Thrift Stores And Junk Piles

Thrift stores and junk piles are the final resting places for items people either were too lazy to sell at a garage sale or that didn't sell when they did have one.  Prices at thrift stores tend to be somewhat higher than what you'd find at a garage sale and usually aren't negotiable (unless it's a privately owned thrift store).  But sometimes, the pricer at a thriftstore won't know the item and will price it incredibly cheap!  For example, I snagged a working 386DX40 w/4MB ram for $15 at the local Goodwill a while back.  I also got a very nice sectional sofa (white w/loose pillows) that was in excellent shape for $100.  At the same time, I got a coffee table (oak w/ glass inserts) for $15 because they were having a half price sale that day.  Clothes can be fun to find at thrift stores too, especially when you find something "funky" and fun. As for "junk piles", what I'm referring to is where the county or city you live in says "put all your junk and large items in piles no more than 6 feet in length at the curb and we'll pick it up".  This happens in our area about once a year.  About a week before the actual pickup, people tend to clean out their garages and put the stuff down at the curb.  Best way to approach these is to wear "grubbies", have gloves and if at all possible, go late at night with a flashlight and a friend.  Be extra quiet and don't just tear through the stuff, either (that's annoying and you'll likely see your neighborhood policeman coming around the corner).  Having a pickup truck is nice too, though you can usually get away with using the family car; just be sure to put a blanket or something on the floor.  Items I've snagged in junk piles included WORKING TV's, microwaves that needed a simple fuse, vacuum cleaner that only needed a belt, box fan (newer model) with a stuck switch (unscrewed it and popped the button).  I also decorated my house with lots of paintings I've found in these piles.  At one point, I was so outraged that people would throw these items out instead of sending them to the thrift store that I called a local columnist and she came out to see all the stuff I had and wrote a very nice column in the Sacramento Bee about my adventures!

Drop me a line if ya wanna!

This page was last updated on September 2, 1998

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