There is a right way to go Goodwill hunting.

Goodwill hunting can be a joy and a rush that has you basking in your victories for days. It can also be a bitter, tedious and frustrating experience that makes you wonder why you even bothered leaving the house. In this blog I will share my tried-and-true tips for successful thrift shopping.

Tip of the Day:

Do not bring along Miss Crabapple Grumpypants.

In other words, you must absolutely not invite anyone who doesn't share your love of thrift store shopping. She will get bored and restless after ten minutes and make the rest of your shopping experience a living hell without ever saying a word. That's because you're a sensitive people-pleaser who wants everyone around her to be happy at all times, which is an issue for a different blog and probably a few sessions of cognitive behavioral therapy. Bottom line: Leave Miss Frowny McGrumpis home with her Battlestar Gallactica reruns and everyone will have had an enjoyable afternoon.

Call me lucky.



A midcentury modern Farberware toaster finds a new use
because using it as a toaster would have been disgusting (read story for details).

 Half of my house is furnished by a toney shop in an upscale college town. That would include the hammered, hand-burnished copper top dining room table, the loveseat called Baby Grand for its piano-like shape, the black leather coach and wrought iron coffee table. Five thousand dollars worth of furniture, all of it beautiful.

The rest of my furniture comes from Goodwill or Sal's (of Army fame), junk shops, and garage sales and, frankly, I like that stuff even better. Not because nothing cost more than fifty bucks. It's the thrill of the chase, the adrenaline rush of finding a perfect mid-century modern (MCM) sectional couch or an entire set of American Limoge Triumph china with the 50s pattern known as Bermuda.

Do you want to know where I live and shop?

I'll never tell. I'm not trying to be mean but please understand that one of the great advantages of living where I live is that it's a rare day I walk into a thrift store and find myself competing with some version of me, or a Brooklynite hipster trolling for an MCM fiberglass lampshade. When I'm on the hunt, the only shoppers are old guys looking for power tools, and big, loud families in search of cheap clothes. Like I said, I'm lucky.

In the case of the Farberware toaster, however, I guess I was only half-lucky: fortunate to find this old beauty with its fake woodgrain and sleek typeface ($6) but not-so-fortunate because when I fired it up it smelled like old men, dirty socks and stinky basement. I didn't worry (much) until I tasted the toast itself and guess what it tasted like? Yeah, you got it. Blech. But I had to figure out a way to work this cool piece into my life, and I did. What do you think? (BTW, I just found this toaster on ebay for $68. Presumably, it doesn't smell.)

I'll be regularly posting my finds. I look forward to hearing about your favorite thrift shop scores.

Happy Goodwill hunting!