I finally did a concerted (ie, focused) trawl through the charity shops in the neighbouring town. Through the end of the year, I am only ‘allowed’ to buy full bottles of perfume from such places (ie, so I can pay for the house things that need doing and the first 12 months of braces on my lower teeth).
Anyway, thrifting, charity shops.
I have bought books from our locals in the past few years but no clothes or anything else. Back in my late teens/early 20s, a lot of my clothes came from ‘second-hand shops’ (that’s what they were called) in Exeter, New Hampshire, near where my parents lived. For whatever reason, these two or three places had loads of great things for cheap, cheap, cheap.
I’ve also contributed stuff to our locals. In fact, during my proper trawl I saw a dress I had brought in (no, I don’t miss it – and I hope someone picks it up ‘cause it’s rather nice).
Did I succeed in the quest?
No, actually. While I’ve heard the stories about someone who came up with a used boxed bottle of Cody Chypre, so far the shops have not proven to be that sort of treasure trove. Every once in a while I read about someone somewhere making that sort of find and I am jealous.
What they did have is loads of half-way decent clothing plus, and I think this is an oddity of the population of the area I live in, huge numbers of cheap crystal bowls your Great Auntie Althea uses for trifle at Christmas time.
There were meh candles, and soap and cream sets you’re given at holiday time when the giver hasn’t a clue of your taste or is shopping last minute. Ie, these boxes are people gifting on what they don’t want.
Interestingly – and this will require more investigation – all the shops have overflowing baskets of scarves. I am sure somewhere in all of that resides an old but in good shape Hermes scarf. I need to do some digging.
So, a first proper effort. I need to be more consistent in my visits.
Are you a thrifter? Have you ever come up with a true jewel from your shopping?
Does this sound like the worst waste of time on this planet?
Pics: Pexels and mine
Not a thrift store but I once had the amazing luck to be told about a garage sale that had a ton of perfumes! I walked away with three unopened Caron parfums (including Nuit de Noel), two Caron perfumes and two or three other perfumes. I remember sending my husband to get cash ($200) while staying at the sale protecting my horde! Lucky, lucky me!
Yup, that’s what I mean: a treasure trove in an unexpected place. How wonderful and lucky indeed.
Weirdly (?) our local thrifts don’t sell fragrances or any kind of body care stuff. I have gotten some amazing clothing finds, though, here and in DC where I used to live — v high end / designer. Almost all of my clothing is thrifted (jeans and tee shirts are the exception) and I feel like trawling through a thrift is fun and not a chore. I’m also a regular eBay buyer for clothes and other things. My most recent “win” here was a Bonwit Teller 100% cashmere coat in pristine condition for $30; I have quite a few cashmere sweaters as well. Oh — and as I type this, I’m wearing a Liberty shirt in a fun peacock print that I got recently for $5.
Ah, sigh. What finds! I love Liberty fabrics.
I love thrifting in person and on line. I started as a young adult because I liked expensive clothes but didn’t like the prices, so I learned to find them used. When eBay came along I was and still am in heaven. It takes a certain skill set to know what to buy, and fortunately I am a pretty standard size with no body anomalies that need to be considered. I’ve gotten many fabulous clothing buys over the years, usually at anywhere from10% to 25% of the original retail price, but no perfumes.
That’s a wow. I’m impressed with your skillset.
I do love a good thrift shop but I think eBay kind of put a nail in the coffin of most of them. That and (at least in LA) high rents. The “old” 3rd street Promenade area had great thrift shops, which have been taken down for another Apple Store or Starbucks.
There was a bookstore in our neck of the Westside called Circus of Books which was part regular bookstore, part magazine place, and part porn shop (we also had a great video store that stayed in business because of rental porn tapes- that payed for having all the old films) that had used books. I once got a copy of Dennis Hensley’s “Misadventures in the 213” that was signed by the author and inscribed to his “auntie” Joan Rivers. It was clearly just donated, cleared out of whatever place she maintained in LA. It was a little sad, being tossed into the $1 bin. I even told the clerk that it was likely worth something but they were closing and just needed stuff gone. So now it’s mine.
There is actually an interesting documentary about how the store came about and how it came to be owned by a nice Jewish couple. It’s on Netflix.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circus_of_Books_(film)
That’s interesting: the porn supporting other bits. I’m not sure eBay has had any effect here. There are a lot of charity shops — in all the decent sized towns. If I was so inclined (which I’m not) I could probably spend days going from place to place going through the shops.
Omg! That’s FABULOUS, Tom! And “213”… I used to have that Area Code…remember when everybody did?
Now… ::cue GET OFF MY LAWN!!!::
Yep. I was here when they put in 310. People in BH were in a tizzy because part of town was 213 and part was 310
Lol! I moved to a place Not Like Me. Awhile ago I was trolling through a bookshelf in a charity shop and came upon several unusual ( for the area) books, including a book of essays by Dagoberto Gilb!
“ wooot! Somewhere in this wasteland my SOUL MATE exists!”
Except, upon a deeper dive I realized: THEY WERE MY BOOKS!!! ( that I’d obviously forgotten I’d donated!
I haven’t yet reached the point of thinking of re-buying things I contributed. I am really curious about those scarf baskets though and need to have a proper go-through.
Well, I didn’t think of rebuying it/ them… because I’d forgotten that I no longer had them! I was just thrilled to think that there was someone out there (here) with similar tastes ( which I’m sure there is- I just haven’t yet met them)
I had no desire to re-own the dress I saw. Someone else can enjoy it. I do remain hopeful I’ll happen upon a Hermes scarf …
I’ve found some second hand perfumes for amazing bargain prices in an antique shop. They were tiny miniatures or full bottles that were partially or mostly gone: Guerlain Parure, Laura Ashley No 1, Gucci No 3 parfum, Miss Balmain, Patou Joy edt, Ferre parfum, L’Instant de Guerlain. I need to go back there someday and see if there’s any new vintage goodies.
See, that’s what I’m after. Maybe I need to be looking more in the antique shops vs the charity shops…
Only once have I found any perfume in charity shops or “antique & vintage” store. It was a round bottle of Worth Je Reviens. It was £12 & I bought it for mum as she had worn it in the 70’s. I don’t know what she did with it. Maybe she wore it, maybe she poured it away or broke the bottle. It wasn’t with her other fragrances when I cleared the house.
That’s the only bottle I’ve ever found & I do love a good rootle.
I’ve seen fragrance at car boot sales but they have always been high street stuff
Didn’t you find some good stuff at a pharmacy or something on holiday? I have read apocryphal stories of finding treasures in old French pharmacies in the sticks.
You’re right, an old perfumery in El Medano on Tenerife. There’s a perfumery in the big shopping complex in Los Cristianos that used to have some gems too.
The El Medano place had closed last time we went. I’m sure the Los Cris place is still open but we haven’t been in years & I doubt the gems are still there.
Rarely do I get to go thrifting. When I do, it’s the perfumes that I loathe. I still keep an eye out for vintage Mitsouko when I do. Most of my vintage finds came from Ebay.
Tom mentioned eBay too. I’ve also heard that house clearances can be a good way to find stuff cheap but I’ve yet to figure out where such sales are listed.