Before I get to gabbing about some of the cool things I've found secondhand over the last few years, did you know that Secondhand Finds has a massive contest going?!
With a prize pool of 80 Hive, and not many entries thus far, I hope my shameless shilling will attract some thrift shoppers to our doorstep! There are only a few days left to showcase your favorite thrift finds in your home. Hope to see you there!
Toys
When the holiday season rolls around, or one of my kiddo's birthdays, I avoid buying new toys at first. I instead begin my hunt, stalking the local thrift stores. Although the money saved is nice, I do this more because of my hated for consumerism.
I'm constantly stuck between a world that teaches children that they are only worth the sum of their possessions, and my desire to reject such things.
To balance it out, I find myself in the thrift store. Giving toys a second life resonates with me, and I often find really great stuff!
My first find may seem silly, but it is these mega blocks. This is the equivalent of roughly 3-4 packs of mega blocks, which retail for 8-10 USD each.
I kept my eyes peeled for blocks for months leading up to Christmas two years ago, and ended up with this massive pile for less than the price of one pack!
I also ended up getting some specialized mega blocks mixed in, so the value was even greater! We have the large blocks with wheels, a train, and some trucks, which my kids turn into mad max looking vehicles.
Is this the biggest score ever? No. But it makes me smile. I love building massive towers with my kids. I also believe that blocks are one of the best toys for kids to have for open play, and it rocks my socks that I didn't have to buy them new!
I also got this baby secondhand. Wait, that's not what I meant to say... Baby walker! That's what it was, the baby is homemade.
My son refused to independently walk for a long time, but still wanted to walk around all day. This meant I was either hunched over holding his little hands so he could stomp about, or I was carrying him on my hip.
These things can cost upwards of 50 dollars, and momma ain't paying that in a million years!
This sucker was only 10 bucks, and ended up walking more babies than just Emory. My best bud and I have an open exchange of baby items going, so on this went to her. When she was done with it, she passed it to another mom.
That's what I'm talking about! Is it fair to say in some way that each of each saved 50 dollars? Well, that's how I want to look at it, so I will. 😎
Things that bring me joy
I dislike buying stuff for the sake of buying it, but occasionally an item will pop out to me while thrifting, and I'll know it's special. Usually, I go to the shops with a purpose, and only leave with what I intended to buy.
This owl mug was an exception. When I saw it, I immediately assessed how many coffee mugs were in my home. When I looked at the price tag of 1 dollar, I decided I could use one more.
I do tend to be very minimalist with dishware, keeping only what is needed. I find that the mugs in my home wander off to the car a lot, leaving only a bare few in the cupboard though. Considering that coffee is a must when hosting guests for me, another mug was practical.
At the time I found it, my daughter was wildly obsessed with owls. She had a stuffed owl named Cutie that was about 3 inches tall, and it had to come with us everywhere. Now I could match her vibe! I think she got as much of a kick out of this mug as I did when we brought it home.
Next up: pjs! I've wanted one of these oversized onesies since I first saw them. What is better than a full body fuzzy suit in the winter?!
I've never seen one secondhand before, and as my luck would have it, this was a character that I actually like too!
Stich, from the movie Lilo and Stitch, is an alien that was sent to earth to destroy it. Intercepting this task is Lilo, who immediately thinks Stitch is a dog and wants to adopt him.
It's such a cute kids movie about chosen family, and making the choices that feel good to us. So, naturally I was thrilled when I saw this Stitch onesie was only a few dollars! These usually retail for 20$+, and this one seemed nearly new!
Putting this on was exactly how I'd hoped it would be, like a blanket that is always perfectly wrapped around you!
For my last find, I'd like to showcase one of my favorite things to look for in thrift shops- craft items!
I've loved stickers and stamps since I was a little girl. I have a massive book of stickers that I have found thrifting or at a discount... but finding good stamps is more rare.
Well, when you consider that a stamp can cost as much as 6$, it makes sense that most don't let them go. As for me, I can't wrap my mind around paying multiple dollars for a bit of wood and some rubber. So, I keep my eye out for grab bags with a distinct shape...
Half the time when I do find stamps, they are a hard pass for me. It turns out there are stamps to imprint the likeness of just about anything, and many will never be relevant to me.
I believe I've found a total of 3 grab bags that I really liked over the years. Above are their contents! Although I don't love every stamp in my collection, most are really cool to me. Not bad for random lots, especially when they each cost mere pennies!
Well, I hope you've enjoyed checking out some of my favorite secondhand finds! Do you like to thrift? We hope to see you around the community! 😄
All photos are my own. Divider made for me by Yaziris.💞
