Why I'm quitting Goodwill

Sometimes, I think the pricing folks at Goodwill are smoking meth. Now let me tell you why. Saw these at the Goodwill store in Norcross, GA, for $275.  And I paused. Am I at a thrift store or a consigment store?

I highly suspect these are fake Loubutins. The first clue? Chinese letters on the box (sorry for the bad pics; the pic struggle is real). That was a big red flag to me. Because aren't they supposed to be made in Paris? 

Too much? 

But I just could not see myself paying this for what could be a fake. GW is a thrift store - not a consignment store. There is a difference ... a big one. I know both are businesses. If these were authentic, I might bite (I'd prefer a more classic pump for my money, not a climb the pole type heel). But that's just me. 

For $275, I'd need independent verification ... some papers, some authentication, something. With a consignment store, I'd at least have some sort of recourse. If they were not real, I could at least get my money back or a store credit (hopefully) at the very least.

Goodwill offers none of this. And I am uncertain if they are authentic.

And you just know the pricing clerk Googled these and then priced them. Meanwhile, I got a $2,500 bracelet for $2.92 cents in February. You see ... the way my budget set up ... I have no problem at all rocking a pair of fake Loubies They are about $100 online. I know what I'm getting.

Hell, might even get two pairs.

But paying $275 for these not-sure-if-they're real Loubies? I'd quit Goodwill first.(And you know that ain't happening anytime soon).

My thrift store adventures in Ft. Walton Beach, Fla.

By Tenisha Mercer
www.BargainistasATL.Blogspot.com

It's when you go thrift store shopping at stores out of town that you realize just how lucky you are to have so many thrifting options.

Atlanta, where I live, has tons of thrift stores and consignment boutique options - from the tried-and-true 'you never know what you're gonna find' Goodwills and the swankiest of the swank dripping with Louboutins consignment stores, to the, "Do I really want to get out of this car?" stores that make you second guess your decision to thrift there in the first place.

I wasn't sure what I was going to find when I went thrifting in Ft. Walton Beach, Fla. recently.  The experience has made me appreciate thrift stores in Atlanta even more. 

For starters, the entire store was half the size of most Goodwills in Atlanta. No joke. And what was there, wasn't enough to write home about -- though I did find a cute pair of shoes and a dress.

Ft. Walton Beach may have sunshine aplenty and white sand kissed beaches for miles on the Emerald coast, but good thrift stores? No, ma'am, at least not in the tiny community where I vacationed.

Though I suspect that I'd have done better had I gone five miles down the beach to Destin.(Next time).

Inside, I felt like everything was a mashup - no color coordination or anything else at that Goodwill. It was rather dreary. I just knew I wouldn't find much of value here, but I did find a few things. 

What I picked up

Anywho, this is what I got:;

Don't let the wrinkles fool you; this is actually a cute dress from Willi Smith (TJ Maxx) that will be good for the spring.

New pair of Sam & Libby shoes with tags still on 'em.

If you live in a major city, be grateful. Thrift shopping could be a lot worse. I did have a blast in the sun, tho. My shorts are thrifted, below.

Thrift OOTD

By Tenisha Mercer
www.BargainistaATL.Blogspot.com

I'm a wake up and put on what I feel kinda girl -- I rarely know what I'm going to wear the next day until the morning of, even when it's thrift store clothing. This morning, I felt like bringing things up a notch for fall.

So I pulled out this thrifted trench from H&M as the basis for my (mostly) thrifted outfit. Everything except the dress and the scarf are thrift. While this outfit is a bit pricier, each of these items builds upon so many other things and are my wardrobe staples.

Here's the thrift OOTD breakdown. My dog, Teddy, wanted to take photos too, so here he is.

Dress - Target, $20 (old)
Trench coat - $10 H&M (Goodwill)
Scarf - $7 (Ross) 
Shoes - $17.99 (Purchase from a thrifter)
Bag -$65 (Michael Kors, Goodwill)

5 reasons you know you shop at thrift stores WAYYY too much

By Tenisha Mercer
www.BargainstasATL.blogspot.com

As much as I like to shop at thrift stores, there are signs that you just need to .... stop.

 1. When you buy the same item two or three times over -- and you have away too many of the same items in your closet.

2. When you have no more room in your closet to fit anything else.

3. When you have more Goodwill plastic bags than grocery bags. FYI: They make really good bathroom trash bags and bags for small trash bins.

 

4. You hide your Goodwill bags from your spouse/significant other and pray they don't notice.

5. When you look at people at Goodwill  like this when they get something you want:

Thrift OOTD -- Camo, Goodwill style

By Tenisha Mercer

http://BargainistasATL.Blogspot.com

I never know what I am going to wear until the morning. I dress how I feel -- and this morning I woke up and decided to put together a camo theme -- a hot fashion trend earlier this year -- but with my thrift store spin on it, of course.

I bought this Jennifer Lopez for Kohl's tuxedo jacket blazer from GW for $6 over the summer. I held onto it, but now is the perfect time to wear it (remember, Goodwill is seasonal, too). I'll hold onto items for months until I can pull the look off with the right shoes and accessories.

Today was the day. I love the color -- a bright tomato red. Retail: $80 (out of stock on Kohls.com).

I am a girly girl to the core but I love the camo trend, especially when paired with graphic tees and blazers. I love unexpected pairings. So I got these camo jeggings from Wal Mart for $13 on Friday. 

I did not have a good graphic tee to go with it, so I paired it with my $6 clearance top, also from Kohls. 

The belt was $10 at the Express outlet in St. Augustine,  Fla. (last season). And the shoes were $6 at GW. They are a few years old but they are a good neutral and are from Bloomingdale's -- the designer name is rubbed off from my wear.

Total price: $42

While this look is a bit pricier, you can barely get one new item of clothing out of a retail store for what I  paid for my entire outfit! 

Another Michael Kors steal at Goodwill!

By Tenisha Mercer
www.BargainistasATL.Blogspot.com 

There are days when the Goodwill gods shine down from heaven and pour out earthly blessings.

At Goodwill!

I kid, but no, really. It is true.

Last week was one of those weeks. I stopped at a Goodwill that I rarely frequent  -- I only stopped at this particular one because it was near an appointment because usually it's inconvenient.

I don't even want to think about how much I spent at Goodwill that week (I need a 12-step) but when I tell you it was worth it!!!

Found THIS baby for $69. The clerk had just put it out. I spotted it hanging behind the counter, behind some fake Gucci and busted wanna be Dooney & Burke bags.

Is that Michael Kors? I already wrote about the Michael Kors clutch that I scored for $16 at Goodwill just yesterday.

But this was my very first MK find last week.

My Goodwill adventures

I could barely get it out:

"Is it real?"  The clerk nodded, 'Yes!" I know my purses, and I had this exact one. It's real."

When I tell you I almost did the holy dance inside of that Goodwill!

The leather felt buttery soft. I took a whiff --  that good, unmistakable leathery smell that no amount of polyurethane will ever be able to replicate.

The price tag wasn't there, but I did find this MK card.

The bag was $69. Now, I'm not opposed to paying for quality, but I had just planned on picking up one, maybe two things, max that day.

I had not planned on dropping $70.

But there was no way in hell that I was leaving this Goodwill without this bag.

I knew I'd kick my own ass if I didn't buy it; that's even a good price for a good fake (don't judge me, LOL), and these kinds of deals you simply don't turn down, not in Goodwill.

I did a quick Google search on the bag - $358 retail - The Hamilton Saffiano satchel, at Macy's.

That sealed the deal: This bag was going home with me! I held it, looked at it again, and I bought it! 

Might be fake; doubt it, though. It's my present to ME! 

Top: $12.99, TJ Maxx, Jeans: $10, Target, Shoes: Aldo, $12.99 at Upskate Resale, Necklace: $8, eBay, MK bag: $69, Goodwill 

 

3 reasons why I shop at thrift stores

By Tenisha Mercer
www.BargainistasATL.com

My name is Tenisha Mercer ... and I am a thrift store addict. I swear, I need a 12-step program. My closet overfloweth with thrift store goods. I shop thrift not because I cannot afford to pay retail, but why pay retail when you don't have to?

1. More is less. Have you ever tried to go in a retail store with $20? I double dare you. Seriously. I promise you it will be difficult, if not impossible, to walk out of there with more than one thing in your hand. But at thrift stores? I can get a whole bag of stuff for $20. Nothing like the feeling of walking out of there George Jefferson style with a bag (s) in hand and your wallet is only $20 lighter.

2.Sense of adventure. Generally, when you go to a retail store, what you see is what you get. And that can get VERY boring. A thrift store is like an adventure that varies from day-to-day: You never know WHAT you'll find! You just might see a to-die for vintage top from the 1980s, a Louis Vuitton bag (sometimes real, most times knock off) and a trendy dress from H&M. I have gotten many new items, many with the tags still on them. SCORE!

3. Thrift and I go wayyyyy back. Like close cousins, back. I hated thrift stores as a kid. I mean,what kid wouldn't? My grandmother would drag me to them, all dark and dank. Racks of clothes. My young eyes just saw stuff from DECADES ago - stuff that I'd never, ever wear. It was a place that no teenager wanted to be. I wanted to be at the place that sold the cool, hip clothes.

Trust me, it was nothing like Ryan Lewis & McLemore song, "Thrift Shop." I didn't want to pop no tags. Fastforward a good 20 years later and it's my favorite place. I grew to like them, actually love them. Funny how that works, huh? Guess my grandmother knew what she was doing.

Do you thrift and if so, why?