By Sasha Moedt (The Cascade) – Email
Print Edition: October 2, 2013
Knick-knacks and odds and sods: miscellaneous
There’s a sense of adventure when you walk into the right thrift store and see shelves upon shelves of random goods scattered and piled high, ready for you to sift through. If you’re looking for nothing in particular, the best places for you to visit are MCC Clothing Etc., Bibles for Missions, and MCC East. These places are definitely not ranked high in the organization category, but herein lies the excitement. Head straight to the dishware area for MCC Clothing Etc., to the appliances section of Bibles for Missions, or the back of the store for MCC East. Look at each item carefully, and you’ll see what I mean. These items are remnants of people’s lives – people who passed away, moved on, or grown up. Open the books to see if there is anything written in the cover. Look at the dates on wedding anniversary plates. Root through the pockets of purses to find restaurant bills and grocery receipts. A thrift store can really spark your creative streak. You’ll pick up crazy finds. Just keep browsing.
Outdated technology: books, DVDs and VHS
Most thrift shops have cheap books. All of the stores I visited had books, ranging from 50 cents to $2. Hard copies of newer books and antique books are marked up a bit more. If you want to shop for books, go to the place that has the best selection: MCC Clothing Etc takes the prize by a long shot, with a room literally full of books at a price of $1.50 to $2 apiece. If you’re looking for DVDs, avoid Hidden Treasures, MCC Clothing Etc., and the Sally Ann. MCC Furniture has the best selection; DVDs are $3.50 apiece and they also have a great selection of records for 50 cents each. MCC East is a runner up for selection, at $3 per DVD. If you want to pick up a copy of FernGully or Bambi for nostalgia’s sake, hit up MCC furniture – they have a 10 for a buck sale going on.
Dress yourself: clothes and shoes
One word for you: Salvation Army. (Well, two words.) But stop wasting your time arguing with me and get over there! The Sally Ann is a gold mine. With prices staying under $5 and row upon row of nice clothes in good condition, you could fill out your winter wardrobe easily – especially if you’re into women’s long-sleeve shirts and knit sweaters. You know how old knit sweaters get fuzzy, pill, and sag? Not so with the current Salvation Army selection. And while you’re at it, hit up the shoe section. For nearly-new men’s and women’s shoes, the default price is $3 to $4 with nothing over $6 – not even fur-lined winter boots.
The Sally Ann isn’t the place to go if you’re looking for winter coats, however. Bibles for Mission blew my mind with brand-name trench coats and men’s winter jackets under $15. Hidden Treasures had a few quality women’s jackets as well.
For clothes in general, avoid MCC Clothing Etc. and MCC East. MCC Clothing Etc. does have a decent shoe selection for women—nothing notable for men—but besides that , there’s not much to boast about. Bibles for Missions is the place to check out for men’s shoes. Gorgeous leather shoes, Converse All-Stars, great vintage stuff, all for $3 (unless otherwise marked, which never goes over $10). Hidden Treasures has cool heels for women with mid-sized feet (sizes 5 to 8).
Furnish your place: couches, coffee tables, and bedding
I will always maintain that for larger furnishings, you’ll have better luck browsing Craigslist, hitting up a garage sale, or posting a status on Facebook. Only one thrift shop in town has student-budget affordable furniture, and that is MCC Furniture. While the prices—and selection—of other thrift shops are just plain no good when it comes to the big stuff, I have to give a nod to MCC furniture. Couch prices range from $25 to $150, and are usually in surprisingly good condition. Coffee and side tables are abundant, and there are some really nice vintage classic tables in the mix. They range from $20 for a sturdy, easy-on-the-eyes coffee table, to $50 for a perfectly-polished side table that you’ll want to splurge on.
Kitchen tables, on the other hand are more expensive than you’d think. I’d stick to garage sales or Craigslist. MCC Furniture has a good selection if you have the budget, but prices do go as high as $175. As for bedding, there aren’t a ton of frames, but the ones they have are nice at $40 each. Mattresses are notoriously expensive, but here they are $30 to $100, which isn’t terrible. There’s a technique to buying a clean (although maybe not super comfortable) mattress on the cheap, then buying a more expensive $150 mattress topper, and it’s something to think about for students on a budget.
Besides furniture, MCC Furniture has a good gardening selection.
Spic and span: cleanliness and organization
For those of you who shudder at the word “miscellaneous,” and tend to avoid thrift shops because you’d prefer tidy rows and meticulous price labels, there are a couple places to check out. One, ironically, is Hidden Treasures, which is extremely well-organized, with each section clearly labeled. For example, the clothing section has a plus-size section, blouse section, skirt section, workout clothing section, nursing uniform section … if there is any way of organizing clothing, Hidden Treasures staff has done it. It’s clean, tidy, and although the selection is a wee bit slimmer than other thrift shops, it’s relaxing to go through. For clean changing rooms, Hidden Treasures and MCC Clothing Etc. are the places to go. Bibles for Mission and MCC East are places to avoid.
For-profits: the other second -hand stores around town
Thrift stores aren’t the only second-hand places in town, but they are the cheapest. The average Salvation Army clothing item will be $2.75 to $4.50; the average Value Village item will be $7.99 to $12.99. The cons of second-hand and for-profit stores is, well, they’re for profit. While each thrift store has a goal of helping the community and providing inexpensive products, a for-profit doesn’t have this goal in mind. Really great deals won’t come your way, because more than likely for-profits have their eyes open for big labels and name brands. The pros are that for-profits do consistently have a great selection, and you’re going to find quality stuff. This is less the case for Value Village, who take donations – but the other three for-profit shops in Abbotsford (Champion Jack’s, Heaven Only Knows Consignment, and Second Touch Apparel) pay people for their clothes and are selective. Value Village and Champion Jack’s give back to the community, which is a nice touch. I’d recommend Champion Jack’s; they are a family-run business in downtown Abbotsford that keeps the music scene in Abbotsford alive by hosting shows and fostering the hipster scene.
Hidden Treasures
Address: 2657 West Railway Street
Hours: 9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Monday to Saturday
Clothing prices: A
General merchandise selection: B–
Cleanliness / organization: A+
Where does your money go? To the M2/W2 program, which is a Christian restorative justice program that seeks to aid and reach out to offenders.
The place to go if … You want to steer clear of clutter, peruse through well-organized aisles, or chat with approachable and friendly staff!
Coolest finds: $5 Suzy Shier purse, $1 lace belt, and a beautiful rocking baby crib.
Salvation Army
Address: 34081 Gladys Avenue
Hours: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday
Clothing Prices: A+
General Selection: A–
Cleanliness / Organization: A
Where does your money go? Funds generated go to support various other ministries of the Salvation Army – meal centers, outreach and family services, weather shelters, etc.
The place to go if … You’re looking for high-quality clothes, or a large selection of practical and stylish women’s shoes (from winter boots to clubbing heels – those are practical, right?)
Coolest finds: $20 Danier leather jacket, barely used and in fantastic condition, decorative pillows, and $5 armchairs that would go well in an office space or in a student’s first apartment.
MCC (East Abbotsford Location)
Address: Suite 105-34150 South Fraser Way
Hours: 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Monday to Saturday
Clothing prices: A
General selection: B+
Cleanliness / organization: C+
Where does your money go? The Mennonite Central Committee’s (MCC) thrift shops “support the disaster relief, sustainable community development and justice and peace-building work of MCC locally and globally,” according the its website.
The place to go if … You’re looking for skates under $10, empty egg cartons for gardening, and kitchen utensils galore.
Coolest finds: A $5 tennis racket, $1 stainless steel whisk, and a nice leather binder for 75 cents.
MCC Furniture and More
(Directly across from Abbotsford West location)
Address: 31877 South Fraser Way
Hours: 9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Monday to Friday; 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Saturday
Clothing prices: As you can tell by the name, they don’t carry clothes!
General selection: A
Cleanliness / organization: C+
Where does your money go? See Abbotsford East
The place to go if … You’re looking for affordable furniture, be it kitchen tables, coffee and side tables, or quality couches.
Coolest finds: $75 leather couch, $185 gorgeous blue sectional couch, $40 to $50 vintage side tables (and cheap but sturdy ones ranging from $15 to $20).
MCC Clothing Etc.
(Abbotsford West location)
Address: 31872 South Fraser Way
Hours: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday
Clothing prices: B
General Selection: A+
Cleanliness / organisation: A–
Where does your money go? See MCC East
The place to go if … You want to find random thrift-store stuff, especially cool cheap dishware and funky Christmas stuff.
Coolest finds: Adorable teapots! $2 to $5 bucks a piece for teapots that will thrill the quaint of heart. $5.50 H&M formal lace shirt. Nice cheap glassware – tumblers and champage glasses of all sorts for 50 cents apiece.
Bibles for Missions
Address: 2337 West Railway Street
Hours: 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday
Clothing prices: A
General selection: B
Cleanliness / organisation: C+
Where does your money go? All profits go to the Bible League of Canada, a program that provides Bibles, support and training to missionaries around the world.
The place to go if … You want to rummage through interesting knick-knacks, you’re looking for vintage and formal men’s shoes at low prices, or you want to browse through a huge selection of small appliances for under $15.
Coolest finds: A $10 London Fog men’s trenchcoat in good condition, a giant stuffed rabbit for $3, and a yellow toaster for $10.
