There's Gold in Thrift Stores

Nowadays people do not feel as uncomfortable about buying stuff from thrift stores. If you have never shopped at a thrift store, you are in for a real surprise. It is amazing how many new and barely used items are there and at prices so far below normal you feel almost as if you're committing a crime to shop there.

The faltering economy has left consumers scrimping. With economic uncertainty everywhere in the Country, consumers like you and I are putting away every cent we can and spending as little as possible, leaving retailers no alternative other than slashing their prices. While mainstream merchants are left struggling to get customers into their stores, thrift shops are booming, secondhand store managers are posting record sales, and according to many reports, resale shops are expanding operations. The business section of The Boston Globe wrote that the National Association of Resale and Thrift Shops "Members across the country are reporting an average 30 percent increase in business from January through August compared with the year-ago period, with a 75 percent increase in people donating or selling their clothes to consignment shops." The NARTS report revealed that "The overall resale industry has been strong in recent years," adding that "consumers have grown increasingly comfortable with buying used merchandise."

Until recently, I had never shopped thrift stores for clothing. My eldest son persuaded me to check out a few thrift stores in Cincinnati when he called me in January '09' testifying of his amazing find at a resale shop in Saint Louis. As he tells it, he went to a thrift store in an upper middle class neighborhood and found a very nice business suit with classic flat-front trousers tailored by Hart Schaffner and Marx. Upon hearing of his spectacular find, I too began shopping local thrift stores in Cincinnati hoping to find a similar deal. For three disappointing days, I worked the long narrow isles of the resale shops on my list. I lost count of how many suits, blazers, and sports jackets I looked at.

With dogged determination, I inspected the linings of every suit jacket and blazer in the stores I visited, searching for the familiar Hart Schaffner and Marx logo on the lining near the breast pocket. I searched the resale shops without success. On the third day, however, I was determined to not leave the thrift shop empty-handed. I began walking the breadth of the entire store. As I browsed the small appliance section, I discovered the exact German made Rowenta Professional Luxe steam iron, which I had desired to purchase earlier from Wal-Mart or Kohl during the Christmas season but could not afford the $100 dollar price tag. I left the thrift shop on that third day the proud owner of that elusive German made professional steam iron, which I was able to purchase for all of $3.95. You heard me, three dollars and ninety-five cents. My steam iron works wonderfully, thank you.

After taking a few days off, I began my fourth day at the thrift store looking at the suits in the long narrow isle. About an hour into rummaging through smelly clothes and a whole lot of mismatched 2-piece suits, I hit pay dirt. Right there, between the gray-wrinkled sports jacket and the light gray 2-piece rayon suit was a Hart Schaffner and Marx Navy Core Blazer. I could hardly believe my eyes. Upon closer inspection, I discovered the beautiful blue blazer was what the Hart Schaffner and Marx company calls their "Gold Trumpeter Classic Fit." The blazer is a classic 2-button single breasted, with notch lapel and a center vent. Like most suits tailored by the Hart Schaffner and Marx Company, the blazer is made in the USA from imported 100% Wool fabric. I headed to the checkout clinching my blazer when a friend, who was also shopping with me, brought to my attention another amazing deal. He began to show me a Hart Schaffner and Marx gray beaded pinstripe 2-piece suit. The suit included a 2-button double-breasted double-vented jacket and the old-school flat-front trousers. Wow! I was on a roll and so I was not about to leave the store until I had touched every suit in the long isle.

Sure enough, by the time I reached the end of the long narrow isle, I had discovered yet another Hart Schaffner and Marx suit. This one is a 3-piece gray beaded pinstripe suit. The ensemble consists of a classic 2-button single-breasted jacket with center vent, double reverse pleat trousers, and a smart waste jacket (vest). As expected, the last two suits are also made in the USA from imported 100% Wool fabric. My intention was to take the clothing to a good tailor to have them custom fitted to my small 160 pound frame. To my surprise, however, all the clothing fit me perfectly from the shoulders to the inseam. My amazing thrift store clothing purchases (two suits and a blazer) cost me less than $30 dollars and the dry cleaning was less than $50 dollars. My first thrift store experience was a profitable success. For a grand total of $80 dollars, I can now dress like a million dollars.

The economy is a good reason to shop at resale stores. If you are still uncomfortable with the idea, you should know that many thrift stores purchase new and used items from local charities and department stores and provides additional, and often vital, funding for local Christian-based charities to benefit needy families and individuals. Consequently, we indirectly help others when we shop at thrift stores.