What Is Old Is New Again

I can shop the Roseville Galleria, Folsom’s East Bidwell area or Arden Fair with the best of them, but I also enjoy checking out the local thrift store scene. While my quest is typically for vintage vinyl or old books for my collections, I have come to learn a lot about our local thrift stores.

First, there are a lot of them and they are easier to find than most garage sales.

Second, they turn over a lot of merchandise, reflecting our great penchant for materialism.

And, third, you always find some cool stuff you weren’t even looking for.

I am amazed at how many almost-new George Foreman grills wind up at the thrift stores. Also gourmet coffee makers, lamps, and exercise equipment. It’s apparent that a lot of Christmas, birthday and wedding gifts eventually wind up in the thrift stores.

Other abundant and lightly used items include children’s toys, games and books, picture frames, and luggage of all types and sizes. And blue jeans!

From my base in Fair Oaks, I can go in any direction and soon run into a branch of the most ubiquitous thrift store operations— Goodwill Industries. Goodwill has stores in Roseville, at Sunrise and Douglas, in Citrus Heights at Sylvan Corners, in Arden Arcade (three stores) on Arden, Fulton and Watt, in Carmichael at Manzanita and Cypress and in Folsom on Parkshore. I find treasures at all their stores, but Carmichael and Folsom are particularly fruitful for me.

Goodwill is a non-profit charitable company that provides job training for the disabled and others. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays they offer a ten percent discount to those over 55.

Deseret Industries Thrift Store on Auburn Boulevard near Watt, is one of my favorites. I always find good books and vinyl there and they have a continuously changing selection of old furniture and office equipment. Deseret Industries is a large operation affiliated with the Church of Latter Day Saints. They provide job training and charitable assistance to those in need. Being a church-based operation, you save the sales tax.

The Catholic affiliated St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store on Watt Avenue is a much smaller operation, but worth your while. I found a really beautiful and ornate oak desk there, as well as a wonderful craftsman-inspired lamp. I wasn’t looking for either of these items, but they found me and I love them.

Folsom’s Snowline Hospice on East Bidwell near Glenn, is one of several Snowline stores operated in and around west El Dorado County. With the funds Snowline raises, they provide hospice services to the terminally ill and their families.

The WEAVE Thrift Store on Arden Way in Arden Arcade is another shop operated to fund a specific community service— support to victims of domestic violence. They also provide quality professional clothing for women pursuing employment as a means of independence from bad situations.

Eco Thrift at Greenback and San Juan in Citrus Heights is a for-profit thrift store that includes a boutique section that rivals some antique stores. Eco Thrift rotates items for discounts of 25, 50 and 75-percent, providing an opportunity for some real bargains. I also like that they have the cheapest vinyl around.

Another for-profit operation is Thrift Town at Fair Oaks Boulevard and Palm in Carmichael. Like other for-profits, they purchase their goods from local charitable organizations.

Thrift stores are not everyone’s cup of tea, but they fill an important need for many people who don’t have a lot of money to spend. The amount of serviceable clothing available at low cost or no cost to those who need it helps ensure that no one has to do without.

For those of us who like to shop the thrift stores for vintage items or serendipitous finds, it's good to pack up our surplus items and drop them off at the donation door.

For those who don't shop the thrift stores, home pickup of items is available or you can drop things off at the stores.

Those donations support job training, provide employment opportunities, ensure availability of reasonably priced goods and support charitable work. That's good stuff.

Besides, someone may actually use that exercise equipment we didn't want or those clothes we can no longer fit into.