Thrift Shop snooping

Please forgive me for my temporary Thrift Shop obsession. It is like a virus, but will be gone soon. Today I want to show you some "treasures" that we got at Thrift Shop. Instead of lining them up, I've done a CSI-type snoop around the house, looking for evidence of Thrift Shop purchases. Here's what I found:

Boys playing a game they found – Travel Hangman. Very cool.

My muesli container broke recently and it isn't something easily replaced in Japan. Found this Tupperware one for a song.

Long story on this mint-green gown. On home assignment I'd been given a beautiful soft-pink dressing gown. Very appropriate as my old gown from college days was worn out and not-so-warm any more. However, I don't really wear pink! But, being a good missionary, I took the gown and wore it. My other "beef" about it was its lack of pockets. Well, while sorting skirts and pants on Wednesday I saw this gorgeous green (my favourite colour) gown hanging up across the aisle. I looked at it all day and wondered whether I should buy it. Eventually I did...for only 200 yen (AU$2.50). The next day I took my pink gown in and donated it to the sale. Happy me! It it longer and has pockets!! Yay!

These are Christmas presents. Two sets of Australian books for the boys. They look like they've never been read.

Our youngest has been jealous of my gown (not the colour) all last winter (the fact that his oldest brother also has one made this worse). David, when rummaging in the not-unsubstantial pile of clothes in the 6-8 years "booth" found this gown. He's thrilled to bits. Oh, and it has a hood too!

This is a specialist piece of plastic, a Lego Ninjago Arena. You can buy it for about AU$20. I bought it for 200 yen. It is for a game that the boys play with Lego figures.

This is a book our 6 y.o. found. Has cut-out models to make.

One of the many pieces of clothing we found for our eldest who is growing out of all the grow-into clothes we had stored away.

A Rubics-cube "look alike" that is much less clunky than the previous 100 yen model our 12 y.o. owned. He's loving this.

Our oldest also found this riddle calendar that he can tease people with each day.

He also found these plastic cubes that each have manipulation puzzles in them. One of his favourite pastimes.

A pair of cheap snow-pants for our 12 y.o. for the once-a-year visit to the snow that we'll do just before Christmas

CAJ middle and high school students have to cover the textbooks that they borrow from school for the year. Apparently in the US you can buy fabric re-usable book covers. I found a packet of them and they're already in use.

Cherry Pie in the fridge. These were being sold by the piece during Thrift Shop. My thrifty dessert-loving husband has found out that they sell off the left-over pies cheaply at the end, during the clean-up to the workers. He says it is worth going to help clean-up just to get cheap pies!

An insulated coffee cup for our camping trips.

Here's something I wasn't looking for. Some cloth place mats. These are to be for special occasions and I love their vibrant colours. There were two sets of four that I would never have bought had there been only four, but the eight of them match sufficiently to be a perfect extra touch to the dinner table.

There's more that I bought but didn't get photos of, like a couple of jumpers (US=sweaters) that I needed. Thrift Shop is a great place to find bargains, if you are careful. I had in my mind (and a list) what we needed, and kept myself in check. Very satisfying to find things that you need that would cost a lot more if you bought them new.

We have a couple of things that we wanted to sell, but haven't managed to yet. If you're interested and in the area, I've posted them below:

16" bike with trainer wheels.

An easel  – white board and blackboard combined.

There, I think that is Thrift Shop out of my system for another year. No more till next April.