Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Chelsea Reviews: East Valley Thrift/Vintage Shops

Im sure you all know how much I love thrift and antique shops. 
Especially for home goods. I can't think of a single item Ive bought for the house that wasn't from an antique, thrift or outlet type store. Not only do we live on a single income but I prefer the DIY/flea market style. You will never see me shop at any place like Hobby Lobby. I bought fake flowers there the first and last time I will ever buy anything there. It's the perfect example of what I despise in home decor. (p.s., if you like hobby lobby, sorry, and, you can find the exact same things at Walmart way cheaper).

 I have my favorite shops I like to visit on a regular basis. Even if I'm not searching for anything, I always find something or great inspiration.

These are my favorite shops for home goods: 

Thrift/Antique
Favorite of ALL: Antique Plaza
Goodwill on Scottsdale Rd. (They are the best!)
Deseret Industries. (Largest thrift Ive ever been to. And the cleanest. But you HAVE to go through the AS-IS to get most of the furniture. I didn't know this until the 3rd time I went.)
Antique Trove. (next door to them is another antique mall but they are more pricey and the trove is better anyway.)((another note about the Trove: they have yard/estate sales Saturday mornings in the parking lot))

Outlet
Favorite of ALL: Home Goods
 Marshalls/TJ Maxx
Big Lots (either a hit or miss)
Tuesday Morning (I like them for bedding and crafts)

These are my favorite shops for clothing:
I don't usually buy clothing at thrift or antique stores unless I find something great, but Dave always has good luck. 

Tiedemann's Family (Dave always find neat T-shirts here. He says it's his fav)
Gracie's (always good for furniture and lamps too. Owned by Grace community church)

We've been pretty out of the clothing thing lately. 
We used to explore all sorts of shops before I had Owyn. 
There are quite a few Id like to check out though more in the central Phx area.


One thing to keep in mind when thrift shopping (or any kind of shopping) is to look at an object for what it could be, not for what it is. If you aren't the most creative or crafty person the best thing to do (which is what I tell everyone who isn't so good at clothes shopping or putting outfits together) is find inspirations from magazines or online and search for similar items. 

Thanks for the request!