When we first moved here a few months ago, I was whining to Hillary about the ridiculous prices at my "new" goodwill. Sixty dollars for a dirty 70s chair, six dollars for a plastic Barbie laptop? Forget it.
But Hillary wisely recommended I find a thrift store on the junky end of town.
Bingo.
If you recall, the girls and I went last week. I will probably avoid going with my children in the future, it’s just too much trying to keep them at my side, when there is a carousel (yes–like a carnival carousel) filled with crap children’s toys. I was even lucky enough to be scolded about keeping my children in the cart over the loudspeaker in the store. Is grumpiness and general dislike of children a prerequisite for working in a thrift store?
Anyway, despite the "friendly" staff, I scored big. So big in fact, I’ll be sharing the wealth here tomorrow…a little "birthday in reverse" where I’ll be giving the gifts instead of receiving….so stay tuned.
In the meantime, I sat down with three little baggies of thread and such this morning and tried to untangle the mess. I have a small obsession with thread on wooden spools. I love the stuff. And these baggies had the spools in all different sizes from gi-normous to eensy-weensy. Love it. And there were some other goodies buried inside as well:
(and I’d love to know what the mystery needle is in the last picture)
If only there’s a thrift store over at my end. 🙁
My gran had a needle like that which I think she used to darn socks and finish wool. I could be completely wrong though as Im just going by a vague memory.The Goodwill and the Salvation Army near me are outragously priced and the Goodwill takes anything they think people would pay more money for and auction it off in their weekly auction.
the last needle reminds me of the needle shuttles the old machines at textile mills have…for weaving…only much smaller. don’t you just love it when you find a mystery like that?
I was going to chime in and say that I think it is some sort of weaving needle to be used with a lap loom, or a small peg loom, perhaps???
take a look at the “Children’s Peg Loom” and see if that needle looks similar…
http://wmboothdraper.com/Samplers/childrens_page.htm
That needle looks like a bodkin to me.
Score! I am feeling rather thrifting deprived since our Salvation Army and DAV Thrift Store packed up, leaving us only with the greedy Goodwill store. Can’t wait to see your other finds tomorrow!
LOL, I had to google “bodkin” 🙂
Our Goodwills can be horribly over-priced, too. It’s so discouraging at times. I try to only go on Saturdays and Sundays when their “color of the week” is 50% off and .99 respectively.
Luckily, we have lots of other thrift stores here that are wonderful, but I can never resist the allure of going into Goodwill in search of a treasure.
Wow. Great finds. Love the spools!I think the “junky edge of town” advice goes around here, too. Not in the capital where all the hipsters are, but elsewhere.Sounds plausible that your needle is for threading ribbon, considering the large eye.
nothing like getting scolded over the loudspeaker! nevertheless, looks like you made some big scores, nice work lady!
nice finds!! And I’ve TOTALLY been ‘scolded’ over the loudspeaker too.. ‘keep the kids SITTING in the cart!” Ha!
I have one thrift store by my house that has great prices and a kid friendly staff. It helps that it’s a Christian Thrift Store and that my kids have unusual Biblical names.
If you ever come to Atlanta the flea markets and thrift stores are so worth it since all there is to do in Atlanta is shop. Pretty Much.
Oh yes the thrift stores in the not-so-nice sections of town are always the best! Glad you found a good one (Could do without grouchy workers, of course). Great finds. 😎
I know its not but it looks a bit like the bone needles the greenlanders used to sew with when they made sealskin coats. One can always imagine one has found something exotic!
Oh, I love wooden spools, too! What fun finding little bags of treasures 🙂
What a great tip! That had not occurred to me, but I’m going to try it. We certainly have a “junky end” to our town!
OH MY GOSH!!!!! YOu totally scored!!!! love it!
I stumbled across your blog while I was doing some online research. It amazes me how vastly prices can differ from one thrift store to the next. It’s alway wise to “shop around.”
That is so funny- I was at Goodwill yesterday and was marveling at how stupidly expensive it was. Though I did find a pair of nearly new tap shoes for M for $5… Your thrift store looks very inviting and I love the picture in my head of you pushing the girls in a cart, under the harsh light of bad flourescents, getting reprimanded over the loudspeaker! That is just funny! Crabby ol’ thrifies. I love wooden spool thread too- especially with the stamped in (burned in?) writing on the top. Its just the best.
Oh you are SOOOO Lucky having these kind of places. We have ‘opportunity shops’ here in Australia, but they’re usually full of junk clothes and nothing more.
I think everyone sells everything on Ebay these days!
Those spools are great I can understand your obsession. Thrift stores are so different over here. They are usually tiny pokey little stores run by volunteering old ladies, with baskets of toys on the floor (which I let Emily go crazy with whenever we are there in a bid to find something for myself!). We tend to call them charity shops too as usually each one is dedicated to a charity like Oxfam. It would be interesting to visit yours.
Oh yeah! I want to go to the Thrift Store Center! That looks so great! But, being rebuked over the loud speaker??? That was one cranky sales person! yikes.
Love what you are doing with all your pendants and buttons–so pretty!