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Thursday, August 5, 2010

So You Want to Go Thrifting

***
 This is a stale post.  Don't you smell the stank?
For fresh ideas and the newest new new stuff 
why don't you head on over to the blog we actually update.

Love to see you there.
Carry on as you were.

***  

Top 5 Thrift Stores on my Way Home from Work:
(in somewhat randomized, doesn't make sense, order)

1. Value Village, Burien
2. Salvation Army, Burien
3. St. Vincent de Paul Society, Burien
4. Goodwill, Seattle (International District)
5. Goodwill, Bellevue

* Goodwill, Burien *

Thrifting. 
Nothing makes me happier.
Hitting up a thrift store.
Or two.
Or three.

Getting someone elses stash for cheap.
And helping out a good cause at the same time.

Well. 
Check that.
The only other thing that makes me happy,
is getting things for free.

That's another post for another time.

For now.
Thrifting.

I pretty much stick to five stores when I go thrifting.
And I hit various locations of these stores
to find various goods.

If you're visiting Seattle and need to get your thrifting on,
here are the stores you should hit up
with notes about what you can find
and a quick note about my fave find.

Value Village, Burien

Usually a great selection of linens (bedspreads, sheets, towels, napkins).
Lots of great candleholders and vases and a great selection of baskets. 
Prices have SKYROCKETED in the past 3 months.
And that is a jump from prices that were already high.
If you're patient and you dig, you can find some great items.

Two of my fave places in this store:
When you walk in, go all the way to the right.
The "baggie wall" is awesome. 
Mostly because you can get little hits of thrifty goodness
for .99 or 1.99

The other place is straight back and towards the left
their "furniture" section.
It is pitiful by all things "furniture"
BUT
You can usually find an awesome shelf
or wood box
or little table

My favorite find at the Burien, Value Village:
was my baggie wall set of Sand Dollars for 1.99

Salvation Army, Burien

One of my FAVORITE thrift stores
of. all. times.
Lots of great, quality furniture
Plenty of really great, really big frames
Lots of awesome lamps
Always some milk glass
Always some shapely glass
A great GREAT aisle of baskets
wicker, wire and wood
Sometimes a good pillow or piece of linen
Always walk out with SOMETHING bought
Always a sale (everyday they sale price items that are 3 weeks old or older for 50% off)
If you are patient
THIS is your store

Rarely busy
You don't have to dig
They don't take AMEX

My favorite find at the Burien, Salvation Army:
was my set of clawfoot, oblong bedside tables
29.99 for both of them on a 50% off sale.

BONUS: Right next door/in the parking lot is Two French Hens Antiques.
Booth 301
is TO. DIE. FOR.
But that is also another post

St. Vincent de Paul Society, Burien

Also one of my faves
especially for unique or out of season finds.

Another true thrift store
with true thrift prices

Tons of crappy furniture with good bones
all the better for the DIY diva to get funky with

Color coded tags mean everyday is a sale
Usually 50% off of the color of the day
Shop on Sat/Sunday and get 75% off.
Unique sales include Christmas in July
All Christmas was brought out of storage
and sold for 75% off.

I always check the glass wall in the back
and find some sort of shapely glass for my collection.
Next to that, frames to have fun with.

You have to dig, dig dig and dig some more
through the aisles.
I usually look for white plates, milk glass and crafty finds
Almost always find something unique
They have a "punch per visit" card
Shop often.

My favorite find at St. Vincent de Paul Society, Burien:
Set of three Shapely vino italiano wine bottles (6.97)
10 16x20 wood stretching frames for canvas (5.00)
12 giant 12" - 16" silver gilded Christmas ornaments (2.40)

Goodwill, International District
 
You really REALLY cannot go wrong
at a Goodwill in the Seattle area.
 
This particular Goodwill, in So. Seattle,
is the deemed the motherland of Goodwill stores.
It is actually NOT my fave store.
 
It is HUGE. Very large linen selection.
Really REALLY great selection of
random
stuff
 
Lots of lamps
they have caught on to the fillable lamps
and priced them accordingly
 
But if you are looking for unique pieces
and are willing to dig
you can find great here
 
Furniture has never really been worth the drive
but the browsing has been.
 
My favorite find at the Goodwill, International District:
2 King sized pillow shams (1.99)
 
Goodwill, Bellevue
   
Absolutely, without a doubt,
one of my fave Thrift stores
if not THE favorite.
You have to be ready to FIGHT
for your stuff, for your space
This place is almost always packed
 
Really great selection of DIY Diva big furniture
I got our living room table there
 
Decent selection of linens that is hit or miss
You either really score or really don't
 
Lately, lots of furniture out front (summertime and all)
Great magazine selection (Living, Cooking Light, etc)
all for .49 each
Lots of great books to use for decor
stacking, ripping up, framing prints
Lots of really great frames for cheap
 
But best of all
Tons and tons of great dishes, milk glass,
shapely glass, wood finds and unique stuff too.
 
My fave finds at Goodwill, Bellevue:
Living Room Table (9.99)
Fillable lamp (5.99)
 
Goodwill, Burien
  
Definitely one of my fave thrifts
Very thrifty prices
Another good selection of books and mags
Sometimes some decent furniture, but not a ton of it
 
Always a ton of great frames
many frames with awesome artwork in them
I started my line art | sketch collection here
And picked up most of my art from here
 
Also a good selection of wood pieces
milk glass and silver galore
some shapely glass
some unique finds
I get most of my paper | ephemera from here
 
Favorite find from Goodwill, Burien:
16 x 20 silver frames (2.99)
 
There you have it.
In another post, I'll run down what I do,
how I do it
and why I do it
when I hit the thrifting circuit.
 
Coming soon:
$10 This Week
What $10 will get you at my fave thrift stores this week.

* Of course I wanted to "forget" this one
before you showed up and took all my good thrifty finds
but that wouldn't be fair.
so here is the best of all "on the way" thrift stops *

Don't say I didn't warn you.

1 comment:

  1. Hi! I'm on 31bnb with you :) This post makes me want to visit Seattle just to thrift! I'm liking your DIY projects and can't wait to see more.

    ~Nicole

    ReplyDelete

Brilliant, huh? Glad you think so (smile). Tell me something good.