Bargain Hunting

i learned a new word today and it's 'thrifting' which means the art of thrift store shopping and bargain hunting. although not new to this lifestyle. (we dont have a lot of extra cash so that is pretty much where i shop) i was not aware of that word as a verb lol! i visit thrift stores about once a week or at least once every two weeks so i often come home with a bargain.

I bought two ivory figurines for a total of $30; they were appraised at $300. That was my absolute best find, but I have a ball going from yard sale to yard sale looking for that special something. Hugs, Maggie

Afew years ago I went to a yard sale but they didn't have anything that I really wanted but I stood there talking to the lady that was running it for so long I felt awful leaving without buying something, they had a lot of books spread out on a blanket so I just pixked up three at $1 each and went on my way. I was selling things on Rbay at the time and I put the books up and was shcoked when one of them brought in $300, apparantly it was a was a rare one from a particular club set up for that particular book...

It seems to be harder and harder to find a bargain these days, what with the thrift stores asking market prices for their stuff... It's not uncommon to find items priced at $100 and more at Value Village. I've even seen dollar store items there priced at twice what they go for. I go to these stores a lot because I have a friend who's a shopaholic, but I rarely buy anything, as I believe in the saying, "It's not a bargain if you don't need it."

I like thrift stores, but haven't really been to one in awhile. You can find some really nice stuff though, and usually I find stuff that I could wear or use for my own house. I think one thing I found but didn't buy was pop corn ceramicware. It looked like a movie popcorn box but was ceramic and was so neat, there was a set of three or four and I believe it was only $5. We didn't need it though so didn't get it.

I love to go to thrift stores, yard sales and of course Good Will. The best deal I found was at a yard sale last summer. My fiance and I went out one fine summer day and made out like bandits at one house. The couple was moving out of their house and renting an apartment. Apparently they did not have nearly as much room in the apartment as they did in the house. My fiance got a large 12 hole wooden cubby tool sorting cabinet, a wooden tool box (the old fashioned kind that you would see carpenters carry their tools around in on shows like Little House on the Prairie), several pieces of 2x4 that the guy was just going to throw away. I got several dish towels with the price tags still on them, an oven mitt set, two nice curtains, a great set of sheets, a decorative vase (fall theme), three holiday wall plaques (2 fall & a 4th of July). The major finds were two huge wall plaques. Both were the fleur de leaf designs and they were good quality hangings. One is 2X2 with a bronze finish and the other one is 2x3 tarnished bronze finish. I have them both hanging up. All of that for only $25. The one 2x3 wall hanging was worth at least $40 somewhere like Burkes. They also had a leather couch for $50 but we just missed out on that by ten minutes. I wish I could hit yard sales like that more often. These people were in the final stages of moving and it had to all go. The same day and the same area we got several great buys on clothing for our toddler. We purchased a nice Cars fur lined hoodie zip up jacket for my son as well as a very nice Old Navy thermal insulated coat all for $3. It was a great day.

I would say that my best bargain was finding a lift chair at Good Will for $35. There was absolutely nothing wrong with it and it looked new. I also really look for bargains at all stores.

Being involved in designing and making teddy bears and also being involved in the world of collectible animals I have to say that my biggest and best bargains and finds have been Steiff animals. I found a Steiff dog once that the people priced at 75 cents and I sold it online for $150! I have three Steiff animals right now that I picked up for a dime each and they are worth collectively $300. I can't pass a thrift shop and any yard sale in case there might be that one thing that is worth a lot and the people are selling it for pennies on the dollar. One great buy for me will be a Singer sewing machine that I am picking up for $5. All that is wrong with it is they're using the wrong bobbin in it but the people are too lazy to go buy the right one for it. I need the machine as a back up in case my work machine has to go into the shop, so this one will fit the need perfectly.

We don´t have any second hand shops are similar around here and I miss them dreadfully. I love mooching around in charity shops or car boot sales as you never know what you will find.

I've found quite a few terrific bargains in second-hand stores. I found a jacket that still had it's original price tag on it that I bought as a birthday present for my mother. The jacket originally cost $425.00 and I paid $10.00 for it. My mother loved it! I also used to collect unusual brass objects and found a very strange thing at Goodwill once. It looks kind of like scissors but has a receptacle on one side and a pusher on the other. It only cost me 25 cents so why not? When I looked it up to find out what it was, I was shocked to learn that I had an antique wick clipper worth around $400.00! These had stopped being made after 1835 so my little 25 cent purchase was well over 150 years old and worth a LOT more than I had paid for it. (I still have it. It's a great conversation piece. ) I've also been scouring the thrift stores recently because my first granddaughter is due to arrive around August 1st and I've found some adorable newborn dresses, onsies, etc. I sometimes go to thrift stores just to find some really nice material. If I see a dress that is much larger than I wear but love the material, I'll bring it home and take it apart, then use one of my patterns to make new clothing out of the old dress. One other thing I was doing was buying leather and suede coats, skirts, etc. in different colors just for the material. I was making pictures, sort of like stained glass but using pieces of suede and leather instead of glass. I may take that up again because it was great fun and I was even able to sell some of what I made. So, thrift stores aren't just for finding things we can use but also finding materials to make other things that we want. I also try to collect things that I no longer want or need to drop off at whatever thrift store I plan to visit. It's my way of recycling those things they don't collect at reclamation centers. I do that every year for Christmas decorating.

I enjoy a good yard sale. I found a lovely hand made two tone sweater with a buffalo on the back one time. I was out of town and so I didn't have alot of money. I saw what the price on it was and told the gal I would pay the rounded off amount. She took it and I walked out with the cool new sweater.

In our country bargaining is everywhere. There are few fixed price shop.

I hate shopping no matter where I need to go! Especially with clothes! I have no patience to go through rakes and rakes of clothes! I am a plus size woman and it is hard to find clothes for me form time to time. Thrift shows are the worst place for me to shop! So I stick with Walmart and ordering through the mail!

Now don't get me wrong, I do really like thrift stores and especially yard sales, but I really think that the best bargains that I've ever gotten have been off the clearance racks at retail stores. Every time I walk into a store, I always have to check out the clearance racks for my own size as well as the sizes of my children. I was able to find some clothes for my daughter for less than $3.00 an outfit and these clothes are name brand. The best yard sale bargain that I've ever gotten was a Power Wheel for my daughter that was $1.00 at a yard sale because the people thought it didn't work. As soon as we got it home, we found that the problem with it was that the battery cable wasn't connected.

I sell books for a living and I pick up little things for me when I go to auctions and eastate sales looking for inventory. I've actually found a lot of bargains. I got a coach leather wallet for $2.00 and a Vera Bradley wheelie suitcase for $25. They were both brand spanking new. Just a few weeks ago I fell in love with a jadite green teapot by Chantal that looked like it hadn't been used. I got it for $27.50 which I thought was a lot but when I looked it up, I found those teapots retailing for $100 and nowhere could I find one in the same beautiful soft green color. More times than I remember, I've picked up original art by listed artists for almost nothing.

you and my wife will get along perfectly. she loves thrift stores and sales. she has a lot of good bargain experience that sometimes gets me excited too. specially if those things really cost a lot of money and she got it for half the price. heaven is the feeling for her... and for me at some times. but sometimes i find her buying things that are cheap but we dont need. lucky she will realize to give away during occasions like christmas or weddings.

Manda, i always buy expensive and useful item in bulk, only when i found them having promotion. I really loves to shop at stores that always having bargains. It gives me chance to save some bucks. I am always trying my best as not to miss out any bargain.

Honestly where I live you ever barely see yard and/or garage sales anymore. So mostly what I do for bargain huntings I'd go to Ross, Marshall, Big Lots and even the dollar store.

Yes i love bargains to ,but most are like dresses,,and other useful staff.

Here in the Philippines, specifically here in Baguio where I live now for college, there are buildings that are especially for bargain stores. Here we call it "ukay-ukay" or "wag-wag". There are two buildings of such that I know of here in Baguio. I remember going to these bargain stores and I saw shirts that were on sale for only 10pesos, and some, though the quality is not that good anymore, were sold at 5pesos. Also, we have this night market here in Baguio which is somewhat similar to that of in Hong Kong. The night market starts at 9pm everyday. The whole street gets closed for the shops. There are plenty of things and goods sold in that night market, including clothes, bags, shoes, and even food. I went there only twice, because I'm not very fond of going shopping especially when there are a LOT of people. Plus, I'm scared to go out alone during the night. :) Though that two times was quite an experience for me!