Wednesday, July 10, 2019

Junk out, junk in

The campaign to organize and pare down the stuff in this house continues. I didn't know we had so much pure junk stashed away! Yesterday I pulled everything out of the closet in the office to try to get a handle on it, and I quickly realized I wished I had never started! What a mess! Holiday decorations (not just Christmas), gift wrap supplies, old coats and sweaters, framed awards received from my job in 2009-2011, old calendars I kept for the artwork, 10 years worth of Gregg's aquarium job receipt and record books, knick knacks, and on and on and on. I was overwhelmed. But I got most of it sorted and there's three boxes of stuff to either donate or take to the dump today. There's still more to do: we have stacks of old CDs and DVDs in the office that need to be sorted, alphabetized, and either stored someplace handy or donated. Then there are two more closets in the bedrooms that need the same treatment, and lots of stuff in our laundry room cabinets too. Arrgh!!!! I've had enough for the moment, though, and I'm taking a break from it today.

Ironically enough, what I plan to do today is to go start scouring thrift stores for some items we need for our house. I know, I know: didn't I just complain about all the junk I had (and still have) to sort through? Yes, but there are items we need and I've resolved to shop at thrift stores to try to find treasures for cheap. We need things to hang over our mantle, above our sofa in the living room, and something for the wall in the foyer. While we have several small pieces of art painted by friends that we intend to get matted and framed, none of it is large enough for those three spaces. We also need lamps, and we'd like some that are both interesting and inexpensive. It would be great if I could find a few larger items, too, as we're still looking to add two barstools to the kitchen counter and a real desk here in the office. I kind of doubt I'll find big items like that in thrift stores, but you never know: a new Habitat for Humanity home store just opened right down the street. I resolved at the beginning of the summer to browse some of these shops at least once a week or so to be on the lookout for all the things we want. I hope I'll get lucky and find a few good pieces! I'm not usually one to find the really great deals in thrift stores so we'll see. I wish my mother in law was still alive. She was the queen of thrift store/yard sale/discount shopping and could find really good stuff for a song--and she wasn't afraid to haggle over the price, either! Part of the reason she was so lucky at it was that she was retired and had lots of time to look. Right now, I have way more time than money, so starting today I'm going to go do the rounds of treasure hunting.

Hey, part of the reason for cleaning out the old junk was to make room!

Do you like to go thrift shopping? And if so, what kinds of good stuff have you found? I'd love to hear about it!

21 comments:

  1. I do love to thrift shop. Not as much as I used to but still some. I have found many, many treasures but rarely have I found what I was looking for specifically. I guess that's the treasure hunting aspect of it. I need to go through my closets so bad. I'm overwhelmed with it all.

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    1. I wanted to cry when I pulled all the crap out of my closet yesterday, Ms. Moon. I swear I did. But once I got started it wasn't too bad. And I love reading about your trips to the Bad-Girls-Get-Saved-By-Jesus-store!

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  2. I have done a little thrift shopping in the past, but I have cut down all my looking because I now have more than I need and much that I don’t. I have bursts of purging and feel so good when things leave my house. Last month we got rid of our riding lawnmower and gas mower. Space in the garage is a wonderful thing.

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  3. A lot of the things in my flat come from my grandparents' house. When my Grandma died, I was the only one in the family who wanted (and had enough space) for some of the furniture, the cutlery and crockery, and some other things. I don't think I have been inside a thrift shop in the last 20 years or more; there aren't that many around here.

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    1. PS: Well done, you! And I am sure you'll find the energy for doing the other cabinets, too; it is such a great feeling having finished such a job, isn't it.
      Hopefully the thrift stores near you will have what you are looking for.

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  4. I threw out all my accumulated junk BEFORE we moved! It's easier that way. My best bargain this year is the lamp we made from the big, glass bottle that was left in the garage here.

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  5. consider small quilts, rugs or other linens to hang on your walls

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  6. Not a Thrift Shopper. Actually, what I seem to be doing now is giving stuff away, if people will have it. The future is inevitable. I don't want someone else deciding what gets tossed and what gets sold, all the while saying "will you look at all of this shit."

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  7. I can't say I "love" to go shopping for anything, but I almost always start in the thrift store. We furnished the two extra bedrooms of the old house from the thrift store, complete with Jenny Lind bedframes and early 20th century dressers. Lovely finds.

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  8. You are Organizer In Chief. Congratulations. I'm not really a thrift store shopper, but I don't go in many stores other than Costco and Target. I visit each about once a month. Another place you might look for art is used furniture stores. The one in our neighborhood has a lot of painting and prints. I've been cleaning out my closet for weeks and feel as if I'll never finish.

    Love,
    Janie

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  9. I find facebook market place great for second hand things. You can shop from your chair!

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  10. Working in an "Oxfam" shop, we deal with lots of pre-owned items from shoes to books, from dresses to oil paintings. Yesterday I bought some new sunglasses for around three bucks. They are "Jack Daniels" sunglasses. As you probably know Jack Daniels is a famous sunglasses designer - like his cousin Ray Ban.

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  11. Like Sue, I was wondering why you didn't throw your junk out BEFORE you moved! I guess time was short. We have been in this house for 40 yrs and brought up 3 sons here, so you can imagine how much rubbish we have accumulated !

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    1. I didn't get rid of a lot of junk prior to the move because of my pack rat husband, who HATES getting rid of anything. As it is, I have to do most of this cleaning and organizing while he's at work or he'll throw a monkey wrench into my efforts to de-clutter!

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  12. I'm not much of a thrift store shopper, but after my MIL/FIL stopped traveling after 20 years on the road in their large RV bus, she furnished their new home out west almost exclusively from going to estate sales (you can find out about ones near you online). She got a slew of Ethan Allen furnishings and other kinds of items for next to nothing and all in great condition. My DH likes these sales, too. He found a Queen Anne chair for me at one for only $35. You are most likely to find a larger selection of furniture items and such at these types of sales.

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  13. I have never been successful thrift shopping. I have friend who find the coolest stuff!

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  14. You inspire me. I have been trying to downsize for months. A little bit here, a little bit there. I need to take a more aggressive approach. What I REALLY need to get rid of are books I will never read again.

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  15. Both my wife and I love thrift store shopping and have found some very valuable pieces. Fortunately Menagerie Manor has the room for all of it. When we find something that screams out at us we first decide a place for it because we can't stand clutter.

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  16. As I age the bar for 'junk' lowers and more goes out.
    I do like thrift stores but something must go out for anything bought.

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  17. Isn't it funny how, so soon after moving, you're already finding extra stuff? It's a constant battle, isn't it?!

    As you know, I do love a thrift store! If the thrift shops don't have the furniture you need, there are probably used furniture stores around that might be more productive. Good luck! (And I totally get needing some things while needing to get rid of other things. It's all about the balance, right?)

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