Like many others of you, I'm a Goodwill hunter.
Here's the story of my latest score.
Actually, I visit not just Goodwill but all the thrift stores in town! In our town, Goodwill has morning auctions 3 mornings and one evening a week. The Goodwill staff sorts through donations and brings items to auction. A lot of the items are not things I am interested in but, every now and again, I find some items I am interested in bidding on. The morning auctions have a preview at 8 a.m. and the auction begins at 9 a.m. They start by auctioning electronics, musical instruments and a few high ticket antiques or collectibles. Then they move on to huge rolling carts and shopping carts of miscellaneous items. Finally, they go to furnishings and large household items. They usually get to that area by 10:30 a.m.
I try to get to the auction by 8:30 or 9 a.m. so I can look around. Sometimes I see nothing I am interested in and other times I find items I think I can use, repurpose or rehab. I examine them closely, make sure they are sturdy or can be repaired and set my top bid in my mind so I don't get caught up in the excitement of the auction. If I know I am not going to bid until 10:30 or after, I use that time to hit a couple of nearby thrift stores to see what they might have. Then it is back to the auction to see if I can get lucky!
At a recent Friday morning, I did the auction and the thrift store circuit and scored a bunch of things. To illustrate what an eclectic variety of items you might encounter, I'd like to recap my recent purchases.
I was interested in bidding on a few items at the Goodwill auction including the Santa, the metal 1960's gossip bench. I set my limits in my mind and I headed off to the thrift stores.
At the first thrift store, I bought the 1960's bedside table. While red is my favorite color, I was not feeling it on this piece of furniture. The piece was heavy and sturdy so I figured a coat of paint would tone down the garish look of its current state. I'll post later on that piece when I re-do it! $5.98 and into the truck it went!
Second stop yielded the vintage encyclopedia bookcase, the Dolphins trash can and the vintage metal serving tray. Eight bucks on the bookcase and fifty cents each on the tray and trash can. My favorite CPA is going to love that Dolphins trash can in his man-cave! The bookcase may get a quick polish or a coat of paint - haven't decided yet! I also got a lampshade, a mirror tray, a mug and 2 dozen xmas glass balls for two bucks. All those items will be used in future projects.
Third and final thrift store stop brought me to the purchase of the wheelchair. $25 bucks. You might think thats an odd purchase but my Mom was having a knee replacement in a week and I knew it would come in handy to get her around until she got her endurance back. My friends and I had what we called the "community wheelchair" but it went away and we needed another. It will live in my friend's garage and whenever anyone needs it for a visiting grandparent or family member, we'll have it available. The old one got a fair amount of use and I'm sure this one will too. For $25 bucks, it is well worth the investment.
Finally, I returned to the auction where I got the blowmold Santa. He is almost five feet tall and will make a great Christmas display. $25 bucks. The best deal of the day, by far, has to be the metal 1960's gossip bench. Five bucks at the auction! I will give it a good cleaning, spray paint it and give it an upholstered seat and it will be great! I'll post that project in a later blog.
Grand total of my little adventure: $72.00.
Hours of project fun to follow: Priceless!
Check the Goodwill website for an auction near you!
Hope you will score too!
Post a comment if you do - I'd love to hear about your finds!
Happy hunting!
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