There is a certain element of secondhand shopping that is more thrilling than regular shopping. Let’s call it “the hunt”.
You know, that exhilarating feeling you get when you’ve found a single useful or beautiful or perfectly fitting item in a sea of used crap? I feel like there is some kind of superior skill involved thrift storing that just doesn’t apply to browsing a mall where everything is neatly laid out for you.
There is also a compulsion after purchasing a fabulous secondhand item that makes you not only want to tell people about it, but also, absurdly, how much you paid for it. As if the fewer dollars you gave to the, no doubt non-proft, thrift store staffed by volunteers, the better you are.
I say this tongue in check of course because I myself am a fan of “the hunt”. And although I am no super shopper, I do have a few awesome thrift store finds that I feel compelled to share. True, they are all “things”, and we really are trying to rid our house of having too many “things”, but I’m pretty sure you’ll agree that they are worth keeping:
1. A winter coat. Never mind that it’s now spring; I found this back in November. At long last, my green jacket which makes me look like I borrowed a 14 year old’s wardrobe has been replaced by a proper and mature lady’s coat that amazingly had sleeves that were long enough. ($20 at Value Village)
2. A stick blender. Don’t give me flack because it’s plastic. My mom found this for $4 at the Sally Ann, and I’ve already made 3 different kinds of soup with it as well as made quick work of chopping some nuts, so I think it’s worth it.
3. And finally, whilst looking for a cardigan, I ended up finding this little beauty. I’m pretty sure I was the only one in the store who knew what it was.
It’s a bag dryer! We don’t have too many plastic bags these days, but I do have a few in circulation that I wash a lot, and this lovely dryer which I first read about on My Plastic Free Life is perfect.
Have you found any secondhand gems lately?
The Clean Bin Project Blog 
I can always find really nice wooden picture frames at value village!
I also found a ceramic flower pot.
I sure have. In one visit to the Sally Ann to look for work-out gear I found perfectly-fitting black velour top, black velour pants, and as a bonus – a black cashmere super-warm roll-neck sweater. They all looked new.
Btw Love your winter coat.
Barely used clipless cycle shoes 2 days ago – mine are incredibly worn out and were starting to give me blisters. Wasn’t looking for new ones, but glad I found them. Now what to do with the old ones, since any thrift store would probably throw them out? And earlier in the winter, North Face winter boots that looked like they had never been worn. On a shoe kick I guess. Now I am on the look out for some new to me good quality running shoes. I often go too long between switching up footwear (not wanting to buy sweatshop produced shoes) and since I have had ankle trouble in the past, this can be bad for me.
The Lakefield Flea Market – highly reccomend checking it out if ever in the Peterborough area. Lots of great finds if you’re ever out on the hunt!
I love a good second hand find 😉
Susan
http://75percenthippie.blogspot.com
http://happyhippieheart.blogspot.com
Yes “treasure stores” are so much fun!
It was great fun watching the movie tonight and hearing familiar North American accent in New Zealand, we were delighted to see you there! It will be hard to leave the theatre without thinking about our own habits. By the way, fluoride may be a myth (search for “fluoride deception” on Youtube). We’ve been using salt to brush our teeth for a few years now, and they are better than ever!
Yes, we don’t use fluoride either, and my dentist said my teeth are fine without it. I know it is a contentious issue. Thanks for coming out to see us in NZ!
My partner will be at Massey today to watch it, along with some vegan friends! We never thought we’d become vegan but once we learned about the behind-the-door (like the city dump for trash) stuff, it was a piece of cake to convert, I really felt connected last night watching your film, it was a similar experience, knowing what we do is right even though people think we are crazy…nothing is impossible. The movie will make a huge impact on many people, probably more than you realize. Thanks again Jen, I am so much more aware of the changes already packing today for our upcoming trip, yes starting right now to only take what’s necessary and leave no trash along the way…
Awesome topic of second hand items!!! Tons of great finds, and always good to find something old being used in a new way or being re-used!!!
Today I had the opportunity of seeing your film. It was amazing! It’s an eye opener! It definitely motivated me try and reduce my waste. Thank you for this film, our generation needs such an inspiration. Keep up the good work!
Today I had the opportunity of seeing your film. It was amazing! It’s an eye opener! It definitely motivated me to reduce my waste. Thank you for this film, our generation needs such an inspiration. Keep up the good work!
Great blog. I love to scavenge in our local second hand stores especially for funky-patterned material but haven’t done so in a while. Tomorrow I’ll go hunting!
Just found your blog and love it! As for the hand blender, I used mine for smoothies and soups, and recently learned it makes a great homemade cafe au lait. I blogged about it on my Frugal Upside blog. I’ll be following yours; found out about it from a local food co-ops newsletter.
http://frugalupside.blogspot.com/2012/11/frugal-cafe-au-lait.html
Thanks for your comments! So nice to hear from like-minded bloggers. I will be following along with you as well.
Glad we’ve connected. Yesterday’s post was inspired by your blog.
http://frugalupside.blogspot.com/2012/11/clean-bin-motivation.html