The GSC, Are You a Member?
April 5, 2011
The other day a series of tweets went around on a very serious subject, one that is near and dear to my heart. There is a dangerous illness sweeping the nation, and it is a grave problem. I’m warning you, if you ever get bit by this bug, it is unlikely that you will recover.
Here’s a real world example. It seems my friend Lakeitha was shopping the Goodwill, and she was struck by a sudden case of what shall now be dubbed ‘Goodwill Stashing’. Allow me to illustrate. The conversation began like this.
To which I replied,
Quickly more chimed in.
To which Lakeitha replied,
Then I joked,
But this really is no laughing matter.
I’m sure there are many husbands or partners all across this land, scratching their heads, wondering what is going on with these thrifting addicts? Yes, it is an addiction brought on by the lure of the hunt and the thrill of the score. It is a severe illness, and it is spreading rapidly. It is affecting homes, families, storage closets, and mostly garages. It’s ‘Goodwill Stashing’, and it’s time we bring this issue out of the closet, for lack of a better pun.
In the past, I had a far more serious case than I do today. There was a time when my husband couldn’t even park in our garage, I had so many thrifted finds stashed in there. He would say to me week after week, ‘Darling, dearest love, could you please explain to me over this perfect martini I’ve mixed for you what your amazing plans are for all of these dusty treasures?” Actually, it was more like, “For God’s sake woman, what the bloody hell is all of this doing in my parking spot!” Perhaps it takes a cold but direct comment to address the true problem.
I had to admit, I did have issues. To cajole my beloved, I bought some time by fixing up a few of those pieces, and then donated the rest. Through time, intense therapy, and promises to never do it again, I have *kind of* curbed my problem. As of today, there are only two thrift store finds in my garage awaiting a makeover. Now I mostly thrift vicariously, tweeting all the amazing finds I see but (mostly) resisting with all my might the desire to bring them home.
There is this gorgeous mirror which I scored for $15 bucks, and I completely love, but I am on the fence whether to paint it. I want to hang in in my foyer above the tall highboy dresser, but if I don’t paint it, then it’s just wood, wood, and more wood in that particular spot. I like the idea of a little contrast and a ‘distressed French gray and white’ treatment, kind of like this:
Then there is this uber tufted velvet chair, which I see in a modern geometric (like this Annie Selke fabric that I just ordered) and silver leaf on the legs. Less tufting, better fabric, and it will be gorgeous, right? Perfect for my master bathroom vanity.
Do you see a little something at a thrift store and think, ‘Oooh, the potential, great deal!” Then do you drag it home and let it sit in your storage space, staring at it, wondering what it could become? Well my friend, you need to join The Club.
The Goodwill Stash Club.
My situation could be worse, but I have taken action lately. I’m determined that if I actually convert the stashed item as quickly as possible, I am on my way to a cure.
I found this little magazine stand at a local thrift store for $20 bucks, and had to have it. How could I pass it up? It was the perfect size for my reading chair in the family room. A little spray paint (Rust-Oleum’s ‘Night Tide’ in Gloss) and voila! A perfect glossy peacock blue stand to stash ’His’ newspapers and ‘Her’ magazines.
Then there is this sweet little rustic folding table I found for $4 dollars and freshened by dry brushing on some sea green paint. It’s perfect for a mini tabletop for those impromptu picnics at the nearby coast , or as an outdoor perch for seasonal blooms. It sits indoors today, but I will eventually make its way outside.
What about you, are you afflicted? Should you be in The Goodwill Stash Club? Raise your hands in the air if you think you should be a member! Fantastic. I knew there were a lot of you.
What thrift store finds are hiding in your dark corners, awaiting a little magic? Go on, tell your story. We’re all listening.
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Tags: goodwill hunting, thrifting
Dee you are hilarious!
Saby, we had THE TALK too! I was twitching the entire time.
MamaJo, we accept enablers too.
Britta, you troublemaker. I haven’t been there in awhile, but now it’s on my weekend agenda.
xo
Kate
This is so funny because I always tell people how I find the best stuff at Goodwill. When my husband and I bought our first home (with 2 girls) we didn’t have any furniture for the home. I furnished my girls’ bedrooms and home with second hand and Goodwill furniture. I just finished a console table last week. It came with a hutch, both pieces for 75 bucks—get out!!!!
My GW is iffy… the AmVets, however… WOOO! I also stalk CL on a regular basis.
At least I’m finally making progress on a chair project. Took the loss of our kitty to get me motivated enough to paint them and get them out of the house. I’ll post the B&A… when I can get another dry day for the final paint touches.
Maybe we need a blog button?
I am a pround member! Although, my fav is finding stuff on the side of the road for free. Luckily, (for my BF) we live in an apartment so that limits storage space. I dream of a workroom once we buy a house where I can stash all my finds. My boyfriend used to give me grief over this(we currently have two chair frames that need refinishing, springs, upholstery, the whole works) until I found a mid century walnut chair on the side of the road. I oiled the wood and stripped the yucky original and rain stained upholstery and redid it in a modern cream and green pattern with hot pink trim. Then, a few weeks later while antiquing in Sepastapol, we found the exact match with original upholstery for $250!!! Now, I get free reign! In fact, I just found a mid century Thonet chair for free on the street (still has its original Park Ave, NY label). I am trying to find a price on this so I can fix up and resell.
Pround card carrying member!
My name is Megan, and I’m a Goodwill Stasher. I’ve been clean for…OK nevermind! I’ll never be cured! I too love the thrill of the bargain hunt! Loved the post! SO funny! My husband appreciated it too! ;o)
GASP!!!! I recognize myself! I recently bought yet another caned item- a darling French-legged side table. I quickly got it home and hid it in the Christmas decorations! NOW WHAT???? Same thing with a chair in the fall!!! HOW am I going to explain this????? And WHEN can I safely bring them out and use them?????? We need AA for furniture lovers!!!
Afflicted for sure. Going to do some painting today in fact!
I realized my addiction this past week while the hubby was out of town . . . he came back to a garage full of fun finds . . . I had the unfortunate, yet wonderful accident of stopping at a garage sale where the home owner used the own an antiques store. A gorgeous mirror, mini barrel, antique tin lamp, vintage linens, and a gorgeous painting later, I knew I had issues.
Can we also add a sub category to the group for “I can’t pass up a good deal” issues?
Love the post! And please, don’t paint the mirror! How about adding some fun wall treatment with color behind the mirror or a painted piece sitting on top of the highboy dresser? What about distressed metal sconces on either side?
Love ya,
Amanda
Me? I stash in the crawl space {a space under the main floor} that way no one knows of my stash but me!
I am SO happy you posted this! I have a shed that is 900 sq. ft. and it is completely packed with furniture from yard sales to thrift stores. Luckily it is not needed by anyone so I don’t have the accountability of my husband, or other family members. When I see a great deal, even if I don’t need it, I have to get it! Recently I found a hutch for only 40.00!! It is on my web site now, and the before and after pictures are amazing! So to this I raise BOTH hands! ;-)
i’m in an apartment, so i have to stash in plain view a lot of the time. I have a 100+ year old trunk i got for $50 on craigslist that’s halfway finished.. it’s been hibernating until the weather in south carolina gets predictable enough for me to haul it outside for a few days and finish the interior and polish the metal pieces. but last fall i did strip the nasty old canvas, remove the interior paper, sand and stain the outside wood parts. and it’s looking awesome. i even did my research to restore it in a more traditional way (painting it would have been a huge mistake, so i’m glad i read up on trunks!)
and on my porch i have a weathered diamond pane window- i spray painted the glass panes and now i just have to touch up and poly the frame. but now i’m thinking about painting the painted glass over with a chalkboard paint and going in another direction. so it’s been sitting on my porch in an undecided phase for 3 months now.
.. so long story short, i totally belong in the GSC!!
oh! and just this morning i bought this amazing indonesian style bookshelf (angled rack for leaning books diagonally) for my bf’s law books. i saw it at my fav thrift store yesterday, and they said it would be priced the next day, so of course i got up early this morning (on my day off!), nabbed it first, and snuck it in the apt before my bf woke up and could protest. :X
I am completely a member and told my Husband there was no possible way I could go fishing with him this Saturday at least until I made my Goodwill rounds Saturday because it is 50% 0ff day Saturday!
Recently I found an amazing yet beat up Highboy dresser and when I saw it I screamed, and people looked at me like I was nuts over such a abused dresser, but to me it was a true treasure!
I am very much apart of the club I buy things and try and find ways to get them in the house without my husband seeing them, or I try and make him believe I have had the items for awhile. LOL
Unfortunately My Goodwill store doesn’t really have many furniture pieces for sale. It’s mostly clothing. However……I have bought many furniture items at my local Habitat for Humanity Re-Store. I have scored BIG there!I purchased my Dining room hutch, my son’s bedroom furniture, replacement pieces for my China set,collectibles, but my biggest score was a hand painted wooden screen which was an antique. The volunteer told me it just came off the truck the day I bought it. The screen was solid wood panels hand oil painted of a mural of the Island of Capri in Italy…the family that donated it stated it was brought here from Italy in the 1920′s and they “didn’t enjoy” antique furniture! Are you kidding me??? It’s absolutely beautiful, I didn’t even have to have it cleaned. Fully open its about 8 feet long and 6 feet high. I gave it to my mother for Christmas last year and she was ecstatic. I can’t believe the luck I had I did pay $185.00 for it but it’s tax deductible!!!!! I love shopping there and at Goodwill, I make a weekly shopping trip to both stores, I have a stock pile of items I am just itching to refinish! You gotta love it!
May I have a t-shirt too? Until tonight I was feeling a bit isolated, consoled only by my overstuffed garage-o-goods. I secret away treasures and bring them into the house slowly over time…then when asked I say “oh, don’t you recognize that? It’s been in the garage for ages.” It worked for a while but he’s onto me now. It’s a nice feeling, being part of the GSC club.
This is an update to a previous comment. Just today I finished one of my nightstands that Ive been needing to do. And now since I got one of my many projects done, I got the go ahead to buy the sideboard from Salvation Army!! Plus it helped that I reminded him that he is going on a golf trip soon and that I would be spending way less than he is!! HAHA- I guess after 12 years, Ive figured out how to really get what I want anyway. I might end up coming home with more than just a sideboard, because I think I remember seeing the hutch that goes on top of it too!!
hahaha! Great post, Kate! I’m at the thrift store 1-2 x a week. It is an addiction. My favorite local store (St. Vincent de Paul) expects my weekly visits. Our Salvation Army and Goodwill are hit or miss but I can walk out of my favorite every time with something. I’m definitely hosting a yard sale once the weather warms up. I need more room! ;)
Kate-
I LOVE your blog. I’m a resident doc and my husband and I don’t have much money or time to decorate our house. Although we love Williams Sonoma and Ballard furnishings, not only are they expensive, I also hate the cookie cutter look that comes from buying everything at the same stores within the same few years. So far, I’ve bought three items from thrift stores and last week we picked up Rustoleum paint and supplies at Home Depot. I’m so excited to see the results.
THanks!
Heather
Me, me, me!! I’m a new member. We moved cross country a year ago and had 2 living rooms that needed to be furnished. When looking on craigslist for a coffee table, I found the same one I had just picked out at the local furniture store ($450 there) for $35! I was hooked. I just asked my friend the other day if she thought my house looked like a garage sale bc I have basically replaced every room with used furniture. She enthusiastically told me “No way!” (Gotta love good girlfriends!) I have always loved antiques but thought I couldn’t afford them. I just bought a 100 year old buffet to use as a media center for $150. I couldn’t have bought a particle board plastic veneered version at Target for that price. I am thinking of claiming that we are a “green” family instead of that I am addicted to old, beat up, cheap furniture. People who don’t get it just think you’re cheap. Being “green” seems to be much more chic!
GREAT post! I am a member! I actually just forwarded a link to this post to my fiancée and the subject line was “Please read this so you may better understand me…”! haha
I found two great lamps for $8 each a few months ago and Ive been waiting to spray paint them! I live in Philly and the weather is just starting to warm up. So Ive been waiting so the spray paint wont crack in the cold weather. Needless to say, he’s not very happy that we have two huge lamps sitting around our small apartment that I refuse to use and refuse to repaint just yet!
I too have a Goodwill addiction. I buy great finds for the house and also items I can refurbish for our annual yard sale. I have found several antique items that were priced for a dollar or two that I was able to clean, polish and resell for ten or more at the sale. Alas, I do have some Goodwill stash items though. Those little gems, like the wooden table on my back porch that are just waiting for for some sanding and painting.
I dropped by from the link on Hoot and Dollar. I am now following you via GFC and hope you will visit my blog KY Klips Blog. Thanks!!
I didn’t realize there was a name for my problem. AND YOU GOT ME STARTED! I have a monstrous bookshelf in our garage. I plan to trick it out with trim and paint it off white.
Yaaassss! I thought I was the only one! You name it, I’ve picked it up from GW. Just came home with a chair for 7 smackos that I plan to recushion and use as my desk chair.
[...] Goodwill has become my refuge. I think I could hang out there for hours, looking through all the books, furniture, clothes…. My basement has become littered with “projects” – I think I need this support group. [...]