Thrifty Reads

By now, I imagine some of you may have checked out the Let's Go Thrifting Resources page. It seems that thrifting and other means of shopping secondhand is a booming business, especially given the latest media attention. From American Pickers to Storage Wars, there's no shortage of secondhand television programming.

And when it comes to a good book, there are countless resourceful reads available. There are guides on antique collecting, how-to books to opening your own thrift store, collectives of crafty ideas and even fanzines dedicated to the secondhand lifestyle.

This past weekend, I was fortunate enough to find two thrift-related reads, on clearance due to a bookstore closing its doors. (An event that, by the by, breaks my heart to see. A book store going bankrupt? Say, it ain't so!)

The first, which I've browsed for some brief information and to gaze at the wonderous photos is Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30's, 40's 50's & Beyond.

While some of the finds in this colorful collector's book aren't particularly helpful in terms of manufacturer information, the collections themselves are enough to make a vintage enthusiast drool. Very kitschy!

The second read, which I'm taking in small doses is Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things. While this text is well-researched and written thoughtfully in layman's terms, this is a hard book to digest. But, that's just the nature of the beast. It's a topic that does fascinate me, this serious issue of hoarding. Where does collecting end and hoarding begin? Why do some objects have such a tremendous hold over some people and not others? Why do seemingly useless or unsanitary items have some significance to a person with this affliction? From a psychological standpoint, this book is interesting.  Though the average thrifter or  casual secondhand shopper may not have a particular interest.

In a related issue, we plan to tackle the issue of hoarding with a little more depth in a later post. Nothing too scientific, just some observations on the issue, some helpful advice on de-cluttering and that pesky but obligatory task of spring cleaning.

Now, back to the books. The book store that's soon-to-be-out-of-business hasn't closed yet, so I'm hoping for some more price reductions. Actually last I was there, I was so nearly overwhelmed by all of the titles they still had, I didn't even know where to look! So maybe next time, I'll make a list. Hmm. What to add?

Maybe some of you dear readers have a few suggestions.

So...what thrift-related resources are on your bookshelves?

Mourning Japan’s Tragedy

View from the Metropolitan Government building.

It broke my heart to hear of the terrible loss Japan has suffered today, especially after just reminiscing so fondly of my time spent there. Such a beautiful country so filled with tradition and honor, home to so many, many wonderful people.

In the wake of one of the most devastating earthquakes in recorded history, please help the people of Japan by making a donation through the American Red Cross.

Please give what you can and keep Japan in your thoughts and prayers.

A Portrait of Femininity

A Victorian beauty manual, Kabuki makeup brush, Revlon red lipstick, a brooch and a vintage copy of the Girl Scouts handbook surround a vintage-inspired frame.

This is my portrait of thrifted femininity.

The topic of what it means to be feminine has always been a bit contradictory for me. While I’m always educating myself on issues of gendered equality and resisting the advertising machine for body type and beauty expectations, I do admittedly spend a considerable amount of money on keeping up appearances, so to speak.

Sure, I find thrifted and bargain clothes and accessories that I love immensely. But when it comes to skin care and cosmetics, I find myself blissfully wandering the aisles of Sephora with glassy, wide eyes in amazement of all the pretty, pretty things.

And what’s so wrong with that, really?

Perhaps the money I spend on looking like a celebrity with a team of professional stylists is partially funded by the incredible savings on all of the awesome, kitsch, vintage oddities I have affordably bought secondhand.

Am I right?

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.

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