Salvage Stores: When You Want to Buy New Stuff at Thrift Store Prices

Thrift stores offer amazing buys, but there are drawbacks.  For one thing, this stuff is used and lots of people are wary about buying used merchandise.  Repairs may be needed.  Some fixes are obvious, mending a hem or sewing on a button.  Others are not, like faulty wiring.  
.

Shopping at a Thrift Store

Then there’s the thrift store experience.  The inventory turns over rapidly, and their stuff isn’t placed prettily on the shelves.  Stuff is stacked, clothes are shoved onto racks.  You have to search through lots of things to find your treasures in a thrift store.  Dig through bins.  Look through the dishware stacks on the lower shelves. 

But the prices!  Thrift store finds can be amazing, especially for savvy shoppers with experience in thrifting. 

So, what if you want that thrift store price but you want new stuff?  You want things from nice stores, no previous owner, and still in their packaging – for pennies on the dollar?

Well, then you may want to investigate salvage stores in your area….

New Stuff for Sale at Salvage Stores

There are different kinds of salvage stores.  Here in San Antonio, for instance, we have more than one salvage store that sells “architectural salvage.”  That’s not what you want. 

You’re looking for stores like these, some selling merchandise and some selling food items:
.

1. New Merchandise at Thrift Store Prices

.

Some salvage stores sell stuff.  New stuff; good stuff.  You’re still going to have to sort through the inventory, but you are looking at new products. 

Example:  Dirt Cheap

The Dirt Cheap chain has stores in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Texas, Georgia, and Tennessee.  They are closed on Sunday.

How do they explain their store?  From their site:

“With over 90 locations across eight states, Dirt Cheap is a bargain hunter's paradise.  We offer leading private label and name brand merchandise for as much as 30-90% off regular retail prices.  …  We purchase our merchandise from retailers all over the country, so we may carry items that you would not usually find in your region.  Our merchandise changes weekly, and sometimes daily, so it pays to stop in often!"
.

2. Food Bargains at Salvage Stores

.
There are also salvage stores that sell food.  Groceries at really low prices (like a quarter for a soda).

Example:  AAA Freight Salvage

 This is a local salvage store with all sorts of online five-star ratings.  Surf the web for similar locally-operated salvage stores in your area. 

Here’s the thing: it’s a food salvage store.  One Facebook reviewer describes it as the T.J. Maxx and Marshall's for groceries.  
.

Test the Waters with YouTube Hauls

If you want to get the feel for shopping at a salvage store before venturing forth, then check out “Dirt Cheap Store Hauls” on YouTube. 

Shoppers there will take you on tours of their stores, as well as share their bargain finds. Here’s one for you:

The Shopper’s Thrill of the Great Bargain Find: Dollar Tree and Great Books (For a Buck)

 I’ve been living the Voluntary Simplicity lifestyle for many years now, but that doesn’t mean that I’ve lost that thrill of stumbling upon a great bargain while shopping. It’s just that the store names have changed, and the amount that I’m willing to pay is lots (LOTS) less now.

That zing in your heart strings, or purse strings, when you find something great for a low price? It’s still there.

Like it was for me last week.

Go back with me, Dear Reader, as I was pushing my little green shopping cart through the aisles of my local Dollar Tree, which in my opinion is the nicest dollar store out there. (At least in my neck of the woods, San Antonio.) Sure, there’s the need to eagle eye the products here, as in any bargain paradise (be it thrift store, flea market, garage sale, or WalMart) - you have to discern quality from crud.

Dollar Tree is My Favorite Dollar Store -- I Shop Dollar Tree Once a Month for Bargains

There are quality items to be found at Dollar Tree, and the reason that I prefer this chain to the others is two-fold: if I pick it up, I know it’s $1.00 or less (unlike some other “dollar” stores) and there’s more quality stuff at the Dollar Tree chains. At least, this has been my experience. Plus, they’re clean and their workers are friendly and helpful.

I visit Dollar Tree once a month without fail because I find great things there, like this week: 

1. Brillo sponges (not pads), blue, with a scruffy surface on one side (package of two for a buck). 
2. Index cards (200/$1.00)(I love using index cards for lots of things, it’s Old School, I know). 
3. Plastic flowers for my outdoor wreathes (amazing quality, these plastic blooms - very slow to fade). 
4. Betty Crocker kitchen stuff (got a primo pasta spoon for $1.00). 
5. Baskets and bins (sweet, big reed basket for a buck - perfect for a gift basket). 
6. Gift bags (this store doesn’t have the great selection I have seen in other D-Trees, but big bags for a buck is still nice). 
7. Tape (got Scotch brand clear tape, enough to last me a year at least, two rolls for a buck). 
8. Del Monte canned vegetables (two regular cans for a buck). 
9. Dog toys (I don’t buy their edible offerings, but the small stuffed toys are safe and my pups love them - for the 30 minutes it takes for them to tear them apart outside in the grass.) 
10. Books. That’s right, Dear Reader. BOOKS. 

My local Dollar Tree has some wonderful finds - and I thought I’d share with you the books I’ve bought this month at Dollar Tree: 

• The Emerald Cat Killer by Richard Lupoff (Hobart Linsdey and Marvia Plum Series #10)(read my book review here, WHAT a great find): in hardback, same book being sold on Barnes and Noble for $25.99; 
• Four to Score by Janet Evanovich(Stephanie Plum series): New York Times Best Selling Author, in paperback, same book being sold on Barnes and Noble for $8.99;  
• High Five by Janet Evanovich (Stephanie Plum series): New York Times Best Selling Author, in paperback, same book being sold on Barnes and Noble for $8.99; 
• Queen of the Night by J.A. Jance (Brandon Walker and Diana Ladd Series #4): New York Times Best Selling Author, in hardback, same book being sold on Barnes and Noble for $25.11; 
• Hell Gate by Linda Fairstein (Alexandra Cooper Series #12): New York Times Best Selling Author, in hardback, same book being sold on Barnes and Noble for $25.89;  and
• Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs (Mercy Thompson Series #5): New York Times Best Selling Author, in hardback, same book being sold on Barnes and Noble for $24.07.

Is This Unfair to the Author? Geez Louise, I Hope Not 

I’m not the only one who has discovered great reads at the dollar store. Lynn Viehl writes of buying up some of her author/friend’s books upon discovering them at a dollar store in her April 2005 blog post - and she explains the reasons why finding books in a dollar store might make an author cringe.

 I love authors, I love books, I don’t want to hurt writers in any way. However, without Dollar Tree I would not have known about Richard Lupoff - nor would I read Linda Fairstein (even though I have heard of her name before).

Are these writers making money off my Dollar Tree buys? Nope; these are “remaindered remainders” as Viehl explains. Jance, Fairstein, Evanovich, Briggs, and Lupoff will make no more from their artistry and hard work on my copies than if I’d borrowed their books from the library.

However, they’ve gained a fan in me through DollarTree, and that’s got to be worth something, right? Especially when you consider that these are all series reads, where I’m going to be searching for the rest of the series? (Well, except for Plum. I’ve got almost every Stephanie Plum already.)

Plus, I like to think it’s better to scoop up these great finds at the Dollar Tree than to leave them there. I mean, the only thing worse than finding these books at the dollar store would be to discover that no one bought them there, right?

Buying Used Furniture - My Search for a Comfy Reading Chair

I've tweeted about my growing obsession with creating a little corner with the perfect reading light, the perfect side table, and the perfect reading chair ... something that is sorta like my favorite chair at Barnes & Noble. 

Now, I'm off to find the chair and I thought I'd share how this trek is working out.

I've already surfed the web quite a bit, and yepper -- there's lots and lots of chairs online.  I've checked new ones in clearance and old ones in vintage.  I've looked over EBay, too.  The problem is, I need to test out my chair.  It's got to be a cozy fit, and what with shipping charges there's no way that I'm going to test driving chair after chair from these online options.

So, I'm left to scour the city. 

I've begun my roaming thru my favorite furniture consignment shops.  So far, nothing's been just right (call me Goldilocks, I'm that picky here) but that's par for shopping consignment.  You learn to check their inventory every so often, because it's always changing and never the same.  I'm writing up a little description of My Perfect Reading Chair, and I'm going to leave it with these stores so hopefully, they'll call me when something hits their docks.  I keep my fingers crossed.

I've also started going by a couple of resale places that provide funds for charities.  Boysville has a local resale shop that can be great or horrid, depending on the day.  Salvation Army has a pretty reliable used ("reconditioned") furniture store, and I'm going to pop in there later today. 

Finally, there are the estate sales, garage sales, and the like.  I'm pondering these but I'll need my friend S and S's big humungo SUV for these treks.  You gotta tote away your finds here, and My Perfect Reading Chair won't fit in my car.  No way, no how.

I'll keep you posted. 

Favorite Thrift Store Finds

When you start shopping thrift stores, there's the thrill of finding a great deal that just never happened at the mall. For example, yesterday I was introduced to Family Thrift Store on Blanco Road, a great thrift store, by Mr. X. (There are several Family Thrifts in San Antonio: Goliad is smaller and Bandera is bigger.)

The best buy was his, not mine: for $39, he took home to his wife a gently worn Dooney & Burke purse which would cost over $300, if bought brand-new. All-weather leather, large, nice. The black with tan trim - still had the dangling duck medal on it. An identical bag is up for resale today at WildPacificProducts for $275.00.

What's your best buy story?

Nat'l Ass'n of Retail & Thrift Stores

Wow, there really is a National Association of Retail and Thrift Stores, and they have a lot of free information for you at their site. Among other things, there's a Shopping Guide, an FAQ, and a listing of their member stores.

They also provide a quarterly newsletter, "Resale Details," with a free subscription. It's good. Archives are on the site, and Winter 2005 has great info, including:

"Be careful of pop-culture themes like cartoon characters. Instead of investing in SpongeBob bedding and curtains that the child will outgrow in a few short years, use easily removed wall appliqués and inexpensive accessories such as throw pillows or sheet sets to accentuate a theme."

It's a real find.

Thrift Store Shopping - Tips from the Experts

There is no shame in being smart, and shopping thrift stores is just plain smart. When you find that great bargain, it's brilliant.

As Adele Meyer, executive director of the National Association of Resale and Thrift Shops, explained in the Modesto Bee, "People are more conscious of recycling and saving money and are less into conspicuous consumption," Meyer said. "Now, people brag about how much they saved on something. It's become a way of shopping."

There are goods available in thrift stores that are high quality, useful, fun, and worthy of consideration - the fact that they are very low cost is an added benefit. Knowing how to shop, and where, can take a bit of time to learn.

Several sites offer great tips on shopping thrift stores. Nattie Gilbert of Colorado offers some great suggestions at her site, including:

"Go potty before you go, because secondhand stores often don't have public bathrooms. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes. Eat before you go.

"Make a list of what you are looking for including sizes, colors, etc. If I am trying to match something, like a coat to match a skirt, I would bring that skirt with me to the store. I usually let the clerk know so they don't try to charge me for it.

"I keep a list for used store purchases like a grocery shopping list. When someone outgrows a pair of shoes or pants, I write down that item on the list and the bigger size to start looking the next time I go thrift shopping.

Look carefully for stains, rips, etc. Take the time to try clothes on and test electrical items. It can save you a lot of hassle trying to return items.

"Many stores have strict or no return policies. My favorite local store will let you return an item for in store credit only within 30 days with receipt and tag still attached to item.

"Watch for store specials, sales, and coupons. Ask the clerks, if you don't see any posted or advertised information."


DigsMagazine has some good advice on choosing thrift stores:

"The big nationwide thrift stores like Salvation Army, Goodwill, Value Village and (my personal favorite here in town) Savers generally have lots and lots of stuff, but the problem with these places is that every thrift store treasure-hunter in town is probably rifling through the same stuff. Check out some of the lesser-known, locally-run thrift stores in town as well — they'll frequently have a smaller selection, but when you do make that rare fabulous find, it'll be at a real bargain. One of my best thrift store scores was a big, white, 60s space-age-style fiberglass coffee table that I snatched up for a mere $20 at a tiny, out-of-the-way thrift shop run by a small local charity. The table had apparently been sitting there for weeks, just waiting for my boy and I to stumble across it. You can bet that at a better-trafficked store, some other 60s-design-loving hipster would have snatched that table long before we'd ever chanced upon it."

And remember, a thrift store is not a consignment shop. As esortment.com explains, "A consignment shop is a privately owned business, usually much smaller than the thrift store. People bring items to the consignment shop to be sold, at which time they will receive a percentage of that sale. Items may sell for one half to one third the original store prices and profits are put back into the store. Items in consignment shops are usually of a high quality and have been laundered prior to being put on display. No clothes or items are accepted that are damaged or not usable."

How to find thrift stores in your area? Google for "thrift stores" and the name of your city. Citysearch.com also offers a nice, long listing - but it will include flea markets and consignment shops with the true thrift stores. The example for San Antonio is HERE.

And, of course, the best way to learn of good thrift stores is to ask around. From Ginny, about those here in SA: "the ones I like are the Good Will on Dezavala and I-10, the Good Will on Blanco at 410 and the Family Thrift Stores close to Ingram Park Mall at 410 and next to Henry's Puffy Tacos on Bandera inside Loop 410 a few miles."