Finding Thrift Store Antiques & Collectibles

"Thrift Store"...Two words that conjure up endless possibilities of treasures to be found; they excite me! It's an affliction, an addiction, and even a tradition in my family to be a bargain hunter, a pack rat, and a thrift store junkie! This is how I got to be this way, and the profitable results.

Picture a little girl, about 5 years old, pulling a wagon full of dirt around a trailer park, selling coffee cans full of dirt, door to door. I remember it well... we had a tiny garden behind our trailer and I thought, if I shared our dirt, they'd have gardens too. It wasn't about the money then; it was whether I could smile big enough to get them to buy extras, or perhaps pay the higher rate for worms. A small coffee can full of dirt was 10 cents, and worms were 15 cents. I went home later with an empty wagon and a bunch of dimes!

The things that made my first business venture a success was a very educating mother who prepared me long before I began school. As it turned out, I scored genius level on IQ tests; I also knew how to turn on the charm and ham it up too.

In 1973 my Great Aunt Francis volunteered at a local church thrift store. I had never been in one before, so to a 8-year-old girl, the piles and stacks of items were treasures unfolding. She told me I could pick out one thing I really wanted and she would buy it for me. A life-long dream was whirling before my eyes when I found a pair of black tap shoes just about my size. After stuffing tissues in the toes they fit snug. I was convinced that thrift stores were the greatest places to work and shop. I also believed Donnie Osmond would love me for sure, if I only knew how to tap dance! With a little help from a book, I taught myself to dance in a few weeks time!

Sometime around 1975 (I was 10) I found my step-fathers nudie cards... I took those to school and sold them to the boys for $1.50 each. By the end of the week, I had $75 in my pockets. The same year I was rushed to the hospital after my parents found me dumpster-diving; the lid had fallen on my head. The next day, I went back to the dumpster and got the purse out of there I wanted, and inside was several dollars in coin. With my new found earnings, I would write notes: "I'm sending my daughter after cigarettes since I have the flu. Please sell them to her." Signed, "Mom." I'd spend 75-cents for a pack, then go to the lilac bushes where all the kids hung out in the alley, and selling the cigarettes for 20-cents each, making $1.25 profit! It wasn't really the money when I sold cigarettes as a child; the thrill was to be enterprising, and I had a drive in me to be the one who could get things.

Now let's skip to when I became an adult. I began collecting antique marbles long before I worked at a public library. Once I began working there, I became an avid reader, lugging stacks of antique books home at night, just to study them. Several times it was left up to me to decide what books on collecting we still needed. Before long we had one of the best book collections you could hope for; even better than some big city libraries I've seen. During this time I began investing in collectibles, picking them up here and there.

Years later, I hit hard times after a divorce, and found myself relocating without having a job lined up. I had no real attachments to some collectibles I had, so I began auctioning them off online. While beating the pavement day after day, looking for a position and not just a job, I would stop in thrift stores. It became a daily ritual and I began noticing things, watching what the others were buying. I surfed the auctions for things I had seen and compared prices and condition (always consider the condition first!).

With what little bit of money I had to my name ($300), and not having to worry about bills and my failing vehicle, I bought a digital camera. I was that sure of what I wanted to do. A friend of a friend was selling vintage toys online and offered to help me figure out the websites, how to write descriptions, load photos, etc... Keywords are something I used to be quite versed in, having been certified through state workshops for keyword usage in the libraries database, (trust me, all this comes together). I downloaded software that would tell me how many people were viewing a page. I made a chart for keeping track of daily viewers, and I was able to discover the best day and time for auctions to be ending.

I found a cheap picture hosting service, $20 a year, and bought some special tools I thought I might need: tape measure, carpenter's knife, jeweler's loupe, fabrics, packaging tape, lighter fluid, etc... I got my cardboard boxes from dumpsters, and used second-hand manila envelopes from a video store dumpster.

At this time during my business adventure, my car overheated one day and the engine burned. Whatever came next would come without me even owning a vehicle. I was devastated. My luck was getting worse by the minute it seemed... I ended up living in my cousin's spare room, with my computer, internet access and a bunch of antiques. It was time to get busy.

I walked to the post office, six blocks away, and filled out a few forms to get some free priority supplies. (The USPS will send you boxes in lots of 25; you choose the sizes you need.) The first things I posted were Mexico's version of Beanie Babies collectible cards, uncut sheets of them... 99-cents invested, and $9.00 selling price on 25 lots of them. I found these in a bag in a thrift store with sewing patterns. The next thing I found was an 80's Radio Shack toy (which are good investments); it sold for $100.

The guy I dated at the time enjoyed thrift storing with me, and considered it a fun date to make the runs together. It was the only thing I'd let him do for me. Despite having to walk 12 blocks round-trip everyday... to the post office, carrying large boxes, or a large bag full of boxes, I tried not to accept any help, but there were a few friends who contributed in round-about ways. Postal employees gave me an official yellow Priority Mail bag which was easier to load and carry. They got to know me quite well, and I miss them now.

I sold off 50 percent of my collections. My best friend was able to get some church funds for me, and my ex-husband co-signed a car loan. I bought the best little $1800 Mazda pickup; it never did me wrong! With wheels again I was able to begin making those thrift store runs everyday.

That summer, I began working at the Salvation Army Thrift Store to really get in touch with the "stuff." I never bought out of our store, since it was against policy. During the time I worked there though, I learned so much about the routines of a store, the regular buyers... what they were looking for, and what they purchased. Then a day or two later, I could search for that item on the auction sight, and there it would be.

For 6 years I was part of the elite group of sellers... and had a prestigious title on the auction sight. My reputation was outstanding as a seller and a buyer. This was how I got started... the natural drive I had from an early age to find bargains, dig through dumpsters, and provide what was in demand.

Sniffing Out the Bargains in a Thrift Store

This part of my story will take you on a tour through the average thrift store. I promise you don't have to go through dumpsters...but I will address that later for those of you who might be so inclined!

First thing in the door of a thrift store... Go to the new carts, turn left. Most people turn right just out of habit; I've seen it a thousand times. You aren't part of the pack; you are NOT there to socialize... unless it will help business! Race to find the carts with the new stuff!

Talk to the employees; ask them "What time do you put the carts out?" If they give you a vague answer, ask someone else. Sometimes a worker will say "I've got a cart ready right now!" and you end up getting first shot at it. That's an important issue... getting there when they are putting the new merchandise out. Go to the store two or three times a day until you figure it out. Yes, I'm Serious! Do you think you would be the only one doing it? Nope, I know plenty of antique hounds who will do what you are not willing to do, and you can only sit back and watch their auctions with pea green envy!

You are a cockroach now and you best think like one!

FLATWARE & KITCHEN GADGETS:

Once a month or so, a full set of 1960s or 70s silver will come in the original wooden box. These are usually priced high when they first come out on the floor. What I've been known to do (we are thinking like cockroaches remember?) is to look at the manufacturer's name and memorize it, and then run home and look them up on the net. Oh did I mention I made sure the silverware was hidden in the clothes until I could safely return? Sometimes if they are in the front case, ask an employee "Could you kind of put something over that case until I can run home and get some more money?" With everyone having cell phones, maybe the info is just a phone call away. If you want to excel, you will learn the names to look for here; learn the silver marks and manufacturer logos.

While looking for authentic "silverware" in the forks, spoons and knives, also watch for butter molds, new and old. Look for candy molds (they are rather expensive in the stores now) too, or save them until you have enough for a 'lot." Look for special spoons, collector and otherwise odd looking spoons, miniature or large serving spoons are equally desirable.

FURNITURE & LAMPS:

Not much antique furniture shows up nowadays. Watch for veneers, and the types of nails that were used in the piece, and familiarize yourself with recognizing vintage furniture through research. Go to an antique furniture store and look things over very closely; talk to the owners, too. Some of the "groovy" furniture from the 1960s does show up...the more chrome, the better!

Lamp collectors are crazy about western memorabilia, so if you can find a horse related lamp, you're in luck. Perhaps you will be like me and find a vintage gas globe that's been made into a lamp. While the advertising gas globe is more desirable in its original state, and doesn't show up in the thrift stores too often, the lamps do on occasion. Fine vintage glass lamps come through, and small bedroom lamps are likewise worth the investment. Look for a lamp's mate; there may be more than one in the store.

JEWELRY:

Jewelry is kept in the showcases. These pieces are hard to see, but you will begin to recognize the same pieces over and over from store to store. Don't even mess with those. Remember "The squeaky wheel gets greased!" ... don't be afraid to just blurt out "I'd like to see something in the case real quick!" This will alert the cashier you are in a hurry, and occasionally she will get right to you.

Figure out the age of the jewelry by familiarizing yourself with the good stuff. Again, go to an antique mall or show and look at the real retro costume jewelry because you probably will find some in the stores.

Look for men's watches, the face or the style of back will clue you in on the age. Is it running? Is the face scratched? Does it say Japan on the back? Women's watches are pretty much a dead item to buy, unless it has diamonds.

Character watches become something you tend to look over, but complete sets of fast food watches are worth listing in an auction. Look for Disney, and the Peanuts Gang; Snoopy watches are a hot item, as well as Strawberry Shortcake and western related watches.

Look for charm bracelets... you can pick these up cheap and sell the individual charms. Most of the ones you will find will be from the 80s. Some of them have Disney characters on them; those are always worth a gamble. Something on that charm bracelet will tip you off to the age, usually, the clasp. The best I ever found was a 1970s Barnum & Bailey's Circus charm.

Ask to look at all bags of jewelry...cockroach them, look from every angle, shake rattle and roll them. If you see broken costume jewelry with rhinestones, buy the bag; more on what to do with broken costume jewelry later. Look at the clasps on all costume jewelry, familiarize yourself with them, and research costume jewelry in library books and online.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS:

I didn't venture into these much, but I did come across a Roll Monica once. There were numerous music rolls, still in the original box, as was the Roll Monica. Since I always got there when the new stuff came out, I grabbed it out of the basket they were unloading. I couldn't see inside of course, but the boxes were flawless. I had never seen one in my life, so I knew that was a good sign. Upon getting it home, I discovered it was made of Bakelite, and fully functional! I ran the auction with a reserve on it, and after only a few days, I got an email:

"I'm the granddaughter of the man who invented the Roll Monica. This is the nicest one I've ever seen, and I've never had luck at finding the music rolls for them. One of the songs you have listed "___ Rose" was written by, my grandfather for my mother when she was born."

I ended up selling it to her for my reserve, offline; one of the few times I've ever stopped an auction and sold the item privately.

Current musical instruments are highly sought after at the first of the school year, and disposed of at the end. So, buy accordingly. I've sold several trumpets and guitars, knowing nothing about them, but getting them at such a bargain price I felt I had to get more familiar with them. Look for stuck valves; make sure you can unscrew them. Small dents are somewhat acceptable if the valves all work. Check the slides too, if it has them. Is the mouthpiece included? Is it in the original case? Are the tuning keys broke? Any cracks? If the case is old, the horn probably is too, be sure to include the hottest auction word there is "Vintage."

DISHES:

Vintage glass baking dishes with the groovy 1960s designs on them are always a good investment. The stranger the color, the better! Fire-King is a vintage brand that put out some fine measuring cups, plates, and bowls. It is rare when any glass older than the 1950s shows up in the thrift store. Don't use your eyes to judge old glass, feel it in your hands... rub the edges to make sure there are no chips. Old glass is usually heavier than new glassware, and sometimes has air bubbles trapped in the glass. Anchor Hocking, Federal, and Libby glass companies, are all worth investing in, especially if you find them still in the original boxes, which happens a lot in the thrift stores!

Ruby red and cobalt blue are two very popular colors of glass; the old stuff is incredibly deep and rich with color. Often there is milk glass items scattered about too. To identify those, hold them up to the light and look for the warm inner orange glow. Butter dishes are very collectible, especially the older glass ones, but some novelty ones are out there also. Sugar and Creamer sets are quite collectible as well. Depression Glass comes in all colors and patterns, but you really won't see much of it in the thrift stores.

Pfaltzgraff pottery is an excellent investment too. It's a very good quality of stoneware, and shows up in the stores almost everyday. There are a lot of collectors out there looking for it, so be prepared for some stiff competition. Sango is another brand of dishes that shows up in the thrift stores quite often. Watch for pottery items marked "California USA" or "Japan"... these are the older ones, and they show up regularly.

Vintage Tupperware that is in mint condition is sought after. Make sure you don't overlook the lids and leave them behind.

Salt & Pepper shakers are a gamble; always make sure the original cork stoppers are still in the old ones. It they happen to bag a bunch of single ones up, grab them!

BRIC-A-BRAC and LOCAL PROMOTIONAL ITEMS:

Coffee Mugs can be "iffy"... look for Cathy and Maxine, (by Hallmark) and special local promotional mugs... are there collectors in the area? I ran into a lot of "Butt Mugs" which were local promotional mugs of radio DJ's rear ends. They come out seasonally. I ran one online and the radio DJ's just happened to find the auction, and mentioned it on the air. They emailed me and asked me to call into their radio show, but I was too busy thinking like a cockroach to call... the publicity did bring me a great deal of bids though!

Do you have a museum nearby with its own printing abilities? If so, they are probably producing local postcards, prints, playing cards, books, etc... featuring the contents of the museum. These can be very hot items online! For instance, I bought some postcards for .50 each at our local museum. They had printed postcards that featured some of the paintings in the museum. The subjects just happened to be television stars of the 1960s. These postcards were the hottest ticket online for 6 months, and I couldn't sell them fast enough to postcard collectors. They brought outrageous amounts, as did the playing cards, the locally printed books on Native Americans, and historical or biographical western content. Check out the kinds of websites and compare what you see to what the museums have in their stores, and sell accordingly. (Oops! This is venturing away from the thrift stores, but this is about teaching you how to make money, too, so take it and run with it! It's been one of my best selling ideas.)

BOOKS:

I can't tell you how many dozens of autographed books I've found in thrift stores. From book sales, overstock comes through the stores and several copies of the same book will show up. While looking at books, ask yourself these "C" questions... what's the copyright, and what is the condition? Those are the two important issues. Look for the title page first of all. You'll want to see only one single copyright date there. Many books released now state they are "First Edition" while the old ones do not. Be careful not to end up with a "book club edition"... it's the kiss of death on the secondary market. Look for cartoon books, like The Simpsons early stuff, Cathy Guiseweit books, South Park first editions, boxed sets of sci-fi books; these are all things you WILL find in a thrift store. If you have a local publishing company, watch for their books! Biographies, Native Americana, or historical books sell very well. For the older books that occasionally show up (early 1900's), look for the title page and the art in the book. Especially the colorful plates, these make the books popular.

SPORTS AND EQUIPMENT:

What you will find in the thrift stores will mainly be old skis, ski poles, and golf clubs. Unless the poles and skis are extremely old, and mint, the chances of them being valuable are slim. Once in awhile a nice motorcycle helmet will show up, which will sell well. Golf Clubs with copper heads are collectible, as well as wooden shafts. Ladies clubs generally sell pretty good, since they are harder to find.

VIDEOS and MUSIC:

Look for Sci-fi videos, vintage rock band videos, and children's religious and educational videos. (This would apply with DVD's too.) Boxed sets are also desirable. Make sure the tape isn't a promo, and that the video or DVD matches the box. Collectible records, from the 1960s-1970's era, that show up a lot in the thrift stores are the colored ones that are transparent.

TRAVEL BAGS:

So many clothing designers are also making travel bags now. Look for those, but also look for children's bags. Vintage book bags for kids, featuring television characters, are always showing up, but check for condition closely. They often have writing on the insides...if its vinyl or leather, it will usually come off, but if its cloth, don't buy it!

PICTURES and WALL HANGINGS:

Look for vintage carnival mirrors with old rock bands on them. I've found Kiss, Queen, Rolling Stones, etc. Paintings and prints... you will find plenty that make you wonder. If you find original hand numbered prints that are rolled up, get them! If it's an authentic oil painting that's not half bad, get it! While you research these items on your first art dealing attempt, you will learn what to look for, fine cracks in the paint, hopefully in gilded frames. Watch out for discoloring due to smoke; you don't want to end up with one of those. Compare the whites to something else. Between the 1940s and the 1960s there was a lot of art deco wall hangings made. Some had colorful rocks on them, and others were string art. String art done with copper wiring is collectible if it's either an animal or a ship. If you research these things online now, you will know what to look for next time you go thrift storing.

Children's characters on wall hangings are highly sought after, especially vintage Care Bear, Strawberry Shortcake, And My Little Pony items, etc. Many new mothers are doing nurseries in these characters. I once found a vintage diaper holder for the wall with Care Bear characters; my auction on that item was out of sight! And speaking of nursery items, have you priced the new stuff? It is outrageous! Always be on the lookout for good used nursery items... there are lots of young mothers on a budget these days.

RADIOS:

Learn what Bakelite is if you plan on recognizing true antique radios. One may come through the stores on occasion, but rarely. Once again, you can stick with children's characters. Finding one in a box is very rare, as few came in boxes.

TELEPHONES:

Here you want to look for the old rotary-dial "Princess" phones (it's a certain style), candlestick, or character phones. The old dialing phones are becoming hotter collectibles now, and official military styled phones bring a premium.

TOYS:

Of course, we all want to find those toys marked "Made in Japan" but it's rare they will show up in a thrift stores. Think more along the lines of Ohio Art, and Remco.

Plush toys: Smell them! Stick your nose right in and smell, because if it has any odor, no one will want it. If the odor is light, sometimes you can spray lightly with Febreeze, brush the fur and seal it in a plastic bag for about 24 hours and see if that helps. Characters like the Peanuts Gang, Strawberry Shortcake and Care Bears are prominent items that you will find. Not all of them are hot items; there are some very common ones out there. Make sure the tag is still good, and hopefully readable so you can get a date off of there. If there isn't a visible date, its time to research online. At the very least you can state "Vintage Character Plush: Care Bear" in the title. Some collectors know to look for the initials too. For example, I always put "My Little Pony MLP" in the title.

Play sets: Name-brand building blocks are always in demand. If you find some old ones, look for the little human figures, and make sure the sets are complete. There might be a lot of arms and pieces rattling around, those you definitely want to buy and sell in lots. Be sure to photograph the human figures separately though; these are in high demand, as well as windows, animals, and large base pieces... never pass them up! The same goes for doll accessories. No matter how new they are, if they are authentic brand-named pieces, they will still be cheaper than the stores, and perfect to sell as a lot.

Action Figures: Mego figures... when you see this name, you know its vintage. Right now there are a lot of turtle action figures in the stores, but you occasionally find some older stuff. Now the condition on those is very important, and your knowledge better be good. Some brands are hard to research and it's hard to sell something you don't know about. If you find a big bag of action figures in great condition, buy them and put a lot together of "Miscellaneous Figures."

Promo Cars: These show up in the thrift stores for the dedicated ones who are there when the carts some out. Promo cars almost look like kit cars, but aren't. The bottom of the car will have the names of the car parts (muffler, exhaust. etc.). You definitely want to grab onto one of these.

PURSES:

Leather purses that are handmade and tooled are often a good investment. Dooney and Burke has many imitations that run through the stores; don't buy them. The real Dooney's do show up on occasion, but remember to verify it with the tag and serial numbers. There is a funky type of purse that does show up occasionally; it has rhinestones on a floral design, or something similar on the front. Some of these will do well... research them before taking a chance though.
SHOES:

Tony Lama boots that are in excellent condition do well, as does Ropers and hand-tooled leather boots. Also look for 1960's platform shoes and boots.

LOCAL PROMOTIONAL ITEMS:

As I explained earlier, local postcards can do very well online, depending on how they are marketed and sold. Find a local printing company that sells promotional things, and take a chance. I didn't get $75 for a .50 postcard by just luck.

FABRICS and LINENS:

Many flour sacks have been used over time to make table clothes, quilts, etc. Occasionally, you may find a flour sack in good condition; definitely purchase and give it a shot. The quilts have to be handmade to do anything special online. A standard patched quilt with a simple 9 patch won't be worth the effort of buying, unless you know the fabrics are older than the 1960s. Any appliqué quilt is great to find. I've even sold some polyester appliqué quilts. As long as they are handmade, someone will want it. Count the stitches per square inch; if it's 8 or more, its worth more. Look for little trickles of blood from the sewer getting nicked while sewing... do these take away from the value? Absolutely not! They sort of authenticate the handmade condition. Look for seasonal tablecloths that are in mint condition. Battenberg lace and doilies do show up; they won't bring a lot, but give them a shot if you find a nice piece.

CLOTHING and LINGERIE:

You should already know the recent name-brands that will resell well; I'm not going to cover those. I will advise you look for vintage Levi's with the capital Letters; those are the older ones. Check this stuff carefully before buying... go towards the front of the store where the natural light is, and look over your clothes very closely. Again, make sure the condition is like new. Vintage concert t-shirts show up all the time in thrift stores, and even the new concert t-shirts are worth selling sometimes. Biker shirts are also popular if they are from far out places, or part of the Harley-Davidson line.

Did you ever think about selling maternity clothes? You will find a lot of excellent pieces. I've always grabbed them and saved them until I had a lot of 4-5 items, then run them in lots.

The thrift stores always have an abundance of women's business suits, too. Look for Anne Klein, Christian Dior, and other fabulous designers. Research them by going to a fine dress shop and familiarizing yourself with the name brands there.

You should be on the lookout for Victoria's Secret items; new ones with the tags still attached go through all the time. Also, the sheer baby doll teddies of the 1970s will likewise bring you a nice sale online.

TIES and MISCELLANEOUS:

Men's neckties have often surprised me with how well they sold. The modern Tabasco ties are hot here in the Southwest, along with neck ties with cartoon characters, or part of a designers set or series.

Belts are pretty similar to clothing as far as the designers. LOTS of vintage, disco era belts appear in the stores!

Eye Glasses are always showing up, often with original cases. Watch for the "cat-eyes" styled glasses, or ones that resemble Buddy Holly's. It's pretty easy to spot the vintage glasses... they didn't have very many wire-framed specs back then.

ANIMALS:

It can be jewelry, clothes, knick-knacks, or cloth. Animals do well on online auctions. Items featuring long haired cats are harder to find that other cats. Scotty Dogs do better than any other dog online. Elephants... make sure the trunk it up (for luck). Reptiles of any kind are worth a shot also, as long as its mint. Horse items--pictures, clothing, bedding, anything about horses... all do excellent online! Breyer horses are very collectible, and they show up in the stores all the time.

What To Do With the Stuff After You've Found It!

"Hey what about all that broken costume jewelry we're hanging onto?"

I was just getting to that....

* While at the thrift store pick up a picture frame (without a glass is fine).

* Glue black velvet onto the backing with a generous application from the hot glue gun.

* Once that's cooled, trim excess cloth off the back. Go ahead and put it back in the frame again.

* Take your assortment of broken rhinestone brooches, pins, tie clips, fine chains with knots, and arrange them into the shape of a Christmas tree.

* Use a hot glue gun and overlap pieces of jewelry to cover up the missing stones or broken edges. Start at the base of the tree and work your way up to the top. Hopefully you have some Christmas themed brooches in it to really jazz it up.

* Use an angel pin for the top; these are so cute when finished. Real Shabby Chic looking.

This framed jewelry decoration piece will make an excellent item to sell, once you have done a couple and have the hang of it. They sell pretty darn well actually!!

Restoring Game Lids and Boxes:

You weren't expecting this were you? This was a specialty of mine; other dealers often asked me to restore their vintage box lids, here's how to clean and fix them up.

1. Make sure you have rubber gloves on and are working in a ventilated area.

2. Look for surface spots; take a piece of scotch tape and put on the spot, gently rub, then pull off slowly. This partially lifts off the price from those thrift store pencils.

3. Put lighter fluid on a disposable rag, and test a small area on the side of the box...if it looks like a oil stain will occur, let it set for awhile (usually it will dry and fade). If it reacts alright, clean the price off with one swipe (do NOT smear).

4. Rub and clean the box top with a clean part of the rag and lighter fluid.

5. If there is old tape stuck on the lid, hit it with a hot iron and it will peel right off.

6. Lay the lid on a flat, hard, clean surface, working from the inside of the box lid. Lightly spray the lid with water from a spray bottle, then immediately go over it with your hot iron (medium heat). Don't heat up any one spot hotter than the rest to avoid a scorch or pucker

7. Use some books to weight down the corners while it cools. This should leave you with a nicely squared lid, without sags!

How to Clean Up Just About Everything Else:

On hard items such as books and plastics, the lighter fluid and rag should remove prices from just about any surface (excluding cloth). After cleaning things with lighter fluid, you want to wipe it with a Clorox wipe to make it safer.

IMPORTANT: Do NOT clean nursery items or toddler toys with lighter fluid!

Dumpster Diving and other Shameful things:

I don't advise Dumpster Diving... it's just plain dangerous, but if you're going to do it, wear gloves and a face mask that covers your nose and mouth.

When I was broke, I was desperate...I don't advise this, but many times at the thrift stores I took items out of other peoples baskets when they weren't looking. I've hidden many items on the floor, and covered them with clothes, and then I ran home to look them up.

Donation drop-off locations often runneth over during the weekends. Lots of interesting items are often found lying in a 5-foot pile of clothes and junk. Many people dig through these piles, but I'm pretty sure they may be breaking the law at the same time. I've done it myself a few times when I was nearly homeless, but that doesn't make it right.

Some Treasures I've found!

I've found wedding dresses in the thrift store dumpster. They were each still wrapped in plastic and had some minor flaws. One dress with a 4-foot train needed a hem sewn; I repaired it, cleaned it and sold it as second hand. Another dress had some stains on a shoulder so I simply cut all the beads and lace trims off of this one and just sold those. The last dress was flawless... but I also sold it as second hand after having it dry cleaned.

While acting like a cockroach once, I found myself drawn to a bag sitting on the bottom shelf. It was full of old sewing patterns, then someone had put 2-pound weights in the bag too (which made no sense to sell them together!). There was also a small box surrounded by some sewing notions. I struggled to get the box to where I could read it well. It was the box with two 1964 slot cars. My senses just went off the charts, "gotta have it!" So, I bought the bag with the barbell weights and sewing patterns. When I got it outside to my Jeep I had to see right away, so I maneuvered it out of the bag, and opened it. What was in that box... was four Redline Hotwheels from 1964 in MINT condition!

Another time, after buying a $12.99 bag of old broken jewelry, I got home and dumped it out on a towel, as I'd done a dozen times before. Immediately, one ring just sort of jumped away from the junk, waiting to be picked up; it was obviously not costume jewelry. The diamonds in it sparkled under my ceiling lights like no other rhinestones had. It was a large emerald surrounded by diamonds... one a ring with embedded diamonds (as pictured). I didn't waste any time, and got on the phone to a toy dealer I knew who had some friends who were diamond dealers. I gave them a call and they were quite excited to have me come to their locked down offices. They were so eager to see the ring, and just said "Oh yea, no doubt that's the real deal!" They tested the diamonds with a little gadget they had, and sure enough, the diamonds tested positive. They gave me a quick guess of how much the diamonds were worth, they said around $650. They were unable to test the emerald. Oh, did I mention that I just happened to find it a week before my birthday and my birthstone just happens to be Emerald? Amazing what we find when we're not really looking for it, don't you think?

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