The Ultimate Secondhand Scare

I brought it home for a buck. And this thing has been haunting me ever since. I was actually able to catch his creepy antics on video. 

Incidentally, did you know that the fear of clowns is called coulrophobia?

Happy Halloween!

Something Wicked This Way Comes...

Greetings, thrifters. While I had such timely things planned for Let's Go Thrifting readers this Halloween, my plans will likely be taking a backseat to Hurricane Sandy, which is quickly approaching the Philadelphia area. 

Schools have closed, a state of emergency is in effect and there are predictions of possible longterm power failure. 

To my friends and readers on the east coast, be safe. If you are in mandatory evacuation areas, please do so before it becomes too dangerous. 

To my other friends and readers around the world, I hope to give you thrifty updates soon. 

Here's hoping we don't get blown away in what is being called the second largest hurricane in recorded history. 

Stay thrifty, my friends. 

Vintage Photo Friday: Yamato Suzuki Cuteness

How cute is this little book? My Very Own Seasons represents a trifecta of my thrifted interests: 

1. Vintage
2. Children's books
3. Japanese culture

Featuring poems by Chisachi Suehiro and the most adorable illustrations by Yamato Suzuki, this little book was too charming to resist. 

And guess what! I also found  How I Grow and Finding My Way...two other little books in the  Petals series by the same author and illustrator.

I scored all three books from Impact Thrift for $1.50 and was happy to fork over the money for the abundance of cuteness within those tiny pages. 

For this Friday's vintage photo, I decided to share with you this heart-tugging interpretation of Fall.  

My Very Own Seasons, 1967. 

What vintage wonders did you find this week? 

Thrift Rant: Trash Talking Thrifters

"OMG, Becky did you see what she's buying?"

When I visit the thrift, I tend to just browse and mind my own business. I'll occasionally smile and comment on nice things other thrifters find, be it fashion or otherwise. But lately I've been noticing a trend that I'm not enjoying. 

My Thrift Rant? Trash talking thrifters, those loose tongued secondhand shoppers who just can't help but find some flaw with what I'm choosing to buy. Ever have it happen? 

My most memorable trash talking thrifter was way back in August, when I was hunting the aisles of the thrift with friends for the $20 Thrift Store Challenge. I was perusing the shoe racks in search for a pair of boots for Fall. As some of you know, me finding shoes is something of a challenge in itself, beings that I'm a size 10-11. So when I spot anything in my size, I assess the situation thoroughly. But I digress.

On that particular day I happened to see a pair of boots in my size. I wasn't sure that I was totally in love with them. So I picked them up for a closer look, turned to my friend and said "What do you think of these?"  And then...out of nowhere comes this haggard looking woman with a scowl on her face...swear to God, people. A scowl. And she scoffs at me:

"Oh, those are awful. The color... it looks like poop." 

Um.  What? Firstly, I was speaking to my friend, mind you, who surely would've warned me that my potential boots weren't the most flattering shade of brown, if this was the case. Secondly, who was this random shopper who interjected in our conversation? And lastly, who above the age of 8 years old seriously uses the word poop? 

Like I said, I occasionally will comment on strangers' thrift finds, but never to insult their taste. My comments are of the "nice find" variety, even if my sentiment is slightly tinged with jealousy over me not finding them first. 

In the end, I didn't buy the boots. But it wasn't out of the supposed helpful advice of the other thrifter. It would have broken my $20 Thrift Challenge budget!

I believe the moral of the story, dear friends, is exactly this: Don't tell other thrifters something they're eyeing resembles poop...unless you want the poop kicked out of you. 

And since the general public pisses me off with some regularity even at the thrift store, be sure to check out the next installment of Thrift Rant. 

So... what has your secondhand panties in a bunch?