT CONTAINING LEAD WILL BE DESTROYED. THE GOVERNMENT FEELS THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF CHILDREN TAKES PRIORITY OVER MONEY.

That is very naive to think our government will ever give anything priority over money...LOL.
If they were really concerned with this, why not go into all the existing retailers and test the clothing on the shelves??? Cause the retailers would never have consented, that's why.
What this really means is that they are still free to sell clothing that may have lead in them so long as it is already in the US (which a lot of it is in warehouses all over the US).
This is why I object to the law, it is targeting first re-sellers and thrift stores, then addressing the big box stores and national chains, thus giving them a chance to empty out their warehouses by selling it all off to you the consumer. So, this is safe for us? This is putting our childrens safety first? And again, what makes used clothing so much more dangerous than new clothing with lead that makes us think we need to get rid of the used clothing first?
Don't believe me? Check your local Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Target ect. after the law becomes effective and see how much merchandise is still made in China... and then ask how much of it has been recently shipped her and thus tested...
 

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