Jackie Jardine: Thrift Store Academic

Book learnin' from a thrift shoppin' blogger.

Last week I was surprised to check my email and find a rather interesting request from a former professor of mine. Professor Atkins, a man I respect as both a mentor and a published writer, wanted me to be a guest speaker for his Editorial Writing class at Arcadia University. Since following Let's Go Thrifting through my Linkedin account, Professor Atkins was intrigued by my work and wanted his students to hear my experience and advice as a blogger. 

While at first I was flattered at being considered an expert in blogging, flattery was soon replaced with anxiety. What if these students have no interest in what I have to say? What if I'm bombarded with technical questions to which I have no answers? What if I stutter or fall flat on my face or forget to zip the fly on my pants? 

I soon put all that that aside and decided to share some of my experiences in blogging...and thrifting.  After making the journey to Glenside, PA and stepping into Boyer Hall, I took my place behind the podium and gave my first guest lecture as a professional blogger. I discussed the initial idea for Let's Go Thrifting, some of the problems I've encountered along the way and my plans for the future. I also shared some tips of the trade and discussed the need for a knowledge of social media as aspiring journalists. And to my surprise, I was greeted by students who were not just eager to learn about the blogging process as a journalistic tool, but eager to learn about my particular expertise...in thrifting! 

While I did obviously go into my specialized interest of thrift shopping as the topic of my blog, I tried to keep the lecture as something of a broader-based info session on blogging in general. And this was for two reasons:

1. I didn't want to bore what I thought would be a disinterested student body who couldn't care less about my penchant for finding the peculiar at the thrift store.
2. I was invited as a guest speaker on blogging for journalism students, not as a speaker on thrifting for potential shoppers.

But there were questions on blogging and thrifting alike. How often do you go thrifting? You were at the new Impact Thrift Store!? How does the thrift pricing policy work?


I was so excited at the opportunity to discuss thrifting with the students, before I knew it, class was over. And after the lecture, I was met with a warm applause, I was asked for specific help on some of the students' blogs and I even handed out a few business cards. I guess that makes me something of an expert. Who knew that documenting creepy clowns and strange vintage books could accredit me as a guest lecturer at Arcadia University and as a correspondent for the Impact Thrift Store opening in just these last few weeks? Exciting things are on the horizon for Let's Go Thrifting! And I'm so glad all of you can be a part of it. Thanks for reading, commenting and sharing in my firsthand observations on wacky secondhand finds. 

Blog on and stay thrifty! 

~ Jackie J. 

The Big One

"B is for bargain." And now one year later, B is for Birthday!

It all began with an idea. An idea and the letter B. The above  photo of “Bixil” the Alphabet Critter was featured in the very first published post on Let’s Go Thrifting!

That was one year ago to this very day. In this past year I’ve commented, blogged and corresponded with some lovely likeminded frugal shoppers, shared wild stories of wacky thrifted finds, held a few giveaways and spent the absolute minimum on some stuff I just love.

I’ve been fortunate to have met a few reselling goals, been afforded the opportunity to exercise my self-proclaimed thrift expertise in other media outlets and have worked and will continue to work on expanding the original idea into something new and exciting.

That’s right. More changes are on the way. So keep on reading and leaving comment love. And don’t forget to stop on by The Let’s Go Thrifting Facebook Fan Page for more exciting thrift chatter.

But now it’s time for cake, candles and thrifted gifts for the Birthday Blog. Oh and we can’t forget the hip party music….

Papa-Oom-Mow-Wow by LetsGoThrifting

And The Winner Is…

As a way to thank all of the followers and fans of Let’s Go Thrifting! and to celebrate our first landmark accomplishment, I decided back in February to have a giveaway in honor of the 50th follow.

And after plotting, planning and waiting it out, the time is finally upon us.

So I whipped out my favorite thrifted hat…



…assigned everyone a number from 1-50, wrote the numbers on little scraps of paper, tossed them inside…



…gave them a shake, closed my eyes and plucked out lucky number 25.

And the winner is monogirl from Vintage Spinster!

Congratulations! As promised, you have won The Complete Book of Small Antiques Collecting by Katharine Morrison McClinton from 1965.

This vintage read, and a few other surprises will be shipped to you free of charge as my little token of appreciation.

Thanks everyone for reading, liking, following and sharing your thoughts.
Stay thrifty.

<3 Jackie @ Let’s Go Thrifting!

This Just In:

We've been roaming like buffalo. But we're back.

Worry not, thrifters. Let's Go Thrifting! is back from a brief hiatus. And we're back...with a vengeance. Well, not really a vengeance, per se. I just like that saying. But we do have some exciting news, all of which will be discussed in detail during future posts. But here are a few teasers:

• As creator and lead writer for Let's Go Thrifting! I have been asked to lend my thrifting expertise in a special section of Macaroni Kid, a national newsletter and website for kid and family-friendly activities. In the near future you can expect to find tips, tricks and other thrift-related news, all written by your truly. I'll be sure to post links to the articles when published.
• Over the past two weeks, I've scored some quality finds from the thrift. Vintage exercise equipment, books, clothes and decor. I've even won a wonderful prize from a fellow thrifter! The details will follow tomorrow, along with some lovely pictures!
• We also have a small assortment of new photos that will soon be added to the Collections page and new thrift-related books to add to the Resources page. Fun and informative!
• I knew I would someday convince my sister to join the blogosphere. I'm just so glad she's also thrift-minded, that I might link my readers to her site without that guilty pang of shameless plugging. But my little sister (and by little, I mean age 21...still "little" to me) has started a blog about her love for fashion. She's always had an eye for color and style and couture. But...she also loves finding unique pieces at the thrift. Which, of course, I also convinced her to try. Right now, her blog is in the beginning stages, as she is a newbie and is learning the technical aspects. But you'll love her. I know I do! So stop by her blog I, For Fashion.
•  And lastly, we are 7 followers away from our first freebie, The Big 5-0 Giveaway. So, tell a friend. Then go thrifting.

Stay tuned for the next exciting installment of Let's Go Thrifting!

Nobody’s Perfect

While we at Let’s Go Thrifting are making goals for the future of this blog, we realize that some ideas will come to fruition and others will just be dismissed as a fleeting thought.

But soon Spring will be upon us. And to celebrate the return of warm weather, flowers and of course, flea market season, we aim to have more posts, more comments, more followers, more items listed and sold on Etsy and perhaps even a small income from Amazon Associates.

But who knows what the future will bring for Let’s Go Thrifting? Perhaps some of our loyal readers even have some suggestions for future expansion, which of course we are eager to hear.


But to my fellow thrift-minded writers in the blogging community: What are some of your personal or professional goals for the future?

What steps are you taking to make these hopes and goals a reality?



Well, we wish all of you the best in thrifting and in blogging. Still, we must remember one thing: No one is perfect. So let’s take a lesson from this silly upside-down owl embroidery.

And the lesson is this:
“Nobody’s perfect.”  But this vintage owl decor is a hilariously flawless find.

_________________________________

10 more followers until the first Let's Go Thrifting Giveaway!

Special Announcement: The First Freebie

Hello, thrifters. If you read our last post, you know that one of our fine followers will win a special thrifted gift. And that prize is the above book, The Complete Book of Small Antiques Collecting by Katharine Morrison McClinton.

This hardcover treasure from 1965 is packed with handy and helpful historical information on Americana, Victoriana and country antiques. The front cover reads, “From advertising fans to watch papers, from pudding molds to rose bowls, here is the up-to-date guide on how to identify, purchase and build a collection of small antiques."

Of course, it’s not 2011 up-to-date. It’s 1965 up-to-date, only lending to the antique charm. Rescued from the Philly Aids Thrift, this would make a nice aid and addition to your vintage collections.

And it can be all yours for the low, low price of $0.00 

Follow us. And you’re entered to win. Once we hit 50 followers, a name will be drawn at random… from a thrifted hat, no less.

So good luck and keep on thrifting!

Special Announcement: The Big 5-0 Giveaway.



"What's in the box? What's in the box!?"























In an effort for better branding and a broader readership base, I’ve been plotting and planning new and exciting ways to boost the ratings here on Let’s Go Thrifting! I would also like a promotion to thank all of our loyal readers already aboard the Let's Go Thrifting! ship.

So, dear readers, here’s the big reveal: When the blog reaches a milestone amount of followers, each and every one of you is eligible to win free prizes!

All that is required of you is to officially follow the blog. At present, there are 31 loyal followers.

I’ve decided that the first benchmark for success is the big 5-0. That’s right. Once we at Let’s Go Thrifting! reach 50 followers, I will randomly draw one name and that lucky reader will win a prize.

The prizes will be kitsch, craft or vintage-inspired thrifted goods that will be shipped to the lucky winner’s home free of charge.

I’ve been to several of my favorite thrift stores in the past few days searching for that something special to be the first Let’s Go Thrifting freebie. And while I’ve got nothing yet, rest assured. Once I find the prize, it will be posted for all to see!

In the meantime, I bet you’re wondering what you can do to help the process. Well here it is, in two easy steps:

1. If you’re a casual reader of Let’s Go Thrifting! who maybe looks at all the photos and gives a little chuckle now and again, go ahead and Follow the Blog. If you’re a fellow blogger, our recent updates will automatically appear in your blog’s dashboard. If not, you also have the option to follow through Google Friend Connect and view all the posts on your Google Reader. If you don’t have a Google account or if you  prefer to subscribe to the blog with another reader system, follow the feed through a reader of your choice here. We have also just added the option to subscribe via e-mail, which will deliver all of our updates right to your inbox.
2. If you already read and enjoy Let’s Go Thrifting! feel free to link this little giveaway to your blog and let thrift-minded friends know what we at Let’s Go Thrifting! are up to.

So that's it! Just read and enjoy. Maybe you could even leave us some comments or drop us a line and let us know how we are doing. But to enter this first Let's Go Thrifting! giveaway, just follow us on our many thirfting adventures.

Once we hit the big 5-0, I'll announce the winner. In the meantime, stay tuned for updates on our follower tally and the announcement of what the mystery prize will be. Good luck to all our loyal readers and thanks for following Let's Go Thrifting!

~Jackie Jardine
Lets Go Thrifting!
Thrifter. Creator. Blogger-in-Chief.