It's Nifty to be Thrifty!

The place smelled like cheap laundry detergent, wet snow, and dust. It's cluttered and especially colourful - a hodge podge of eccentric trinkets - a real treasure trove! I rubbed my hands in delight, excited to embark on a haphazard expedition. 

Can you guess the place? 

Imagine my delight when I discovered that Value Village is only a half hour walk (2.1 km to be exact) from my apartment! The fact that it was -20 yesterday did not stop me from bundling up, bracing the cold winds, and exploring the nooks and crannies of the best known department thrift store. 

I think the walk took me a little longer than half an hour. It was slippery, I couldn't feel my toes, my nose felt like an icicle, and I had to keep clapping my hands to keep warm. But, as I tramped into the store, the warm embrace from aisles of books, shoes, purses, kitchen gadgets, dresses, and games made it all worth it. 

I've always shopped at Thrift Stores. Mostly out of necessity. I started buying my own clothes as soon as I started babysitting - the reason being, my mom and I did not have the same style, resulting in me NEVER wearing anything Mum bought for me. Making $5 an hour babysitting also did not lend itself to shopping sprees at American Eagle or Bluenotes or even...Walmart. Desperate times called for desperate measures. And so began my love affair with thrift stores. 

I began to know where all the good thrift stores in Huron County were located. I knew which ones were pricey, which ones that sold name brand, which ones that had the best sales, which ones that you could talk down in price, which ones that always seemed to have jeans in my size, which ones that carried the funkiest jewelry...the list went on and on and on. As my acquaintances with second hand shops grew, so did my closet. 

As a teenager, my thrift shopping escapades were usually dominated by my hunger for unique apparel. However, I have recently found myself drifting over to the pots and pans, home decor, and books. In fact, yesterday, I came home with an abundance of books (all national bestsellers within the past 5 years, at that!), games and pictures. Not a single stitch of clothing was to be found amongst my purchases. Perhaps my priorities have shifted slightly...

While I no longer shop at Thrift Stores out of necessity, it's a long time habit that's hard to break. There's something about the thrill of never knowing with what I may come home. Or knowing that a lot of these stores purchase their "nearly new" merchandise from non-profit partners to support fundraising efforts. Or that the money made goes to refreshing and regenerating the practical needs of those who are marginalized and excluded from society. Hmmm...perhaps it's a long time habit that's worth preserving! 

Here's just a few of my favourite "boutiques:"

http://www.talize.com

www.valuevillage.com

http://thriftstore.ca

http://www.asecondlook.com