I had the best thrift store haul in ages today. Everything was half off and I found tons of books.

Total haul:

-five grocery bags full of books, including hardcover children's editions of classics that appear to be brand new, and full sets of LOTR and Narnia that are in good shape, plus some other paperback copies of classic kids stuff and a handful of Usborne and Dorling Kindersley educational books. With the half off sale the kids' hardcovers were fifty cents and paperbacks were a quarter.

-one small KitchenAid coffee maker (I don't drink it, but I do have guests occasionally so now I can be a good hostess) $2.50

-a bag of pants and shorts for LK- each pair was $1.18

Total outlay: $31 and change. Most of that went into books.

I think I'm going to need go to Ikea tomorrow to buy the kid another bookshelf.

What horrible under-valuing of a critical portion of our culture, but fun to load up on great stuff for little money.

and on the last few days it would be a $5 flat rate for a paper grocery bag full of books. Unfortunately they quit doing that a few years back in favor of decentralized sales at each branch through the year, plus an (overpriced, horribly located) used book shop year round.

For children's books thrift shops have great deals on books, since people tend to donate them when they're outgrown. Books for adults? Not so much unless you're into mysteries, romances, westerns, books about cats who solve crimes, outdated textbooks or old diet/self help/dodgy medical advice books.

(rubs goatee while pondering...)

:)

$5 a bag full...wow. You're in a great area. The local library always has a "give away" tray at the exit, and I've scored a few niceties, such as a Theodore Sturgeon collection, and "Touch Not The Cat", for Mcctatas :rofl:
The book I'm about to finish, "The Essential Kabbalah", was only $1.00 at a library sale. Outstanding on all levels.

Books are good!

You went shopping on the New Black Friday ?! :D

Okay, I did go to Target to return the dead Wii, and then to GameStop to get a working Wii (Target didn't have one to exchange so they gave me my $$$) and grabbed a few used games while I was there, but I didn't do any new-stuff shopping. Target was pretty empty, there wasn't even a line for returns. GameStop was a madhouse, I think every kid in town was spending their giftmas money, plus they had a buy two get one sale on used games.

Oh wait, I did go get cat food and shampoo. Does that make me part of the consumerism orgy?

went shopping today (I had to work) and she said the Mall parking lot was full. She lives in a fairly well to do area but, where I live this was the first day I know of that the Mall parking lot was full.

Target was empty?? :wow: :shrug:

I am going shopping tomorrow.

My List:

apple corer
a really nice salt and pepper mill
Swedish Bitters

It's beautiful here today too, so it wasn't a weather thing.

it sounds like everyone is trying to get the most bang for their buck. The weather here is very mild for this time of year. I really have to wonder how this will all end. Very curious.

I get some of my best stuff there!

...as they are in stores. I don't know if they're "hot", but I ain't askin'. But it never seems to fail that they always have levi's - in brand new condition - for $7.00 a pop. :-)

I scored some not-new-but-in-good-shape Levis for LK a while back for $2 a pair, and I was pretty darn happy about that. I used to be able to get him brand new ones for $4.xx at TRU when they'd to their clearance sale (half of markdown prices) but they only carry up to a 7x, so he's too big for me to get him cheap stuff there anymore. Pity, I'd get a whole season's wardrobe, all nice stuff, for about $100.

It gives me great heart attack to pay retail. We have a book exchange bookcase in the lobby of our apt house. It's great.

I've been swapping books online lately, which is helping me to get rid of books I don't read anymore. Of course I'm bringing as many new-to-me books in, so it's not really clearing bookshelf space but at least it's chipping away at my I've-been-meaning-to-read-that list, and all I pay is shipping.

we have expanded to 2 bookcases. With 50 apts, it seems everyones taste is represented. I like that if I find i'm out of something different to read, I can go out htere and get something even if it's midnight.

Is this your generation's Dungeons and Dragons?

:eyes:

I slay me.

Still calling me?

What the hell are you talking about?

And I tried calling earlier.

It's working now.

Oh, and this is V:TM. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vampire:_The_Masquerade I can not tell you how much time this and spinnoffs ate up in my teen years. More than it bears thinking about.

In fact, I also have the cheesy PC game versions--BOTH of them. :blush:

Damn you, White Wolf! lol

That takes an advanced degree of self-hatred. ;)

She said it was a bargain. I put them around my big Toby, that i got in England, when i was 11.
:woohoo: