Secondhand Storage Solutions: How You Can Keep It Neat For Cheap

Vintage White Owl Cigar Box, $1.00. 

Thrift shoppers are often met with skepticism. Sometimes, thrifters are met with disgust. And on the rare occasion, we're faced with just honest curiosity. And since the advent and popularity of Hoarders and Hoarding: Buried Alive, there's one curious questions I'm asked more frequently than others. 

"Where do you put all this stuff?"

While some thrifted wares, such as clothing, accessories, furniture or electronics have a functional purpose, others serve only as a decoration or display piece. These are always dangerous buys. Too much decor in a limited space can run the gamut from kitschy-clutttered to complete hoarded hell. 

The simple solution would be to simply buy less stuff. And while I do place more value on quality of vintage thrift store finds over the quantity, sometimes you just can't talk yourself out of sweet thrifted temptation. 

So how do I balance between the stuff I want and the space I'm working with? 

Talk about "vintage filler." Look how pretty and practical it is!

I've been making my thrift purchases do double-duty. That vintage White Owl Cigar box is cool. But it's super cool now that it holds my favorite ephemera. It's a functional display piece that stores my old maps, post cards and photographs. 

When you think storage solutions, your mind probably goes to that dark place in the corner of your closet that's stacked ceiling high with Rubbermaid totes and cardboard boxes. But the next time you go thrifting, think outside the boring old box. Instead, hunt for a beautiful vintage storage piece that you can display proudly.

Small Wooden Crate, $1.00.

Take this wooden crate. I'm planning on painting it a creamy egg shell color and using it for storing spices and dried herbs on the kitchen countertop. Can you see it in your bathroom holding clean washcloths? Or maybe it would be good for keeping craft supplies handy instead of scattered in that black hole of a junk drawer. (Don't worry. We all have at least one junk drawer).

Galvanized Pail, $1.00

Galvanized pails are secondhand gold when it comes to stylish storage solutions. I've always wanted a collection of vintage pool balls to display. And when the same rummage sale yielded that set of old pool balls for a buck and this galvanized pail also for a buck...I plopped those balls right in the pail and went skipping down to the checkout counter. 

You could use a pail for gardening supplies, for countertop cooking utensils, for storing all of the dog's toys when you don't want guests tripping over them...pretty much anything your frugal little heart desires. 

When looking for practical display pieces that can function as storage, there are three main things to consider: purpose, space and value. Is the item both aesthetically pleasing and a functional means for storage?  Will bringing the item into your home mean more usable space or less? And of course, does the form and function of the item validate its cost? When you take all of these factors and an open mind to the thrift, you'll find yourself making thoughtful choices of what to bring home and what to leave behind. 

So the next time you're fretting over space, stuff and storage, don't lose sleep over thrifting less. Just thrift smart instead. By making your secondhand hauls act as creative storage solutions, you'll never end up on Hoarders...Well, unless you hoard storage items. And in that case we might need to call a specialist. 

What secondhand storage have you found lately?

Vintage Photo Friday: Double Your Vintage. Double Your Fun.

Vintage novelty photograph with frame,  99 cents. 

I had almost given up on my pursuit to keep Vintage Photo Friday a regular segment here on Let's Go Thrifting.  Family photographs and snapshots have become increasingly hard to find at the thrift stores. And outside of antique stores (with antique store prices at that. Hello, sticker shock), I fear that they're being forever lost to the landfills. 

But in a recent trip to the Goodwill of Warminster, PA I unearthed several quality finds, including the very subject of this post. While I love the nostalgic nod to yesteryear with staged novelty photos, this vintage-on-vintage photograph was a majorly surreal secondhand score. 

Then? It was faux vintage. Now it's vintage twice over. 

It's circa 1960 and these two couples are posing with a mock Oldsmobile from the 1930s, in front of a suburban landscape backdrop. 1960s and 1930s? It's doubly vintage!

And including the classy filigree frame, this might be my best find for under a buck. 


Have you spotted any vintage pics at the thrift lately? 

The Thrift Wish List & The Tarot: Another Fortuitous Find

In a recent trip to the Bryn Athyn Thrift Shop, I found something that I've coveted for some time. While I'm no means an expert on divination, I find myself drawn to the ancient mystery of Tarot cards. They're not especially hard to come by these days. Stop in any pseudo-alternative goth gift emporium or chain book store and you can find them.

I have a few speciality decks myself that I've collected from New Age shops that I've come across. But I have a special admiration for the European Tarot varieties, specifically vintage French cards. The primary colors are vibrant and the illustrations are artfully produced from woodcut tiles.

So when I spotted this deck of 1960s 1JJ Swiss Tarot Cards imported from Switzerland with the original French titles, it was like lightning striking twice. Mind you, this incredible thrifted rarity is just a few weeks following my original Keane print find.

Two sought after Thrift Wish items in just a few weeks? Maybe this stroke of secondhand luck is karma's answer to the slow winter thrifting.

In all honesty I must note that sadly this 1JJSwiss Tarot is not a complete deck. Either the previous owner was careless, or simply kept a few key cards for personal reasons. But still I can't help but feel fortunate that this deck--for the most part-- is now part of my collection. And I have some crafty plans for them indeed. Oh, yes. 

What items have you found on your Thrift Wish List lately? 

This post is linked-up with Sir Thrift-A-Lot. Go check it out! 

News and Reviews: Good Stuff Thrift of Doylestown, PA

Elegant touches in the entryway. 

A few short weeks after being invited to the Fairless Hills, PA Good Stuff Thrift for a peek inside the spacious secondhand venue, I was again extended an invitation. This time, I hit the road to the borough of Doylestown to see the original Good Stuff Thrift location. And while I've been to this quaint area of Bucks County before, I hadn't been aware that Good Stuff Thrift was just right up the road.  

I walked through the doors and was immediately greeted by a fresh and floral aroma, one unlikely found in many secondhand shops, as you might realize. And in a serendipitously timed visit, I not only met the store manager Kelly, but also Ed Hudson, the CEO of Good Stuff Thrift.  And as Ed gave me the grand tour of the two-story sales floor and employee processing areas, I was awestruck with the realization that this was unlike any thrift shop I've ever seen. 

I know what you're thinking. How can I say that I haven't seen anything like it when I just visited the sister store in Fairless Hills not two weeks prior? But what gives this Good Stuff Thrift location something more than the average thrift store is its unique perspective on the shopping experience. One thing that CEO Ed Hudson was sure to note was that the shoppers of this Doylestown location, much like the shoppers of any other Doylestown business aren't necessarily motivated by bargains. They are there to find unique treasures that aren't available elsewhere. And with high-end donations overflowing the surprisingly small processing areas, it's no wonder that Good Stuff Thrift visitors enter with a sense of wonder and leave as happy customers. 

Creative displays save space. 

And in another interesting comparison, the layout and space of the two Good Stuff Thrift locations are in considerable opposition.  Good Stuff Thrift of Fairless Hills, PA yields 20,000 square feet with space to spare for customers to peruse furniture and other sizable house wares. The Good Stuff Thrift of Doylestown is a mere 5,500 feet spread across two floors and several small rooms, like a whimsically decorated house. But what maximizes the space of this location is the creative decor that artfully displays salable merchandise. Every staged tabletop and carefully hung piece of wall art is for sale. 

The Moss Bike

And yes, that includes The Moss Bike. From the pallet strung with buckets in the children's room, to the elegantly displayed crystal and china in the living room, there isn't an inch of space that doesn't do double duty in decorative merchandising.

Both Kelly and Ed hailed this space for therapeutic thrifting, as well as a blossoming venue for DIY community events. And with inspired design choices that fits the Doylestown aesthetic, I'm entirely on board with the notion that this "Thrift Boutique" is exactly what the treasure-hunting demographic is clamoring for. 

The fruits posters are on sale. Adorable. 

I'm a big fan of chair art, especially hot pink chair art. 

It's bright. It's cheery. And even the smallest of details are met with a creative touch. And this is all due to the numerous volunteers, the diligent staff and management, and the two creative masterminds behind all of the decorative flair. Kim Tillitson and Saralyn Petitt, the resident designers behind the Good Stuff Thrift of Doylestown, are also taking part in a creative fundraising effort with the 2014 Bucks County Designer House and Gardens at the historic Serendipity Farm. 

This design collaboration is the first time that a thrift store will be represented in the annual Bucks County tradition of remaking, remodeling and reimaginging a piece of historic property. All proceeds from the gala and ticket sales will benefit the Doylestown hospital. 

And if the clever design of this Good Stuff Thrift location is any indication, I think that the  visitors of the Designer House will be pleasantly surprised by the possibilities that going the secondhand route can bring. 

It's like fine dining in the countryside. 

While it's hard to believe that this Good Stuff Thrift just opened in June of 2013, it's not hard to imagine just why the company is on the fast track to secondhand success. Good Stuff Thrift of Doylestown, PA has the elegance of a boutique, culled from donations alone. But with so much artistic talent and love for secondhand staging in this beautifully designed business, there's a lot more in store than just the donations. 

Visit Good Stuff Thrift at 3633 N. Easton Rd. Doylestown, PA 18902 

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Are you a thrift shop owner local to Philadelphia or Bucks County, PA looking for a visit from Let's Go Thrifting? I'm always on the prowl for new thrifting territory. 

Drop me a line and I'll try to stop by.