Okay, that was just ridiculous.

[rivka]

We went to a cookout yesterday at the home of one of Alex's friends. This little girl only wears dresses and is always exquisitely dressed. (Perhaps because of her influence, this summer Alex has started refusing to wear shorts or pants. Although we insist sometimes, for things like hiking in the woods.) Well, at the cookout, the mom revealed the secret of her daughter's large and impeccable wardrobe: "There's this great thrift shop up on North Avenue..."

So today we checked it out. And it was the least prepossessing piece of urban blight imaginable. North Avenue is a sketchy street to begin with. The thrift shop had a blank, stained concrete wall facing the street, with a dirty old sign saying "Village Thrift." You had to park in a lot surrounded by a high fence, up against a housing project, and walk around to the back of this huge blank concrete edifice. There was no directional signage. You couldn't even tell if anyone was there.

But inside... whoa.

I took a quick glance at the media section near the door. Thrift store book sections are usually a waste of time - Harlequin romances and earnest Christian tracts - but I quickly found myself balancing a big stack of classic juvenile/YA literature. And then the video section: all the classic works of Disney, movie musicals, the Anne of Green Gables miniseries with Megan Followes...



When we tore ourselves away and made it back to the girls' dresses section, we found the selection to be equally good. We pulled about fifteen dresses right away, then winnowed them down to eight. None showing any significant wear. Some had obviously only been worn once or twice.

/

We even let Alex buy this ridiculous Christmas dress, because why not? It was $2.50. It will be a nice addition to our dress-up clothes after the holiday.



Our total, for eight nice dresses, nine books, and ten videos - eleven, if you count both halves of the Anne miniseries - was $22.74.

$22.74. Isn't that ridiculous?

I'm kicking myself, because just Saturday I went to my usual upscale consignment store and dropped about a hundred bucks on the bulk of Alex's winter wardrobe. Okay, so those clothes were largely better brands - although two of the dresses I got today are from Land's End - and I got some beautiful things that I'm totally happy with. But still. Had I but known.

I never in a million years would've stopped at this place on my own. It looks too awful. I just can't believe the selection they have. Where on earth do they get their things?

Comments

[kcobweb.livejournal.com]

I love thrift stores. I stopped by our local Goodwill the other day and ladies' skirts were on sale for $1.49 apiece. I got 4 gorgeous ones, plus a armload of other stuff. But I miss the really good thrift stores - ours here are limited.

[vom-marlowe.livejournal.com]

Is it a junior league? Our junior league is largely stocked with the JLer's castoffs, which are generally of impeccable quality. I got a pair of Frye boots there for five bucks once. *happy sigh*

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

I used to teach a kid who was a total hayseed as far as being bold and brave and smart and rough and rugged, but at the same time, loved elegant, fancy dresses. But she played hard in them. So her mom haunted thrift stores and ebay -- she'd big on everything appropriate, but top her bids at about $6 including shipping, and only get a small percentage of what she bid on -- and Grace got to play in the dirt dressed like her vision of elegance. Made sense to me. She'd show up at school in satin and tulle, and her mom would say, "Don't worry about it." And she'd go home looking a bit like a very special prom queen.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

I'm fine with Alex wearing dresses most of the time as long as she's also wearing sensible shoes that allow her to move freely. Clogs or flip-flops are much more restrictive than a frilly dress.

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

Grace only wore useful shoes, and we required them, or bare feet, at school. (It was safe enough for bare feet there.) She had a good sense of when her dress was going to be in her way, physically, and would change her clothing if need be.

[kazoogrrl.livejournal.com]

I was this kid, sitting in a mud puddle in a frilly dress. I still like to do moderate hiking in long skirts!

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

We have too much poison oak for that here. I like a fairly narrow profile on the trail.

[balmofgilead.livejournal.com]

I used to live in Baltimore. That particular thrift store, I'm told, brings (donated) clothes in from other cities, which explains the amazing selection. It's also unusual because it's for-profit instead of supporting a charity like Salvation Army or Goodwill, which might have something to do with it (maybe they're more strategic about sorting through clothes?)

[acceberskoorb.livejournal.com]

Awesome!

[ailbhe]

Oh wow. That's some find.

[womzilla.livejournal.com]

Isn't that the start of any number of horror stories?

Or maybe "Letters to Smart Shopper Forum". "Dear Smart Shopper Forum, I never thought that I would find such great bargains until it happened to me!"

[rivka.livejournal.com]

Huh. Now that you mention it, it was rather odd that the credit card slip was made of parchment, and that they wanted us to sign it with a fountain pen that had odd-smelling red ink.

[moobabe.livejournal.com]

Wow. I might have to make a trip out to Baltimore for that one.

(Did you get the Anne of Green Gables?)

[rivka.livejournal.com]

(Did you get the Anne of Green Gables?)

OF COURSE! That's one of the best book-to-screen adaptations ever! I haev such happy memories of watching it with my mom, who ordinarily never watched TV.

If you come down, let me know, and we'll have lunch or something!

[moobabe.livejournal.com]

FINALLY responding to this! Yes, that sounds like fun! And I'm so glad you got the Anne of Green Gables. Hannah and I watch them together (though it brings up some uncomfortable feelings re: adoption for me and I'm waiting for questions about it from Hannah). She wants to watch the third one, but I don't want her to, as it's so different from the book. ;)

I have no idea when we're going to be able to get out to Baltimore, though. We have a visit to my grandmother coming, and gearing up for that is eating every available brain cell.

[kate_nepveu]

Cool!

I have to start looking for good local shops for SteelyKid; we've been relying heavily on hand-me-downs from a co-worker, but SteelyKid is too big for that now (seriously; her child is older but much smaller).

[treadpath.livejournal.com]

That is AWESOME!!! I love a good thrift store. :)