Anyone else here a thrift store/flea market/freebie/dumpster-diver junkie?
Posted by purpledancer on Apr 10, 2008 · Member since Mar 2008 · 202 posts
.....I know I am. I hate to buy anything new if I can buy it used. First of all, I am usually broke. Second, obviously better for the environment. Third, shopping in regular stores makes me very grumpy. It’s also kind of cool that just about everything I own has a little story behind it. When I look around my house, I am amazed at how many things I picked up from the curb on trash day. What are some of your favorite finds?
Can anyone help me out? I’ll be visiting San Diego next week & working my way up to Sonoma. If anyone on this board lives in those areas, can you recommend some good flea markets? Not the antique dealer flea markets, I don’t like those. Thanks!
ME TOO ME TOO ME TOO! practically everything I own is second hand. seriously. most of my clothes, kitchen items, books, furniture, etc. were bought at thrift stores. it's SO much cheaper (usually) and indeed INCREDIBLY good for the environment.
I love going through junk at thrift stores and flea markets. I just LOVE pretty useless things that are really cheap.
my name is Laura and I am a thrift store-a-holic.
I like them! I dont know that I am to the 'aholic stage yet though. My friend M is though. But she likes to find cool things and then sell them on Ebay. haha She's so smart like that!
me.
pretty much my entire room and wardrobe is second hand (mostly curbside pickups, etc.). i am having the hardest time right now because i have to buy a bunch of cycling gear and i am trying to find it all used online and such.
i am from san diego county and i live in san luis obispo right now.
pretty much everywhere in california the swap meets/flea markets are at the drive-ins. there are a couple in san diego and one in san luis obispo that i know of. do you have exact locations that you are staying yet? (if you are coming through san luis, you are welcome to stay with me).
I love salvation army, goodwill, and garage sales! I havn't found anything good curbside, although my best find was a bakers rack. I had
been looking for one for a long time, unwilling to spend hundreds of dollars and one day we drove by this huge garage sale and Im walking around and I see this black wrought iron bakers rack just lying in the grass! Oh my gosh! I pick it up and it was so heavy! The guy comes over and says "you can have that for 10 bucks" SOLD. I was so excited, its in my kitchen and I love it, everyong thinks I paid so much for it and it really is a nice piece. I plant alot of flowers too in pots, and I never buy new pots, I find them at garage sales all the time, people just give them away.
I would like to be. I know someone who found a new Excalibur dehydrator for $50. I don't have enough time to devote to the activity. You have to be somewhat consistent to find good deals.
Ohh, ohh. I am a thrift store-aholic too, or at least I used to be more than I am now, but now I am getting back to it. The other day I was out looking for a bread maker so I went to Bed Bath and Beyond (I hate Walmart, I do not shop at Walmart). The cheapest bread maker they had was $80. I didn't want to spend $80 so I left. Well, there is a Goodwill across the street so I stopped in to see if they had anything intereting. Wouldn't you know it, there were several bread makers, I got one for $5 and it works great. I love thrift stores!
my mom found a dehydrator at a garage sale for $5! I haven't used it though...
I am on a total "refuse to buy anything new" kick. I am currently addicted to Craigslist and have bought a bunch of cool stuff! People keep asking me if I want a shower and I really don't because I don't want all that new stuff. I wonder if they would be willing to give me a USED item shower. I'd like that so much better!
We needed a new bathtub and I found a new one for $50 a while back (better than 250 in the stores). The only thing I like to buy new is underwear, and I have a huge stockpile so I won't be needing any for a while!
I also like to brag at how little I paid for items.
someone says, "hey, I like that"
my response....."10 bucks!" ^-^
I just looked around my apartment and realized everything piece of furniture is from an estate sale, yard sale, craigslist or given to me. My step mom found my iron bed at an estate sale for $40.
My friend moved into her house....there were 2 old tables in the garage that she was about to throw away......I was like...no! I'll take them. I've crammed more junk in my car than I thought was humanly possible!
I mapquested san luis obispo & I don't think we'll coming through there :(. Our plan is to visit Sequoia & Yosemite National Forest after San Diego. Then up to Sonoma to visit friends. Any recommendations you may have for delicious eats or cool things to do in these areas would be very much appreciated :). Thanks!
there is one in santee that is just a bunch of random stuff and people (i think, haven't been there in a long time) and another called koby's or something. the one in santee has different 'weeks' like first weekend of the months has a focus on computer stuff/electronics (but there is much more than only that) but you would maybe have to look that up.
i do have a couple places in san diego i like to eat out. pokez is downtown on 10th and E and it has non-vegan stuff but there is a huge vegan menu (and it's cheap). then there is ranchos in north park (and one in ocean beach, but i think you would be closer to the north park one) which is also really good. they are both mexican cuisine. there is a unch listed at happy cow http://www.happycow.net/north_america/usa/california/san_diego/index.html i unfortunately barely ever eat out and don't live there anymore so i have never been anywhere else!
there is one in santee that is just a bunch of random stuff and people (i think, haven't been there in a long time) and another called koby's or something. the one in santee has different 'weeks' like first weekend of the months has a focus on computer stuff/electronics (but there is much more than only that) but you would maybe have to look that up.
Thanks for the tip - I will be checking these out!
i do have a couple places in san diego i like to eat out. pokez is downtown on 10th and E and it has non-vegan stuff but there is a huge vegan menu (and it's cheap). then there is ranchos in north park (and one in ocean beach, but i think you would be closer to the north park one) which is also really good. they are both mexican cuisine.
I've never been to Pokez - it sounds good. I have been to Ranchos though. It's pretty freaken awesome. I'm pretty overwhelmed with all the restaurant options when I visit San Diego. I love how almost all the restaurants label their menu items vegetarian. It's so nice to just order & not play "20 questions" first.
Thanks so much for your suggestions! :)
I am now going to make everyone stinking jealous. I live DIRECTLY across the street from a flea market. It is open every Sunday, and it is HUGE. I would say about 75-150 vendors, depending on the weather and all.
Its been awhile since I have been, but that is because I am working on cleaning my house out right now. I kicked the soon to be ex ahole out in Nov, and have dumped alot of his stuff, but still need to clean out stuff.
Oh and another thing to be jealous over. I have a thrift store that is about 4 blocks away, and it is a paper grocerybag, as full as you can get it, for three bucks (clothes). There have been times I have stuffed as much as possible in it. ONe time when I went, got three comforters, three pillows, some curtains,3 bags of clothes, 2 pairs of shoes, and pillow shams and sheets, for 22 bucks........cant beat that can ya?
I am now going to make everyone stinking jealous. I live DIRECTLY across the street from a flea market. It is open every Sunday, and it is HUGE. I would say about 75-150 vendors, depending on the weather and all.
Its been awhile since I have been, but that is because I am working on cleaning my house out right now. I kicked the soon to be ex ahole out in Nov, and have dumped alot of his stuff, but still need to clean out stuff.
Oh and another thing to be jealous over. I have a thrift store that is about 4 blocks away, and it is a paper grocerybag, as full as you can get it, for three bucks (clothes). There have been times I have stuffed as much as possible in it. ONe time when I went, got three comforters, three pillows, some curtains,3 bags of clothes, 2 pairs of shoes, and pillow shams and sheets, for 22 bucks........cant beat that can ya?
You're right, I'm pretty frakin jealous right now. I've never been to a flea market, but from the sound of it, I would LOVE it. There's a thrift store next to my house, and it supports an animal rescue place here in town, so I like to shop there. It's pretty tiny though, and some stuff is WAY overpriced. I belong to a freecycle group, and just today I got a cordless phone for free, woo-hoo!! We don't really have furniture, but I doubt we'll buy new when we get a couch and such. Almost all of my clothing has been given to me, and even a few pairs of my scrubs I got at a thrift store. My favorite pair of scrub pants were $2!! I love it, cause if I get all nasty-fied at work, if I need to throw them away, it's not as bad.
I'm jealous too. where do you live?
I live in Wentzville, Mo, its about 40 mins from downtown St Louis, but really only 20 mins from the border of the county.
Anyway, was going to tell you guys that I went to the flea market today. There was a woman in there that was selling handmade bags, that are cut from denim jeans, and I got one for 25 bucks. She took a pic of the bag and of me, when it gets put up on her website, I will bring it over here to show you guys. I got my mom two movies for 10 bucks, and I think that was it. It was raining/snowing today and very chilly so they only had people inside the building today.
me! me! me! i always was. but, then i saw the story of stuff vid at http://www.thestoryofstuff.com and i became totally millitant about it! if i remember to edit this i will post pics of all the cool stuff i have got for free in the trash, craig's list, freecycle, etc. i always buy used and free is even better, best even!
I love thrift stores! When I started my last job, a co-worker said that she would love to dress as well as I did, but she just couldn't afford it. You should have seen the shocked look on her face when I told her my professional wardrobe was all from thrift stores!
We also like freecycle. It's a good place to get stuff you need, and a great place to get rid of "white elephants" to a good home.