Thrift Store Finds

How do you use your spare time? A lot of people worldwide use their free time online shopping. That’s because there are tons of great deals in online stores like Amazon, eBay, and Etsy, but are consumers too willing to buy unnecessary stuff simply because it’s low-priced? Is idle time a reasonable excuse for indulging in possibly low-quality items? Economists agree, too much free time may be a catalyst in this phenomenon that plagues society today.

How the Cost of Goods Affects People Psychologically

Two parts of the brain work together while consumers search for ideal bargains. The insula associates emotional pain to costs in a region of the brain known as the medial prefrontal cortex. Immediate pleasure and immediate pain of paying for products are weighed side by side in a process called hedonic competition.

Satisfaction is the name of the game that corporations play on unsuspecting consumers who experience a sudden urge to buy advertised products. It is, of course, accompanied by the sheer enjoyment of online shopping or, more specifically, the pleasure from the reward of a sweet deal. This process, considered as a transactional utility, is a powerful combination. Many buyers’ defenses are useless against the sheer quantity of ads targeting these receptors. Sensory overload proves to be effective in many cases.

However, there are times when you really need something and you are looking for the deal. Take prodeals from ExpertVoice, for example. People pay attention when athletes, professionals, celebrities, and experts recommend a specific product. You don’t have to be a famous celebrity to endorse a brand. It’s a chance for you, as an expert in your particular area, to help others find the products and services that people want while enjoying a discount on products and equipment you need.

Corporations Lack Originality

From a corporate perspective, many companies are infamous for copying luxury brands. The objective is clear. Mass marketing ads encourage consumers to buy products similar in style to upscale designers who they believe most consumers already show interest in buying. Cheaper priced designer products are a steal for consumers, furthering this agenda.

This affordability allows consumers to pay for stuff they don’t need, without having to worry too much about going broke after. If the price of the outfit dropped from $30 to $15, it’s much safer and more fun for consumers to be impulsive. They won’t second guess if it’s necessary or not, making it easier to close the deal.

Does Everything I Buy Need to Be New?

Today, people who want to shop wisely can ask themselves this question before every purchase. There are a myriad of reasons to justify this way of thinking. I’ll talk about this in the next section why browsing online is the best way to experience what thrift shopping has to offer.

If you enjoy online shopping and staying in on the weekend rather than visiting the flea market, there are hundreds of second-hand retailers on the web. There are classified sites and outlets of all types and sizes for used product buyers and sellers, including eBay, the traditional outlet for all forms of online shopping new and secondhand.

On Facebook, there are many pages for almost any community where people frequently sell second-hand goods for sale and also for free. Sometimes pick-ups and drop-offs can be done directly to save money and time on delivery options.

Why Consumers Need to Be Thrifty

With the amount we spend on new products, we are still helping the corporation whose quality and business practices aren’t very ethical. Low-quality products have to be bought over and over again. The continuous purchasing of brand new cheap goods greatly inconveniences consumers. It wastes money and supports the idea that manipulation is a profitable business model. Buying second-hand is the best way to combat this unfairness.

Buying second-hand helps conserve energy and the environment. It conserves any commodities used for the processing of goods: power, water, and other natural resources. But so many natural materials are limited or are only usable at high risk: oil production for the manufacture of plastics and fuels relies on massive environmental damage. Pesticides are used in large quantities in cotton harvesting and a large amount of water is used. 

Ending a Dangerous Cycle

By employing deliberate purchasing choices, we will reduce our exposure to these important issues. The commodity produced, instead of the new product being imported, does not necessarily consume raw materials and energy. Buying secondhand saves natural resources. The conservation of land is also a safety factor for the environment.

How Secondhand Buying Prolongs the Life of the Product

In reality, the idea is quite simple. The longer items are used, the fewer times they are thrown away and bought again, and the fewer garbage piles develop. This is very important when it concerns products that are hazardous and which increase pollution, such as electronic devices or plastics.

Some are still iffy about buying used products. Keep in mind, innovation itself is a commodity in our society. The more people buy and support secondhand products, the more socially acceptable this affordable business model becomes.

I already showed y’all the first Kewpie Doll I found. She sits on the shelf in the kitchen next to my Big Green Bowl that my sister gave me. I found another one, just as cute, a couple of weeks ago at a different thrift shop.

 I put the new Kewpie Doll on the other side of the same shelf. They are too cute up there. This Kewpie is a little bit bigger than the first one, and seems to be sucking her thumb. My granddaughter says she is creepy looking. What do you think? 

Who would be able to walk past this red elephant watering can? I couldn’t. It is just so cute sitting on the shelf on the front porch, or on the work table on the back porch. And when you water plants with it, the water comes out of it’s trunk. Too dang cute!

Fabgrandpa found this spotted frog ceramic figurine last weekend at an antique shop in  Oxford, Alabama. As soon as he got it home, he planted a succulent in it. It makes it look like Froggy is sticking his tongue out to catch a fly! He just told me he paid $10 for it!!! He did also say that he paid way too much for it. That, my friends, is the difference in a thrift shop and an antique shop, LOL. 

This is a really good find for us. It is a piece of Meaders Pottery, and we found it in a junk store in Cleveland, Georgia a few months ago. It is only about 6″ tall, but has a lot of detail in the decoration. I think we paid $25 for it, but it was well worth that price. Sometimes you just have to do it. 

The last thing I have to show you this week is a tiny ceramic iron I found for $1 at a thrift shop. I put it in the shelf in my sewing room.  That’s it for this week. What did you find? Any real treasures? Did you pay way too much for something just because you liked it? 

We have been thrifting several times, but I haven’t gotten around to posting the things we found. Fabgrandpa has been collecting birds, and is planting succulents in them. This one was just so ugly that it was cute, and he had to have it. What do you think?

This

This little birdie is one half of a salt and pepper shaker set. There was no sign of the other half when we came upon him in the thrift store. It was too cute to leave in the store. 

The Blue Jay on a log is one of the more ornate, and bigger, bird figurines we have found while poking around in the thrift shops near us. I think it was $2.  Do you think that was a bargain or a rip off?

This Mexican bird had a note taped to it that said “broken”, and sure enough, it is missing a foot. We felt sorry for it and brought it home. Beside, it’s from Mexico. How could you NOT get that one?

And while it is not a bird, the last one IS an EGG. So, the old question of “Which came first, the bird or the egg?” begs to be answered. It doesn’t have a plant in it yet, but will soon.

That is all for this week. What have you found in thrift shops where you live? Any really good bargains?

Despite the winter cold weather and almost constant rain, it’s time to be thinking of how to bring your deck furniture back to life for spring.  Most of us tend to leave our deck furniture outside in all the elements to take the pounding of the suns powerful UV rays, and anything else mother nature can throw at it.

This has a detrimental effect on the life span of your precious deck furniture, yet we can do so much to help protect it, and bring it back to life.

Yes, it will require some elbow grease, but as spring is right around the corner, it is going to be so much easier than trying to attempt this in the hot weather of summer in a few months.  Make sure you have a free half day to do this. It would be fun make the job more pleasant to invite a friend to help,  or make it family project with the help of your kids or partner.  This is a great team building exercise, and you will be surprised at the end results.

I normally recommend to plan ahead and to make a list of what materials you will need for this small project.  I assume here that we are working with solid teak furniture that has been outside for a couple of years, and is looking a little worse for wear.  The colour is fading, the varnish is peeling and the heat marks and stains from food are showing much more than when new.

Before you begin the manual labour, give your furniture a deep wash, with warm soapy water, to remove any debris or grease build up on the surface.  Leave this to drive in the open for at least 12 hours (overnight is usually satisfactory).

Once the wood surface is fully dried, take an electric sander (or sanding block) to take off the top layers of varnish and to expose the beautiful raw teak laying under the surface. 

Use a fine grit sandpaper, but remember to keep in the direction of the grain, otherwise you run the risk of damaging the wood permanently. 

Once you have exposed the raw teak, gently brush (or vacuum) the dust away from the surfaces, being sure to get into those little nooks and crannies!

I always recommend using a high quality yacht varnish for outdoor teak furniture, as it is made for all conditions at sea, and produces one of the most robust surfaces you will encounter. This should be done undercover. Use your garage, garden shed or somewhere protected from the elements while applying varnish.

Yacht varnish leaves a tough, long lasting and completely water and weather proof finish, and will be the envy of all your friends and neighbors!

Apply the varnish to your outdoor furniture with a soft bristle brush. Allow each coat to dry thoroughly before applying additional coats.  It is best to leave it 24 hours before each coat, and remember you can apply as many coats of varnish as you like, the more you apply, the longer lasting the protection. 

Between each coat, use a wet and dry sandpaper to etch the surface in readiness for the additional coat of varnish.

Once the surfaces have dried properly, then your furniture is ready to be placed outdoors into the elements once again. This time you will know the protection and shine will last a lot longer than previously.  It is always advisable to store your furniture out of the elements, or when not in use for long periods of time.

If you are looking to buy high quality outdoor deck furniture why not take a look at the incredible bargains online. Save hundreds of dollars by buying used or discounted. Improve or add the finishing touches yourself to a neglected piece of second hand outdoor furniture.

I haven’t posted a Thrifty Thursday in a long time, but on Monday Fabgrandpa and I went thrift shopping. He has revived a long time interest in growing succulents indoors, and he is always looking for containers to use for potting them. He did find one cute little pitcher, but I found something I have been thinking about for a while!

I had been pricing the materials it would take to build a potting bench on my front porch, where I can work with flowers and vegetable plants without having to bend over. The materials were adding up to around   $250. That price was for a counter height cabinet with doors underneath for storing potting soil and various gardening equipment, and a sink with a faucet for watering things as I planted them in pots. 

When we went into the thrift shop in Cedartown, Our House, I found this 50″ wide cabinet that has shelves behind both sets of doors, a drawer, and a deep sink. The price on it was only $50! I put a hold on it so I could find someone with a truck who could go pick it up for me. I paid my neighbor $25 for gas and his time to go get it. I think I got a bargain! I am so thrilled with this and can’t wait until spring when I can try it out. My neighbor is going to hook up water to the faucet so that I can just turn it on right there on the porch. It will drain out on the side of the porch and water my hydrangeas. It needs a little bit of fixing up, but overall it is in very good condition. 

Look at that sink! It is worth $50 all by itself. I feel like I got a nifty Christmas present. Can you tell I’m excited about this?

I am also happy that this can double as a place to put stuff when I am cooking out on my little charcoal grill. I can use the smaller grill that sits on a table, and put it on the counter here. It can fit inside the door when not in use. I still have lots of room on the porch for the chairs, table and plants we’ll put out there soon. 

So, what do you think? Did I get a good deal or not?

We had a little work done on the car, so we decided to drive it down the road to a thrift store operated as a fund raiser for a drug rehabilitation center in Waco, Georgia. No Longer Bound inhabits an old school building. The thrift store had a lot of the usual stuff, like clothing, pots and pans, kitchen ware, books. They also had a lot of used furniture. I found a great deal on an old desk, that I decided to put in my sewing room. I have needed a work surface, and this baby sure has it. Can you believe it was only $15 plus $20 to deliver it? I was surprised when they said they deliver because most thrift stores don’t.

What do you find this week?