Sometimes the thrift stores call to me...
10-07-2018, 06:04 PM
#12
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Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Washington
Posts: 855
Originally Posted by Iceblossom
Being in the Seattle area, a relatively wealthy part of the country, means I have access to a lot of things in thrift stores that people in other areas don't have. But timing is everything -- that's why we must listen to the voice!
10-07-2018, 06:46 PM
#13
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Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Blue Ridge Mountians
Posts: 7,076
I have never seen fabric at a goodwill. Unless it was a large piece the size of a sheet that they hang in the domestic area of the store. I ask the workers and they look at me like I have two heads. But I keep looking......... Lots of opportunity on Craigs list, though.
10-07-2018, 09:16 PM
#14
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Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Greater Peoria, IL -- just moved!
Posts: 6,101
Originally Posted by TeresaA
So Iceblossom, I live near Seattle as well, and would love to know which thrift stores you visit. I've gone to several and frequently find things priced for our affluent area. I hardly ever find treasures like the one you're showing. So where to you go!
Earlier this year/last year I also got a ton of my Pfaltzgraf Yorktown dishes there. I somewhat regularly go to the big Goodwill downtown at Dearborn, but haven't had much good luck there recently. I live in Renton, and very rarely find anything I'm interested in at "my" store, but often get yarn there and there is usually fabric, just not quilting/not things I'm interested in. Been having pretty good fabric luck at the St Vincent's in Renton as well. picked up a bag not worth bragging about there a week or so ago as well as a really nice piece of yardage of tiny little daisies on a red background. I also check the Southcenter location on a regular basis, it's in between Costco and the big Joann's so on my route of places to go.Last week I found out the Bellevue Goodwill location has closed, guess I'm going to have to visit the Redmond location now instead.
One of the ladies in my small group has been having much better luck finding vintage fabrics at thrift stores lately, I never find them any more -- guess she gets there ahead of me!
The thing about the thrift shops is it does help if you go regularly. Back when I was actively collecting vintage fabrics I had a route I did on Thursdays (when tag days start at Goodwill). It's sort of fun when you start to recognize the other collectors, would chat with some of the other vinyl record people in particular.
Last edited by Iceblossom; 10-07-2018 at 09:21 PM.
10-07-2018, 10:20 PM
#15
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Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Washington
Posts: 855
I hadn't been to Goodwill in some time. I shop a bit on ShopGoodwill and found things like a Wagner cast iron frying pan and a bowl that is identical to the "egg bowl" we used when I was a child. I needed some Corningware and to buy it new is soooo expensive for what it is, so I got some at Tacoma Goodwill. I also found just the hutch I was looking for that I couldn't find at retail stores to save my life. But I've never found fabric. Of course, I've never gone to the Redmond store, so maybe it will call my name ;-) like the other stores do for you. Thank you for the inspiration. I've been needing some retail therapy, and maybe a fabric treasure hunt is just the key.
10-08-2018, 05:10 AM
#16
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Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 547
I hit my local places pretty regularly and they never have fabric. For what it's worth, my daughter's best friend works at Goodwill and says that the workers go thru the trucks and take whatever they want for them and their families before it hits the sales floor. Maybe there's a quilter or two in that group 
10-08-2018, 10:13 AM
#18
Super Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: California, USA
Posts: 1,318
You go girl. Listening to your intuition is something that I try to do regularly. Unfortunately, I have not found any good deals at the thrift store I go to. Maybe I need to go to thrift stores out of my area. Another thing that I have found is that the thrift stores are charging exorbident prices for used items these days. Not like in the past, where buying a used item was thrifty.
10-08-2018, 10:55 AM
#19
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 547
Originally Posted by mac
Another thing that I have found is that the thrift stores are charging exorbident prices for used items these days. Not like in the past, where buying a used item was thrifty.
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