My Thrift Store Treasure Box

I am proud to flaunt my thrift store addiction. I wave my thrift store flag high over my head. I have known many people who simply refused to walk into a thrift store. Maybe their pride was too heavy and the fear that somebody they knew would see them there got the best of them.

Every time that I pass a thrift store I hit the brakes. I can spend hours browsing the shelves in search of a good find or a rare treasure. I have found some amazing things, everything from expensive designer clothes to valuable antiques.

I keep almost everything that I buy but on occasion I have found things that I later resold for a huge profit. There's a certain sense of pride in snatching up something for $1.99 only to find out that it's actually worth $100.00. I have received some of my highest compliments from wearing clothes that came from a thrift store. I once found a beautiful floral dress with a Nieman Marcus tag still attached to it. It was a designer Marni dress and the tag read $245.00, I snatched it for $3.00. I wore it with pride because I could have never afforded to have owned it otherwise.

To the average person this probably just looks like a shelf full of junk. Allow me to enlighten you on the possibilities of shopping at a thrift store. For one you don't need a lot of money in your pocket and I guarantee that you'll usually walk away with something that you like. Wealthier people enjoy donating to thrift stores because they're getting rid of items that they don't want or need. They can also write this off on their taxes at the end of the year. Most families find it easier to donate to thrift stores rather than sort through an estate. You never know what kind of treasure is hiding on these shelves.

Scavenger hunts for goodies on the shelves of thrift stores can be a trip down memory lane or absolute elation at finding that diamond in the rough. The best thing? You know you’ll be getting a bargain when returning home from your adventure. Let me show you some of my best thrift store treasures.

1920's Antique Underwood Typewriter

I was absolutely stunned when I found this lost treasure sitting on a shelf. I was even more shocked to find out that it actually worked. Sure it was dusty and needed a little bit of TLC but I just had to have it. I only paid $10.00 for it! It sit in my office for well over 5 years as a decorative item. Finally I decided that it was time to let it go and sold it to an antique collector for $300.00. I was later told that it was well worth more than that. Considering that I only paid 10 bucks for it, the offer sounded more than fair to me.

Rowe Pottery (very expensive)

As I was walking around a Goodwill store I came across an old, dusty box sitting in the floor. I peeked inside and found six pieces of really pretty pottery. It didn't have a price on it so I asked the worker how much they wanted for it. She carried it to the back and came back with a $14.00 sticker on it. At the time I did not know how valuable that it was, all I knew was that I wanted it for my dining room table. As soon as my mother laid eyes on it she started freaking out. She said "This is Rowe!!!" After I looked into it I found out that I had about $200 worth of a very collectable collection.

Tommy Hilfiger for $2.00

Are you kidding me? A Tommy Hilfiger purse for $2.00? I'll take it! I have carried this purse for over a year now and it's still my favorite. Let me just be honest about it, it feels AWESOME to carry around a designer bag knowing that I only paid pocket change for it.

Victoria Beckham Jeans (worth $600.00 a pair!!!)

My heart almost came to a complete stop as I was browsing through a rack full of jeans. "Am I seeing this right?" I actually said out loud. $1.50 for a pair of jeans from an ultra expensive designer? Sadly enough the jeans was much too small for me to wear. Of course I purchased them anyway and found someone who fit into them perfectly. Now a good friend of mine is strutting around in a pair of $600.00 designer jeans. Can it possibly get any more awesome than that!?

Sterling Silver and Vintage Jewelry

I have an entire jewelry box filled with jewelry that I have found in thrift stores. I have never paid more than $5.00 for any of it. The photo above shows my latest find, an entire box of old, sterling silver jewelry. The worker said that it had came from an estate. Nearly everything that the woman had owned was brought in and donated. I got the whole box for only $30.00. Nearly every piece sterling silver.

Victoria's Secret Perfume $1.00

Selling for $75 - $80.00 online. I found this unopened box of Victoria's Secret mini perfumes for only $1.00! Who cares if the box is a little dusty, it's what's on the inside that counts and I enjoyed every single drop of it. I would never pay $80.00 for mini perfumes but thanks to thrift stores, I was able to wear some wonderful, high end fragrance.

My Final Thought

When your money isn’t growing on trees, you’d be surprised how much you’ll spend on clothes and accessories. You might dish out more than $100 on something just for name on the label or for something you might only wear a few times a year. When money is tight, you can’t shop on Topshop or Urban Outfitters or spend all day in the mall shopping because you have bills to pay and most likely you also have mouths to feed. Thrifting is something that many women (and men) love to do. From purchasing dresses, old VHS tapes, and even rotary phones- everyone loves nostalgia. But everyone loves a good deal too!

Clearly, it saves you money. When you’re looking through the racks at your favorite store, the last thing you want to see is deodorant or any other obvious wear and tear on a virtually “new” item. When items are donated to places like Goodwill, Value Village or smaller stores like Rag-O-Rama, they’re thoroughly cleaned and some are even new items that were discontinued at national stores.

When it comes to thrifting, I noticed that you can look at almost every era within one rack of clothes. You can also see what was popular at the time and find new ways to spin an old idea. Fashion is all about telling a story- so why not tell yours? When leaning the history of some of my favorite shirts and pleated skirts, I’m able to build my own identity and show my personality through my clothes. You can also create a new style for yourself and it can even inspire other people!

You don’t have to wear those skin tight leggings, miniskirts and lace-graphic T-shirts to be hip or cool. Most trends are repeats of fashion’s not-so-cute past, and just because something is popular doesn’t mean it’s going to look good on everyone. On top of that, just because something is hot now doesn’t mean you won’t reach for it a few months down the line with a look of shame and confusion on something that quickly went out of style. Thrift stores have a variety of pieces that you can make timeless or bring back from the vintage dead.

Most importantly, YOU DESERVE TO WEAR A PAIR OF $600.00 DESIGNER JEANS!

(even if you only pay $2.00 for them, it's our secret and we won't tell.)