One reason- the people who work there are interesting. Ghetto friendly. They all smile a lot, as if to belie the actual state of their teeth. Like if you circled a giant birthmark on your forehead or stuck a party pick in a humongous pimple. On any given visit, more than one employee will catch my eye and ask how I'm doing that day. I don't make it there very often but they all know me. I bring a lot of donations in, then shop very slowly until I accumulate nearly as many things as I dropped off. They often give me discounts on my merchandise.
Second reason- the goods are still thrifty. This is a rarity in secondhand shops these days. Many have become nearly as expensive as the dirt-cheap retail stores whose clothes they are often selling once removed. I refuse to buy Forever 21 merchandise at a thrift store. Because if I found a shirt on the sale rack at Forever 21 with a crusty stain on the front and yellow armpits, I wouldn't by it there, either. The Salvation Army on Nicollet prices everything arbitrarily. It's actually according to the value placed on that object by any one of a handful of workers authorized to price stuff. The end result is completely random, but cheap. Today I heard the check-out guy tell a customer that something cost $20. The customer said, 'No way, man. That's too much.' He said in return, 'yeah, I know. I want it, that's why I told you that.' Which also explains why the employees dress in extreme layers and often appear to be inseparable from random objects. Loot is one of the few perks of the job.
Speaking of loot. The day's bounty revealed.
Popover pans! There is backstory. I love popovers and make them fairly often, but swore I would never buy an official popover pan. I have anxiety about kitchen objects with only one purpose. It doesn't explain why I have a electric pizelle iron but just trust me on this. Popovers pans are a perfect example. They take up a bunch of space, are pretty expensive and are only good for popovers. I've been using my 4-oz ramekins for making popovers and pretending it was working out just fine. But...today I found the perfect alternative. Popovaire pans. Lightweight, 99 cents each and they easily stack into my already existing muffin tins, so the space issue is a non-issue. yay!
Giant plaid hoops. Just what I never knew I always wanted. I know what you're thinking. That must be a fake mini-thumb. It's not. The earrings are obscenely huge. I wore them about town afterward to test my compatibility with them. Very compatible. I felt a lot of hoop-envy going on around me. I paid $2 for them. I also received the enthusiastic endorsement of the check-out girl. I love those guys.
Dancing shoes. I scuffed them up a bit riding my pimped-out bicycle. The shoes are completely versatile. No more quandery over what to wear with navy knee-highs and gray corduroys. My sister had a pair of these when she was in the high school production of West Side Story. Consequently, I find myself wishing I lived a musical version of my actual life while wearing them. The same way every movie I see about musicians makes me want to buy a piano.
This dress was cause for deliberation. I am still musing on it. The real selling point was its completely neutral odor. It will require a flashy belt with matching flashy heels and a bit of mending. I am considering taking in the top a bit also. It cost $4.95. Worth it as my first major forray into self-tailoring. I can always lop off the top and settle for a brown polyester skirt. Win/win situation. Succeed, a new dress. Fail, a new skirt.
A near perfect day.
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