When asked which posts you like best, Katy’s Goodwill Finds was a popular answer. Which, in my mind gave me an excuse to spend much, much more time trolling through Portland’s many fantastic thrift stores. Unfortunately, I’ve got a sick boy at home, which means you’ll have to enjoy a few recent Goodwill finds from the past three weeks or so.
I'd rather this stainless steel lunch box did not advertise for "Clif Bars," but it was not enough to keep me from bringing it home. At $5 it wasn't exactly a screaming deal, but I've checked and these "Eco Lunch Boxes" cost $22 new.
Zero waste packed lunches? Yes, please!
My 13-year-old son is a shoe-aholic, which means he always makes a beeline to the shoe section in thrift stores. So when he spied these Converse All-Stars in his size, it was a match made in heaven. Believe it or not, I am super picky about which used shoes I'll allow my son to buy, but this pair was in excellent condition as well as the perfect size. And at $4, much better than the $45 that Zappos charges.
This same son's room is ridiculously dark. (The walls and carpet are dark green, and although there are plenty of windows, they face North.) My plan is to repaint his room a lighter color when I can keep the windows open without soaking the room, (June, July?) but it occurred to me that a light colored rug would work as a temporary bright solution. Luckily, I didn't have to wait too long to come across one. This 100% cotton flat-weave rug in oh-so trendy black and white stripes was priced at $13, but I had a $10 off voucher, which brought it down to a brag-worthy $3 steal! And here's the best part -- This rug was brand new with tags, even though I found it at Goodwill! Plus, it coordinates perfectly with all the zebra-striped accessories. The same rug at Crate and Barrel will set you back $40.
It wasn't exactly a "need," but I really bonded with this Goodwill $20 antique pedestal end table. See how perfect it looks with my cushy chairs?
Could you resist the beauty of the table top and Rorschach-y-goodness of the wood pattern? I didn't think so.
Luckily, there were two $20 tables, which meant I could keep one and sell the other one to cover the purchase price. You know, later. When I'm done bonding.
Have you come across any cool stuff in your area thrift stores lately? Please share your thoughts with the Non-Consumer Advocate community in the comments section below.
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
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{ 40 comments… read them below or add one }
Found a great set of vintage canisters the other day. They are white with wood lids and the names (flour, sugar, etc.) in a huge bold black font at the bottom. I am in love, but I also quite fond of my old vintage ones that I repainted. Can’t decide which to keep and which to sell. For now they are both hanging out on my counter. I’m a such a sucker for thrifted kitchen goodies.
It’s like Sophie’s Choice.
Katy
Oh, and I love the wood on those tables! So gorgeous. I’ve also would have snatched up that lunch tin in a heartbeat… even with the logo.
I found some Converse recently too! Fancy ones covered in purple glitter (which happen to be two of my favorite things!). My Goodwill is a little more expensive and I happen to think it’s just because the Southern Oregon Goodwill chapter pricing lady is kind of mean (this could be because I worked there for some time and she was just kind of mean to me, not sure if she is like that to everyone lol), so they set me back $8, but yeah, definitely a better deal than $70 that Journey’s sells them for.
Maybe you could paint over the logo on the tiffin box? Or just slap a sticker over it.
So jealous of your area’s thrift bounty. Here? Not so much. We’re stuck with just EBay, which I use for nearly everything, but it’s way more expensive than thrifting.
I’m on a thrift store fast until I get my house in better order. My local charity shop had a 20 item for $10 sale (this was pre-fast). I picked up jeans, new-to-them winter jackets for my kids. pjs, play clothes and shoes. I felt like I was stealing from them.
That was an awesome deal!
Katy
not sure if you were aware but the clif bar lunchbox is 1 of only 10 ever made it was a clif bar promotional prize, I won one myself was just looking for another on ebay when your picture showed up in images
I just hit up Goodwill on Sat. to start preparing for summer. I got two amazing dresses ($4.98 each), a lined Hurley hoodie for the boys ($3.98), Roxy board shorts to wear to the splash pads ($1.98), and the piece de resistance: sparkly pink light up shoes for Noah (who is OBSESSED with pink) $1.98.
Goodwill is also where I’ve gotten the boys’ stash of Chuck Taylors too! (We have a pair of black low tops in every toddler size now and only paid between $2-4/pair).
Megyn – My little boy loves pink also!
My daughter’s crazy-overpriced stainless lunch container came with magnets to decorate it. Do you have some soccer team magnets or something like that you could use to cover up the logo?
I bet you can do something about that clif logo on the lunch tin. I would have bought that, too!
Not the thrift store, but I found some excellent 2X4s at the Rebuilding Center that my BF built me a bike rack out of. They are from a lathe-and-plaster house, and have this neat white striped pattern where the plaster stained the 2X4s.
Very cool!
Katy
I love the lunch tin and the converse! I know you or your son will come up with something cool to cover the logo. He would have had to fight me for the Converse.
I found a pampered chef stoneware casserole dish at Value Village for $6 last month. I was over the moon!
Love the tables too. I would never have thought of buying both and selling one to cover the cost. Smart idea.
Nothing recently, for two reasons: the knee surgery I mentioned in my “Please, Introduce Yourself” comment, and hard times here in upstate NY. I’ve been noticing over the last year or so that in my favorite thrifts, donations are down and demand is up. Our local Rescue Mission just went so far as to send out a postcard begging for donations (and offering a restaurant coupon for the first 50 donors in exchange). I’m probably not in time for the coupon, but I’ll try to get together a few boxes of stuff anyway.
However, I’ll reflect upon past glories: About 75-80% of hubby’s and my wardrobes (and it’d probably be more like 95% if we were smaller/slimmer people). Enough excellent-condition clothing for other people to constitute a good proportion of Xmas giving. Several pieces of cast-iron cookware, including a Griswold and a couple of Wagners (that got your attention, right, Katy?). Numerous books. Several pieces of good china, including two Lenox vases and a Wedgwood platter depicting the War of 1812 battle between the USS Constitution and HMS Java. Etc.
And, Katy, the end tables are gorgeous. I advise keeping them both.
I have to say that I am tempted to keep both tables, but I have no place for the second one.
Katy
Mine was a garage sale find last year. I wanted a small table/desk for my front window. I found one for $20 and it was the perfect size. Bonus, when I paid for it, they got the leaves for the table. It actually opens up to a 6 person dining table.
I come from a big family and so does my husband. We also use this table for holidays. Great deal!
Thanks for complying with reader wishes. I couldn’t have passed up the table either. Every month I my blog features “Thrifty Third Thursday” where I show off all the second hand stuff I’ve purchased.
Oooh, Chucks. I always keep an eye out for those – they are my casual shoe of choice. No luck yet, but I am patient. I’m also looking for a few more of those squat little “Working Glass” glasses that you turned me on to.
My only recent thrift score was a “Good Dog, Carl” board book for my niece.
One thing that I enjoyed seeing, but did not buy, was a set of two wine glasses etched with the Pizza Hut logo and my town’s name. Figure that one out.
That lunch box is amaaaazing… I’m so jealous. And for only $5? Definitely a steal 🙂
This week at Goodwill I scored 4 items on my list. A set of wide mouth lids and rings still sealed in the box, an extra long valence in navy blue, a coffee carafe, and a casual 3/4 sleeve shirt. All for just under $11. I love it when I can find exactly what I am looking for!
I love it when that happens!
Katy
I just hate your Goodwill posts because they make me drool all over myself because the nearest GW is over 50 miles away! I love those bookmatched table tops!
Umm . . . you’re welcome?
😉
Katy
LOL…jk…so I went to the Salvation Army and could only walk for about 10 min or less and found nothing. Drooling stopped! My finds are mostly yard sale goodies.
Well… I try to stay out of thrift stores unless I’m looking for something specific because I tend to come home with lots of shit that I don’t need.
BUT… I have been looking for a nice, thick bottomed stainless steel dutch oven for a while, so last time I was in the neighborhood, I stopped at the local thrift store and found one… only it didn’t have a lid… BUT there was a whole shelf full of mismatched lids, and lo and behold one of them actually fit! WOO HOO! All told it cost me $6 and I FINALLY have the right sized pot for all of my big stove top casseroles.
I made myself leave quickly without looking at other things… it took effort but I’m NOT gonna buy anything else that will just end up being donated back in a few months!
A couple months ago I scored a knee length down winter jacket. It is black and lightweight. It was is perfect shape and cost me $6. Perfect for these extra cold winters were have in Wisconsin. Unfortunately or fortunately. however you look at it, we had a super mild winter without much snow. I been wanting to buy one new for the longest time but the high cost kept me back. I’m so glad I waited.
Score!
Sorry about your mild winter. 😉
Katy
Maybe it’s because I have no idea what a ‘cliff bar’ is – but I kinda like it…look’s a bit retro? (Anything with bar on it tends to go down okay with me…)
Hi Katy! I love reading about your finds! Have you ever done a post about time management in Goodwill stores? Whenever I visit one (I try to only go 2-3 x per month) I end up spending at least two hours in the store. How long do your trips last? Do you always head to one section first? I go to the dress section first bc that’s what I like to wear to work most often.
I have that same lunch box, but I got it FREE from Clif Bar for winning some web give away when I signed up for their email newsletter! I like the magnet cover up idea.
I rarely shop and even less frequently go into charity shops – because of this post I popped in a charity shop as walking past today. .. really expected to find a pair of size 6 high top black converse trainers that I’ve been angling for…alas no…
in the paper items grab bag I bought for $3 there were 3 doz prepaid cardstock postcards bought at the post office for 15 cents each. $5.40 worth of free postage means I made a $2.40 profit as I will use the postcards by adding the required 17 cent stamp. I bartered the remaining items with my shopping buddy for a handful of note cards so a win win for both of us 🙂
Score!
Katy
You find the best stuff at Goodwill! My goodwill (and other thrift stores in the area) never have anything like that anymore. (they did about 15 years ago, but no longer).
Love that tiffin box! even with the logo…
great finds!
I took my nifty shell-shaped glass salad bowl to a group luncheon where it got knocked off the table and broken, and was able to find a replacement—not quite as elegant, but it came with six individual salad bowls–at our local Goodwill. It was marked $6.00, but I came on a Half-Off Thursday, so it only cost me $3.0o. No more salad for the group. Next time they get cookies on a tin tray.
My best find this week was a lined wicker hamper with a hinged lid for $14, I looked up similar on line and they run around $100. I’m in love–the liner is removable—looks so much better than the plastic laundry basket I’ve used for years. Oh, and I used a 20% coupon, so final cost was about $11. How I love thrift stores and I will have to say that your blog is what opened my eyes to them last year!!!! Thanks for my new hobby~~
I have been looking for a table like the ones you found for at least a year. The closest I’ve found was similar in shape to yours, a bit more scallop-y around the edge, but didn’t have the nice wood grain on top. It was in the local antique store – $299 (which is why it’s still at the store). I’m definitely going to check out the new Goodwill store that just opened up down the road…..I’m so jealous!
Not overly exciting, but I found an almost brand new Gymboree jumper for my daughter for $2 and a small round banana leaf basket for $1 at a Fort Lauderdale Goodwill. I will have to say that the thrift stores in South Florida are a little overpriced.