Thread Number: 34956  /  Tag: Other Home Products or Autos
Thrift store updates
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Post# 377049   8/19/2017 at 10:43 (2,413 days old) by fan-of-fans (USA)        

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I notice lately that Goodwill is pretty much the best thrift store in my area.

Habitat really hasn't had much when I've been there lately, I go once a week or so and it's always the same stuff as far as I can tell. They used to have more turnover but now it's mostly just knick nacs and clothes and the same old furniture and broken stuff laying around. Even upstairs I used to enjoy looking through the electrical bins, but it's always boring junk anymore.

The vacuums they have are mostly newer uprights and Kirbys, nothing really interesting and extremely rare to find canisters.

I know they have to work with what they get, but they really aren't worth stopping by right now. Also the store is an old furniture store and the smell sticks to you, especially if you go upstairs.

New Hope sometimes yields some good finds, I have seen some good vacuums lately such as an Electrolux Renaissance for $8. The other New Hope in the next town remodeled so it's bigger and it seems to get the most vintage kitchen appliances of any store around here. A while back I found a Mixmaster hand mixer for $2 and Wii games for $2 each. I saw a Kitchenaid by Hobart mixer for $40 once. I suspect it being the only thrift store in that town makes it busier. The only issue is it's very busy and hard to navigate as the aisles are a little narrow and small rooms in the old part that get crowded.

Goodwill seems to get the most turnover, and is the most organized and cleaner of thrift stores here. I suspect that the items being brought in from areas helps with the selections. They also seem to have the best clothes selection when I have looked - most look new and some brands. They do get some good vacuums from time to time, have seen Electrolux and Kirbys for cheap.

Another thrift store in the other next town - I stopped going to. Wasn't worth the drive. Always the same stuff and nothing really good, just low end stuff mostly. It wasn't a bad store overall, just very crowded and not many finds. I don't think I ever bought anything there myself.

Also being summer - the flea market is slow. No one set up outside, only inside right now. Mostly new $1 store stuff and people advertising replacement windows. One vendor sells kitchen appliances, rather high prices - $50 for a KitchenAid green blender, $35 for an Osterizer from the 90s. No wonder they sit unsold. I won't be back until cooler weather and snowbirds bring more finds.
The outside vendors had the best finds, found some old fans there, about 10 years ago - but not lately.

There is another flea market on Sunday that sets up outside the antique store - mostly same vendors. I haven't been to it in a while as I'm usually busy on Sunday.


Post# 377068 , Reply# 1   8/19/2017 at 15:37 (2,413 days old) by fan-of-fans (USA)        

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I forgot about Salvation Army. They used to be really good - would stop by on Friday afternoons when my neighbor used to work there. Always busy, lots of good stuff. Then they remodeled and expanded the store, now it feels very empty and like Habitat, usually the same stuff. Haven't been there in a few months probably. Don't know if they get less donations or they got pickier after the redo.

Also St. Vincent de Paul Society - was in a neat, very old building - used to be a bank. In the back you could see the door to the vault - and old pushbutton light switches. It was only open on certain days - not very big, but they had neat stuff. It closed down awhile back though.


Post# 377080 , Reply# 2   8/19/2017 at 17:51 (2,413 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina)        

human's profile picture
The thrift stores around here are really hit-and-miss. More often than not, it's a miss. I gave up on the Habitat ReStore several years ago. I just never found anything worthwhile in there so I stopped going. There's a Value Village thrift store near there, operated by the National Kidney Foundation, that used to be really good but it's turned into a junk pit. I actually used to find a lot of nice clothes there, but no longer. The last really good find I came up with there was a large size camera bag, big enough for two camera bodies and an assortment of lenses and accessories in nearly new condition, for $5. The only vacuum-related things I've ever gotten there are a Royal Prince handheld for $2.95 and a complete set of tools for my dumpster-found Kirby Gsix for $4.50. I like to think I reunited them.

The Goodwill stores are a mixed bag. The two I frequent most are adjacent to affluent neighborhoods and tend to get better stuff than the other two, which are hardly worth walking in the door of. It's rare to see a decent vacuum cleaner at either of them but I have occasionally made some good finds. The really odd thing is that one of the locations has tons of movies on VHS for 99 cents each and few if any DVD's while the other one has tons of movies on DVD for 99 cents each and almost no VHS tapes. I've actually gotten some good DVD's there.

The two Salvation Army stores are kind of strange. The one closest to my house is billed as "Salvation Army Select" and has kind of a boutique feel and more high-end merchandise. Don't even think about looking for used vacuum cleaner in there. In fact, I've never bought a thing there. The other one is in a former Eckerd Drug that's right on the border of one of the richest neighborhoods in town and one of the poorest. It carries more standard thrift store fare and is where I got my Electrolux Discovery Plus a year or so ago. It's hard for me to get there because they close ridiculously early like 4:30 or 5:00 in the afternoon.


Post# 377084 , Reply# 3   8/19/2017 at 18:36 (2,413 days old) by vacuumlad1650 (Wauponsee, IL)        

vacuumlad1650's profile picture
I never find anything good at the Thrift Shops anymore. All my friends seem to find the goods...

Post# 377085 , Reply# 4   8/19/2017 at 20:59 (2,412 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina)        

human's profile picture
Yeah Andy, it's sort of like fishing. Sometims you get hit after hit effortlessly and other days you can be out there all day and not get a single bite. The only difference is you can't really drink beer while you're thirfting.

Post# 377289 , Reply# 5   8/26/2017 at 16:03 (2,406 days old) by fan-of-fans (USA)        

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I went to Habitat this morning and it finally had some canisters.

A brown and white Eureka Roto-Matic with PN
A red Samsung canister with PN
A silver Tristar with PN


Post# 377366 , Reply# 6   8/28/2017 at 10:44 (2,404 days old) by gottahaveahoove (Pittston, Pennsylvania, 18640)        
WE don't have "Habitat" near me.

gottahaveahoove's profile picture
We only have Sally's and a few independents.
In the Philly suburbs, (I'm there every Thursday), I check out "2nd Avenue, Impact!.. (now becoming "Heaven's Treasures"). I invariably find some neat things. I'll scan the aisle for Lenox china, and, of course, the vacuum aisle(I VERY often find bags, belts, tools, a nice cleaner,,, a fry pan, etc. I've even scooped up genuine bags (of other species) for my friends.
Yes, "friends don't let friends buy bojack". I can SEE eyes rolling now.



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