Sometimes it's not a good deal. Kid specific

Okay so sometimes you will find yourself in a thrift store and you're all caught up in the moment when you realize once you're home that maybe that wasn't actually a deal. This post is going to be about how to make sure you are getting a good deal and what to look for in case you find yourself in doubt. Most important thing in this post: BRAND always remember brands.

It's not the stores job to see to it that you get a great deal. It's your job to know what you're doing. We are all very aware of what a good brand is verses what is a brand that would be probably third or forth on your "I will actually buy this new with tags." list that we all have. Believe me when I say sometimes it is good to do a little research before jumping in the pool feet first. We will call this next section Dipping your toe.




In order to know that you are not going to be had it is pivotal to know how much this cost the person originally, and how it was sold..clothes for babies. Babies grow like weeds in case you were wondering... ask any new parent and they will tell you that little Johnny never even got around to wearing that adorable 0-3 month fuzzy bear sweater that aunt Sue got him because he just grew too big too quickly. (darn). Having said that people will typically donate things like Onsies, Layettes, Bodysuits and Sleepers sometimes even if they have never been worn. These are a set of onsies by Child of Mine a subset of Carter's. Carter's owns many brands, and it is important for you to know this as you go into stores looking for a deal, Carter's thought of just about everything. Carter's owns the following brands: OshKosh, Genuine Kids, Just One You, Child of Mine and Precious Firsts. Excluding OshKosh, Genuine Kids... Pay attention. A sleeper at Carters is $9.60, a sleeper from Target where Just One You is sold is $8.50 and a sleeper from Wal-Mart where Child of Mine is sold is $7.44.  The exact same sleeper is being sold at three different prices, but it is coming off of the same line. It is up to you to be knowledgeable about what you are buying so that you are not caught in the midst of this we will get your money concept. If you look closely at the different products they are basically the same. Carters has more variety, but the product is the same. I thought this was interesting to point out for quality purposes. The quality is standard across the board, the only difference is price, store and variety. Below you will see a cute little dress, this at a thrift store will always be considered a deal because it sells at Ralph Lauren for $35, it does not matter if you pay $2.25 or $4.25 for this dress, it is a DEAL. But you knew that, anything with that little threaded Polo horse is a deal. 


So now I will let you in on another little secret...remember the thought about brands from above and how they are important...well this is true for a couple of reasons that may not just immediately pop into your mind. Price is determined by many things you learned about in Econ in college that I would never explain because I was on Facebook during that class...either way the price you pay for something originally will have something to do with the use you get out of it. Ralph Lauren clothing is durable, fashionable and it holds it color when washed because it is made by high quality materials, thus you will get the bang for your buck (sort of, some of their prices are ridiculous), but any Ralph Lauren clothing you see at thrift stores along with Brooks Brothers and other high quality brands are usually going to be a good deal, just watch for stains. Remember how things are sold originally: Onsies across the board except for maybe babyGap, Old Navy and Circo are sold in sets of either 3 or 5, ranging in price from $9.00 to $13; therefore unless you are buying these for $1 or 5 for $1 you may not be getting much of a deal at a thrift store, not to mention the fact that you will never find the entire set together.

Your job as the consumer: Goodwill in particular (my research continues on other thrift stores) has a one price fits all system. Second hand stores, consignment shops and resale stores usually accept certain items only and have an intricate system for pricing things. It does not matter to Goodwill if it is Ralph Lauren or Granimals if it is considered a Romper or Child's Tee it is going to be $2.25. This is where it falls on you, the consumer to know the difference. Obvious brands to always look for at Thrift stores: Vitamin Kids, Ralph Lauren, Nike, babyGap, Carters, Gymboree, Little Me, Circo, The Children's Place, OshKosh, Kelly's Kids, Bailey Boys etc. But don't forget the others, Just One You, Child of Mine, Gerber etc. Cheaper does not always mean crap, that point was proven with the Carters breakdown from before. Just remember that you will only get a deal if you are away with how much something costs to begin with. That is across the board, whether it is children's clothes or adult clothes knowing the price is important, duh.

"I am who I am and your approval is not needed." love that quote.

Where to store your scores!

When I started going to thrift stores I would just pick up a few random things..a nice pair of J. Crew pants, or some random Polo shirts for the husband...with that didn't come with the issue of storage.But if you have the inclination to buy a lot of stuff from thrift stores you really should think about where you are going to put it. Especially if you are like me and plan on reselling the stuff you buy, no sense in ruining a future profit... But before you go and cram all of your stuff into these various items or use these ideas always make sure that if it is clothing you are storing please wash them first... So here are the 3 things I recommend if you are going to be a thrift store junkie.


1.Vacuum bags: Space Saver or the off brand kind. These things are great. You stuff them full of crap, suck their air out and then shove them under your bed, in the bottom of a closet or stack them on top of one another in the attic, if you have one. I will caution you to make sure that you are organized in the way that you pack these bags. Put "like" items together and label the bag with a piece of paper that says what is inside (I wouldn't write on the bad because then you will have this type of thing going on and no one really wants to try and read that.

2. Rubbermaid Bins: These bins are also a great idea if you have a house with an attic or deep closets. They are water resistant, squirrel proof and are relatively easy to move. In order to find the best bins at the best price I recommend buying them after Christmas at places like Wal-Mart or Target (it really doesn't matter if they are red or green). Because after Christmas you will find that these bins go on sale, and not just on sale...they get marked down substaintially. Also another good time to shop is at the end of the summer when the "College Stuff" goes on sale. This is where you can have a larger color base to choose from..however beware the polka dot. Due to the fact that college geared items are getting more and more child looking, the storage bins are also becoming more "rockstar" looking if you catch my drift. But indeed the storage bin is a great alternative to shoved, crammed or otherwise "hidden" thrift store scores. It keeps them dry, organized and free from squirrels.


Sterilite Plastic Drawer Sets: I know...genius. Now please do not give 
me all of the credit for coming up with this amazing idea, I certainly did not come up with this one, however I am a huge fan of them for many reasons. The reason these bad boys are so popular and fantastic is because like their second cousin...by marriage (the rubbermaid bins) they are also durable; for the most part, more waterproof than paper, and can be stacked, duck taped together and thrown in the back of any car moving anything from a college campus. That is where I learned my appreciation for them. I am also completely aware that we are adults...however if you are one of those people who cannot for the life of you decide on a an actual piece of furniture...made of wood then these are PERFECT for you. Let me stop myself here...if you are worried about the comments from your circle of friends saying things like "Oh my she has plastic drawers at her house??!" "What are we in college??" I too have a solution to that! Change your circle of friends. See simple. But these Nay Sayers are nothing more than fuel for my ever evolving love of the random. Plastic is better than wood for 3 reasons: 1. It is plastic, you can wipe it with a Clorox Wipe. 2. It is plastic which AUTO-matically makes it lighter to move and 3. If the top craps out on you, or a drawer breaks go to Wal-Mart or Target and get another one. And also because you can change it up whenever you want with paper. See the image. You can bedazzle these guys with scrapbooking paper, wrapping paper, ribbon..really whatever you can get to stick. And unlike your WoodFurnitureOnlyFriends you have the ability to constantly update your look whenever you want. You're welcome.


Here is what I think to be the most important thing to remember when being a thrifty person, I need for you to recall the movie...Pay It Forward. No, I am not saying go out into the world and do amazing things for perfect strangers; however if you have never done anything for a perfect stranger I do encourage it, doing things for others puts humanity back in the world and humility back into your soul; both are very important. Anyway, in order to not appear on the season finale of Hoarders do not continue to buy if you have never given. Go through your stuff, see what you do not wear anymore and before you return to the store, take a bag with you, give your things to someone else, after all that is what thrift stores are all about. This keeps your house organized, your spouse off your back, your soul good (or better for some of you) and keeps the doors of that thrift store open for you and that someone else. 


Thrifty knowledge for today: Those old nasty t-shirts that were worn to cut grass, paint, worn to your freshman year rush blowout... that you would think couldn't possibly be used for anything....Goodwill accepts those too! They decide whether or not something has the potential to be sold and if they think it cannot then an associate uses a template and cuts these shirts into strips and squares...creating the GoodWipes. These are sold at the registers at participating stores in bags of 10 or so. They are $1 and are a good bargain. They literally have found a use for everything. 


"Remember to keep your chin up, someone, somewhere has it a lot worse than you."

Rock the Smock

I feel like there will be massive amounts of judgement of me after this next post considering the majority of the people that are going to read this know me well enough to know that I do not have children. However I want children, I have always wanted children and when the day comes for me to have them I want to be as prepared as possible. Therefore I look at it in the same way those lunatics on the show Doomsday Preppers. If you prepare now you have a smaller chance of being caught off guard. So keep this concept in mind as I admit to you and show you the massive collection of children's clothes that I have. 

Smocked, Smocking: The phenomenon that has adorned the chests of children in the south for a very long time is actually a lot older and a lot more useful than we originally thought. You see I grew up in smocked outfits, hair bows and gingham everything therefore I have a small obsession with these little gems. But after doing a little research I now have a larger appreciation for smocking and where it actually came from. Trust me I will get to how this applicable to thrift stores shortly however let's take a dive into what I will call "Uselessly Useful Information." I mean honestly you never really know if you will be at trivia and some random question about smocking is asked; just in case...you're welcome.

Smocking originated in the 13th and 14th century in England, there are other sources that claim it is older but for time purposes let's go with this estimate. Smocking served many purposes then, as opposed to now where it is just nice looking clothes. These outfits were practical pieces of clothing that were worn by farm workers, mostly men and children and other "working class" individuals..oh the irony. The smock consisted of linen fabric which was gathered into pleats and then the pleats were secured with embroidery stitches. They were only smocked on the yoke and sleeves and the stitching indicated the area from where the smock originated, and the embroidered designs also depicted the wearers' occupation e.g. farmers would have decorative elements depicting the land, shepherds would have crooks and sheep, while the gravediggers would have crosses. The smocked part of the garment protected the worker from the elements such as extreme temperatures and wind because the area that was smocked was thicker than the linen that made up the rest of the garment. Of course the two World Wars did nothing for smocking considering the availability of cheap mass produced adult clothing took over from the labor-intensive hand smocked clothing, particularly in women's clothing. However children's clothing continued to be smocked and still does today.

So there is the history in short of the tradition that is the smocking. So as you sit there and ponder "what can I possibly talk about at the next Kelly's Kids home showing?", maybe now with a bit more information you and the other southern belles will have something new to discuss.

Terms to remember for this post: Smocked, Jon-Jon, Bubble, Shortall and Longall.

Smocked: We have clearly covered this.

Jon-Jon: The picture in the top right corner, that's a Jon-Jon and a shortall...However Jon-Jon's are only for boys, whereas there are some shortall's made for girls.

Bubble: the picture to the left is a bubble.It sort of bubbles up around the top of the legs...hints the name: Bubble.

Longall: a smocked version of overalls, therefore making overalls socially acceptable. 

How in the world is this related to thrift stores. Well you see children grow, I know, what? children grow? yes indeed children grow faster than the unemployment rate and families are having less children nowadays than 20 years ago due to many reasons not related to this blog, which directly means the use of hand-me-downs is being less and less utilized today then when I was a child. Even though children grow, parents, specifically southern parents still want their child to be precious and dressed well and in the south that means Rock the Smock.  Now if you live in the upstate you have probably heard of the Grey Goose, which is a children's clothing boutique that specializes in smocked clothing for boys and girls and specialty gifts. The Grey Goose is one of those places that I like to call divorce creators. With that I mean if you go there and shop and purchase more than 5 things and you are of the working class you my friend will find yourself in court quicker than your kids will outgrow that adorable outfit that they had to have. So the empirical question where do I get these adorable outfits for little Suzie without spending a ton of money?

I am glad you asked that question. Allow me to answer it for you by showing you just how wonderful your local thrift store can be. So the average price of a new, never worn before smocked dress for a little girl is between $50 and $85 more or less depending; here is a dress that I found at Goodwill: You see this cute little get up is green with an Old McDonald (sans farm) smocking around the neckline. It is a size 2T and is precious; I paid $2.25 making the difference around $63 based on the average of the prices. 

You see smocked dresses are wonderful for many reasons. They are easy to put children in, they are  appropriate for church, school, play dates, birthday parties etc. Not to mention the fact that they are timeless; I completely intend on my children (if the good lord gives me daughters) wearing my smocked dresses that my mom saved from when I was little. They are like Honda's...they hold their value. 

Hera are a few of the other deals I have scored at various thrift stores:

  Boys Longall with Elephant and Lion detailing.

Raggedy Anne and Andy Longall without sleeves: the ones without sleeves are great too because they can be worn with nothing underneath or with a short/long sleeved shirt in the color of your choice!

Seersucker (no sleeves) Boys Bubble with Elephant, Palm Tree and Giraffe Smocking

As you can see by the pictures finding nice, gently used smocked clothing at thrift stores is completely possible. Had I purchased all of these (just these mind you, I have tons more..) I would have easily spent well over $300.00. Which in case you wanted to know my opinion I think is a ridiculous amount of money to begin with, let alone put a kid in something that was that expensive. 

I plan on giving you all an inside scoop every time I write on this blog about thrift store knowledge, or a great deal that I came across recently. So today's little piece of information is also correcting a common myth amongst thrift stores: I only go to thrift stores that are on "rich sides of town" because they have the nicest items." Okay, so I thought this for a while and rightfully so it makes perfect sense. However, Goodwill has those large semi trucks you see from time to time...if a particular store has a lot of items or too much in one particular store they put the crap on a truck and take it to another location that may not have as much stuff donated directly to that store. So it does matter a little while store you go to...say for example you live in Greenville, by all means hit up the Woodruff Road one before you go to...the Poinsett Highway one (which by the way does not sell clothes, it sells crap) and then work your way back from there. Areas with high volumes of neighborhoods will have the best selection as far as kids clothes are concerned.

So if you have children who typically wear smocked clothing, bravo. You have some adorable children and probably 50 photo albums full of pictures with them wearing these little investments, which I agree with...document their life because one day when they are looking back on their life they will see those pictures and then be able to appreciate just how precious they used to be. So I will leave you with the evidence of the little smocked, hair bowed southern belle I was when I was little. Please enjoy these little pictures as they are the truest form of who I was, which has lead me to be what I claim to be today. Yes this little gem to your left is me, in my little smocked dress. And the one to the right is more of an applique outfit but I had to show the bow. Thanks for reading!

The mindset of a Thrift Store

When I decided to start a blog it was only after talking with my mom, who I talk to about everything...I had recently gone to Goodwill and purchased some very nice items, I was so proud of these items I quickly went by my moms to show them to her. We talked about how interesting it is that really nice things can be found in a thrift store, and that it just takes patience and the will to never pay full price for clothing that drives people like myself to shop at these stores. 


Sadly thrift stores have a bad reputation for whatever reason. Notions that, "They're for poor people." "Gross, someone else wore that before." Allow me to break these myths down for you. It is 2012 in the United States, we are all poor. Secondly, if you have ever borrowed clothes from your sister, brother, friend, roommate etc, then someone else has worn that before. Going through life with your nose stuck up in the air does nothing but make your neck stiff, while it makes my closet full. Trust me the only things I will positively not buy in a thrift store are the following:

• Underwear
• Bras
• Socks
• Sheets

Preparing to sift: When I say prepare to sift this is the image I would like to pop up in your mind...

What you have here is a great example of the massive amount of stuff crammed on these racks. The trick is knowing where to start your sifting. Never blindly go into a thrift store, go in knowing what you are looking for. This will make your time at the store more enjoyable. Today for example I went to the Goodwill knowing that I wanted to find athletic shorts & pants for myself, golf shirts for the husband and cute little smocked items for the future tax deductions. It is like grocery shopping, make a list and then you will not have all the crap when you get home and look at it with the thought of "now where will this go?" 


Now how to deal with the issue of the hangers will not move. This can be looked at through only one lens...the more stuff, the greater the possibility of finding something nice. Get a cart and start sifting. Pull each and every single hanger, do not grab the clothes...they will fall off the hanger. Now this next part is important pull the item completely out of the rack, look at the front, look at the back. Not to say people would donate something with a stain but, people would donate something with a stain. 


What will I find today? Well that is simple, you find what you are willing to look for. Today was a good example. I wanted to find the husband some golf shirts. He prefers golf shirts in the summer because they are made out of a fancy material that breathes well, and he works outside most of the time. Today I found an Adidas golf polo in yellow, a Callaway golf polo, a Polo Ralph Lauren collard shirt and a Nike Golf shirt. Had I purchased them at the retailer I would have spent $110.00 on only the Adidas golf shirt. 

(What I like about this picture is that both are Ralph Lauren Polo shirts, and I cannot remember which one came from Goodwill and which one did not.)


I only have $35 to spend- Okay so you are on a budget, so is everyone else in the country, here is a little secret. Goodwill has a "Color of the Week." Or as they like to refer to it as the Managers Special. What this means is that the color of the tag indicates what is on sale that week. You have blue, yellow, red, green and blue. Yellow seems to NEVER be on sale (there is so much tagged with yellow), but the others are on a rolling cycle. This week was Green. Sadly I only found 1 item that was green tagged, but that made it $1. Everything else was between $2.25 and $4.25. So today I purchased the 4 golf polos for the husband, a pair of Adidas shorts and Adidas pants for myself and 4 smocked outfits for the future tax deductions. My grand total was $33.50. Under budget.


Insider information on Goodwill: On the ends of the aisle you have wired rack baskets usually ties, scarves, baby onsies etc...these items are usually (it depends on what Goodwill) 5 for $1. In the sections where they have put all of the color of the week items are not the only items in the store with that color; look in the racks you will be surprised when you find something tagged with that color that was overlooked and it is exactly what you wanted to find.


So there you have it, the mindset of a thrift store is driven by your attitude toward it. Once you have shopped at a thrift store a few times you will find yourself saying, "I am not spending $3.75 on this shirt, I will wait until this color goes on sale." It is these statements that I find myself saying nowadays. The best times to go to a thrift store are in the mornings when they open (however do not get there right when they open because then you will be fighting with the employees because they are still pulling the color of the week) and on Saturday mornings. 


I like to think of myself as thrifty when I can be. You cannot talk your way into cheaper gas, you cannot protest buying groceries and you cannot refuse to pay taxes; but you can refuse to buy things from the retailers when you know good and well that it exists in thrift stores for a drastically lower price. 

And another blog about thrift stores.

Born and raised in Greenville, South Carolina. I married my high school sweetheart in March of 2012. Together my husband and I flipped an older mill village house that we now live in with our two dogs, Wriglee (Old English Bulldog) and Esso (Cheagle). My husband and I both work in non-profit organizations here in Greenville. 

(This is Wriglee Grace and below is Esso)

I work for a domestic violence organization that serves 4 of the upstate counties. My husband who is brilliant works in facility maintenance at another area non-profit.


We are simple people who are in the real world together taking on life's challenges as they present themselves. We have been a unit for going on 9 years and we are hoping to begin our newest journey as newlyweds with the possibility of children. We are "faithfully" embarking on the whole "kids thing" as he likes to put it. As I like to explain it, we are not...not trying. If that makes sense.


This blog is to capture a special audience of wives, girlfriends, fiances, husbands maybe, new moms and moms in general who like the majority of the United States saw your budget shrink lately, but your needs stay the same. Trust me when I tell you this blog is in no way shape or form going to talk about coupons, or spend less...it is simply to show you that the other members of your community have nice things, and those nice things get donated...I am here to show you the possibilities of being a thrift store junkie. Which as my mom likes to remind me I am becoming.


I truly never thought I would see the day that I would consider hurrying home to get the bag of items found at the local Goodwill in the house without anyone finding out I went shopping. (This seriously never crossed my mind as a possibility.) However it could be worse, which I remind everyone of from time to time.) I could be hurrying home with J. Crew bags...that would be bad.


Welcome to this adventure, I have been thrift store shopping for about 4 months now, like actively shopping at them. They used to allow me the perfect shop for those sorority functions where I needed godforsaken everything, and they had it and for those years I looked fabulous in the garb I found in the stores. Now they have become my mall, my online shoppe. They are a boutique within themselves, you just have to go in with the notion that someone else has gone to that boutique and now they have donated it.


Please enjoy, as I am sure I will not stop shopping at thrift stores even if you stop reading.