"If your doing a major declutter"

YOU'RE!!!!!

My small town has had a wonderful non profit thrift store for years. I love it. We also just recently got a goodwill. Also nice. I haven't bought "new" clothes in over two years. My entire wardrobe (of pretty nice, name brand, quality) probably cost less than 50 bucks.

Many thrift stores have half-price days. While you may find some bargains here generally these days are designed to clear the store of inventory it had trouble selling the week before.

The day after the half price sale is the when they'll start placing the new merchandise for the week onto the sales floor.

Thanks for the post on thrift stores. Many Goodwill stores have special half-off sales daily. The Goodwill stores in Northern New England featured a different color each week that is half off--this is another great way to cut down on costs.

Maybe it's not my place, but I have to admit to noticing a few errors in my own work from time to time. (And I spent years as a classroom teacher, to boot!) The thing is, or at least I'll speak for myself here, spell check doesn't necessarily catch everything and also (again speaking for myself) I've found that having spent SO many years outside of the country where English language newspapers and signs are so often completely incorrect and conversations with people aren't necessarily with those whose mother tongue is also English (and is in fact often their third or fourth language), I'm not necessarily spotting things as quickly as I used to when I was teaching English in an English speaking country. It's sad to say, but you really don't lug around an entire library of English books on your back and you spend a fair amount of time as an expat reading English news that isn't written by a native speaker. I don't know if that's Torley's reason, but I'll also point out that we try to get out so much content in a short amount of time in order to share the ideas, and we often do it in addition to numerous other duties when we're already exhausted. Sometimes things are so obvious when we go back and look at them live, but after you've proofread your own work so often, your brain tends to see what you think should be there. Paying for external proofreading services isn't exactly conducive to our bottom line. Not making excuses folks, just pointing out that we are all human, and doing our best to share ideas in a timely fashion.

I didn't realize the comments section was for commenting on grammatical errors in the article. I was under the impression it was for sharing additional information relevant to the article, which is what I hope I've done with the information below.

Freecycle is completely left out of this article as means of getting rid of things you have not been able to consign or otherwise sell. I cleaned my garage last weekend, and everything I offered was picked up. I didn't have to leave my house, saving me the cost of gas to haul it away. I also have the pleasure of knowing the things went to people who will use them rather than in the garbage.

Google freecycle to find a group in your area.

It's not that I don't agree with your point Simple Life, and I believe I stated I wasn't trying to make excuses - just some reasons behind why these things can happen. And yes, I have had friends help out from time to time when my eyes are bleary and I just can't read it again. At the end of the day though, many people are maxed out right now with their own lives. So searching out that kind of support is something I admit to doing less of lately.

Just to clarify on the non-native language speakers issue, in no way was that intended to be negative. Anyone that speaks more than one language has my respect, hands down.  I'm simply stating that these are weaknesses  I've noticed in myself after having listened to those who haven't mastered it for years at a time. I'm certainly not asking for a pass, and as soon as I notice errors I've missed I log in to correct them.

Striving for excellence is something I would agree with completely. I think it is important to note however that many other forms and outlets of writing come with editors built in to the system. Editors that get paid. I think everyone here at Wise Bread takes their work seriously, even though for most of us it happens to be something we do in addition to many other things. If I personally make the call on getting information out quickly, and make an error in the process, I do my best to correct the situation as soon as possible. By the way, I've seen major newspapers make similar mistakes, including one owned by USA Today. These are publications that can (or at least could) afford to pay someone a full salary and benefits to crank out just a couple of main articles a week and still have a separate paid editor or two on staff. That's not even including the fact checking folks.

All in all, I think we're doing a pretty good job here at Wise Bread, and fix what needs to be fixed as the situation arises. Again, you're making valid points. And again, I'm not asking for a pass. I'm simply stating how these things can happen.

Some thrift stores have certain days when they re-stock. I like to ask if the shop has a day (or days) in particular that they place new items on the shelves. If they do only unveil new items on specific days, it lets me get first shot at the better items.

Great tips....we have also been hitting the stores that have been going out of business. Sometimes, name brand items for generic or lower prices. Also, at the end of the season, they tend to be discounting items at a great savings.

Has a website for recalls, and usually lists the reason as well as the item recalled.

All kids stuff except toys: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/category/child.html

Everything, including toys:
http://www.cpsc.gov/cgi-bin/prod.aspx

Oooh, love it when people get into grammatical nitpicks. Last I checked, the world was still going round so nothing crashes and burned due to a typo.

Anyway, I just skimmed the article and I'm a thrifter at heart, so, if any of this was mentioned, you can ignore me.

There are other things you should not buy at a thrift store. Car seats, cradles, high-chairs and other random baby-stuff is numero uno. Thrift stores are supposed to check, but a lot of times, they don't.

Cushions are numero dos. Why? Fleas and weird smells, for starters. Mattresses and couches and the like also fall into this category. A flea or roach infestation is not something you want to deal with.

Watch out for dry-rot and mold on stuff like jackets (which might not be worn often) and shoes. Make sure anything you can buy you can either clean thoroughly yourself, or you can swing the dry-cleaning for. If something looks stained, it is, and you probably won't be able to get it out. Sweat stains do not come out. Neither does chocolate, grass, blood (I've come across it) and a whole bunch of other stuff. If it's in the Goodwill, there's a decent chance someone has already tried to get it out and has failed, and the stuff is set.

Electronics are obviously a no-no, unless you're looking for parts.

Don't go into a thrift store just to browse. Never, ever. Make a list like you'd make for any other store. Unless something has an specific purpose in your life, don't buy it.

Know the prices at your local shops, and where they get their merch. True, Goodwill might get donations, but they also get Target overstock that doesn't sell in the store. Know when they do their markdowns, know when they get truck, know when they process, and don't be afraid to ask for a discount. Cause, these are places you haggle like mad.

Also be aware that not all "thrift" stores are charitable or non-profits. There are quite a few "for profit" shops out there that happily take donations from people who don't realize it.

There is a second hand store close to my home that buys and sells only clothing for babies and smaller children. It is a "for profit" business and I have no problem with that. The clothes are slightly more expensive than traditional thrift stores in the area, however the quality of clothes/toys accepted tends to be a bit higher. Since I have found this gem, I find it difficult to pay "retail" for my son's clothing. I literally get three outfits for the price of one item bought new and like DDFD mentioned, some items still have the tags on them. I found the other tips in this post and some in the comments (who knew I would get a grammar lesson as well ;) very helpful for future shopping excursions. Thanks for the info!