I currently have no dining chairs. Which is a bit of an issue, because now I have nowhere to sit in my kitchen. I had two kitchen tables and I decided to sell the old one on Facebook but it was a set that included four dining chairs. I thought I should sell them as a set, and I wanted the money to buy new dining chairs. They sold quickly, so today I decided to go hunting for new dining chairs. I’m hoping to find 2-4 in a traditional style and a yellow or orange wood. I’d like to spend around $10 per chair, and although I knew that would be tough I didn’t expect to go to Habitat for Humanity to find their chairs were over $100 a piece!!! Absolutely wild, they had antique hutches for less than that.
Despite my inability to find chairs, I had an incredibly successful trip and checked multiple items off of my thrift list!
my thrifted items
I like to keep a running list of all the things I’m looking for at the thrift store. It helps me stay on track and make decisions about what to buy. Whenever I think of something that I want to look for I add it to my list. Then when I go to the shops I know what sections I need to check and I can easily scan through items without looking at EVERYTHING. I often get decision paralysis at the thrift store, and having a running list helps me make up my mind easier.
The first thing I scored had been on my list for months; a glass loaf pan. I would have settled for ceramic, but I really wanted glass. I wanted an old Pyrex style one like my mom had when I was a kid. I even thought about buying one off eBay, but never actually did it. So when I laid my eyes on this one at Habitat for Humanity I was literally ecstatic! For only $3 I got my glass loaf pan and I’m going to be making a sourdough sandwich loaf tonight!
I also found two wooden candle holders, which I nearly left behind. But they were $2 each and I have these beautiful blue beeswax candles I’ve been wanting to display for years and never got around to. I’m going for dark wood accents in my living room, so they matched perfectly. Sometimes when I’m trying to make a decision, I consider the actual monetary value of the item. If I think I could resell the item for more than I bought then I’m more likely to make a risky purchase. I almost never resell these items, and if I do it’s usually for the same price I bought it. But it’s more of a security thing. If I end up hating the item, but it’s worth more than I bought it, I can at least get my money back since thrift stores usually don’t have returns.
I always look through the kids clothes when I go, but neither of today’s thrift stores are particularly good for children’s clothing. I did however find the cutest newborn girl onesie. Who knows if I’ll ever have a girl, or if she’ll ever be that small. But it was so precious that if I never get to put it on my own child I can regift it one day. It was organic cotton too!
I also bought a lampshade for the lamp my grandmother gave me. She painted it herself at one of those ceramic paint workshops to look like my grandfather when he was on the fire department. It’s very unique and very large. My son is fascinated by it, as the little fireman stands about as tall as him. Originally it had a thick burlap texture lampshade, but it was too dated for me. I found a nice linen one that fit perfectly!
I also picked up some cotton yarn to use for hair for a doll I’m making. All in all I spent $13, but five of those dollars were cash from selling something on marketplace, so it really doesn’t count. #girlmath
The number one thing I learned today is thrift shopping is a lot less stressful when you don’t have to haul a baby along. He slept peacefully in the car the whole time while my friend watched him, and I got to do my shopping in record time. The two thrift stores were right down the street from each other, so I was able to hit both. I never have the energy for that when I have to get the baby in and out of the car.
Now I just have to find spots in my house for my finds! Stay tuned…