Thrift is not an affair of the pocket, but an affair of character
Please visit these local CapeCodToday sponsors:Hope van der Wolk InteriorsProviding the services of space planning, selection and purchasing of furnishings, fabrics and finishes, window treatments, kitchen and bath renovation and lighting design consultation. From concept to final installation. Make your dream home a reality! (Barnstable) Vetorino's Landscaping & Irrigation ServicesAlways on time and on budget. Offering planning and design to landscape construction, installation, irrigation, waterscapes and landscaping maintenance. Plus quality lawn hydro-seeding. (Barnstable)
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The Advent of the Thrift Boutique
05/11/08 · 12:15 pm :: posted by
thesavvythrifter
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A rising trend in the world of second-hand stores seems to be the creation of the 'thrift boutique.' No longer are thrift stores resigned to being the musty church basements of yesteryear; today, consignment and thrift stores rival the chic boutique atmosphere of designer shops in the cities. Case in point is the newly opened "Thrift 
Haven" in South Yarmouth owned by proprietress Judiann and managed by her daughter, Gianna. Like the owner herself, the store is warm and inviting and as you shop, upbeat music sounds from playlists on itunes.
Because she just opened on Saturday, Judiann is still putting the finishing touches on the store. She already has a great selection of clothes though, and I tried several pieces on. As I griped to her afterwards, I am in between sizes right now, so only one shirt fit: a pink Gap tee for $5. In addition to hip women's clothes, she features men's, children's, and maternity clothes as well as a great selection of shoes.
Another great thing about her store is that she accepts consignment but, unlike other shops, she actually gives you the money up front. Most other stores won't give you money until your clothes are sold, but Judiann's philosophy is simple: you shouldn't have to wait to get paid! I couldn't agree more.
Please visit these local CapeCodToday sponsors:Alberto's RistoranteExquisite Northern Italian cuisine served in a casually elegant atmosphere. Main Street, Hyannis. (Hyannis) Books by Libby HughesFeaturing a special edition coloring book offer and the "People in Focus" biographies for children and teens. (Brewster)
A Tale of Two Thrifts
05/07/08 · 10:14 pm :: posted by
thesavvythrifter
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Chatham is an affluent community, so I expected their thrift stores to be of the same caliber; sadly, they were rather lackluster. There are 4 Chatham thrift stores listed in the brochure, "Touring the Thrift Stores of Cape Cod":
- The Benefit Shop at the South Chatham Community Church
- "Bear-ly" Used Unitarian Universalist Meeting House Thrift Shop
- St. Christopher's Gift & Consignment Shop, and
- First United Methodist Church, Chatham, Thrift Shop.
Saint Christopher's only has a small assortment of clothes, but they do have a great array of shoes. Many of the shoes were in sizes 7 and 8 and they looked nearly brand new. They also have a lot of high quality bric-a-brac, so I'd suggest visiting them if your home is in need of some decorating. The one thing I purchased on my visit was the novel,
Snow Falling on Cedars, by David Guterson. Best dollar I ever spent! If you haven't read it, go to the library and check it out!!
First United Methodist Church Thrift Shop is "an all volunteer, mission-oriented shop" with an ever-changing selection of clothes, books, holiday decorations, knick-knacks, linens...you get the picture. I had a wonderful chat with one of the volunteers (turns out we've shared an employer), but I had trouble finding some wonderful clothes. The only thing I bought was a hot pink tee shirt for $1, what a bargain!
Touring the Consignment Shops of the Cape
05/04/08 · 5:48 pm :: posted by
thesavvythrifter
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I met Wendy, owner of Tots to Teens Fashion Exchange, yesterday while I was browsing through her store. I had gone with the intent of shopping for my little sister, but I ended up finding a red jersey dress for myself as well. Wendy explained that while her primary target market is children, many women come in and find clothes that they can wear too. Indeed, many of the brands in her store are worn by women of all ages including:
- American Eagle, Aeropostale
- Hollister, Abercrombie & Fitch
- GAP, Banana Republic, and J CREW, just to name a few.
Wendy also gave me a brochure, "Consignment Shops of Cape Cod," that lists 16 consignment shops across the Cape, many of which are located in the Upper Cape area. You can find the online version here.
**THRIFT NEWS**If there's some sort of fashion signal for trying economic times, I think it would be the 'overnight arrival' of many new thrift stores on the Cape. The newest one is called Hope Chest and it's located in the Friend's Market plaza in Orleans. Hope Chest benefits the Lower Cape Outreach Council and in addition to thrift and consignment clothes, they will also have a vintage section.
Fashion Options for Families on Cape Cod
05/01/08 · 6:14 pm :: posted by
thesavvythrifter
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The stigma attached to used clothing no longer exists. In today's fashion world it's acceptable to brag about a great deal you bought at consignment whereas years ago, you'd be mortified if the words "used" and "clothes" parted from your lips.
This trend in second hand clothing doesn't stop with the frugal teenager, rather it permeates many sectors of society, often focusing on a specific target market.
For instance, there are at least 3 consignment stores on Cape Cod that cater to Infants, Toddlers, and Pregnant Moms-to-be:
- Repeat After Me in Orleans
- Tots to Teens Fashion Exchange also in Orleans, and
- Children's Orchard in Hyannis.
Repeat After Me is run by a local mother-daughter team: Sue Hall and Amber Dauphinais. Amber has two children of her own and felt that a consignment store catering to young moms would offer an affordable alternative to other baby stores. If you're interested in donating or purchasing clothes, check out the full story
here.
Children's Orchard, by comparison, is a national consignment store operating in 22 states. They offer a discount club, called the MOMS Club, that gives you a one-time $5 dollar discount as well as other incentives and they also guarantee you'll receive top dollar for your donations. You can visit their website at:
childrensorchard.com.
With the economy running amuck as of late, it's nice to know that:
- there are wallet friendly alternatives out there,
- and even your kids will think you're cool to be a Frugal Fanny.
Decorate Your Home with Help from Noah's Ark
04/24/08 · 5:42 pm :: posted by
thesavvythrifter
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The first time I pulled into the parking lot of Noah’s Ark Thrift & Gift Shoppe on Route 28 in Harwich I saw a man and woman loading several handsome pine chairs into the back of their minivan. It made me hopeful that I would find some furniture at this shop because most thrift stores carry a lot of clutter and nothing of substance when it comes to furniture. I would like to do a segment in a future post about the many great secondhand furniture stores on Cape Cod, but I digress.
Unfortunately, I was disappointed to find a lot of knick knacks and not much in the way of furniture. Their website remarks that they have, "Nearly new clothes, antiques, small appliances, household items, special glassware and small furniture," so maybe the chairs were simply an anomaly. I would also argue about the 'nearly new clothes' selection; I spotted some new looking apparel, but most of the clothes looked like they had just come out of grandma's attic. I'm not saying they weren't in good condition, they just looked dated. Another small peeve of mine was that some of the clothes racks were literally on top of one another, making it difficult to browse.
Yet what the store may lack in furniture and clothing, they make up for in their selection of household items. I ended up buying a signed print, 'Sweet Romance', by photographerHarvey Edwards for $12. The print still had the certificate of authenticity on the back and I found the same painting on ebay, it had sold for $100. So check this store out if you need things for your home, but skip it if you need things for your closet.
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If you've ever watched a talk show or read a fashion magazine, you've probably seen a fashion feature called "Splurge versus Steal" in which the same outfit is created on various budgets. Ironically, however, most of their "Steal" outfits cost hundreds of dollars, something that my middle class budget cannot afford. Hence, it has become my mission to shop thrift stores and create cute, fashionable outfits that look like a splurge but are, in fact, a budget friendly steal.
