The itch had started and so I stopped at the Salvation Army yesterday. Fifteen dollars later I walked out with 4 shirts (all Express and Banana Republic), 2 skirts (Tommy Hilfiger and Gap), and one generic summer dress. And so began the rush of adrenaline for a weekend of deal finding. I came home, made the family dinner and busted my butt to be sure that we all made it to bed by 10:30 (an impressive feat for a household that is usually still buzzing around midnight)!
The alarm rang this morning at 5:30 but a tired momma hit the snooze about 4 times too many and so we were a half hour behind schedule, which quickly turned into an hour behind schedule when I discovered I did not have the heart to wake a peacefully sleeping baby . . . no matter how many good deals might be out getting snagged by other early birds. But once we were all put together we hit the road for Wolff's Flea Market in hopes of beating the heat. We had an amazing trip, cut too short by an upset stomach (I bet you are thinking it was the little one's but surprise . . . it was mine). Despite not quite finishing perusing all of the aisles we walked out with a car full of goodies. In the second aisle I had found a woman selling a Chrisha's Playful Plush rocking horse for $12.00. She was willing to take $10 and I proudly walked away with a great new rocking horse for my little one.
One aisle over from her was a couple selling a bunch of beautiful vintage and antique items, one of which being a well used tired looking cabinet. Only about thigh high and nothing spectacular but it's aged look caught my eye and I started to think about how I could re-purpose it to either be a bedside table or a plant stand. The couple was asking $10 but were more than happy to sell it for $8. As we walked along the main aisle something caught my eye, a vintage Marilyn Monroe ad for Jon Joy cosmetics on a tin sign! Being a huge Marilyn Monroe fan I made a quick bee line for the sign. This was where I spent more than I wanted to on the item but I just couldn't leave such a great collectible behind for someone else. The woman selling the item wanted $12 . . . I really didn't want it for more than $8 but I was willing to settle for the $10 that she was willing to settle for.
Just around the corner from this gem was an upholstered arm chair. Nothing too fancy, just wood arms and legs with an upholstered back and cushion. The colors do not match any room in our house but the bones of the chair were just so cute and as I walked away from it I just kept thinking of all the great ways I could re-finish it. We hit halfway up the aisle and I stopped dead in my tracks. I remembered I had bought 2 yards of a great cotton print fabric at Hobby Lobby a few months ago that I was going to use for pillows in our living room! That was it, I was sold. The $38 dollar chair ended up being purchased for $20! At this point my blood was rushing with the excitement of my bargains and I was dying to explore more, the vintage items were in abundance today and I really wanted to find a chest to use as a toy bin. I did find one but the $40 dollar price tag was steep. However, as much as I tell myself this I still keep kicking myself for not trying to see what the seller would come down to. Goes to show, don't pass up an item that catches your eye . . . definitely not likely to ever see that chest again. I also had seen a metal radio-flyer-esque firetruck that would have been great for my son . . . why did I not stop to find out the price?
One aisle over from her was a couple selling a bunch of beautiful vintage and antique items, one of which being a well used tired looking cabinet. Only about thigh high and nothing spectacular but it's aged look caught my eye and I started to think about how I could re-purpose it to either be a bedside table or a plant stand. The couple was asking $10 but were more than happy to sell it for $8. As we walked along the main aisle something caught my eye, a vintage Marilyn Monroe ad for Jon Joy cosmetics on a tin sign! Being a huge Marilyn Monroe fan I made a quick bee line for the sign. This was where I spent more than I wanted to on the item but I just couldn't leave such a great collectible behind for someone else. The woman selling the item wanted $12 . . . I really didn't want it for more than $8 but I was willing to settle for the $10 that she was willing to settle for.
Just around the corner from this gem was an upholstered arm chair. Nothing too fancy, just wood arms and legs with an upholstered back and cushion. The colors do not match any room in our house but the bones of the chair were just so cute and as I walked away from it I just kept thinking of all the great ways I could re-finish it. We hit halfway up the aisle and I stopped dead in my tracks. I remembered I had bought 2 yards of a great cotton print fabric at Hobby Lobby a few months ago that I was going to use for pillows in our living room! That was it, I was sold. The $38 dollar chair ended up being purchased for $20! At this point my blood was rushing with the excitement of my bargains and I was dying to explore more, the vintage items were in abundance today and I really wanted to find a chest to use as a toy bin. I did find one but the $40 dollar price tag was steep. However, as much as I tell myself this I still keep kicking myself for not trying to see what the seller would come down to. Goes to show, don't pass up an item that catches your eye . . . definitely not likely to ever see that chest again. I also had seen a metal radio-flyer-esque firetruck that would have been great for my son . . . why did I not stop to find out the price?
I came home and napped away the upset stomach and my wonderful husband agreed to an outing to the Goodwill. My disappointment in not finishing the flea market got the best of me. My husband had not been to a thrift store and I think he was quite pleased with the pricing. With his 3 pairs of pants (Dockers, Gap, and Haggar) and a pair of Jos. A. Banks shorts, and my Gap skirt and 3 shirts (2 Gap and 1 Hollister) we walked up the register with him saying the whole way "Oh man, we spent too much". I was so happy when the cashier said $32.00! My husband looked shocked! The Goodwill club card was a great help getting us an additional 15% off for the holiday weekend!
All in all, I am quite happy but you better believe that I will be ready for some more garage sale and thrifting adventures as the weather continues to stay nice. For this week I will keep myself busy with fixing up my new found furniture but I am sure some more thrift finds are not too far away!
Places shopped this weekend for anyone wanting to visit them:
Salvation Army Family Store
6715 Dempster St.
Morton Grove, IL 60053
(This was the site of the old Frank's Nurseries and Crafts. No improvements were made before opening this store. It's not well organized but I always have luck here with clothes . . . great finds if you are willing to dig! Occasionally I will see a great furniture item, last week was a $15 changing table . . . I should have bought it. A small tip, inspect items carefully . . . this store staples price tags to items and they don't always staple to the labels. Delicate fabrics should be purchased with caution . . . sometimes they just can't fare being pierced.)
Wolff's Flea Market
6920 Mannheim Road
Rosemont, IL 60018
wolffs.com - Open Sundays Only
(I love this flea market. It is huge!!! Be ready to walk . . . always a great mix of new merchandise and vintage. Some stands are more retail and some are more garage sale. A great mix . . . always bound to find a good bargain!)
Goodwill Store
1521 Lee St.
Des Plaines, IL 60018
(AMAZING!!!!! Talk about organized, everything in place by size then color! All in designated sections. I felt like I was shopping at a TJMaxx. Staff was amazingly friendly and helpful and the items are in FABULOUS condition! A bunch of stuff with tags still. Highly recommend this for clothes! On this particular trip I did not see much in the way of furniture.)
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WOW sounds like a fun-filled weekend! Does your Goodwill have 50% off Saturdays? You should take advantage of that so you can get a even better deal!! Jealous :)
ReplyDelete-Rebecca G.
I cannot believe that I didn't even think to check their daily specials! I know today was 50% off orange tagged clothing items. I will check when I go again! :)
DeleteAny other tips or recommended thrift stores to try are greatly appreciated!