Holiday bargains can be found in local thrift stores

SHERRI ACKERMAN
Media General News Service
Published: November 28, 2008

TAMPA — It isn’t love at first sight.
Shoes are scuffed. Pants are polyester. Blouses are bright and shiny and puffy.

Thrift store shopping isn’t for the picky at heart, but tough times call for tough measures. And if you think the Black Friday deals at department stores are a big deal, try Black Friday at the secondhand store. Those willing to do some digging just might leave with a Louis Viutton handbag for $1.25. Or the perfect pair of Diesel jeans for $2.50.

On Friday, it’s half-price on select items at Community Thrift Stores, Second Image, Good Kids Village, Salvation Army stores and Life’s Treasures. Stop by your own neighborhood secondhand shop, which might be offering its own post-turkey celebration.

“We haven’t had a traditionally huge day-after-Thanksgiving” traffic-wise,said a store manager at Second Image on Kennedy Boulevard. “We think it’s going to be different this year.”

More shoppers, pressed to conserve, have been discovering the bounty at secondhand stores in recent months.

“We have definitely noticed an increase” in sales,said Michael Ann Harvey, spokeswoman for Goodwill Industries-Suncoast Inc. “A very tough economy is driving new customers to us.”

Sales at Central Florida Goodwills are up 5 percent from last year at a time when the typical retailer is seeing a 3 percent decrease, Harvey said. The chain opened two new supercenters this year in Spring Hill and St. Petersburg, which has helped boost overall sales by 15 percent.

“Our stores are doing well,” Harvey said. So well, Goodwill isn’t offering any additional sales on Black Friday, though it will have a coupon in local papers good for 20 percent off one item.
Sales aren’t up in all the shops. In some neighborhoods, yesterday’s donors are now selling their used stuff to earn some extra cash, said Maj. Don Smith of The Salvation Army in Tampa. With less to offer, less is sold.

“This past year sales have been down 2 to 3 percent,” he said. Still, the six Bay area stores will be jumping into the Friday fray with markdowns up to 75 percent for some items.

So what might you find at one of those sales? We did some field research and came away hooked. Line and sinker.

Dig into the loaded jeans racks at Community Thrift Store in North Tampa and you’ll find DKNY, LuLu, Diesel, Aeropostale and Tommy from $4.14 to $7.17.

Four pairs and a child’s jacket come to $21.06. (Yes, we bought it all. You’d be crazy to leave those bargains behind.) On Black Friday, the same purchase will cost you just $10.53.

The Salvation Army store in North Tampa turned up the aforementioned Louis Vuitton handbag — the label looked authentic —for $2.50. On Friday, if it’s still there, the purse will be $1.25. A similar one online cost $139.

An almost new black Brooks Brothers blazer was $9.99. Men’s Gap khaki shorts and Columbia khaki shorts were $3.99 and $4.99.

Furniture, including an antique dresser at $699, seemed pricey for a thrift store. A large Persian rug, cleaned, was $399. A badly-scratched crib ran $199.

More roving at Good Kids Village Thrift Store on East Fowler Avenue found an almost-new pumpkin-colored Land’s End fleece vest for $3.63. Barely worn Children’s Place, Koala Baby, Carter’s and Oshkosh B’Gosh togs were going for $2 or less.

On Friday, all items with white tags will be 50 percent off; orange tags, 25 percent off. Proceeds support Hope International Ministries, which is raising money to build children’s homes here and in Honduras, store manager Greg Lyons said.

Life’s Treasures, which has two locations that benefit LifePath Hospice, will take off 50 percent on selected items Friday.

“We’ll have other sales, too,” store manager Lisa DeMello said, but she won’t divulge how much on what. “It keeps it exciting.”

THRIFTY TIPS

Hunting for bargains takes a little finesse and a lot of time. Try these tips to ensure happy shopping:
•Check the Internet for special sales and coupons at specific stores (Second Image, http://www.secondimagethriftstores.com, has a schedule of sales and a $5 off coupon good through Sunday.) If you can’t find a Web site, call the store and ask what’s on sale that day.
•Visit frequently and get to know the sales staff. If they’re good, like the folks at Life’s Treasures, they’ll tell you about upcoming sales.
•Think ahead. Sweaters and coats are typically snapped up long before the first hint of cold weather. Look for those items during the summer. Shop now for spring.
•Make a list of each family member’s needs and sizes, and carry it with you.
•Bring cash; it’s always accepted and it helps you keep a mental tab on what you’re spending.
•Try it on. A deal is no deal if it doesn’t fit, no matter how cool or how cheap the item. Same goes for electronics — test them first.
•There are some new items donated to stores, but for the most part your purchases will be used. That means you need to eagle-eye everything for snags, holes, etc. Check pockets, unzip jackets, look for missing buttons. Make sure items for children, such as cribs, haven’t been recalled because of safety issues.
•Shoes, underwear, socks, swimsuits — these are tough to find in good, clean condition. Sometimes it’s better to buy new.
•Best deals: jeans and children’s clothing.
•Some of the best shops aren’t close to home, but in other cities and towns — think New Port Richey, Hudson or Spring Hill — where the population is smaller and the pickings not as picked over.
To find thrift stores in your area, go to http://www.TheThriftShopper.com and enter your ZIP code. You can also check out our list of stores and tell us about your favorite ones and what sales to look for at http://www.tbo.com, keyword: Thrift Stores

Sources: Naturalmomstalkradio.com, http://www.bargainist.com, thriftstorelove.com and Sherri Ackerman

SHERRI ACKERMAN is a staff writer for The Tampa Tribune