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There are truly more reasons than ever to shop for secondhand goods. Whether it's earth health, the fun of it, or finding great like minded people, there are lots of incentives for everyone to make thrift a big part of their 2017 shopping. Read on for some of our favorites, and please comment on any other great ones you have for being a thrift-aholic!
Second-hand items have a story. There’s something much more rewarding about choosing a one-of-a-kind sweater or wild skirt rather than a generic piece from your fashion big box store. There’s the thrill of the find, the conversations you have along the way, or the truly unique looks that you can create. Second hand just creates stories- from where they’ve been and what you make with them, to what you tell others about their journey. Saving (yours and the earths) resources and reducing waste. There is already enough stuff in the world, and every time you buy new you feed the consumer demand cycle for creation of new goods. Buying thrift is better for the environment, it saves resources, it reduces emissions, and those items don’t get shipped to the landfill. Oh, and let’s not forget about the $$ resources you save. It’s more community-friendly. Department stores and national or international chains are where most people buy their new clothes and furniture. These businesses rely on global supply chains and overseas manufacturing ordering huge quantities to keep costs low. They also encourage us to consume more and more. Second-hand stores are mostly independent and local. Many stores are just regular folks, trying to make a living through selling excess stuff. They hire local and often have a great community around the store that know the employees and each other. If you have the choice, why not choose to support local small business where you can get to know your merchants and neighbors and keep your money in the local economy. It means stepping off the consumer treadmill. For many, shopping can be a type of entertainment that means buying stuff that you didn't even know you needed until stepping into a store. Many impulse purchases sit unused in closets (we see LOTS of these things in our donation room) Marketers pull at us to shop for the newest trend or hottest items, and we frequently respond like palov’s dog regardless of what we need or even want. Being more deliberate about the choices we make puts us back in control of our lifestyle- and our pocketbook. BONUS: Shop nonprofit and you serve people in your community Thrift stores like St Vincent de Paul exist for all of the above reasons, but also to bring profits to our mission of helping our neighbors in need. This includes food assistance, helping find housing or providing emergency shelter, to job training to provide a path to full time employment. There are many choices you can make about where you shop for your thrift and secondhand items, choosing a nonprofit enterprise is one more thing you can use to make your shopping decisions count. The holidays are upon us, and in our corner of the world, a new relationship is blooming! Two rather stony faced characters, Estelle Donahue and Josh Ramirez found themselves in the same aisle at SVdP Thrift last week, searching for the perfect holiday outfit. Estelle, holding a dazzling sequin dress and Josh towing a new argyle tie and posh velvet sports coat, bumped into each other, blushing as they clutched their merchandise. Apologizing, Estelle turned to go, and in her sudden movement, tripped and fell in the aisle. Josh, ever the gentleman, took her to the front of the store to rest, quickly turning to a store attendant for a glass of water.
As Estelle rested against the luxe velour chair, the two got to talking and laughing, reporting the various family dysfunctions they anticipated during the approaching holiday, exchanges about their childhood, and amusements about previous SVDP thrift store finds. While she recovers, Estelle has asked Josh to keep her company. Although he has tried his best to maintain composure, Josh is swooning for his new mannequin companion. The SVdP store and its team members are happy to host the two young store residents . Stop by and say hello, and if you have any thoughts on the activities the two might take part in during the coming weeks and months, we’d love to hear your ideas!! The Livermore Store has long had a loyal fan base that stops by regularly to shop- some as often as a couple times a week! Jamie and her team wanted to say thank you for all the years of support the community has offered and celebrated them with a party this past Saturday. It was very well attended and everyone enjoyed food, a live band and getting to know each other better. We love Livermore and the great people that make the store an even better place to work and will be here to celebrate you for many years to come!
The best part of the holidays is getting ready for them! Let's face it, we all love the autumn feel, the colors and scents, and the great decorations that make us want to prepare for holiday gatherings with friends and family.
Here at our Fremont and Livermore stores we are preparing right now for the biggest and best holiday season yet! On November 15 we will unveil a years’ worth of fabulous finds that we have been squirrelling away - we are stuffed to the rafters (quite literally) with bright lights, baubles and curio of all sorts. We love this time of year and can help you find just the right decoration to make your home sparkle with the season! We will be featuring some special items this year, thanks to Ed Frakes who donated hundreds of nativity scenes. We will display these scenes from the 15th to the 24th of November and starting November 25 we are making these beautiful sets available for sale. Stop by to check out this amazing collection of memorabilia. Don’t BUY at the mall, choose to REUSE our beautiful items AND benefit those who need our help in Alameda County. The best thing you can do to reduce your use of resources that are used for clothing is to not buy them- to reuse something you already own.The second best? Shopping at a used clothing store. The clothing industry is the second largest polluter in the world … second only to oil. We are a nation of shoppers and that shopping results in the use of precious resources for items that may last in your closet a matter of months, or even weeks. Some top clothing designers, are on the leading edge of reforming the fashion industry and are reducing water use and carbon emissions and working to make their supply chain sustainable by 2020. But all of us need to take part and focus on more sustainable shopping NOW! The best way to start? Buy your clothing at secondhand thrift and vintage shops and we happen to know a few Great Ones around the East Bay. Shop our stores and help us fund the programs that feed, provide job training and other vital life resources while you shop! For more great thrifting in the East Bay our friends over at Thrift Store Junkies have a complete list
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