There’s something adventurous about thrifting. Poking through bins and racks of other people’s discards is a combination of a treasure hunt and a walk down memory lane. Yesterday, a friend visiting from Tennessee and I decided to spend her free day doing just that.
Step one – hit Google maps and locate as many thrift stores as we can find, map out a route and set a departure time. I chose about eight stores all in or near the original Sun City near Phoenix. Since she’s the one on vacation, our schedule was entirely based on when she was ready.
Our first destination was a return to a cluster of at least four thrift stores for various charities all within walking distance of a single parking spot. We hit the stores and found treasures right away! I scored a couple of books for my son, who is a HUGE Star Trek fan. Paula dug through a bin of housewares and snagged a funny little knife.
We spent hours poking around in store after store and bin after bin in search of something we didn’t even know we wanted or needed. We poked around in Christmas displays at each store.
Paula loves to seasonally change up displays in her home with retro dishes and decorations, so she is constantly in search of true treasures. She flips over dishes to see if they are stamped by the manufacturer, legitimizing their value. She carefully inspects linens for snags and stains before (usually) putting them back.
By the end of the day, she’d snagged a few little items deemed worthy and small enough to fit into her suitcase. I’d tracked down a rolling pin I needed for making pasta.
We realized we’d never taken a food or water break, so we headed to a nearby eatery and devoured lunch before a quick stop at the grocery store for dinner supplies.
Thrift store scrounging always reminds me of the European flea markets of my teens. The “what is that?” moments and the “I used to have one of these!” realizations make for fun conversation with a shopping buddy and light up your imagination and memory. Antique stores offer the same fun!
There’s a whole world out there just waiting to be explored. Never stop hunting for hidden treasure!
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