Salvation Army Mecca :)

I went to visit my sister up in Northern California's beautiful wine country over the summer, and took the opportunity to go to a dream destination of mine, the Salvation Army mega-store commune in Healdsburg.

If you're interested in going, here's the address and phone number. It's right off the freeway and easy to find.

200 Lytton Springs Road
Healdsburg, CA 95448
(707) 433-7404

I think I went at the worst possible time in the week, late on a Saturday afternoon. Everything had been picked through, and I didn't find anything outside in the hard-scrabble bins. I enjoyed the experience, however, and also enjoyed providing the women-starved men of the rehab center a little eye candy. I got so many offers of help, I started to avoid anyone who smiled at me.

There were several stores, but no real deals. Again, I went on the worst possible day, but I was surprised to see how expensive everything was. I might be spoiled with cheap thrift. It seemed like a good place to get furniture and appliances.

There are plenty of people to help you load your purchases should you wish to get some larger items and can't lift them by yourself.

Maybe I was tired, but the furniture just bored me. I drove about four hours to get here and there was a ton of traffic because I took a wrong turn and there was no way to turn around.

It was fun to treat it like a field trip and take pictures of all the stuff. Although there were some tools, this was definitely not a destination for outdoorsy mechanical things.

It was also really hot in July. Perhaps that's why there aren't a lot of people in the outdoor photos. The stores were all full of people. I felt crowded. There wasn't a lot of walking space. This makes sense given that the property was so large and the buildings were so small.

I could tell that stuff sat in the sun if it didn't sell, so it looked like old garage sale rejects in some places. The broken stuff was depressing to me.

There was some interesting original art.

I loved this painting, but didn't feel like I could spend any money on it.

Some stuff seemed really expensive for being at a thrift store. I don't know if they had any additional online selling or marketing going on.

This place was a barn that had all the clothes in it. It seemed like the most familiar place to me. This was the only location where I bought anything. Because of the gas to get there, I was trying to be really  cautious in any spending. I bought a large framed Picasso poster, which currently sits in my store. I also bought a suede Fossil bag that has sold fairly quickly. I really like the selection in this particular store and spent the most time in there.

Questions? I'd love to add more to this post :)

No dog love :(

1994 Bergschrund Honey Bear Mug

I'm drinking coffee at this very moment. It took over an hour to make it happen. I am housesitting, and there's a dog, and the dog is depressed, and that makes me feel depressed, and wishing that I was a dog psychologist and I could whisk his worries away. I also wish that I too could get into a small contained space like he is right now, in a dark hallway in his crate, voluntarily.

I have to keep myself from bugging him to come play with me. I tried to cuddle with him, but he went into his crate, so here I am, feeling rejected and not wanting to do anything, and just generally feeling like ass. I get so used to dogs loving me and wanting to constantly be with me, that I get confused when a dog meets me and doesn't automatically want to be bffs.

I did some thrifting yesterday, and maybe found some good stuff. I got into a long conversation with an employee/thrift friend about him working on getting his GED. He has a neck tattoo but I like him anyway. I think this is a first for me. I am pretty anti-tattoo, as a general rule. There were a bunch of new workers at the store. They were pretty energetic, and obviously hadn't seen a woman in a great while. I love it when that happens. Aw shucks [insert blushing grin here].

I have no title.

DIY sidewalk chalk is particularly amazing :)

I love this store in Oakland that is dedicated to the ethic of reuse. They cater to teachers and artists, people who might benefit from supplies en masse. I like to buy a lot of envelopes when I'm there, stickers, pins. I've never bought as much as I want though, because I have to carry it all around the city.

I would love to start a store like this in my city, a non-profit dedicated to reducing waste and encouraging reuse in creative ways. There was a composting bicycle service for a few years that also had a worm farm, but for some reason they couldn't sustain it (time, energy, manpower), and they went away.

I wish that I could do it all, compost all the restaurant waste, create a place where people could recycle crayons and hang with like-minded thrifty people. I wish I had my own store. But the rummage sale made me think otherwise. It made me think that I don't have the emotional acuity particular to running/operating a thrift establishment. Or maybe I do, but I would definitely need a partner. I have a friend that I could work with every day and not hate it, but I'd have to import her.

btw, today has not been awesome, but I'm getting into Parks & Rec, so yeah.

Thrift store conversations.

You can be a mommy, beauty queen, cowgirl, artist, nurse...

Two female thrift store employees, one seasoned (always acting like a know-it-all), one a newbie (with Megan's internal monologue).

Seasoned: So you're in school?

Newbie: Yeah, I'm going to [local community college].

Seasoned: What's your major?

Newbie: Oh well, I dunno. I'm really not sure what I'm doing. What's your major?

Seasoned: Oh! Psychology. I love it. Dear God no!!!

Newbie: Oh! I want to look into that. No no no no no no no!!!

Seasoned: Oh, it's great. You should take a couple classes and see what you think. Um, no, you should choose a major that will get you an actual paying job so you can pay off your loans.

Newbie: Yeah, but what jobs can you even get with a degree in psychology? None, run away now. Get a degree in engineering. Math classes, physics, etc. Do it. Do it now.

Seasoned: Oh! So many. You can be a psych tech in a hospital. Um, no one does that in California dear. Or you can do research, or you can, well, there are a lot of things you can do. I'm going to be a counselor, like in a school.

Newbie: Oh, how long do you go to school for that? Um, a really long time. And you'll go into a lot of debt, honey. Get an employable degree.

Seasoned: Oh, you can get a masters degree, but you don't have to. Um, yes you do. In order to be employed, you absolutely do.

At this point, Megan has to leave, as to avoid getting into a conversation with twenty-year-olds wherein she acts like a crazy person, eavesdropping and interrupting. Crazy moment averted. Score.

Thrift store conversations.

A section of a beautiful handmade square dance skirt - my new thing :)

Yesterday, at my favorite cheap thrift store downtown, where they let you barter, and still sell things for ten cents, this conversation was overheard between an employee and two volunteers. I, a recognized regular, am the only shopper in the store.

Employee: [referring to an old friend] Oh! She was the most wonderful person. One time, a woman came up to her and complimented her earrings - would you believe it - she took them off and gave them to her!

Volunteer: What?! That's like giving away your underwear!

Employee: [completely flustered] Well...uh...oh my! Why are you talking about underwear?! Oh my goodness. This is so inappropriate...I can't believe this is happening...

Volunteer: Oh no. You misunderstand me. I'm just saying that that is how I see someone giving away their earrings. That's a personal item, just like underwear.

Employee: [laughing anxiously] He said it again! Oh my goodness. This is too much. You need to go in back and move furniture. Underwear! He's talking about underwear!

Several minutes later...

Employee: [to me (volunteers are in back, out of hearing range)] Did you hear that man? He is after me! I don't know what to do about it. It's been going on for a while now, but today was just the worst! He was talking about underwear! As if he wanted to talk about my underwear, as if he thought he might be seeing it soon!

Megan: [nods sympathetically] Yeah, wow. Hm. That's a tough one.

Employee: What do I do? This needs to stop! [turns to another employee who has just approached] Did you hear him? Talking about my underwear? I can't believe it! I don't know what to do!

Making friends :)

I can't wait to sell these boots! They're really cool :)

So now, around town, I feel like a wise old thrifter. I have seen so much. I have patience. I have an appropriately furrowed brow (oh dear, this expression will age me quickly). I am the best thrifting resource you will find, if you only have the time to look around and see if anyone is paying attention to you. I am present. I am smiling. And yes, that color would look great on you.

I used to hang my head and mumble, say "thank you" and never attempt conversation. But something in me has changed over the past year. I think my life has smoothed out to a more steady pace, and I'm able to take moments, full minutes in fact, to speak to people, look them in the eye and talk to them. It's been a trip, really, because it has made my thrifting hobby into something I do, not just because it gives me mindless time (which I need on a daily basis), but it also gives me social time to talk about nothing of any importance. I don't have to give a lot. I can just be me, and enjoy the experience, and smile and let go of the heavy burdens I often put on my own shoulders.

So maybe I'm endearing, and that makes it easy for people to talk to me. Or maybe I'm weird and eccentric, and I don't stand out much (let's all remember fake baby lady from a few weeks ago). I don't know what people think, because sometimes I'm wearing my normal clothes, and sometimes I'm wearing my professional clothes. Maybe they call me something like "weird tall lady" :)

Anyhow, I'm having especially enjoyable times thrifting lately :)

I love you, all of you :)

It's a belt buckle! Isn't it so pretty?

I've always been tall and awkward, and being thin makes me feel less like a total troll, but I still feel it sometimes. Early on, I developed a tough exterior to cope with the teasing I received throughout elementary school, all of which had to do with how I looked. How I look can bother me. It matters to me, because it is the thing that can either lead to teasing, or help me to avoid it. I like to pretend that I have control, even though I know I don't.

Last week, the day before Valentine's Day, two thrift store employees had gotten off their shift and were looking through the lingerie to find something special. One was totally committed to the project; the other, less so and was berating herself in front of the mirror we were sharing, "I can't wear this!", My butt would look too big and he'd be distracted by it!" And for whatever reason, I felt like it was my responsibility to tell this woman, emphatically, that there was nothing wrong with her, or her body, and that anyone who thought so had a problem. So I did. And she listened. I felt good about myself.

I wish I had never been the recipient of someone telling me that I was fat, or ugly, or disgusting. I wish that no one ever did. But for whatever reason, most people have felt these things, experienced these things, and then we all, collectively, internalize those messages and believe them about ourselves.

So I am now taking brief moments, all the time, in thrift stores, to send positive messages to women trying on clothing, to join with the sisterhood, so to speak, in an effort to turn the tide, however slightly :)

Daaaaaaamn girl! You look gooooood.

My weird perspective :)

Vintage large round light blue eyeglasses from "Mainstreet"

Location: Salvation Army
Time: Yesterday afternoon

I am in line behind a woman purchasing three San Francisco Giants souvenir baseball bats in orange and black. The cashier bags the bats, and the woman says, "Thanks for the bats. I like to take these on my walks", then walks out the door with her purchases.

Wait...what?!

As the cashier bags my mug, and I hand her my 50 cents, I say quietly, "What is she doing on these walks that she needs a bat?" The cashier and her manager stare at me strangely. "I mean, what does she need to hit with a bat?"

The two women look at eachother and start cracking up. The cashier says to me, "Bags! She said bags! She likes to take bags on her walks! What's wrong with you [smiling]? Get out of here! Stop spreading rumors!"

I laughed at myself for the next five minutes :)

Making better decisions :)

From Happiness is a Warm Puppy by Charles Schultz

At one of my favorite stores, there is a "25 cents" rack. I thought the rack was full of rejects, so I never spent much time going through it. Then yesterday, I had a wild hair, and ended up finding three pairs of pants in really good condition that are now in my shop. The cashier was proud of me. She's super friendly, so I've been doing my best to reciprocate. It's important to be kind to people in retail.

Actions like this have reduced my thrifting expenses drastically over the past month during my hard core "Debt Reduction Diet", which will last as long as it needs to (until my car is paid for and my credit card balance is $0). It means I don't buy everything I want to buy for my shop, and it means that I buy weird things that are cheap because no one has been able to identify them. I have the time to do the research. I have more time than money, and I need to use my resources in effective ways. That's my rationale. I sold a lot of stuff in January, and I plan to continue stocking my store like a mofo in February.

In other news, I'm having some perspective changes in my life on relationships, and on politics. I think I'm becoming more and more of a libertarian, a libertarian who believes in socialized medicine. It's a complicated business, politics. It involves the delicate dance between how we see ourselves, and how we see other people. I think this year, one of my main goals in life will be to empower others to change their own lives. I am working on allowing people to find their own ways instead of telling them how to do what I think is best. Teach a man to fish...

Sterling silver :)

The ultimate thrifting problem: non-working watches

So I was out-of-town yesterday for a meeting and needing a thrift fix before I drove back home. I stopped at a large charity store en route, and was happy to see that they were open 'til 6 (it was already 5).

I wasn't very excited, until I remembered that I, as a reseller, actually look for specific things, and that I might find cool stuff (I know, I'm weird - thrift wandering is good on its own). So I walked over to the mugs, looked through the vintage ties, found a man excitedly looking through records, all with empty hands. I found some red Vara bow Salvatore Ferragamo shoes, but they were in bad shape, and they were size 7AA, so I didn't feel up to fixing them, only to have them sit in my shop for a year.

Behind the front counter, the store had small plastic tubs, filled with jewelry. I asked the employee to let me see them, which he gave me one at a time, and I slowly went through the hundreds of pins, earrings, and necklaces, all in small plastic bags, looking for sellable pieces. In the end, I found about 2 ounces (over 50 grams) of sterling silver jewelry for a little over $4. I can't quite explain it, but it made my day. It made me feel smart and thrifty and productive for the day.

I finished off this awesome day with a taco truck burrito and a crazy-exciting high school girls basketball game. The team I was there to see was up by eleven in the first few minutes, only to find themselves down by two, with two minutes left in the 4th quarter. A foul, followed by two perfect foul shots (Ack! One minute left!) and a three-pointer with 21 seconds on the clock. Booyah. Great game.

Saving $ @ thrift stores - Part 1

Rare hardcover library version - very cool :)

Today, after at least a year of working at it, I was able to get $10 worth of free merchandise from the rescue mission thrift store. They offer a "frequent shopper" card, where when you make ten trips and buy $5, you get your card initialed, and when you have ten, you get $10 free! The thing I dislike the most about this one is that it took me a really long time, and a lot of money to get to the end of the card. Today, I think that they just gave me all of my stuff for "ten dollars", even though it may have been a little over that. It felt good, mostly because I have $12 in my checking account and nothing is selling in my eBay store.

At another place in town, you get a stamp for every $10 you spend, but if you spend $30 in one purchase, you get three stamps. I like this way of doing it a lot better than the earlier way. I have not finished filling up my card, but I have seven out of 10, so I'm pretty close. This card has taken me less money to fill up, so in the long run, I like it better. However, the guys at this thrift store never flirt with me, and the guys at the rescue mission think I'm awesome, so I'm calling it a draw.

I'm engaged.

I've been eating a lot of spinach lately. I put it in my fruit smoothies. I eat it on all of my pizza. Good stuff. It makes me feel like I'm a relatively healthy person, and I guarantee that my sister gets deliriously happy every time I eat it.

So today, this totally cute guy at the rescue mission thrift store said "Hello" to me, then said, "You're a regular. I've seen you before...Do you mind my asking your name?"

"Uh [what is happening?]. Megan."

That was pretty much the end of the conversation, but I definitely was impressed that he just came out and asked. I'm a sucker for men who speak to me. It's become more difficult lately. The whole masters degree thing doesn't exactly work in my favor. I'm tall, always thinking and using big words, and now I have an advanced degree. I'm stuck between men too intimidated to believe they could be with me, and men too narcissistic to make me happy.

Oh dear. Maybe I'll marry spinach.

Thrift Share Monday :)

So I was at the special-item-case at the rescue mission thrift store this afternoon, and the woman behind the counter said, "Men are weird. [To me] Tell me they're weird."

I responded, "Um, it is difficult for us to understand one another."

"Ha! You know they're weird; admit it. My husband is a man, and he is weird. He is the weirdest person I know."

"Well, share your wisdom with me. How do you manage to stay married to such a weird man?" Oh man, I hooked her with that one.

"Well listen up girls [There was another woman behind the counter]. My husband is the love of my life. We can talk about anything. But he is weird. That's just how it is. I didn't have another choice - I couldn't marry a woman! And he thinks I'm weird. But I never would have married him if he hadn't been in love with Jesus. That's the most important thing."

So girls, take note. Marry a man who's in love with Jesus, and never marry a woman. I don't know about you, but I sure learned something today. I love it when people share their wisdom with me. Thrift store wisdom. I need to start writing all this stuff down. The people need to hear!

I think it's so funny that so many thrift stores are "christian" organizations, and assume that everyone who shops there must share their beliefs. I'm good-natured about it, but I highly doubt that everyone is. Hey! Here's a fun topic. Share your experiences with advice-giving thrift-store employees/volunteers in the comments. Let's see what we come up with.

Linking up with Apron Thrift Girl :)

Who wants to model for me?

This is how I feel about my apartment right now. There's no room for me.

There's a thrift tore in town that is explicitly Christian. All of the workers have to say that they are "blessed" when greeted. It's frightening in a way. The only way that I feel cared for in the environment is when the workers stare at me because they haven't seen a woman in a while, and then say "hello" a few too many times. Anyhow, I saw like at least a dozen one-piece pantsuits there today. For some reason, I see them all the time, and I'm really scared to buy them. I don't think that I'd be able to sell them, and then I'd feel dumb. How weird is that? I buy dumb things all the time!

I have tried to stay away from clothing as much as possible because I am not a model, and I have no desire to become one. I also only have half of a body form, so it isn't much help with large pieces. For example, I have a vintage wedding dress sitting in a basket somewhere that I haven't listed because I haven't figured out how to make it look good (Note: It doesn't exactly fit me. I am too large in one particular region). I've considered getting a model, but what would I pay them, and how would I ask, and could I take good enough photos to make it worth the process?

I'm gonna go sleep on it.

Ugly sweaters...again

So I walk into my favorite thrift store this afternoon to find lots of people looking for ugly Christmas sweaters. I determine that this is an excellent time to tell the group my funny story from a couple weeks ago (crickets in response).

For some odd reason, I am a little hyper, so while I'm doing my regular wandering, I shout out every time I find a Christmas sweater. People begin to leave without buying anything. I feel like a failure. A few minutes later in the cheap bin, I find an excellent one, but it needs to be washed (why it's cheap-so weird). I bring it up to the front later to give it to the cashier. There were so many people looking for them, so many.

I end up finding an excellent gift for my sister's boyfriend, and a whole stack of Celine Dion CDs, which I did not purchase, because I was uninspired. I did, however, find a whole tube of glow sticks. That was pretty awesome, but I didn't get them because I couldn't visualize myself on the corner during the fair selling them. I guess I could have found a concert or sporting event to sell them at, but it didn't seem worth the time and effort, dollar-wise.

Today at a staff lunch, someone brought a homemade popcorn cake. I didn't taste it because I wanted to have my dessert of pie. I only had one piece of pie! Go me!

First days of work are so hard

 

Fellow shopper (to nearby employee/volunteer/parolee): "What is the sale today?"

Employee: "I dunno. There probably isn't one."

Shopper: "Well, there is a daily sale, so something is on sale. I'd like to know what it is."

Employee: "Yeah, I don't know about any 'sales'. Since I don't know about it, it probably doesn't exist."

Shopper #2 (me) to Shopper #1: "Ma'am, there is a sale on two-piece clothing items. That's all I remember from the sign."

Employee: "Well, it's my first day. So I don't know what's going on."

Shopper #2: "Oh. Well, that's okay. It's not my first day, so I've got you covered."

Employee: "Oh, do you work here?"

Shopper #2: "Um, no."

Thrifting and flirting

I have no social life outside of my friends who also have no social lives. So when we get together, it's the same group, every time, and I've decided that we get some new friends, if for no other reason than to give me someone to make out with at parties.

Here are the players:

1. I am going through the silverware bins the other night, when I come up and there is a man walking towards me with a grand smile on his face. He has chin-length dark brown wavy hair, and a dirty "maybe-I'm-a-craftsman-of-some-kind" look. His smile was amazing and bright, and I couldn't stop thinking about him for the next half-hour as I browsed.

2. Another night; another store. I am also going through bins, now looking through piles of Christmas stuff. There is a man standing next to me that I think is mumbling to himself, but he's really just talking to me and getting up the nerve to make it audible. I'm singing along to the song that's playing in the store, and he asks if I like Elvis. At this point, I'm not really paying attention to the song, so I'm starting to think this guy is just crazy.

"Oops"-Elvis is singing, and I'm singing with him, and this was a legitimate question. I say something lame like, "Isn't everyone required to like Elvis?" and soon non-crazy man walks away saying, "Well have a lovely holiday season." Oh, wow. He did so well.

3. Totally cute guy who works at my old favorite store (which has become emptier of late, and thus has lessened in my mind as a worthy favorite) who is now sporting a beard and it looks really good. We never talk though, beyond a discussion of the coupon/sale situation happening that particular day. Plus, this is the store where the women talk about "gringas" under their breath, so I'm not entirely sure I'm appreciated.

I will keep you updated. Obviously, not so hot and steamy, but definitely progressing. I've moved into full-on eye contact and occasional greetings.

A day in the life...

I am doing my daily thrifting, and see a man walking around with a wad of chewing tobacco in his lip, spitting on the floor of the store. I am filled with disgust, and it's all over my face, but I am trying to not walk around with an ugly face, so I open my eyes wide and lift my forehead (I can look really mad really easily).

Two young men, late teens or early twenties, walk in the front door, and say (very loudly) to the woman behind the counter, "Hey, do you have any ugly Christmas sweaters?" The woman points to the sweater section, turns to me and tells me that she's never been to a Halloween or Christmas party, then stares at me, awaiting a response. What do I say to that? "That's bizarre" was what I thought of saying, but what came out was an audible "Hm".

If you have ever been a person who has gone to a thrift store and asked for the "ugly sweater" section, you are probably not reading this blog.

My mind is blank

I don't have anything in me right now. I don't know why, but I'm very tired and my mind is blank. I added two blankets to my bed because it got so cold last night. I have a lot of work to do this week for school, but I haven't done it yet.

Maybe my mind isn't blank. Maybe it is very very full.

A Magical Moment

 

I just ate three pieces of pie. They were tiny pieces, but there were three of them. I enjoyed every bite. They were delicious. I also ate a big pile of mashed potatoes, and a big pile of stuffing with cranberry dressing. There were a lot of greens on the plate, and I ate them, but they were less exciting. Now I'm so full and tired and happy, I can't think of anything but those three things.

After work today, I went thrifting in search of a coffee mug for a friend. I swear, at two separate stores, the guys behind the counter lit up when I walked in. It was 5 o'clock in the evening, the end of the work day, and they lit up. They wanted to know if they could help me...know what I was looking for...what I was doing for Thanksgiving... What a weird day. I was feeling strangely happy today though. Maybe it was infectious.

Sometimes I just adore thrift store employees. Sometimes they are grumpy as all get out, but sometimes we really connect. I think tonight was one of those magical times.

Another miracle of the evening was that I went to four different stores and only bought one single coffee mug. Nothing else. I didn't even get stuck staring at shoes, which often happens.

Go me!