National Thrif Shop Day

 Today is Thrift Shop Day! This is a great one for me. Thrift stores are my department stores. I love to browse there.

 If you consider yourself a bit of a bargain hunter, you may love them as well. 

This day has been designed to encourage everyone to purchase second-hand items and to visit the thrift stores in their local area and see what treasures you can find!

After all, there is something super satisfying about purchasing something for half the price, isn’t there? You can also use National Thrift Shop Day to revamp your shopping habits, whether this means using coupon codes or using cashback websites. 

There are many benefits associated with shopping in thrift stores. Ultimately, though, you are going to be able to get more for your money, and this is something to celebrate! From clothing to books and furniture; you can find a whole host of treasures. You know what they say: “your trash is someone else’s treasure.” You can find all sorts of cool stuff that people have decided to donate, you never know what you are going to come across!

Before thrift shopping became common, people usually repurposed their clothes. During the eighteenth century, many new ways of using old items were created. If one’s clothing became worn, they’d give it to a younger sibling as a hand-me-down and made into clothes for them. Even after the siblings tired of them, the material would be recycled as furniture stuffing. People also often sold their items if they needed the money. 

By the late nineteenth century, the United States experienced a massive cultural shift. The Industrial Revolution increased the production of clothes and goods, and the pursuit of the American dream led to heightened immigration. Many moved to urban areas and an unfavorable opinion began surrounding clothes that were once owned by a stranger, as it indicated a lower social status. Christian ministries needed funding for their outreach programs and groups like the Salvation Army changed the narrative. In 1897, the Salvation Army launched the “salvage brigade.” Residents would go around the neighborhood asking for used clothes. In return, they’d receive food and lodging. Then, in Boston in 1902, a Methodist minister created Goodwill that hired poor and disabled people to collect goods and make necessary repairs to them. These shops provided immigrants with a place to find clothes. Thrift shops reflected the department stores of the time in the 1920s. Initial impressions began to change after thrift shops stopped being known as “junk shops.” By 1935 there were nearly 100 Goodwill stores nationwide and they were useful during hard times the nation faced during The Great Depression and World War II. People warmed up to the idea of thrift shops as a way to find vintage items and niche goods, and ever since, the thrift shop has steadily shed its negative image.

So there you go. A bit of the history of thrift stores. I use them and love them, but love them or hate them I think they are here to stay. 

I'm even able to sell my cards in one. The Assistance League thrift Shop here in Reno on Vasser Street has a little shop inside called the Senior Sampler. There you can find my cards as well as many other things all made by seniors in the area. Check it out. You may find a treasure either in the thrift shop or the Sampler.