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Wednesday, May 5, 2010

P is for the Pickens

Time again for my absolute favorite meme - AlphabeThursday. Besides learning so many wonderful things as I make my way through the list of great posts everyone is so generous with the comments - it makes me smile all weekend as they come in! Thank you everyone!!!

Now - on to my post - P is for the Picken's. Some people call it the Goodwill, Salvation Army, The Boutique, Thrift Store or Second Hand Store. Mimi always calls it the Pickens. We always hope the pickens are good when we are out thriftstoring. (yes I made that word up, sorry Mrs. Matlock)

I just love to go to the Pickens I have several on my normal route, 2 Goodwills, a Salvation Army, a St. Vincent dePaul and even a Mennonite and a Lutheran Thrift Store.

Look at all the choices. There are a plethora of Pickens in every town in seems, you just have to think outside the Goodwill box. Not that the Goodwill is bad but there are so many other places to get a bargain. Many churches have thriftstores, not only to raise money but also to help the community. These are my favorite ones. Usually they are cleaner (in my area anyhow) and they have the more interesting things.

Tips for shopping thrift:

  1. Decide why you are going. Are you just looking for cute stuff in general or do you have something in mind? You can also use directories online to find your nearest thrift store from sites like http://www.garagesalestracker.com.
  2. Start looking. Some stores are more organized than others. After you have been to a few you'll know which ones are better than others. Understand the system if you can. You may find things organized by gender, type of clothes, color and size, or you may find just a mass of clothes and household objects. Start with the more organized stores until you become proficient at looking through clothes.
  3. Pick up anything that catches your eye and possibly try it on in the dressing room. If you don't like the idea of putting someone else's clothes on before washing them, buy whatever you think will look nice, wash the items at home, and re-donate them as needed. Also you should know that the clothing item may look better on you then it does on the hanger! So try something on, you might like it. Experiment with clothes; put different things together.
  4. Don't forget the other items in a thrift store. If you need to furnish an apartment inexpensively, for instance, thrift stores can be an excellent source of dishes, pots and pans, and even furnishings. Don't forget to look for a good deal on an attractive bedspread to cover up a comfortable but unsightly sofa. You might even find that shopping in a thrift store is less costly than moving items or renting furniture. You also can find awesome decor for your room, like posters, pictures, trinkets and more.
    • It might not all match, but that can be a great thing. Go for an eclectic look, instead. If you'd like mixed pieces to have a bit more unity, try painting, covering, or refinishing them.
  5. If you love to read, browse through the book selection. Used books are often very inexpensive, but many of the books found in relatively low-traffic thrift shops are beat up. Make sure a book isn't missing any pages before buyin it- a simple flip-through works well enough. I have gotten many great books from thrift stores.
  6. Check out the accessories. You'll find belts, purses, luggage, shoes, hats, and even jewelry (usually the costume variety) at a fraction of their regular prices.
  7. Watch for bargains. Many thrift stores have sales or clearance racks to unload items that have not sold in some time. Also, keep a look out for store-wide sales, such as student discount day or others. Most thrift shops will have signs up for these events.
  8. Before buying an item, take a good look at it. Did somebody get rid of it for an obvious reason, or is it in good shape? Is it stained? Does it have any holes or tears that can't be easily fixed?
    • Certain items, such as can openers, are very seldom donated unless they're not working.
    • Clothing, by contrast, is frequently discarded simply because it no longer fits or flatters its original owner, or simply because it's last year's style. Do, however, look over it for obvious damage such as a stain or tear.
  9. If the thrift store has a make-up or underwear section, feel free to bypass them without guilt. Many people aren't comfortable with wearing used underwear, and makeup may be incredibly old.
  10. As for music, most shops have lots of old CD's and records. Be forewarned, though- most of the music is awful. A good catch is rare, but make sure the CD isn't scratched or otherwise obviously damaged.
I have purchased many items at the Pickens, Mimi however is the queen - she buys lots of furniture and clothing and dishes at the thrift stores. I promise you, you would never be able to pick out which items are brand new and from upscale boutiques and which where purchased humbly at the Pickens.

In these crazy economic times it is a great way to save money and reuse, repurpose and recycle - reconomics at its best!

Here are two of my favorite sites that showcase how these ladies use Pickens and garage sales to make gorgeous outfits. New Dress A Day is a wonderful blog where a 20 something gal makes a new outfit everyday from some really interesting Picken finds. And then there is Balancing Beauty and Bedlam's Frugal Fashionista series. Great stuff - she is a real bargain hunter!


I challenge you all to make a trip to your closest Pickens Store and see what treasures you find!

I am also linking this to Works for Me Wednesday at We Are That Family. 

28 comments:

  1. Pretty cool P post! I learned something new! Thanks for sharing sweet person! :)

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  2. Wonderful P post! We will be doing some "pickin" soon, as we help our college aged daughter move from her on-campus furnished apartment to an off- campus unfurnished rental house. I need to go online and locate all the good thrift stores in the area near her college town.

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  3. Love the idea of the name. Much better may to shop

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  4. Excellent post! I love 'the pickens' when they offer even a single treasure.

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  5. I've gone to garage sales in the past but never to the stores. My son and his girlfriend live at thrift and second hand stores LOL.

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  6. Pickens, I like it, I use that term for food too! Have a great P day!

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  7. I love this new word!
    If you insist - if it's an order.
    I'll go - today - this morning - and practice as outlined!

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  8. What a neat post! I like your "Pickens" idea and your advice is perfect. Thanks for sharing wonderful ideas.

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  9. I live near Picken, SC. and thought you might be writing about that. I have heard it used a verb before.

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  10. great name for thrift stores, happy hunting to you :D

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  11. Cute post, you make me want to go on a pickin expedition of my own..

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  12. I love the new word....pickens. I too am a bargin hunter and you have the most fabulous tips for anyone, those who do this everyday or those who have never, ever gone picken!! i like to go to estate sales and m favorite is to go to an auction! Have you ever gone to either of these? Thank you so much for your precious post! I too love Alphabe Thursday and the wonderful Jenny Matlock!

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  13. I am not typically a pickens kind of gal but I know there are amazing things to be found and I should try it out sometime. We don't have many around us but I do know of one near by. Maybe Iwill go.

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  14. Great P post - love the name you gave the stores! Our Goodwill has improved alot over the past few years, and we have another community thrift store. It doesn't have alot of good clothes, but does have some great household items. And we also frequent the Habitat for Humanity resale store, have gotten some great bargains there. Kathy

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  15. Very cool post...our whole family is into "Pickens", even our 19 yr old son...very good "P" choice...Peace and blessings

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  16. What a perfect "P" post! And very timely because my daughter and I are going to hit some pickens tomorrow...or m aybe just garage sale-ing.

    Thanks for the pass on the used underwear. That made me laugh!

    I think you've invented a new word for Alphabe-Thursday!

    And for that you not only get an A+ but you are in charge of hitting some pickens to furnish the Teachers Lounge!

    Thanks for helping to make this meme so much fun!

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  17. i'm a big fan of the pickens...hubster and i were just making a list today of all the things we need and which we think we can get at the pickens (not a word i used..but now will!!)

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  18. I love it when the pickens are good! Thanks for visiting :-)

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  19. Oh, I can attest to the beauty of a thrift storebook section. I would go nuts in the one that was a block from my old train station - one time I came home with a box full of them! Hey, at 35 or 90 cents apiece, why not? An inexpensive way to support my book habit!

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  20. The more I read you, the more I realize how much we have in common! I love thrfting, too, as well as garage sales. Just takes patience! My very best find is my "pretty room" furniture. (My boys started calling it that, it's the living room, where no toys are allowed.) For $40, I got matching end table and coffee table, with polished, inlaid cherry wood, just the right style to go with the love seats I inherited from Grandma Vivian. Not a scratch, and so shiny and pretty.

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  21. These are all cool tips, Christy! I wish there were more thrift stores in my area. Sometimes I'm lucky at yards sales. "Pickins" is a wonderful word!

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  22. thanks for the great tips, i love thrifting ... we just dont have the quality of items up here in canada that you do down in the states ... thrifting in the usa is sooooo much better. i think i need a cross border shopping trip soon!

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  23. Hi Christy! Wanted to thank you for your visit to my blog! http://www.amoderatelife.blogspot.com and i came to check out your great site!will grab your feed...and tell you i have been a devoted goodwiller since my kids were small--also, i go to a lot of rock concerts and my dear friend taught me how to buy leather at the goodwill for almost nothing! so my entire wardrobe should have cost thousands and really cost under 100! Whenever I travel, I visit the goodwill! :) have a great weekend and thanks again for the visit!

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  24. Very nice post on "pickens"!

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  25. Christy,

    I couldn't agree with you more...I love doing some "pickin" myself. Goodwill in my area is somewhat of a goldmine!

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  26. I love the Pickens too. What a fun post. I only wish we had more options here (or maybe I need to think outside the box). Great ideas.

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  27. We are headed to a Big Pickens today at the Lawrence County Fairgrounds. I've never been before! It's some kind of garage/flea market thing. I can't wait!

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  28. I was just at the "Pickens" this past week. I got my daughter a "new" to her bike. It's in pretty good shape with some cosmetic flaws and a need for new brake cables. Cost: $10. I was actually there looking for something else. Haha.

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