Thrift Store Finds: Winners and Losers

Thrift store runs are a crap shoot. The wonderful thing about thrift stores is that you can find some fantastic products from bygone eras. Thrift store shopping has become part of our retro lifestyle. But, along the way, you'll find a few products that just plain won't work. In years of thrifting, my wife and I have explored thrift stores from Virginia to Missouri to Florida. Here are some of our greatest finds and saddest disappointments from years of thrifting.

1. Winner - Texas Instruments TI-99/4A Personal Computer. Millions of American nerds were fortunate to grow up programming a TI-99/4A. I wasn't one of them. My family took our chances with the Coleco ADAM. But, when I came across a complete TI-99 nearly 26 years later, I took the plunge.

2. Winner - Minolta SRT-201 35mm Camera. You can learn a lot about photography by trying film photography. At $20, the Minolta SRT-201 is a completely manual 35mm SLR. Inside the viewfinder light metering is the only automated feature of this camera. It takes great pictures.

3. Winner - 1961 American Heritage Historic Automobile Cards. Before the Internet, kids learned about the world via collectable cards. These American Heritage brand cards were made by Milton Bradley. I learned a lot about early American automobiles for only $4.99.

4. Winner - Atari Flashback. Do you ever feel nostalgic for the video games of your youth? I do and I was able to satisfy that craving for my old Atari 2600 with an Atari Flashback console for about $10. This more modern console plugs directly into the front of my television set and includes about 10 games.

5. Winner - King-sized headboard and footboard. Want to break out of the boring headboard footboard combination that came with your furniture? We found a nice, white, traditional metal headboard and footboard with brass balls atop each post for only $40 at a Georgia thrift store.

6. Winner - Three Drawer Dresser. Furniture isn't made as well today as it once was. So we felt lucky to find the perfect, solid wood, three drawer dresser for only $20. Of course, I thought it would be a good idea to donate it back prior to one of our moves. We've been missing it ever since.

7. Winner - Silhouettes jeans. My wife was considering paying full retail for Silhouettes jeans a couple of years ago. Recently she found five, unworn, pairs of the same jeans for only $4 each at a thrift store. Best of all they were in her size!

8. Loser - Minolta Freedom Zoom 105i APZ Camera. An unusual Minolta camera beckoned to me from the Goodwill display case. It had a nice case and a fresh, unopened, battery so I took the plunge. I had good luck with an earlier Canon Sureshot Z135 camera. But, the battery was good and the camera was bad. Worst of all, the store wouldn't exchange it for store credit. The moral of the story, test, test, test before you buy, buy, buy!

You can have a lot of fun at the thrift store, but buyer beware! You'll win some and lose some!