A ? for the Thift shop prowlers

[Adam West]

I've been an avid thrifter since the mid 80s. I LOVE them. Today 90 percent of what I buy are clothes. I'm a vintage clothing dealer, so I sell much of what I buy but I do keep many pieces for myself.

I also buy lots of records, stereo equipment, toys and general knick knacks. For me thrifts offer the ULTIMATE retail experience. Cool stuff hiding in the corners for great prices. I hate shopping malls and regular retail outlets like Target, Wal Mart, Best Buy etc etc. Long live the thrifts!

I go into our local Goodwill with no preconceived thoughts. I have found great hardcover 1st edition books (nothing valuable). My best finds are clothes that I wear. I bought a pair of Columbia pants that are a bit worn but look good for $2, Under Armour shirts for $1 or $2, and fancy jackets for $5.95. My greatest find by far is finding shirts related to my daughter's soccer club. Shirts are in there for $2 that would cost $20 new. A parent mentioned it to me and I have been on the prowl for them and have found 3 or 4 items from her club. Most of the items are 10x the price and some items only available to coaches. I don't feel guilty about buying them. I don't "officially" coach in the club but do coach a summer league and am well respected all the way to the director of the club. Despite 1,000 or so kids in the club program; I have always volunteered when needed and he knows me by name....as a side note I played him once in adult soccer and kicked the snot out of him (even though he played real college soccer, while I played intramural college soccer). My biggest regret was not buying a saxophone that I saw for $200 which I knew was a brand name and maybe worth a lot since I work for a musical instrument co. I was told to write the serial # down and they could give me a value but someone beat me to it and bought a $200 sax worth $2,000

[theantiquetiger]

Signed & autographed books. My recent finds included Jimmy Buffet, Chuck Yeager, Ed McMahon, Madeline Albright, Bob Dole, Lawrence Welk, Judy Collins, and Brooks Robinson. Best finds ever for me were Colin Powell, Maria Von Trapp (Sound of Music), and Alan Shepherd.

I also like to find TV show board games. Just found a Pathfinder game from 1977 that has photos of David Jansenn from The Fugitive on the box. Cost me $2.99.

I found Jim Valvano's signed autobiography last week. I paid $2, sold it for $110!!!

[ScottA]

I have a close friend who collects anything Star Trek. So I'm always on the lookout for something, especially if it's from the 70's.

[ddgaff1132]

I love charity shops Iv found some amazing stuff records vintage videos Figures dolls some bionic stuff Loads of stuff I had a Blythe doll in my hands in 1997 in a charity warehouse in Edinburgh no idea what it was it was nude and had really mental looking hair and i made its eyes work then flung it down :( ahhhhhhhhhhhhh i found a rare kate bush album once worth 200 pounds got it for 50p

God I love Kate Bush!!! Took me a life time and the internet to get a copy of Wuthering hieghts.

[ddgaff1132]

I have been hoping to find someone like you that likes old cameras. I have a box full of them and I do not know anything about them other than they are cameras.

Myself personally, I am always on the look out for Megoish scale goodies and of course Mego's. I have more luck with the Megoish style goodies than I ever do finding Mego's at thrifts stores around here. I think I have found a total of four in the past three or four years that I have been doing the thrift store boogey.

Other cool stuff that I look for when I bomb out in the Mego department is concert shirts and music cd's from the 80's.

Camera's are another thing thats gathering collectors. Nowadays I ebay off what I find. Maybe if you post a pic. I could probably say whats good for auction and what you should give to a thift store.

[Adam West]

I found Jim Valvano's signed autobiography last week. I paid $2, sold it for $110!!!

Wow!!! That is crazy wow. There is a local store that sells sports, coins, and stamps memorabilia. It also runs a two week auction. I picked an autographed copy of Cal Ripken's book for $24 which was cover price first edition. There is no doubt that it is his signature. No disrrepect to Jim Valvano but I gotta think this signed book is worth some money. Someone told me that he signs autographs at show for about $150+ or - a few but doesn't do it often.

I bang my head against the wall because I'm a huge Oriole fan and a huge Redskins fan (I know it sounds odd but I lived closer to D.C. growing up and the Redskins were my family team....forget the Colts and although I heard stories about the Washington Senators (Walt Whitman grew up in my hometown); they didn't exist when I grew up so I was an Orioles fan. I don't know if anyone else has experienced this but the Baltimore Ravens came to town years ago when the Colts bolted to Baltimore and the Nationals came to D.C. A lot of my coworkers have switched loyalties but not me....I simply explain that I grew up with the Redskins and still have vague memories of Super Bowl VII even though I was really young and do remember the Orioles playing the Pirates around 1978 or 1979...wearing my Orioles hat every day in 5th or 6th grade only to watch my Orioles get defeated. I have a friend....Dave Schultz (cough) who is a huge Steelers and Pirates fan and probably won't respond. Dave, you got me that year...pull out your terrible towel to show how well the Steelers played against Packers...I shoudn't talk..the Redskins stink but we did beat the Packers in the season

[Adam West]

Apologies in advance....I had facebook and megomuseum up at the same time. When I saw the post about the autographed copy Valvono book it sent me on a rant about my teams which was meant to be posted on FB but how would they know? I think it's time to go to bed!!!!

[livnxxxl]

Maybe if you post a pic. I could probably say whats good for auction and what you should give to a thift store.

I will get some pictures taken soon and PM you so you can tell me what you think. Much appreciated.

They have been sitting in a box for a very long time. I hated to just throw them away. I knew someone out there would have an interest in them.

[theantiquetiger]

Wow!!! That is crazy wow. There is a local store that sells sports, coins, and stamps memorabilia. It also runs a two week auction. I picked an autographed copy of Cal Ripken's book for $24 which was cover price first edition. There is no doubt that it is his signature. No disrrepect to Jim Valvano but I gotta think this signed book is worth some money. Someone told me that he signs autographs at show for about $150+ or - a few but doesn't do it often.

the thing about Valvano if you didn't know, he died 10 years ago. I am always searching for books on LSU, so during my search, if I see a book by a coach or player of another team, I always open it up and see if it is signed.

I hate Goodwill because they just put books on the shelf in no order. There are a couple thrift stores that have their books in some order, sports, Bios, etc.

I have seen that Ripkin book a few times but none signed. I have found a signed copy of "Lost Moon" by Jim Lovell, Tom Landry's signed autobiography, a few Anne Rice books (gave one to T2C), just to name a few.

[Batman]

Found Ultimate Bumblebee at a Thrift Shop for $1.99 and everything works!

[MegoMark71]

vintage 80's shirts...like wrestling, rock bands,cartoons and stuff like that

Im a sucker for those old ringer style shirts. I love old 70's tv show shirts as well.
Im always on the look out for vintage star wars and 80's gi-joes

[SlipperyLilSuckers]

Camera's are another thing thats gathering collectors. Nowadays I ebay off what I find. Maybe if you post a pic. I could probably say whats good for auction and what you should give to a thift store.

She has an astounding voice doesn't she. I can still remember the first time I saw the Wuthering Heights video on tv, and I rushed out and bought the album. My, that was a long time ago.

[ddgaff1132]

She has an astounding voice doesn't she. I can still remember the first time I saw the Wuthering Heights video on tv, and I rushed out and bought the album. My, that was a long time ago.

I saw the vid on Mtv late nights. When they play the alt music. The Smiths, Rem Kate Bush and others . Never would have heard these awesome artists if not for college radio and Mtv late nite. The closest I could get was the Pat Bennatar version. Good but no Kate.

[ddgaff1132]

Hey here something I havent found lately at a Flea market of thrift. I found a Whitman "Big Little Book". Spase Ghost: The Sorceress of Cyba 3. copyright 1968. Man I wish they listed the artist of the illustrations along with the author. The pictures are so cool. First thing I had to do when I got home was read it cover to cover. Took less than an hour. When could you ever say that about a hard cover book?

[megoat]

The best aspects of serious thrift digging is how it seems like archeology. Rescuing interesting artifacts from the brink of oblivion. I have found many obscure records that were unknown amongst avid music fans--sort of a thrill to introduce things to collecting communities.

Just a couple of days ago I found a fairly significant folk art collection of one man's life work just sitting in a thrift. Stuff is dated '68-'72. Pretty cool stuff obviously created by an individual with passion and drive....and talent!