It's Weird Seeing Something You Donated...For Rent

 A friend of mine said whenever his family went to our local thrift store, they didn't "buy" things...they rented.

I thought that a very astute observation. Eventually everything you buy from a thrift store usually gets returned to the same thrift store.

The local thrift store chain where we live is called Deseret Industries. It's used as a donation/work skills center for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It's like Goodwill, but different, and it's one of my favorite places to go.

A few weeks ago, we loaded up our minivan with items from my mother-in-law's house and from our house to donate. With both of us moving, we have a lot of things we no longer need. I'm sure we could find several more van loads of things to donate...maybe when we get everything unboxed. 

Sure, donating is nice--you get warm fuzzy feelings by clearing out things you no longer need and you're helping others to find things they need--but another part of what I enjoy about visiting the thrift store is to shop...ah, I mean, find things to rent. I've found some good treasures over the years. Also, I've found some turkeys, too. 

The other day, I returned to the Deseret Industries closest to us--we needed a small file cabinet. Luckily, I found one. I also spotted a chair and ottoman that looked familiar. It looked familiar because we had dropped off that same exact chair weeks earlier. The chair was decades-old and in my mother-in-law's house all that time. It was a comfortable chair--in fact, it was hard to get out of once you were settled.

Not knowing all the secrets of the thrift store, I know they have to throw away a lot of things, things that are no longer "rent-able." I don't know if the chair found a new home, or if it's gone the way of all the earth. Who knows--maybe one day in the future I'll be browsing and I'll see that chair. If someone bought it, there's a good chance it may show up again...to be rented.

The Tale Of The Red Chair...

 It's been said, and I tend to believe, that when one ventures into a thrift store looking for a specific item, that item will be available for purchase. Of course, this is not always the case, but more times than not, I have found this true.

As a fan or thrift stores, I try and prove this saying true whenever possible.

Which brings me to the Tale of the Red Chair. We've recently relocated to a new part of the state, and because of this, we ventured out to investigate the local used wares establishments. We found ourselves in Brigham City in search of various things.

We came upon a new wool suit for me, but there was something else we needed. Our son asked if we would look for an office chair, for the one he currently used was less than desirable. After a quick search (for the store was not large...), we came across a chair. It passed all the son's requirements--it had to be comfortable and have sturdy arm rests.

But, when we spotted the price of the chair, well...let's just say we were more than surprised.

Four-hundred and ten bucks?!

I think not.

There are, from time to time, articles in these thrift stores that are pricey. It doesn't happen often, but occasionally. High prices are usually reserved for things of value, something worth the posted price. However, when we gazed upon this chair, it did not appear to be one of these items--it did not appear to be worth the posted price.

We flagged down a worker and asked a simple question, "Is this price right?"

His answer? "I'll get the manager."

And fetch the manager he did. The manager came over and he came to the same conclusion as us--it was not worth the posted price. So, he instantly dropped the price of the chair $400. We bought it.

After loading up the chair and leaving the store, my wife and I discussed our latest purchase. It was she that surmised how the chair came to be priced at $410. Her answer was classic.

"Maybe someone working at the thrift store asked what price the chair should be. 'Hey,' they might have said. 'What should the price of this chair be?' And someone answered, 'That thing? It can go for ten dollars.' And it was priced at $410."

I think that's the the best explanation possible.

Yes...We Gave Away Books

There's something almost sacred about a book, and not just religious books--any book. Until recently, books were the best way to store knowledge, everything that's known to humanity (many think it's still the best way...). When mankind took that giant leap from recording history on rocks and cave walls and began writing on paper, skins, scrolls, and finally, books, it changed the world.

Because books were so valuable, people have been collecting them for centuries. Once a true test of a person's wealth was the size of his/her library. 

So why did we load up a couple of hundred books into our minivan and give them away?

It all comes down to space.

Last week I posted (and blogged about...) some de-cluttering activities we've begun at our house. There's an organizing revival that's sweeping the nation and her name is Marie Kondo. She leads a new-age religion of which she's the pope. Books have their own category in her book of scripture. And for good reason. Many of the people she helps have a lot of books...

A lot of books.

Because of space issues, we went though and removed several hundred books from our home. Many were duplicates (you know you have a lot of books when you didn't realize when buying a book that you already had the same book at home...) and most were bought from the same place--our local thrift store--that we donated them to. 

Couple of thoughts. I do feel bad that we couldn't keep the books. If I had my way, we'd have a room, about the size of my house, just for books. I know I'd never be able to read all of them, but they would be--because they are now--a treasure. And two, we are donating these books so others can have them. Others can buy the picture and children's books so their kids can learn and read and love the books they way we have. So, even though we won't have them, some other people can and it will make them richer. That's a good thing.

Getting Rid Of Stuff...And Why We Have It In The First Place

Last weekend we did a little de-cluttering at our house. We live in an area where there's an incredibly organized and efficient thrift store system. It's run by the LDS Church and there's major stores and donation centers across the state.

Personal note--shopping at these stores, called D.I. (short for Deseret Industries...), is one of my favorite things to do. I could hang out for hours just looking at stuff. I could, and when I had more time, I did. It's amazing to see things that have a history. They were not only produced, but most have spent time in people's homes. These items were bought as gifts, as necessary products, and as impulse buys.

We were re-organizing the boy's upstairs bedroom. When you re-organize, if some things come in, other things have got to go so we loaded up the van and headed to the donation center.

Apparently, we were not the only ones with the same idea.

We usually go on weekdays, not weekends. It's too busy. This time it couldn't be helped. We turned on to the road and realized we'd be waiting a bit--there was a back up just to get into the parking lot. Once we were off the street, I snapped a quick picture showing the line still waiting to get off the road. I posted the picture on social media and it got a lot of responses.

There was one that made me think.

A friend from Denmark wrote, "Hmmmm wonder if people should buy less stuff to begin with...less stuff, less to give/throw away..."

It's a fair point. We live in a land of opportunity and that means, many times, the opportunity to amass a ton of stuff. We're guilty of it. We have a storage room full of some important things, but also things we don't necessarily need. I remember growing up in a larger home that was full of a lot more stuff. Both my parents lived through the Great Depression and they saved. They saved recipes, they saved nails and screws and clothes and tools, and anything that they thought might be needed in the future. I think part of my "collecting" tendencies stem from my parents.

One room down. Hopefully, we'll keep going. And if we do, I'm sure we'll join dozens of others waiting to give stuff away.

$500.00...Really?

Before my son and I left the local Deseret Industries thrift store (Better known as D.I.) the other night, we decided to check out the items under glass, or the collectables. There's usually interesting items that are kept in that section. And if you want to get a better look at them, it requires a store employee to open up the glass.

It was my son who spotted the set of C.S. Lewis books.

"Wow--those are five-hundred dollars for that set."

I wondered if I'd heard him correctly. There's not many things in that store that can fetch that kind of price. You see in the picture the set is of works by C.S. Lewis. The titles of:

A Grief Observed

The Great Divorce

The Screwtape Letters

Surprised by Joy

The Four Loves

Mere Christianity

But $500? That's a lot of money.

Since I don't know much about the value of book collections, my son and I wondered why they were so expensive. We thought maybe they were signed by the author himself. It's possible, but the books look brand new and Mr. Lewis died on November 22, 1963 (I remember the date because another death on that date garners all the attention...).

Let's assume the books aren't signed by the author. That makes the cost of this set even more of a mystery. I suppose had we called over a store employee we could have taken them out of the glass case and inspected them better. 

Then again, at five-hundred bucks, maybe I wouldn't want to even touch them.

Could It Be My Fascination With Thrift Stores...Is Waning?

Before last week, I hadn't been to my favorite thrift store in months. Working a couple of jobs can limit a lot of a person's free time. But last weekend we had some stuff to donate so we decided to stop and go inside.

I think something's happened to me. The place is just not the same.

There was a time that going to thrift stores was one of my favorite things to do. Not only could I get necessities (like clothes...), but every now and again, I'd find a hidden treasure. It's so cool to find something that you could spend years searching for. Of course, this was before the internet and Ebay, but even in the years since, I've enjoyed going and seeing what's there.

And as I've gotten older, I've spent less and less time at the thrift stores. The cool stuff is just not there anymore, or if it was, it's long gone before I can get to it. Many people go everyday. They're there when the doors open and they wait until cart after cart of stuff is brought out. There's no way I can compete with that.

Nor, do I really want to anymore.

Something happened last week. I came across an item, one of thousands for sale. I suppose if I found this in a first-hand store it might be something we'd consider. It was a bed riser, four plastic lifters that go under each corner of the bed. Sure it might mean a higher climb to get into bed (and a farther drop if I fall out of bed--something I haven't done in decades...), but the extra space to store stuff would be great.

The problem was, as you can see by the picture, the item for sale at the second-hand store only had three of the four risers. When I first picked it up, I didn't notice the missing riser, but when I realized I was holding essentially a piece of junk, something died.

I know many people who think the whole store is full of junk, just like the risers. Maybe one day I'll enjoy shopping there again, but right now, I'm beginning to agree more and more with those people.

"Vernon Can Buy 'Em Lessons On The Clarinet..."

A couple of weeks ago in church a couple performed a musical number. She played the piano and he played the clarinet.

It was beautiful.

And it made me re-think the clarinet.

In jr. high school I played in the band. I first played trumpet then switched to baritone. I quit when I got to high school. Looking back, I probably should have continued, but I didn't. Being a brass player, I didn't think a lot about those who played instruments with reeds. Honestly, getting a sound from a little piece of wood sounded like a monumental task.

Many years ago we came across a clarinet at our local thrift store. We picked it up for $35 and spent a few more dollars getting it cleaned up. I thought maybe one of my kids might be interested in playing and if so, we wouldn't have to go buy one. Once it was refurbished, I tried playing it and found that, though tough, I could get a somewhat decent sound out of the thing. And when I hear the word "clarinet," it reminds me of the line from one of my favorite movies, Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?"

I never thought that the sound a clarinet makes was particularly beautiful until I heard someone play it, someone who really knew how to play the clarinet well. Funny how hearing a master can change our perceptions. Yesterday I got out of the old instrument, assembled it and tried it again. Oh, I have a long way to go to get to the point where I would consider myself "good," but it made me happy that I was able to get that little piece of wood to make sounds.

Allen Edmonds...Never Heard Of Them

"Hey," I got the attention of my counterpart as he was about to take the stage at today's rehearsal. "Did you get a chance to try on those shoes I got at the D.I.?" For those unfamiliar with the D.I., it's a local thrift store operated by the Mormon Church.

"Yeah, I did," my counterpart said. "Those are Allen Edmonds."

"So? What are Allen Edmonds?" I asked.

And so began my education of Allen Edmonds shoes. The other night I spoke to the costumers for Babes in Toyland, the next show my daughter and I are doing. All but one of my scenes takes place in Toyland. The first scene, however, takes place in the public square (or public market--not quite sure...). The shoes I wear in Toyland would not be suitable for the first scene. The costumers said I could wear any dress shoes I wanted, as long as they were true to the time period. And when we visited the thrift store yesterday I thought I'd take a look at the men's shoes. I saw a pair of wingtips for $6 and they were in pretty good shape. The fact they fit so well was a bonus.

I brought them to today's rehearsal and shined them up before we went on. My counterpart had not brought any shoes for that first scene, but luckily, we both wear the same size shoe so I said he should at least try them on. If they fit, we can both wear them for that first scene. That's when he told me about the shoes.

"Allen Edmonds are good shoes," he said. "I've been gifted a few pairs of Allen Edmonds--they're like, three-hundred dollars new."

Um, I thought. Suddenly the shoes that were in pretty good shape looked fantastic. When I got home from a long day at the theater, I checked out Allen Edmonds shoes online. Most of their shoes new cost almost $400.

I've found many treasures at the D.I., but probably none worth so much. The funny thing is, I almost didn't buy them because they cost six bucks. It's a little high for a pair of shoes, I thought at the time.

Little did I know...

The Reincarnation Of Thrift Store Items...

I don't know if you like to shop at thrift stores. If you've followed this blog for any length of time--especially when I first began the blog years ago--you'll know I love thrift stores. Give me a free afternoon and I would go and see what's available. 

The past couple of years, I've not visited the shop as much, mostly because our small house is running out of room to store all the stuff that others obviously didn't need and that we really don't need, either. Good stuff to have, mind you. I mean, we've already got an edger, but there's an even nicer edger than the one I bought at the thrift store just a year earlier. Heck--I might one day regret not getting the nicer edger. It could happen.

There's a very nice thrift store about five miles from my house and that's the one I shop at. The store is owned and operated by the LDS church and selling donated stuff is only part of its mission. It's really a fantastic operation considering all the good they do.

And since I go to the same store over and over again, I'll see the same stuff that went unsold. It's the same stuff I saw a week or two before. I've also seen stuff that we ourselves donated. After my mom passed away and we cleaned out her house, I went to the store a few weeks after and saw items we had donated (and I even thought about buying some of those...).

But yesterday I saw something I had never seen before--an item that I knew had been in that same thrift store years earlier. I knew this not because it had a previous price sticker on it. I knew this because the item--a drum kit--was the exact same item WE bought! My kids were younger and I bought it because I thought one of them might be interested in learning to play the drums.

Nope--they weren't.

Last year we ended up giving to our next-door neighbors because their son was interested in playing the drums. I don't know if it was them that donated it to the thrift store or if the drum set was donated, bought by someone else and then donated again.

So, if you live near me and you know someone interested in a non-complete drum kit, it was still there as of yesterday afternoon. Of course, it could be gone by now. I wonder if I'll see it back at the thrift store again. There's more than a good chance I will.

Watches And Staplers...

My dad was a collector, and he collected stuff. There is a difference. He collected coins and he had some model trains. I'm not sure what other things could be considered "collections."

As stated earlier, he also collected stuff. Being old enough to have lived through, and more importantly, understood what the Great Depression was all about, he had a good reason to hold on to things.

If I had the means (and the storage space...) I'd collect more things, too. About 25 years ago I started collecting watches, but only non-battery powered watches. I wanted the old wind-ups. Back then they were all over the place and I could pick them up pretty cheap. Those days are gone.

 

Lately, I've taken an interest in staplers--I have NO idea why. Whenever I see an old metal one at a thrift store, I'll pick it up. Today I went to a thrift store and found an old red Swingline (now I have my Red Swingline, so maybe they'll put me in the basement at work...), and I came across a 1971 Bulova Whale Automatic. The watch cost $55. That's pretty steep for a thrift store purchase.

The stapler was $1.

I came home and checked ebay for prices and I saw a watch similar to the one at the thrift store for $395. I almost jumped in the car and bought it. But I checked other ebay items and they had the exact watch in almost the same condition as the one at the store. I could buy it on ebay for $45.

For now, I think I'll stick with staplers. I don't think in 25 years metal staplers will be hard to find, but you never know...