Friday, February 19, 2010

feeling a little whiney

I so look forward to vacation weeks cuz it means LOTS of thrifting. I haven't really hit my stride since relocating to Brooklyn. While there are *many* thrift and vintage stores here, they seem to be very picked over and overpriced, and I've found very little here. I do my best shopping by returning to my old favorite haunts on Long Island, even though it's a hike back there. That's what I did on Wednesday...and it's just been full-on thrifting ever since. Sad to say, without too much success! I know there are lulls every year...I hope this is just a lull and not an ongoing decline! Where are the dresses?? Hardly anyplace had any dresses! I got a few nice things (pictured)...I'd just hoped for MORE (please, sir).

 


Yesterday I visited the mythical creature known as Goodwill OUTLET (ooh), where I'd heard they sold clothes by the pound (ahh). It was tres disappointing. Lots of bins of mediocre newer used clothing. It takes a long time to go through the bins...a LONG time...especially to end up with NOTHING to show for it. Then I hit six other shops in the area...nothing. NOTHING. It's just SAD. I even stopped at a house that had clothes hanging on the fence outside...ha. Old guy sitting there w his dog, trying to sell his (decidedly uninteresting) old clothes. Pass.

Today is the last real day of vacation. We hit dog park early...then I tried a couple nearby thrifts. had some success at one small shop up the avenue - for ME. ha. So got two tops for me, and one awesome vintage "as is" dress that I'll use for a photo shoot then try and sell it in its flawed condition.

Then went to a place called "Hit or Miss Thrift." Oh. Yeah. No, definitely MISS. No clothes. Some furniture. A bumpy green florists vase for $20?? An entire wall of glittery cheap import jewelry. Brand new. Only good thing was baskets of drippy chandelier crystals, all shapes and sizes. I wasn't even motivated to ask the price, but now I know where I can get them. If I find I need them.

Last store was a United Way thrift, didn't even know they HAD stores. The two aisles were almost entirely blocked by furniture. To be pushed outside. When he got around to it. Right now he was listening to his buddy's story of a mutual friend's attack cat and how he ended up in the emergency room and how he wanted the "friend" (friends like this I wouldn't want) to have the cat put down. If I could just come back in 30 minutes...or a couple hours?? Then I could see the women's clothing. Pass.

So. An abnormally disappointing week of thrifting. Which hopefully means I'm due to hit the mother lode VERY soon. If I just knew WHERE.

Okay. Time to stop whining and get back to work.

6 comments:

  1. You poor dear! I understand how frustrating that can be. Here in Wisconsin it at times can be very unfruitful at our local thrift store. Fortunately, we have several people from the community that keep us stocked on occasion with items they no longer want. Don't give up! You will hit the jackpot soon!

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  2. Thanks :-) All I can do is keep following every lead...and remember that this probably happens every year at this time, and I probably always get a little panicked!

    Bettye. ready for that jackpot!

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  3. Wonder if you could train pickers around the country for you?

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  4. maybe my Saturday post will cheer you up!
    : )

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  5. Lily! Oh, it did! it did! How sweet are you! I'm back to re-read and comment there - Big Hugs to you :-)

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  6. what a great post. thanks for sharing.
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