Where to Find the Best Inexpensive Christmas Gifts

For those of us on a tight holiday budget, local thrift stores have long been the inexpensive Christmas Shopping Place of choice. Thrift store don't have just clothes and junky pieces of furniture; today's thrifts have a wide range of used of inexpensive second hand goods that will surprise you.

So what is a thrift store? Typically, thrift stores are run by charities who collect used goods, then sell them to fund a organization or cause. St. Vincent de Paul thrift stores for an example, provides funding to local food banks and financial assistance to the poor. In recent years, a number of "for-profit" thrift stores have popped up. These organizations do not fund a charity, but merely sell used goods for profit.

What kind of things can be found in a thrift store? Just about anything you can imagine. Thrift stores have long been the dumping grounds of people just wanting to get rid of their old household goods. Much of the merchandise you will see is the stuff of yard sales. However, there are also quite a few valuables that slip through, which make fabulous, yet inexpensive Christmas gifts at a price that's really hard to resist.

Gift containers

For those that do a lot of Christmas baking, thrift stores are full of inexpensive candy and cookie tins. These tins come in all shapes and sizes, with all kinds of designs. I buy the vintage tins myself, which can usually be purchased for around 50¢ and are worth at least twenty times that.

Inexpensive glass jars with sealed lids also turn up quite a bit at thrift stores. These type of containers are terrific for candies and "Christmas gift in a jar" combinations. We also use them to hold handmade bath salts.

To clean these containers, simply wipe them out with a weak bleach solution.

Vintage dishes galore

I used to cruise the thrifts for dishes, in hopes of finding the missing pieces from my Grandmother's old set of pottery. What I found instead were complete place settings of Franciscan, Metlox and more selling for 1/20th their actual value. For antique pottery collectors, thrift stores are a treasure trove of inexpensive dishes and stoneware. From Bauer bowls to Hulls, Frankoma, California pottery and more, thrift stores are the place to find an inexpensive piece of vintage pottery for the pottery collector on your Christmas list. Don't expect to find anything your first visit out, these treasures are quickly snapped up by the daily cruisers. The best time to hit the thrifts are during the times they are putting out merchandise.

Vintage Bake ware

Many of my friends collect old pieces of Glassbake and Pyrex, the mainstay merchandise of all thrift stores. Pieces from the 1940s to 1960s frequently turn up in these stores and make wonderful, yet inexpensive Christmas gifts for collectors and people with period kitchens. Pyrex mixing bowls and antique pie plates, Fire King bowls and mugs, old custard cups and refrigerator storage dishes are just some of the antique bakeware you can expect to find at bargain prices.

Antique tablecloths

Those who collect old textiles will be amazed at the variety of antique tablecloths that show up in thrift stores. These wonderful old cotton tablecloths from the 1940s to 1960s are bright, colorful, and highly decorative and very inexpensive, ranging from $5-10 in price.

Picture frames

Thrift stores have more inexpensive picture frames than any other store I've seen, at a fraction of their original price. I avoid the cheap ones, but root around the bins for vintage wooden frames or high quality metal frames. These inexpensive frames are great for kids pictures or framing an antique Christmas postcard for a one-of-a-kind Christmas gift.

Vintage board games

For the nostalgia buff, vintage board games are always a fun Christmas gift. I've turned up lots of pre 1970 board games in practically new condition, bargain priced between $2-5. Among my favorite finds include the "Mystery Date" and the "Six Million Dollar Man" board games. Other inexpensive games that often turn up in thrift stores include Chinese checker sets and Carom boards which are wonderful for display.

Vintage lunch boxes

Those old metal lunch boxes can be quite valuable, yet amazingly turn up in thrift stores on a regular basis for under $10. Old lunch boxes make a terrific stand alone gifts, although I usually fill them with homemade Christmas cookies as well.

Funky lamps

One of my prized thrift store finds is a 1960s pop atomic table lamp with a tiered shade. It's easily worth several hundred dollars; however, I paid a mere $5 for it. Inexpensive, but highly weird lamps turn up all the time in thrift stores and make a wonderful Christmas gift for the college student who's trying to outfit an apartment.

Vintage camping gear

For the collector, that old Coleman camping gear turns up on a regular basis at thrift stores, as campers replace their old equipment with new. Popular finds are those circa 1950 to 1960 vintage water jugs, lanterns, and plaid bags with the combination thermos & sandwich holder. Old Coleman equipment is rarely priced higher than $10.

Coffee Mugs

Thrift stores have hundreds of inexpensive coffee mugs in every shape and size. Some are ugly, but there's also a few real collectibles in there as well. For an inexpensive Christmas gift for a teacher or coworker, fill a Holiday or vintage mug with handmade candy or a box of Christmas tea, and wrap it up with cello-wrap.

Collectible Christmas decor

Hallmark collectibles, Bradford & Bradford Christmas plates, Christmas dishes and more start hitting the shelves as early as October. For your friends who collect specific lines of merchandise, thrifts may be the perfect place to locate an inexpensive Mitford collectible or Lenox serving dish.

Glassware

Last but not least, are the hundreds of wine glasses, glassware, and drinking glasses that show up in thrifts. Some are old wedding gifts, others may be all that's left of set of fine stemware, and all of it's inexpensive. If you know your antique or collectible glassware, pick up a set of 4 matching vintage goblets or glasses, and arrange them in a Christmas gift basket with a bottle of wine or a beverage pitcher.

Shopping for quality Christmas gifts doesn't have to ruin you financially. But by visiting thrift stores, and pairing up those inexpensive treasures with home baked goods, you can create thoughtful one-of-a-kind Christmas gifts that will easily fit within any budget.