Five Things You Didn't Expect to Find at the Thrift Store

If you don't frequent thrift stores, now may be the time to start! If you're interested in fashion, crafting, or antiquing, you will discover that thrift stores cater directly to your interests. What sorts of things can be found at the thrift store?

High quality yarns and knitting needles

This is something any knitter, crafter, or crocheter will appreciate. My favorite thrift store, Thrift Town, almost always has huge bags full of balls of yarn for less than $3.00 per bag. The skeins vary in quality and quantities, but I find that they are always neatly wound, and that many still have their original packaging, and have never been used.

I was lucky enough to find a bag containing five skeins of the same delightful high-end wool yarn for only $2.50 at Thrift Town. Buying such a lot at a craft store would have been quite expensive, and bargain-hunting for my yarn adds such a thrill to my craft projects that it makes the whole experience that much more exciting.

Valuable Antiques

I'll admit that finding antiques at the thrift store is not as common as finding a good bag of yarn, but if you know antiques and know what you're looking for, finding items for your collection can be a rewarding experience. I have discovered authentic silver-plated antiques, milk glass, depression glass, and even an amazing aurora borealis-glazed Jeanette Iris and Herringbone salad plate, which my mother was pleased to add to her large collection of Jeanette glass.

Delightful books, old and new

If you have difficulty dropping $50.00 at Barnes and Noble for the newest crop of bestsellers, then thrift stores might help! Many carry amazing selections of high-quality old classics, and very often they will have a few copies of recent bestsellers. As with anything at the thrift store, it can take quite a bit of time to browse the tomes and pick out those which are worthwhile, but the end results are worth it.

Books are extremely heavy and take up a lot of space, so I find that most thrift stores sell them very cheaply, since so many of them are donated. Getting books from thrift stores is a great way to add to your personal home library, and recycled volumes make excellent, inexpensive, gifts.

Fabric Remnants

A surprisingly large number of thrift stores carry fabric remnants, notions, and scraps for quilting. They are always economically priced, and, in my experience, yardage is always very clearly and honestly marked on the outside of a roll of fabric. This is an excellent way to get fabric for quilting projects and sewing projects, and the eclectic and vintage fabric patterns found at thrift stores can be very inspiring. I have bought everything from charmeuse to brocade at the thrift store, and have even found ribbon, lace, and trims for my sewing projects.

Dishes

Thrift stores are an amazingly good place to find dishes because they are often of extraordinarily high quality, and there is always an interesting variety of dishes available. While it's not uncommon to find a few matching pieces, finding full sets is rare, so this type of bargain hunting is best for people looking for individual, decorative pieces, or for students or apartment-dwellers who want a few matching plates, but have no room to store a full set of dishes. It's fun to find eclectic coffee cups and plates with old-fashioned patterns. If you're into Mosaics, any chipped, cracked, or especially colorful dishware you find may become an exciting new project.

As I mentioned earlier, my favorite thrift store is Thrift Town, because it's huge, very reasonably priced, and always has something new and exciting. Other great thrift stores include Salvation Army and Goodwill. Both of these deliver amazing value, though they are commonly not as large as Thrift Town. I also love keeping an eye on smaller, local, church- or charity-run thrift stores. These operations aren't as frequent or as large-scale, but I have found some of the most amazing books and clothing items at Church thrift stores. These also give you the added bonus of knowing that your money is going to do some good directly in your community.

For more information about the thrift stores I've mentioned here, check out the websites below:

http://www.thrifttown.com/ - Thrift Town

http://www.satruck.com/ - Salvation Army

http://goodwill.org/page/guest/about - Goodwill

You can also shop Goodwill online at: http://www.shopgoodwill.com/