Thrift store shopper’s primer
By NINA LARAMORE / Santa Rosa Correspondent
As a window into Santa Rosa’s 20-plus thrift stores, we asked three regular shoppers to share what they have learned about the pursuit of a really good deal.
Each has her favorite stores, but that doesn’t keep them from searching second and third tier choices when they have time or are on the hunt for one particular item.
Most thrift stores benefit local charities, so our thifters said that helping them improve the lives of others is as important as the stores’ great values, unusual finds and absolute treasures.
Wendy Gross dressed head-to-toe in thrift store finds.
Wendy Gross of Santa Rosa grew up in the Midwest with middle-class parents who understood the value of a dollar. She learned thrift shopping from them.
“When my daughter was younger, she would put themed outfits together,” Gross said. “One day it would be a complete outfit in gold, the next leopard from hat to shoes.”
She said she likes buying what she needs at great prices, while keeping usable items out of a landfill and supporting homeless women, children, adoptable cats and alcoholics.
Jacqueline Fourshey's favorite thrift store find is a pair of Old Navy pants.
Gross, Iris Peoples of Santa Rosa and Jacqueline Fourshey of Petaluma all named Heavenly Treasures Gift and Thrift, 576 Mendocino Avenue, 569-7448 as their favorite thrift store.
It specializes in clothes, jewelry, scarves and sunglasses. It is run by the Episcopalian Church of the Incarnation, with 90% of profits supporting the Living Room, a daytime shelter for homeless and at-risk women.
Gross likes the $1 sale on the first Friday of every month. Peoples has found wonderful silk scarves there. Fourshey likes the prices and the quality of the clothing. On a recent visit she bought a matching top and jacket, a robe and three other pieces of clothing for $7.
Other favorites:
Redwood Gospel Mission Thrift, 1821 Piner Road, 528-7285. It carries household items, furniture, electronics, clothing and shoes. Proceeds support men’s and women’s shelters, programs for recovering addicts and jail ministries.
Gross likes it because everyday prices here are lower than almost anywhere else, and color-coded tags indicate additional discounts that are taken each week. On her luckiest day, she found an almost new pair of Gore-Tex hiking boots that would retail for $125- $330. She paid $10.
Pick of the Litter Thrift-Gift, 1701-A Piner Road, 570-2590. It specializes in clothes, shoes, household items, craft supplies and health and beauty products. It also is the primary funding source for Sonoma County Forgotten Felines.
Shoes and clothing are 50% off on Tuesday, and children’s items 50% off on Fridays. Gross keeps a “supermarket type list” but once in awhile splurges for something great, like the Denon stereo she bought here.
Sutter Hospice Thrift Store, 510 Lewis Road, 528-9310. One of only a few with Sunday hours, this store supports home health and hospice care. Gross goes here to look for watches. In past months she has found several and a few good chains.
Angel’s Attic, 411 E Street, 284-8659. Run by First United Methodist Church, this store benefits Children’s Village of Sonoma County, F I S H, Redwood Empire Food Bank, Meals on Wheels, Boys, Court Appointed Special Advocates and The Children’s Fund-Sonoma County.
On recent trips, Fourshey found a heated, vibrating foot massager for $2 and pearl earrings for $80.
Sacks on the Square, 116 4th St., 541-7227.- Sacks specializes in art, clothing, furniture and household items. Its sales benefit Face to Face, Sonoma County AIDS Network and Memorial Hospice.
Peoples once found an oak table here that should have sold for more than $300, was priced at $120 and then slashed to $32. She is still trying to beat that deal.
Do you have a favorite of your own? Tell us about it in the comments below.
SHOPPING TIPS:
Most stores clean clothing before it is put on sale, but items should be closely inspected for stains and wear. Everything is sold “as is,” with no returns or refunds.
A perfect condition Gucci, Liz Claiborne, Bloomingdales, Ann Taylor, Guess or Calvin Klein with a small spot may sell for $6.50, but figure in the cost of cleaning or alteration before making your decision.
Bring a measuring tape. If there is no dressing room available, size labels have been removed or the item seems to be in the wrong size area, you can get a good idea of whether any item will fit.
Bring “Wash and Dry” packets to wipe a place that looks dirty to ensure it’s not a flaw.
If at first you don’t find what you want, try again. The inventory changes constantly.
contact me
Goodwill by Kmart has great stuff… a lot of the items come down from Fountaingrove. I have found European pillow cases for $1 that retail for $56 – clean and brand new. Men’s Banana Republic shoes, $156.00 retail, bought for $10.
If you are an antique lover, try Alameda’s antique fair the first Sunday of the month, over 600 vendors. http://alamedapointantiquesfaire.com/
The New To You Thrift Shop run by the Assistance League of Santa Rosa, located at 5 West 6th Street in Santa Rosa is a wonderful store! You can find clothes from Liz Claiborne, Ann Taylor and Coldwater Creek in great condition, as well as many other name brands. The shop also has household goods, books, and many other great finds. I believe the Assistance League benefits Sights and Sounds in Sonoma County and various other charities. They can be reached at 546-9484 for further information.
Love Your Neighbor
2150 Bluebell Drive
Santa Rosa, CA 95403-2508
(707) 542-0446
Love Your Neighbor, a private company, raises money to buy food, blankets and other basic necessities to those people in our community who cannot work due to age, disability or other impairment.
Love Your Neighbor has recently moved to 3161 Coffee Lane in Santa Rosa, it is a wonderful store and charity. All the stores are worth visiting to find your own favorites. And when you are able, don’t forget to donate.
I LOVE Sacks – every time I take donations there I end up finding something wonderful to buy! Great quality stuff. And Pick of the Litter gets all my cats’ hand-me-downs,,. and I usually walk out of there buying something too. (It’s not just for cat stuff, but it does have a lot of stuff for cat-people.) It is great to be able to help the Forgotten Felines. Thanks for the article.
Their tales of how they knowingly screwed over a non profit is distasteful. If you know something is grossly mispriced, speak up, support your community organizations.
In regards to smartcookie’s comment that some shoppers are knowingly screwing over a non profit organization, well I think that is absurd. It is possible the item is priced incredibly low but perhaps it has been sitting in the shop for a while just waiting for the right buyer. There is nothing “distasteful” about that. Selling merchandise that has been donated to begin with is making an income for that particular charity.
I love the thrift stores in Santa Rosa, you can always find a quirky gift for some one, or myself!
Come check out Garbage Reincarnation Thrift Store at 949 Sebastopol Rd. SR we have lots of everything and low prices, new stuff every day!