A couple of weeks ago, I made my first trip to the Goodwill bins.  For those of you who don’t know about “the bins,” it is pretty much the last stop before recycling or the dump for the Goodwill. I had wanted to go for a while, but was seriously turned off by a former neat-freak neighbor who made me think everything was covered in slime and dust, and I would be lucky to get out alive.  Thankfully, my friend Maria had been many times and survived, and was happy to take me along on her last trip.  I learned, quite thankfully, that it is neither slimy nor dusty, well, not that dusty, anyway, but a little cold.

It is a pretty well organized place considering the nature of it – and like your typical Goodwill store, has the usual hodge-podge of items – furniture, housewares, odds and ends, clothing, linens, fabric, etc.  As the name infers, most of the items are in bins on wheeled tables.  There is great excitement and crowding when a new set of bins makes its way to the floor – fresh goodies!  Unlike a typical Goodwill store, with the exception of furniture and some housewares, items are purchased by the pound.  $1.39 for up to 50 pounds, and $.89 a pound for purchases over 50 pounds (don’t quote me on the prices, I’m not positive).

Pooled together, Maria and I had over 50 pounds, so we paid the bargain price.  It is astonishing how quickly it adds up!  This is what I got:

the lamp above, with the shade ($3 + $10 at Home Depot for a repair kit)

a pair of perfect fitting black leather pants (is this a midlife crisis?)

a nightgown

two vintage sweaters (one fisherman knit, the other beautifully beaded)

an apron

a crazy flowered housecoat (Oy, definitely a midlife crisis)

a tablecloth

a nutcracker – like the ballet

a cache pot

a small silver tray

a piece of Hawaiian fabric

Not bad for $25, including fixing the lamp (thanks for that Buddy).  The perfect adventure for tough economic times!