A Year of Blogging: August 17, 2011

August 17 was 'National Thriftshop Day'. Holiday Insights (www.holidayinsights.com) identifies Thrift shops as stores that sell merchandise at deeply discounted prices. It cautions that the merchandise may not be the best quality, but the price is good. Holiday Insights cites Dollar stores as an example of a thrift store. This more closely resembled what outlet stores used to be. I remember as a child, we went to the outlets in Reading, PA. The clothes were often 'slightly irregular' but as long as it wasn't something drastically noticeable like one leg being two inches longer than the other, it usually wasn't bad. It was a great place to get jeans! Then outlet stores started stocking last year's merchandise. Now, outlet stores are just like regular stores, only brand specific. If you go into the Carter's outlet, all you will find is Carter's. You can find the same merchandise in Kohls, but sometimes the prices are better at the outlets. Sometimes. Many outlet stores have special loyalty programs, which make return trips rewarding. I have always thought of thrift stores as stores like The Salvation Army Thrift Store and the Goodwill store. Stores that sell gently used merchandise. A quick google search for 'thrift store' confirmed this opinion. I've never really shopped at a thrift store, although I do make donations to the local Goodwill store a couple of times a year. I don't know why I haven't shopped there- I know some people who love to go to thrift stores and find all kinds of great things. On HGTV, various celebrities encourage you to check your local thrift store for inexpensive home decor. So thrift stores are trendy, especially in this depressed economy. I've never really enjoyed going to garage sales either. Maybe I should give it a try- I always love a bargain!