It was a beautiful day in Bloomington…with temperatures barely reaching into the 80s and pleasant breeze blowing throughout the day. As I was running errands around town, I decided to stop in to a few garage sales to see what kinds of treasures I could find.  I was delighted to find this vintage children’s book for only $3!  There’s no publication date, but online estimates put it between 1907 and 1920.

I also found this set of cards–a fun throw back to the 70s.  Sadly it turned out to be missing one card, but for only ten cents, it was well worth the risk and still provided a fun trip down memory lane.

I also got a Spanish language CD set for only 50 cents, but the first disc was missing…which made me think of a cassette set I’d gotten a few months back, which was also missing the first tape. Its perhaps too soon to call it a trend, but it seems like a lot of would-be Spanish Language-learners don’t make it past the first set of lessons.  I might give it a go and try diving into disc two.

I also want to give a shout out to Chrissy and the kids–we hosted our annual garage sale last weekend. Didn’t make a lot, but we had some fun.  This year’s theme was a Carnival/Circus of Savings.

I had a short break in the action yesterday and decided to hit a few thrift stores in West LA after seeing a sign that said “bargains this way.” I found a Goodwill and a local charity shop that benefited stray cats.  The Goodwill cart in LA was much smaller than it is back in the Midwest, but they made an awesome announcement when they were rolling a new cart of items out onto the floor – they asked that everyone kindly refrain from shopping until it had come to rest. I guess the excitement about a new cart-full of treasures is the same everywhere! I also found a cool vintage puzzle at the cat thrift store and a fun marble maze.  Not bad for an hour’s worth of thrifting in tinsel town!

Another weekend, another massive Goodwill Hunting Spree in Indy (two in Carmel and one in Westfield).  I found a great set of IKEA floating shelves that will look perfect in my craft room – and are very much needed since we moved a lot of our boardgames up from the living room.

Chrissy’s newest Goodwill obsession are the t-shirts – because they make her laugh.  Think of it like funny jokes or memes on Facebook and Pinterest – only in a textile format.  I have to agree, she found some good ones this time around.

I also found some great puzzles (yes, I know I said that I was cutting back but I couldn’t resist). The Map puzzle not only turned out to have all the pieces and be two-sided, but it dated to the 30’s based on the countries that were found on the world map.  My guess would still be a little later based on the colors, but it definitely has a vintage look and feel, and a pleasant vintage scent.

As always, I had fun finding funky things to try out with Anna.  Including an organ, a scale a time-out chair and a water bottle belt for marathon running (or goodwill shopping).

Other odds and ends…

This day is so Epic, I’m going to break it up into several posts…

I started the day with Chrissy and Anna in Franklin, IN – which we learned is about an equal distance for us both to travel – to try out the monthly Johnson County Antique Market (held on the Second Saturday of every month from 9AM-3PM).

Admission was $2 but that didn’t keep big crowds from coming out to enjoy the event. At times it was a little tough to move around, especially within some booths, but we still managed to find some treasures. Chrissy found great some great vintage thread spools and I found some fun valentines cards and valentines-themed jewelry.

I also found an old vintage “Little Red Hen” puzzle. Even though I’d vowed to skip on puzzles for a few months after all the collecting I’d done for the Puzzle Extravaganza at the Monroe County History center, I couldn’t pass on something unique. Besides, that’s one of the cardinal rules of thrifting: If you see something you like, get it…because the odds of it being there if you go back are slim.

Tips we took away from this first stop on our thrifting trip to Franklin:

1. It took us a while to remember that you can haggle at antique markets (unlike other thrift stores) and most vendors definitely seemed willing to make a deal.
2. Check pricing, while most things were rather consistently priced, there were some differences from vendor to vendor so it paid to shop around a little before making purchases.
3. Bundle, put a few things together for more pricing leverage.Vendors don’t want to carry everything back home with them at the end of the day – so oftentimes, the more you buy, the better the deal.
4. Talk to the vendors. By talking to one of the vendors we learned about a lot of other stores in town as well as other antique markets and fairs in the nearby area.

Today, my sister joined me after work on my “thrifty-turf” for a spin at the east-side Goodwill in Bloomington. When it comes to thrifting, I am admittedly more of a sprinter, whereas Chrissy is the marathoner–especially when it comes to clothes, so I definitely had my work cut out for me today trying to keep up with her!

I was already in line, waiting to checkout when Chrissy lured me over to take a look at the coat section. I’m ever so thankful for her efforts, because I found the perfect red London Fog trench coat for a Carmen Sandiego Halloween costume. Funnily enough, Chrissy found a nearly identical London Fog trench coat in beige, but she ultimately passed it up.  I on the other hand splurged a whole ten bucks on what is sure to be one of my favorite costumes of all time!

Chrissy found many treasures including an adorable measuring cup set, another great basket and lots of cute “new” clothes. She even found a great pair of Clark’s sandals on the “the cart” near the end of our visit…and as she rightfully pointed out – that pair of shoes alone, would have cost more than what she spent on everything else.

“Found a great London Fog trench coat” ….”So did I!”

A basket full of goodies from the Goodwill

“Peace Train” – a reminder to the kids to keep things “chill”

Preppy IU scarf

V.I.L.E. Henchmen everywhere: Eat your heart out!

“Chance made us sisters, hearts made us friends”

I also found a fun sound machine that I’m looking forward to using in upcoming episodes of our podcast, and a USA Olympic jacket – for only $2.50 (because it was tagged with the “Color of the week”  – I’m so ready for our Olympic-themed garage sale this summer!

What’s the best tip for finding great treasures at thrift stores?  Frequent trips! A visit to a thrift store doesn’t have to be an day-long affair. I’ve gotten quite good at making a quick stroll through the stores I like best in under 10 minutes (typically while my husband listens to a game on the car radio or catches up with Facebook – but sometimes when I just have a few minutes to spare on my lunch hour).

You don’t have to commit to going every day, but for the best picks – try to get to your favorite stores at least once a week so you have the best pick of new arrivals. I’m a fan of Saturday evenings – having found that Saturdays tend to be a day when people do lots of house cleaning. Lots of people hit the Sunday color-of-the-week sale at the Goodwills in the Indy metro-areas, but if you are looking for something very specific, keep in mind that you might have the best selection on Saturday night.

On a related note – there’s no need to go broke. Remember – if you are only looking for treasures or things on your “shopping list” you don’t have to spend a fortune (or anything at all) every time you go to a thrift store.

My favorite finds this week?  More puzzles, some fun new scarves, and a murder mystery party!