At The Thrifty Chicks we thought it wise to catalog SOME of our thrifted purchases to demystify thrift and get shopper over the silly notion that “if it’s not new, its ‘eww.’” We’ve assembled a slide show of 220 items thrifted from stores in the US, mainly in Denver, Colorado. And, as we get closer to the holidays, more items will be added.

To see this slide show, visit The Thrifty Chicks, www.thethriftychicks.blogspot.com, The Thrift Catalog is in the left column, double click on it. We recommend it be viewed full screen for the best display. But, hold on to your chair for you might fall out a few times when you see some of these gorgeous items purchased for pennies.

The most expensive product is an antique gilt mirror for $30. The vast majority of items range from $3-$9 and don’t compromise quality, most of them are originals. We assembled a selection of products that would appeal to most everyone from the brand new to the gently used to the antique, but all unique.

We understand that some people might have hangups with the idea of giving a used object as a gift. Funny to think that just a few generations ago, a used item would be accepted with gratitude, appreciation and grace; ahh – the days before planned obsolescence.

But consider this, thrift shopping is green shopping. How so? No additional energy is required to fill the consumer’s need for a gently used product. The fuel of long-haul transport, often from the other side of the earth, has already been burned. Reused products do not have the weight and waste of excessive packaging new products do. Finally, thrift-store shopping diverts reusable items from landfills.

Add in that thrift shopping is also a poetic gesture: The profits from the sale of repurposed products in charity-run thrift stores directly promote the repurposing of lives in need. Not only do we avoid product waste, through our contributions we help to avoid the waste of another human’s life.

There is much to the thrift store mystique that needs some clearing up. Once converted, most people rarely go back to conventional retail.

Please take a few minutes to visit The Thrifty Chicks and peruse their Thrift Catalog. We recommend it viewed full screen. Viewers are giving this show two thumbs up. One viewer called it “pure gold.”

Article by Amy at The Thrifty Chicks
http://thethriftychicks.blogspot.com

About four months ago, in a thrift-obsessed mania, I launched a Facebook petition calling for a commemorative month of American Thrift. It didn’t take long to realize this was a monumental project, naively approached with the build-it-and-they-will-come mentality. Like most super-sized deals it’s easy to order, hard to swallow and sticks to the gut for a long, long time.

Overwhelmed by its scale, I put it on the side bar. Some encouraged me to try at the state level first and then work up. No! This needs to be national! Now! So, I’m back at it, spittin’ and a swingin’.

Retailers have done a bang-up job leading Americans away from thrift and making us think “If it’s not new its EWWW!” All kinds of bizarre myths are in play. The strangest I’ve heard is that one needs a voucher, like food stamps, to thrift. Consumers are lost and it’s time to call them home.

American Thrift deserves at least one month in the annual spotlight to educate and recruit people to the cause. Remember folks this is poetic shopping. Buy a repurposed item and the profits go to repurposing a life!

Retailers have been receiving commemorative months for years by self-promotion. Who would sign a petition for Return the Shopping Carts to the Supermarket Month, Noodle Month, Frozen Foods Month, Hamburger Month, or Umbrella Month?* How these months became a reality is a real head-scratcher. I provided links to these promotions because I’m betting you don’t believe me. The link to Return the Shopping Carts to the Supermarket Month provides instruction on how to observe that month. Phew! I was a bit uncertain as to how to honor that month, its title is so vague. For a list of our national commemorative months click here.

If you’re a Facebook member, click here and join and then invite your friends to join too. If you’re not on Facebook, we’ll be developing an alternate option. As I wrote, this project was kicked off in a thrift-loving manic state. But, I believe it can be successfully orchestrated.

Oh, and this is no shameless promotion of Facebook. I just happened to be on it during my psychotic thrifting break of genius and naivete. This “I can change the world attitude” makes me feel like I’m in college again! Why, I’m as light as a feather!

We can do this! Please join and then comment as to what month you think it should be. And, if you have experience in this field and want to help, email me right away at Shopping [dot] Golightly [at] gmail [dot] com.

Visit the Thrifty Chicks at: http://thethriftychicks.blogspot.com/

*Sources: epromos.com & Wikipedia