As the economy tanks thrift stores enjoy a booming popularity. In Tacoma, Washington while other businesses close, Goodwill Industries just opened a new outlet at the old Long’s Drugstore Building on 6th Avenue. According to a recent article in the local paper the biggest challenge for thrift stores in our area is getting a steady stream of donations. More and more folks use items and wear clothing longer, or sell things themselves at garage sales, swaps, or on line.
Thrift stores offer low prices and a constantly changing inventory. You never know what goodies you’ll find and the thrill of the hunt is half the fun. I started shopping thrift stores when I was in college. At the time I didn’t have much money and for a couple of dollars I could buy jeans and a sweater. Today, patient shoppers can find nearly new or gently used brand-name clothing and household items for fraction of their original cost. I like to look for vintage buttons, jewelry and unusual collectibles when I shop the thrifts.
Bargain World (4502 N. Pearl St, (253) 759-7811) tops my list of local thrift stores. The store is open seven days a week and accepts debit, credit cards, cash and checks. Every Sunday all inventory gets discounted an additional 30%. Monday means dollar deals on select items, and each day different color tags are selected for special discounts. The store generally schedules a half-off everything sale once a month or so. I like this store because it tends to be less crowded and their inventory is relatively organized and neat. An interesting quilting pattern book caught my eye last fall, so I splurged $3 for it. I discovered later that it was a rare collectible and resold it for well over $100.
Life Center Thrift Shop (newly located near the 6400 block of 6th Avenue, (253) 460-0688) is another favorite. This shop is open Tuesday through Saturday and accepts cash only. The shop is crammed full, but generally well organized. Their prices tend to be some of the best, but I’ve noticed they’ve started to creep up in the last months. The volunteer staff sort and price goods, sometimes collectibles are undervalued bargains; so deals await discovery. Near the end of the month half-off sales draw a steady stream of customers.
The American Cancer Society Discovery Thrift Shop (2512 N Proctor Street, (253) 759-2823) is open Monday through Saturday, and accepts debit and credit cards, cash and checks. The shop is tiny, but the inventory is clean, tidy, and extremely organized. A friendly group of volunteers run the store and they are always ready with a cheerful greeting and happy to give assistance to customers. Like other shops prices are creeping up, but bargains still abound. They offer a frequent shopper punch card, feature deep discounts on certain color tags each day, and host two semi-annual half-off sales. The clothing in the shop is good quality and many items sport designer brands. A friend found a Perry Ellis pantsuit for her daughter’s graduation for less than $20.
Saint Vincent de Paul Society Thrift Store (4009 S 56th Street, (253) 474-0519) is a bit overwhelming at first, but if you are willing to take the time to sort through stuff, you can find some excellent bargains. Each week they offer discounts up to 90% on particular color tags in order to move merchandise. The store is cram packed with items, some effort is made to organize categories, but the shelves can be stuffed with odds and ends. Their parking lot is small and on weekends you might have to park on the nearby side street at peak times. The store is open seven days a week and they accept debit and credit cards, cash and checks.
Value Village is another reasonably priced thrift (6802 19th St W, (253) 460-7828). I shop most frequently at the store located near the Tacoma Community College Campus and Pierce Transit Bus Hub. This particular store is high volume, especially on Mondays when they have specific color tags at $0.99 all day. I try to avoid shopping on Mondays because huge crowds of shoppers run through the store grabbing discounted items and load up carts to overflowing. I suspect some are vintage retailers and shop here for bargain inventory. This store is open seven days a week and accepts cash, checks, debit and credit cards.
In Tacoma Goodwill Industries dominates the thrift store scene. I shop most frequently at the large store near the Tacoma Mall (3121 S 38th St Ste A, (253) 472-5160). I don’t shop there as frequently and haven’t been in the store recently enough to offer a fair review. I plan on trying out their new 6th Avenue location soon.
Thrift stores offer bargain basement prices and surprises all in one. Check out your local offerings, you may just get hooked and take up regular bargain hunting. Just remember to be patient, look over merchandise carefully, and don’t pay more than you can afford.
http://www.superpages.com/yellowpages/C-Thrift+Stores/S-WA/T-Tacoma/
