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The Junk Parlor

Don’t lie, I’m sure you are singing Macklemore’s Thrift Shop song right now!  My kids loved hearing that song play in the truck because, hey, that’s what mom does!  While I don’t own a thrift shop, but an antique shop, I do go to thrift shopping when I have the chance.

In small town southern Iowa we even have two thrift shops, but these shops are predominately used clothing, so I don’t stop in all that often.  When I do go thrift shopping I am not looking for clothing, I’m looking for junk!  So, one criteria I have with my thrift shop selection, is inventory.  I don’t think you can visit a shop once and get a good feel for who drops off their junk at that location, but over a handful of visits you can.

Do the ones that donate have homes full of good junk, aka antiques, or are their homes filled with new pieces?  Are they getting rid of a lot of furniture, dishes, pictures, lamps, or just junk in general?  After visiting the same store a few times I bet you can get a feel.  If you go home empty handed each visit, then that shop doesn’t have the stuff that you like, check another store.  The Salvation Army, Goodwill and other thrift stores can all be just a few blocks apart, but still carry different types of items.  I’m sure when you donate items you always donate to the same shop too!

The other very important factor is price.  We all know that thrift shops have gotten more and more pricey!  They know that junk is big business thanks to Chip & Joanna, HGTV, and Pinterest; and their prices reflect that.  As a dealer, I have to have a certain profit margin or my business would never survive.  So, I take that into consideration when I make my purchases.

If I’m buying for resale then a thrift store could have amazing pieces that I don’t take with me because they are priced at retail prices and sometimes even higher!  So, I need to go to thrift stores that price their items a little lower, even if they know it is an antique or popular item.  That doesn’t mean everything in the store is super cheap, but that I can find enough items fairly marked that I can make purchases to resale.  If I can afford all the good stuff in that thrift shop, even better, but I’ve yet to discover one of those!

Want to know where I go thrift shopping?  CLICK HERE.

5 thoughts on “Let’s Go Thrift Shopping”

  1. I’m always looking for things for my sister in law who has an antique booth in Kansas usually shopping at Goodwill and New Life Thrift and estate sales I love all your ideas and look forward to you awesome fines keep it up?

    1. That is so nice of you Peggy! Thrift shops are the best…the thrill of the hunt. Even better when you find something!

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Hi, I’m Brooke. Welcome to The Junk Parlor.

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