Finding Those Thrift Store Treasures
I love shopping at Goodwill, the Salvation Army and all the other thrift stores supporting worthwhile causes. For years I have purchased clothes, books and other assorted “bric a brac.” But while I am searching for those daily items that I need, I am always looking for a treasure or two.
Finding a thrift store treasure is not hard. But it takes a few skills that you have to work on. Here is a list of those features that I think every treasure hunter needs to focus on when their out looking for their treasure.
Persistence- I make the thrift stores rounds once a week. With my busy schedule, that’s all I can do. But, I have friends that will go several times a week. Thrift stores receive and change inventory daily. And every day is an opportunity to find something different in their aisles.
Patience- Being a successful treasure hunter at the thrift stores is all about patience. You have to be willing to put in the time and effort to search through the stores. And you have to be willing to go home empty handed more times than not. Every day I can walk away with something, but if you want that treasure, you have to be patient.
Intelligence- You have to shop smart and you have to know what you’re looking for. I focus on books and artwork. My best friend Bill focuses on electronics. My friend Megan focuses on silver and jewelry. Each one of us is successful buying into that specific area that we know and understand. But, more importantly, we do not buy what we do not understand. I do not know jewelry, so unless that watch says “Rolex” on its face, I am not buying it.
Indicators- When I am shopping through a thrift store I look for an indicator that the item may be worth something. Recently, I found a framed print of a fox and her three cubs. Then I noticed three indicators. The first indicator was there was an artist signature (John A. Ruthven) in pencil on the print. The second indicator was the framing was not cheap and demonstrated very thoughtful quality and construction. The third indicator was a gallery sticker on the back. To me, the gallery sticker was the most important indicator, it told me this print did not come from one of the big box stores.
Research- With the popularity of smart phones the treasure hunting game has changed dramatically. With a smart phone when you find an item you can do a very quick cursory search of the item and come away with a ball bark idea if it has any value. I did a Google search of the artist, John A. Ruthven. What I found got my pulse racing. Ruthven is considered the “The 20th Century Audubon” for his amazing wildlife artwork. I was buying this print.
More Research- I bought the print because I liked it very much and would be proud to hang it in my house. The Goodwill price of $14.97 made it all that much better. When I got back to my hotel (I am travelling on business) I began to do a more thorough search of Ruthven artwork sales and estimated values. This print is titled “Red Foxes” and is number 158/1000. The print has an estimated retail value of $1,475.00. Not a bad markup for a $14.97 purchase.
Finding those Goodwill treasures is easy enough. Just follow the above pointers and be persistent in your treasure hunting efforts. And, if you’re out picking and you see a big man holding an iPhone researching something with a picture between his legs, make sure you come over and say hello to me.
