3 Amazing Thrift Hauls at the Value Village, Unique Thrift, and the ReStore!
It’s been a while since I’ve done a proper thrift haul, but don’t think I haven’t been stopping through the thrift store, especially on their 50% off holiday sales for Memorial Day and 4th of July!
I haven’t been buying as much furniture because….well….I just don’t have as much space for it anymore! But I love when I’m doing a room makeover because that gives me “permission” to find some awesome stuff for the room! I’ve been working on my sons’ bedroom, which means I’ve been on the prowl for good deals!
It never ceases to amaze me how crowded Value Village and Unique Thrift become on 50% off days. It’s insane, like Black Friday! If you don’t get there early, all the good deals are gone, cleaned out faster than the Grinch Stole Christmas. HA!
The Dirtiest Thing I Have Ever Bought From the Thrift Store
One of those 50% off sales days, I saw this dirty desk. Size-wise, it was perfect for what my sons’ room makeover: not too big….not too small. Just right, like Goldilocks and the Three Bears. LOL.
But it was one of those days where I was on the hunt for a dresser, not a desk, and to think of lugging this dirty piece of furniture into the back of my minivan was such a turnoff. I simply walked away and told myself that if it was meant for me, it would be there later for me.
Fast-forward a week later and I’m having lunch with my friend Thrift Store Pete. Pete refinishes thrift store furniture, as well, but he favors mid-century modern pieces, and as of late, he loves refinishing metal! So I was telling him about this “ugly metal table I saw last week at the thrift store.” Pete tells me that the table is still there!
Since he goes to the thrift store every day (yes, literally every day, scouring them for pieces to refinish), he had seen it there just that morning. He urged me to go get it, but since the Haven Conference was the following day, I forgot about the table in all my hustle and bustle to catch my flight the next morning.
A few days later, while lying in bed one morning at the conference, the desk crossed my mind, “Shoot! I forgot to get that desk!” I texted Pete, asking him to grab the desk for me if he sees it, which he thought it was gone. But thankfully, the following morning I got a text from Pete showing me that he had bought the desk for me and that I can pick it up when I return from my conference! Woohoo!
So I lugged that baby home, dirty and all, being careful not to touch it with un-gloved hands. 😉
A Handmade Storage Chest From the Thrift Store!
I also recently found this amazing storage chest! Last summer I had won a Savers Thrift Store “Reuse and Recycle” content (they loved how I turned my son’s toddler bed into a potting bench!). I won a whopping $200 gift card to Savers, which works at any of the Unique Thrift and Value Village Stores.
Well, one day I stopped in to see what they had and I saw this sturdy, solid oak storage chest sitting there, waiting for me!
At $40, it was a little more pricey than I wanted to pay out of pocket, but with that $200 gift card, I got it for “free”! Apparently, they have just put the storage chest out on the floor. As I carried it to the front, my fellow thrift store admirers kept complimenting me on such a great find. It was in pristine condition on the inside (is that a cedar OSB bottom??). The outside looked like it just needed some sanding down. No paint will touch this gorgeous solid oak!
I didn’t know what I would do with it, but it was too good of a quality piece of handmade furniture to leave it there for the next person. And wouldn’t you know that after lugging this home, I realized that it would be an amazing storage box for my sons’ room!
Vintage Medicine Cabinet From the ReStore
This was a recent find that I literally couldn’t walk away from! I had stopped into the ReStore to peek around for a dresser for my sons’ room makeover. Finding nothing, I turned to leave and this beauty caught my eye: a vintage medicine cabinet!!
I’m pretty sure I gasped out loud, checked the price tag, and thought, “Ugh, why does it have to be so big??” Storing another piece of furniture in my house that I don’t have space for isn’t idea. But I knew who could use it:
Thrift Store Pete
After a series of texts back and forth about how much I love it, Pete promised to stop by the following morning to check it out to see if it would be worth him buying it. He and I have been wanting to team up on a project together and I thought this would be perfect.
He reported back the following morning that this cabinet would be:
- a lot of work
- is more expensive at $200 than he normally pays (he doesn’t pay over $100 for something like this)
- difficult to strip because it’s baked enamel
But he knew how much I loved it so he bought it! He and I will be refinishing this cabinet together in the next month or so, so be on the look-out for that makeover and video tutorial! I’m so happy that he bought it. I am serious when I say that I literally tried to walk away and kept pivoting back around, “Nooo! I can’t leave yet. I want this cabinet!”
Thanks, Pete!
Do You Buy Shoes From the Thrift Store?
I’ll admit that the thought of buying used shoes from the thrift store is a very icky thought. What about you–do you buy shoes from the thrift store? I’ve never had much luck finding much in the way of shoes at the thrift store, but the recent 50% off holiday sales proved to be a very successful shoe thrift haul for me!
Wearing size 10 shoes means that other Big Foot Amazonian women like myself usually beat me to the shoes, but on this particular day, I made out like a bandit! All of these shoes were name brands and ranged from $60 – $150 retail! I walked away paying $3.00 for sandals!
But you should have seen me when I got back to my car…. After trying on nasty thrift store shoes, I doused my bare feet in water from my cup, scrubbed them down with scattered napkins from a take-out restaurant, and vowed to always carry rubbing alcohol pads in my pocket when shoe-diving at the thrift store. HA!
(These were cute, too, and came home with me on another shopping day!)
A Few Other Fun Things at the Thrift Store!
I’m not a “dog” person, but if I were, especially a pug and chihuahua lover, these fun prints would have had to come home with me. They’re adorable!! I don’t recall how much they were, though. Looking at them now makes me wish I would have bought them. They were a lot of fun and colorful, too.
And I actually tried to Google this Linda Chesnovsky person. I think she might be a 59-year-old woman in Philadelphia. 🙂 It’s not a common name, so I would bet that’s her. She would have been about 17-years-old at the time she drew this. I wonder who Dor was? (Don’t you love thinking about the people who’s things turn up in thrift stores??).
Anyhow, I have missed showing you my thrift hauls! As I have been a lot busier now, I am also more mindful about not lugging home things that (A) are too big and that I have no space or purpose for (B) I can’t hang, wear, or refinish within 30 – 60 days. Walking through my garage without tripping over furniture feels oh-so-wonderful, so I’d like to keep it that way! 🙂
Soooo….have you found anything amazing at your favorite thrift store? Leave a comment below and tell me what you found!
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My next door neighbor had a little child rocker out for trash she said her child wet on the cushion and the dog chewed on the rocker part and arms, I ask if I could have it. I brought it home took off the cushion, and did some sanding. Refinished it and Upostered it in leather. It looks amazing.
Oooh, that sounds FUN, Sheila! You must send me a picture of that! I would love to see it. I sure hope you showed the neighbor what it looked like once you were done! Then again, you might not want to do that. She might want it back! LOL
That enamel cabinet is amazing, but $200, wow. Not that it isn’t worth it, but I just couldn’t! The dogs are adorable but not me either, I often buy pics for the frames, matting and glass more than the subject matter. I gotta stop though as that closet is full……
Last week was my $40 week!!! I got a beautiful couch and loveseat for my daughter at Re-Store and 2 matching recliners for myself! On FB Marketplace, I got matching dresser and 2 nightstands for another $40! I have cleaned and sprayed the recliners and the loveseat and they are waiting till I have help to bring them to their new homes. The couch is waiting for it’s cleaning in my van, the dresser and nightstands are waiting in the driveway under a tarp for me top finish cleaning and touching up. I won’t do much to them, probably sand the tops and poly coat them.
I would love to put in pics, but I am not sure how on this…..
Hi, Laura! Wow, you made out like a bandit, didn’t you?! Love that. You can email me pictures: [email protected]! I’d love to see it!
Hey, Laura! I know, $200 was pricey, but my friend Pete bought it and he and I will refinish it together. He will then sell it at one of his shows. He will make some profit on it! Plus, he’s got the place to store it! My garage has NO space for storing anything else.
You’ve been making out like a bandit! You can email your pics to me! Would love to see what you snagged.
We are currently building our first home together as a married couple and it sits on 6.5 partially wooded acres with a pond. We are decorating in rustic, cabin-like style and I recently found some very cool, actual vintage items at the thrift store. I was so excited! One is a round wooden framed picture of three white horses that appear to have been sketched. The frame has a couple of horse shoes (small), one on each side of picture and a little bridle on it. A piece of the wood is chipped off but it only adds to the charm. We have a horse so my husband and daughter love anything that is horse themed. I also found two perfect condition wooden trays that I will use in the bathrooms to organize vanity items. I found a very nice wooden tray with a marble base and glass lid to serve cheese, fruits etc. and it was only $3.00. Oh, the horse picture was only $3.93. There are a few other items I found as well. Some need a coat of paint. I will post pictures once we move in and I am able to display them. Thanks for reading! I love your posts!!
Teresa, wow…! Over 6 acres of land?! That’s insane! I bet you can walk around naked! HA! Not that you do, but with that much land, that’s the first thing I think I’d find myself doing without neighbors. I love that idea. And it’s like getting to explore your very own land. How cool is that! You found some good stuff!
I just bought a corner kitchen cabinet at ReStore on a 50% off day so at $33, I was a happy camper. Just need to fix one section, sand it and give it some new life! 🙂
That’s a great deal, Carrie! Where will you be putting it?
Wish I had a pal like Pete, he seems pretty conducive to getting items for you. Unlike my husband who drives right by items on curb which are free. He’s no fun in too many ways. Because of him have missed out on desks,a buffet, tables and chairs. Keeps telling me I don’t need any more junk to fix up. I love that cabinet you bought at thrift store, could sure use that in my house. How will you get the enamel off of it? Can hardly wait to see what you do with it. Soon?
Time for bed and shower,keep yawning and typing worse than usual. Thrift stores tomorrow.Would love to go to lake but hard to get hubs to go. He went for my birthday over week ago but that was pushing it. He even paid to get in at state park close by, 3 1/2 miles from our house. Happy week
Hey Janeellen! I know how that goes! The same thing has happened with my husband: thinks I should keep on going. There was once a nice little small piano that someone had put out on the curb for free, but it was heavy. Hubby told me about it and when I went to look at it with him, he wouldn’t help me put in in the van. He was like, “No, you don’t need it!” HAHA. Men can be such downers when it comes to bringing home the good stuff! Yeah, Pete was so awesome to pick up the table for me! As for the enamel medicine cabinet, he and I likely will paint it. Stripping it will be too much effort. Maybe some nice paint! Coming soon!
I have the twin of the metal leg table in the first pictore. I bought it at a for a market for $15 if I remember correctly. I’ve had it for about 15 or 16 years. Mine has what they called ‘cracked glass’ laminate on the top, which is original to the piece, that is in remarkably good condition since it’s about 55 to 60 years old. It’s served as a temporary kitchen counter, an island, a desk and a sewing table. My husband is currently using it in his office for his computer monitors. A really great and useful piece!
Oh wow, Kim! I would LOVE to see a picture of your table! Can you email me one? [email protected]. I want to see what your top looks like. I have to figure out what to do with my top. It’s in such bad condition. I’m considering removing the rubber top and painting it and then using a nice glass-like epoxy on top! I just have to find the time to do it!!!
I have been missing your emails. I get so many that I just delete, but never yours! I’m interested to see what you two do with the enamel cabinet. They’re pretty sparse these days. I like your “finish in 30-60 days”. I’ve never put a time limit on what I bring home and have ruined innumerable pieces of furniture leaving them on my deck. The next town over used to have a “put out anything” garbage pickup once a year. People cruised up and down the streets looking over the offerings and hoping they got there before the metal recycling guys. One year I was busy picking up a chair when a man pointed out that my car was slowly rolling down the street as I had jumped out without putting it in park. Good times.
Hey Karen!!! I know, I have been a terrible blogger with no getting out enough emails. I’ve been doing a lot of “contract work” where I have been creating content for brands–content that isn’t even going on my blog. Yes, those pay well, but it also takes away from me creating content for my OWN blog! Which means, projects take longer….thrift haul posts get far and few between….and I just don’t have enough time or content to send out. I am going to get better about more regular emails and content!
Anyhow, that’s HILARIOUS about your car rolling backward! That must mean that you were so excited to get your hands on that chair that you were like, “To heck with the car–MUST.GRAB.CHAIR!” Hope you were able to get to your car before damage was done! LOL
So happy that you enjoy my posts!! That makes my night! 🙂 Thank you!!!
A neighbor came to my door last week.
He said he has three tables out in his driveway and he’s seen me sanding away on my furniture finds and told me I could get whatever tables I wanted! woohoo! I snagged a solid oak drop leaf table. (I wonder if he knows I took a rustic coffee table with hairpin legs out of his trash pile last year?!)
It is so nice to hear others getting stuff out of the trash! I felt funny about it for a while because when I was growing up, it had a bad connotation and at least where I was on the outskirts of chicago, implied you were cheap or poor, But that is behind me now! Besides, recycle reuse!
Most recently I picked up a large round mirror with a bentwood and plaster frame, the plaster is damaged and I am still deciding how to refurbish it. The mirror is also not perfect and I have looked up re-silvering and that is pretty pricey, so still thinking on it.
Laura, I wish more people could see past the idea of “trash” like we do. It’s unsettling to think of how much stuff people get rid of because they have no idea it can be amazing. And we just keep producing….and producing…and polluting the planet, you know? Glad you love this stuff as much as I do! At least we are doing our part! 🙂
LOL, Lynn! I’d keep that little secret to yourself. You wouldn’t want him to think you’re the crazy trash stalker! 🙂 HAHAHA.
You should check the towns around you and their recycling centers ( the dump). Some have swap shops where they leave all their stuff that can be reused and others take it for free. I volunteer at the town next to me and half my house and other stuff I have gotten from there. my brother has been with them for 6 yrs. this is my first yr helping him. Lots of great stuff and some crap too LOL
That’s a good idea. I have seen people drop off some amazing stuff at the recycling center. I even did a video on it because I couldn’t believe there was so much nice stuff there!
Thanks for sharing. I’m looking forward to the refinished results.
You have a very good friend in Pete.
Hi Vicki! Yes, Pete is awesome! I met him about a year and a half ago at my favorite thrift store and he has been awesome with teaching me some things about types of furniture, what’s quality and what’s not, etc. We even ran the Army 10-miler together last fall! So funny the people you meet at the thrift store. 🙂 He’s one of my favorite friends now, I would say. He can I can literally sit and talk for hours with no gaps in the conversation. Love that! Hoping to refinish that cabinet with him soon! Stay tuned!