Treasure hunting

Striking gold at the thrift store

I’ve been thrifting for so long that I can barely remember a time when I didn’t get at least some fraction of my clothes and home goods secondhand. Most of you will probably relate — not only are thrift stores plentiful across the US, but shit’s expensive and buying used is often the best way to get a bargain.

Plus, there’s the chance that you’ll stumble in on the right day at the right time and find something impressively unique. At the thrift store, people’s donated junk comes from nearly every era and every corner of the world. Sifting through it is a treasure hunt, the ultimate prize being someone’s ornate hand-knit sweater vest or a perfectly working TV or kitchen appliance (in my opinion).

For the longest time, I thought the chain shops like Goodwill and Salvation Army were my best options for striking gold. That was until Ryan and I recently stopped by the small, locally-owned thrift store close to home.

My only regret is that we hadn’t gone there sooner. We certainly judged it for its weird location, random hours, and the fact that no one ever actually seemed to be shopping there. It’s in a small building attached to what looks like the skeleton of an old department store. The parking lot is studded with potholes, and little plants are sprouting through cracks in the asphalt. Both buildings give off the vibe that they’ve been decaying for several decades.

On a normal day, the shop looks abandoned even when it’s open — which isn’t helped by the fact that the store next to it is actually abandoned. Any and all signage was long stripped away, leaving stains where banners or lights were once attached. The thrift store, in contrast, has one humble banner above the door that’s too small to cover the entire overhang.

No more than five cars are parked in the gigantic parking lot at any given time. Before we went in there for the first time, I’d drive by thinking things like, “Is that really a thrift store? Here?” and “Are they ever even open?”

When you go inside though, those vibes instantly dissipate. Past the front doors, it’s hard to pick just one thing for your eyes to focus on. Furniture, gardening supplies, framed pieces of art, jewelry — you name it, it’s probably here in this relatively small warehouse-style store. It’s blessedly quiet and well-lit, the staff is friendly, and the shelves are organized without being too organized.

This place feels like shopping in your grandma’s attic, with a lot less dust and no one nagging at you to find something they misplaced 30 years ago.

Everything there is dirt cheap, which is sweetened by the fact that they always seem to have a discount running whenever we’re in the store. The selection is incredible, especially when it comes to novelty knick knacks, wall decor, appliances, and random accessories that you forgot you needed. Not to mention that there’s only ever three other people in the store at max.

I won’t tell you its name, partially for privacy reasons. But also because I think it’s one of our town’s best kept secrets and I want to keep it that way for my own selfish motives.

However, I will tell you about some of the things I’ve found there:

A Squatty Potty — You might remember the commercial with a unicorn pooping out rainbow ice cream cones (no?? Just me??) which advertised a tool called the Squatty Potty. This glorified plastic stool is supposed to make pooping easier and normally costs $25 for the cheapest model. Anyway, Ryan spotted one that looked almost brand new at the thrift store for $5 (except for a suspicious stain that I cleaned off as soon as possible). We took it home and I’m proud to say that it works as intended.

A bedside table — My original bedside table was one I found on the side of the road. There was nothing wrong with it, except the fact that it was super small and flimsy. I didn’t realize how flimsy it was until I found the new end table at the thrift store for $3.50. It’s a sturdy hunk of wood with two drawers and a nice smell to it. It also feels good to have real “adult furniture” without paying an arm and a leg to get it.

An expensive pair of boots — I’m not sure how many of you are into barefoot shoes, but Ryan has been getting into them lately because of his wide feet. I, on the other hand, have narrow feet, which has blessed me with the ability to fit into most “normal” shoes without discomfort. That being said, I kinda wanted to try out barefoot shoes just to see what the hype was all about.

Ryan likes the brand Xero, and I was shocked to find a pair of Xero boots at the thrift for $25. They were originally around $150, which isn’t crazy for boots, but definitely out of my price range for something I wasn’t sure I’d wear. And they were my size! Admittedly I haven’t worn them a ton, but I think they’ll come in handy when it’s not so hot out.

A ceramic mug with a tomato soup recipe on it — I genuinely find like a half dozen mugs I want tp buy every time I go to the thrift, but I have to hold myself back because I barely have the space to store the mugs I already have. I made an exception for this one, though. Once the first autumn chill is in the air, you bet your ass I’ll be making this soup.

Rest assured we’ve only gone to this thrift store three or four times. I’m sure we’ll keep finding treasures among the junk — maybe even better ones than these.

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By the way, Ryan just started weekly newsletter. It will come out on Mondays as well, so if you sign up you’ll have not only one, but TWO distractions in your inbox! Hooray!

This week he wrote about the time he almost crapped himself during half-marathon training. It’s a good story; I know this because I was literally there to witness it.

~Read Ryan’s newsletter here~