Warning, Bragging Ahead

OK, I know I'm not supposed to brag. I've been raised better than that. But, I have lucked out, once again, with my local donation store.

Yesterday, I found the cutest toy for Jader to play with at the Deseret Industries (D.I.) store. It is a Craftsman Toy Workbench. Here is a picture with her playing with it. Her dad took the time to set it up for her to play with. You'd think it was his toy.

It is so adorable to see her play creatively with her toys. Just before this picture, she was using the hack saw on the corner of the workbench. She knew exactly what it was for.

I couldn't find this exact model on the internet to do a price comparison. However, I found one very similar.

Retail: $65.
My cost: $5.

I'm not really into plastic toys, or plastic anything, so I can not justify purchasing new toys made of plastic. However, I don't feel bad about bringing plastic toys into the home if they are recycled toys that I found at the thrift store. Also, I don't mind if my child is given a plastic toy. My point is that I would prefer a wooden toy over a plastic toy. I'm just nostalgic that way, I guess.

Jader wasn't that only one who scored on my D.I. trip yesterday. I was thrilled to find some lime green sandals made by Born Shoes for only $2.
They looked as if they had never been worn. There were no feet marks (as in a dirty print), there were no impression marks, nothing. I figure they are brand new shoes, never been worn, and just donated for who knows why.

Lucky me!

My shoes look like these orange ones, except they are lime green. Too cute!

Retail: between $55-65.
My cost: $2

Enough about the bragging. Let me tell you why I think I get such good deals at my local thrift store.
My sister-in-law, Kristin, says she is jealous of our D.I. store here in Price. She says the store nearest her is always picked through, and she never finds anything good. We both like to recycle and reuse, and it's fun to share that common thread with her. Anyway, I digress, the reason I believe this store so commonly has the goods is because we are in the middle of nowhere and when people want to donate, this is the one store they go to. And, this area has some money in it. Residents make some good money working in the coal mines, for the oil field, and for the power plants.

We are close to Provo, Utah, which is where the majority of people from Price do their shopping. They go to the nice stores along the Wasatch Front, and even travel to Salt Lake City to shop. The buy their fancy things, and when they are ready to get rid of them, they donate locally.

When I lived in southern Utah, I could never find anything I desired at the D.I. in St. George. That store was so thoroughly picked through, I felt it was a waste of time to enter through the doors. It was a much bigger city, and a lot of people shopped there for their necessities, not just for the fun of it, like me.

That is my theory for why I have been getting lucky at my local thrift store. Hopefully the word doesn't get out too much, otherwise, I might find my luck drawing to an end.

Recycle, Reuse, and Reduce, people!