I find them most often because they are in the stores where I shop. It only takes a minute to check the racks at the thrift store if you are there on a regular basis. That is the other thing, you need to be a regular. That way your eyes can just skip along the stuff you don't need and wills top on things that are new. Also, get a friend who shops these places a lot and give them a list of things you are looking for. You can offer to repair some of the things she gets for her family in return - or make cookies or dinner for her family after a long shopping day. I used to baby sit her kids so she could go in peace. That is when she found the most stuff.