Goodwill...one, more time!

[Katie H]

Except for searching for newborn baby clothes for some new grandchildren, I didn't really have a "quest" when I stopped at Goodwill yesterday.

However, the "wares" section seemed to be calling my name and I moseyed over to do some grazing. Nothing in particular caught my eye except for a small 3-inch cube-shaped box, which held a William Bounds nutmeg grinder. Appeared to have never been used and included the instructions. Hmmmm. $1.59. Yep.

Purchased several sweet outfits, including a Disney-licensed one and a John Deere-licensed one and a couple other infant tops and bottoms and left the store about $6. lighter in my wallet.

Good day. The baby outfits are to-die-for. Can't wait to see the little one model them!

 

[CWS4322]

I got a Dale from Norway sweater for $20 the other day. It is even in my colours (purple, lavender, teal, and navy). I am going to live in it for the winter. Love it--can't figure out why someone would get rid of it. I priced them on line, $379 (without the cost off the trip to Norway). Crazy.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

Is the sweater made of wool, CWS? If so, that could be the reason. One year for Christmas a friend gave me the most beautiful, trendy sweater, but I itched every time I wore it. Finally gave it to a friend who didn't have wool issues. Not the same friend as the gifter, either, so it's not like she gave it to me so that should could end up with it herself.

Enjoy your sweater. Just the thought of what kind of deal you got could keep you warm!

 

[msmofet]

I got a Dale from Norway sweater for $20 the other day. It is even in my colours (purple, lavender, teal, and navy). I am going to live in it for the winter. Love it--can't figure out why someone would get rid of it. I priced them on line, $379 (without the cost off the trip to Norway). Crazy.

A lot of the stuff you find at Goodwill have been donated to them by someone who is cleaning out a house after someone passes. Most times they don't know or care what they are giving away.

 

[Katie H]

A lot of the stuff you find at Goodwill have been donated to them by someone who is cleaning out a house after someone passes. Most times they don't know or care what they are giving away.

That is so true. I have a friend who works at Goodwill in the receiving/sorting area. She is amazed what comes in. They also have large trucks that can come to a residence and pick up entire households, which probably accounts for many of the nicer things.

I would imagine when someone is disposing of a family member's home/furnishings/belongings (especially if they are from out of town on a limited schedule), the last thing on their mind is "editing" everything.

I have no doubt that's where many of the wonderful "finds" come from.

 

[Cheryl J]

Congratulations on the upcoming births of your new grands, Katie. Good deal on the baby clothes - especially since infants can wear new clothes for about 10 minutes before they outgrow them!

 

[Katie H]

Congratulations on the upcoming births of your new grands, Katie. Good deal on the baby clothes - especially since infants can wear new clothes for about 10 minutes before they outgrow them!

Thank you, Cheryl. We're expecting two, one in February and the other in March. One of each flavor.

You're exactly right about how long the little ones stay in one size, especially during the first 6 months or so. That's one of the reasons I scour thrift stores for their clothes. Many times I've bought outfits that still had the paper store price tags still attached.

 

[CWS4322]

Is the sweater made of wool, CWS? If so, that could be the reason. One year for Christmas a friend gave me the most beautiful, trendy sweater, but I itched every time I wore it. Finally gave it to a friend who didn't have wool issues. Not the same friend as the gifter, either, so it's not like she gave it to me so that should could end up with it herself.

Enjoy your sweater. Just the thought of what kind of deal you got could keep you warm!

It is new wool, which means that it has been processed so that it can be washed in the washer and is not supposed to cause itching. Usually, new wool is merino and a blend. Merino is the one kind of wool that people who normally itch from wool can wear. I have no problem wearing wool. Rayon, however, makes me sweat like crazy. It would cost about $125 for the yarn to knit that sweater, not to mention the time it would take.

 

[rodentraiser]

And to think the only things I look for at thrift shops or Goodwill are dollhouses and plastic or porcelain horses (and sometimes dogs). And they're never cheap. *sigh*

 

[Katie H]

And to think the only things I look for at thrift shops or Goodwill are dollhouses and plastic or porcelain horses (and sometimes dogs). And they're never cheap. *sigh*

A you have to do is "think outside the box."

I nearly always have a list of things to look for. Some are for us, other things are at the request of friends and other family members. Most of these people have no opportunity or desire to shop at "specialty" stores like I do.

Quite a few things I search for for myself are to replace something that I've either broken or worn out. Most of this stuff is in the cookware category.

 

[rodentraiser]

With thrift stores, I'm like I am on eBay - I tend to buy only those things I know a lot about to keep from overspending on something I know nothing about. Most of the time though, I just want to buy everything and concentrating on only one or two items keeps me from bringing the store home. Plus I limit myself to only about $20 in cash and leave the credit card at home!

I hate to bring a lot of money to a thrift store, but one time I really did regret it. There were 4 complete settings of a Royal Albert Old Country Roses dinner set, including a platter and a tea set for only $160. By the time I could get back to the store the next day, the whole set was gone.

 

[CWS4322]

I picked up a number of orange LeCreuset pans for my brother at the Goodwill--$5-12 each. Now they are mine since he passed away in April. Ice cream maker, air fryer, etc.

When shopping for clothes, I always look for brand name. I have gotten a lot of Eddie Bauer, Land's End, Jone's of New York, etc. almost brand new jackets, jeans, etc. I always look for brand names. And, of course, my most recent snag, my Dale sweater, which I have hardly taken off since I brought it home and washed it. It helps that I am now a size 8. Went to get a pair of jeans the other day (Gloria Vanderbilt on sale), none on the rack my size. Gosh darn, the manequins all had my size on them. Who knew I was the same size as a manequin. My friend who was with me, stripped them so I could try them on. I find that I have to try on the different colors because of the country in which they are made. They all don't fit the same.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

...I find that I have to try on the different colors because of the country in which they are made. They all don't fit the same.

It's been my experience that anything I try on in black seems to be a tad bit smaller than the items in blue, be it jeans, shorts, or tops. Odd, that.

 

[CWS4322]

It's been my experience that anything I try on in black seems to be a tad bit smaller than the items in blue, be it jeans, shorts, or tops. Odd, that.

If it is blue jeans Gloria Vanderbilt, size 6, if black, size 8, if other colours, size 10. Go figure. Odd that I can go from a size 6 to a size 10 depending on the colour and the country where the jeans were made. I just don't want the "bump" on the side of my leg below the bum to show.