Sure, there are plenty of reasons to shop at a thrift store that might satisfy a person’s conscience: It supports charity. It’s a roundabout form of recycling. It saves money.
But all those motives miss the best reason to thrift: It’s a hunt. There’s a thrill to finding an out-of-print record for $1, or buying a $50 Banana Republic sweater for $5.
Snohomish County is chock full of solid shops, so where does the intrepid bargain hunter go? Here are just a few standouts, each with its own strengths and weaknesses, from the cramped-but-cozy 2nd Chance Thrift Shop to the big-box feel of Goodwill.
2nd Chance Thrift Shop
1335 Highway 532 Camano Island 360-629-6142
New parents can clean up at this tightly packed thrift store near the border of Camano Island and Stanwood. A small room is dedicated to children’s wear. Shoppers can grab a grocery sack and fill it, all for a flat rate of $4 per bag. The same deal applies to adult clothes.
Compare that to Goodwill, where a single shirt can cost $4.
While 2nd Chance also boasts a nice selection of hardcover books, don’t go looking for rare first editions. A collector has an arrangement to get first crack at the donations.
The shop’s quaint feel also makes perusing its knickknacks a fun pursuit. The staff, consisting of older volunteers, gives the place a warm, homey feel. They’ll chat with a customer glancing over the shop’s respectable VHS section, or offer advice on silver tie clips.
Like many thrift shops, the store draws from a wide customer base of loyal locals to out-of-towners.
“We have people who come from the Seattle area,” manager Lilli Karamanos said. “There’s a couple who comes from Canada. We’re just one of their stops on their way to several thrift stores.”
St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store
6424 Broadway Everett 425-355-3525
Red chairs so brilliant you might need to avert your eyes, a mirror-topped coffee table and stylish dressers with thin-handled drawers sit on the sales floor at St. Vincent de Paul’s Everett-based shop.
“It’s a lot cheaper than going to a department store and paying the same price for something that you can find here, that somebody’s used but has not abused,” said shopper Clarence Titterington, after looking at a davenport..
“It’s just good stuff.”
While the selection is a bit hit-or-miss, the dining room sets and wooden hutches have a timeless appeal that could work in most homes.
St. Vincent’s stock is spread out over two buildings on opposite ends of a parking lot. The main building, on the north end of the lot, has better quality furniture, tagged usually between $150 and $300, shelves of unalphabetized fiction books and plenty of clothes.
To the south of the parking lot, a smaller store houses a motley mix of items, including CD racks, old LPs and cheaper furniture, such as a plaid couch or a scuffed, blue easy chair. Furniture in the smaller building rarely tops $40, and seems ready-made for a dorm room.
Goodwill, Marysville
315 State Ave. Marysville 360-653-4337
Visiting Goodwill is a bit like going to Wal-Mart, as both come with high ceilings, fluorescent lighting and a near-overload of cheap selections.
The thrift giant’s Marysville location has plenty to offer. Name brands such as Gap and Calvin Klein rest on the racks alongside retro shirts. The mammoth amount of donations, hundreds of thousands per year, mean item as diverse as copper platters and baseball gloves are available for minimal cash.
Generally, items seem to cost about 10 percent to 20 percent of their original price. Shirts that retail for about $30 are priced at $3. A leather couch that could fetch $1,000 brand new clocks in at $200.
Almost every donation makes it onto the floor, and employees are prohibited from taking first dibs, which leaves a promising variety for customers.
That selection also draws plenty of shoppers. Take, for instance, Jackie Kertz, a near-daily visitor. She said it’s a bad idea to come with a shopping list, and that’s good advice for anyone hitting a thrift store.
“I just scan for whatever pops out,” Kertz said, “and if it seems like I really want it, I take it home.”
Halloween is the busiest time of year at Goodwill and a great place to find costumes. They will have costume consultants in the stores every Saturday till Halloween.
Herald Writer Andy Rathbun: 425-339-3455 or arathbun@heraldnet.com
Do: Wash the clothes. While most thrift shops won’t sell clearly dirty items, they also don’t wash donations.
Don’t: Come with a list. If you walk in hoping to find an Arrow brand shirt with a size 15½ collar in green, you’ll likely walk away empty handed. Prepare to browse.
Do: Approach items with an open mind. A little glue here, a bit of polish there, and many items can be transformed back into their like-new appearance.
Don’t: Buy items before trying them on. Just because they’re cheap doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make sure they fit. This can also help highlight unseen problems, such as missing buttons, a broken zipper or stains.
Do: Check the quality on books, CDs and records. Is the book’s binding broken? Are pages missing? Is the CD scratched? Give entertainment choices a quick spot check.
Don’t: Give up the hunt. Thrift store stock often turns over on a regular basis as new donations come in. Visit regularly if you want to find that special lamp or perfect pair of jeans.
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