A Man's Survival Guide to Thriftstore Shopping

Thrift stores aren't just for women. As a man, I can find lots of treasure in the shelves of my local thrift store. You just need to know where to look. When I go "thrifting"with my wife, I just head for six vital sections of any thrift store.

1. Computers and Electronics. If you want to really geek out, you might check your local thrift store for a used computer. The Goodwill Stores of Florida's Big Bend inspect and refurbish computers and install a fresh operating system and selected open source applications so that they are ready to go at reasonable prices. If you want an extra system so that you can experiment with Linux or play games or write in the quiet of the spare bedroom, your local thriftstore may have the system for you. If you want to try the retro lifestyle, you may be able to find the old computers of your youth at your local thriftstore as well. I bought a Texas Instruments Ti-99/4A right off the shelf of a junky Atlanta area thrift store. You'll also find game cartridges for any old gaming console that you might have. Thriftstores usually have at least a few Atari 2600, Colecovision, Nintendo, or Playstation game titles in stock. Non-HD televisions run about $40 to $70 and you can get all manner of pre-iPod stereo equipment at very affordable prices.

2. Watches and Cameras. Don't forget to check the glass cases up at the front of the store. With a little luck, you can find a nice 35mm camera, a good pair of binoculars, or some brand name watches tucked into the display cases. I've found half a dozen great 35mm cameras like my Canon Sure Shot Z135 and Minolta SRT-201 in local thrift stores.

3. Exercise Equipment. The market for exercise equipment is often driven by fad and fashion. On any given day, you can generally find lots of perfectly good exercise equipment that has simply been replaced. Stair climbers give way to elliptical trainers. Exercise bikes give way to treadmills. You can usually find Nordic Tracks, Exercise Bikes, and other fitness equipments. In addition, no one every wants to move to a new house with an old weight set. If you look, you can probably find a weight bench, curl bar, free weights, and dumb bells in abundance at the thrift store.

4. Books. Everyone is into eBooks now. But, real books made with paper are cheap at the thrift store. If you like to read like a man, you'll find plenty of Tom Clancy, Frederick Forsythe, C.S. Forester, Dudley Pope, Alexander Kent, Patrick O'brien and other manly writers in abundance at the thrift store. While your eReader friends brag about $10 novels, paperbacks are only about $3 a piece at the thrift store.

5. Bicycles. Thrift stores usually have a good selection of bicycles. Since kids regularly outgrow bicycles, parents usually donate lots of kids bikes. However, classic adult bikes turn up at thrift stores on a regular basis as well. If you are looking for a classic bike with a bike rack, a basket, and three-speeds, you can probably find it at the thrift store. Unfortunately, some of the bikes need a little work, so you'll have to choose carefully.

6. Home Decor. There is a lot of traditional American country kitchen decor at the thrift store. However, if you are looking for specific items for projects, the thrift store can be great. For example, if you want an old humidor to transform into a Mini-ITX computer or to store manly things like guns, knives, and wristwatches, you can find it at the thrift store. It just doesn't make sense to take a saw, drill, or hammer to a brand new item when a used item can work perfectly find for a do-it-yourself project. For some reason, thrift stores often have a good supply of clocks. If you need a mantle clock or an alarm clock, you can probably find it for about $5.

As a man, you can go through a thrift store in no time flat because you are a hunter and you know what you are looking for. So, the key is to find it, buy it, and buy a book, too, because you are going to wait for awhile. While you may be a hunter, chances are good that your wife is a gatherer!