One's Trash, Another's Treasure
Last week my colleague, Rene Ebersole, blogged about "greening" her house with salvaged materials, such as French doors resurrected from the castoffs of a yacht club. To build on Rene's post, I'd like to make a hearty recommendation to patronize your local thrift store--particularly those associated with non-profit organizations.
As a former coordinator of the Habitat for Humanity re-sale center in my hometown of Gainesville, Florida, I quickly discovered that a thrift store is a veritable mine of useful gems. I excavated my store daily, which not only satiated my shopping appetite, but also saved me bucks and the landfill space. Further, the money we made off the sale of goods--which were donated to the store--was reinvested into Habitat to build homes in partnership with low-income families. I think this qualifies as a "win-win" situation.
There are a number of non-profit organizations that operate similar re-sale centers, among them Goodwill and The Salvation Army. These stores generally sell anything from building supplies and appliances to housewares, clothing, and books. There are also some well-stocked for-profit thrift stores, like the Buffalo Exchange and Plato's Closet, which sell both new and used clothing and accessories. I've found designer denim jeans that fit like a glove at both of the latter.
When I moved to New York, I lived for about a year without a dresser until the annoyance of sifting through a suitcase finally got the best of me. Where did I go to purchase my bureau? You got it--a used furniture warehouse just down the road from my apartment. There I found a six-drawer, French-style dresser in nearly perfect condition for 60 bucks. I wheeled it up the street on a dolly, saving myself more money in delivery charges and gas. Plus, I got exercise--and bystanders got a good laugh.
Thrift Stores and Salvage Yards
Anyone looking to create a designer wardrobe on a dime should take a few tips from Julie. Several months ago I had the chance to go shopping with her in Brooklyn at Buffalo Exchange and found a number of new favorites for my closet. Now I'm on a mission to find similarly great thrift shops. Last weekend while in Cambridge, Massachusetts, I discovered a place called The Garment District that not only offered a lot of nice barely used clothes for low prices but also a full line of Halloween costumes and a special area designated "$1 per pound." There you literally wade through mountains of discarded clothes scattered all over the floor to collect what you like in a clear garbage bag. When you're finished scavenging, you weigh in at the cash register. The total for my haul, which included a grass woven bag perfect for toting veggies at the farmer's market, a designer knit sweater, a t-shirt, and a linen wrap, was a mere $4.50. Now there's a deal. Another place not to be missed if you're looking for unique and useful renovation materials is Habitat for Humanity's network of ReStores, where I found those vintage doors from the yacht club. ReStores sell everything from paint to windows, and sometimes you can find brand new items that were donated by stores in need of a tax deduction.