One Man’s Trash….
I’m sure you’ve heard the old expression, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” It’s true. My father loved to rescue “perfectly good” items from the curb where they sat waiting for the garbage truck. My apartment complex’s trash enclosure was a real thrill for him. People were always moving in and out, often leaving behind extraneous items they couldn’t quite fit into the moving van. My mother would shudder to see him returning with his “finds.” But I loved it. It was the epitome of the expression. It was a veritable treasure hunt.
If you can’t quite stomach the thought of a trash to treasures hunt, the thrift store is the next step up. The things at a thrift store didn’t qualify for the trash can, and someone somewhere thought there was enough life in them to pass them on. That’s a good sign. It’s the thought that “just because I can’t use it doesn’t mean you won’t want it” coupled with the idea that “maybe someone who is good at fixing things can make it ‘good as new’” that sent them to the thrift store.
When my children were babies I bought a lot of stuff at thrift stores. I bought toys and books and clothing and shoes. I bought dress up clothes, costume jewelry, and pretty hats. I once bought a wooden Playskool toddler indoor climbing toy for $1.49. It was worn, the paint nearly bare, and rickety. It was, I admit, 30 years ago but even so, it would have cost a lot more then than I paid for it. I took it home, took it apart (all screws), repainted it, and put it back together “good as new.” It provided hours of fun in the playroom.
I moved a few years ago to a rural area in Wyoming and was asked what I missed about the city. Imagine my surprise when the first thing that popped out of my mouth was “thrift stores!”
My Father would have been amused.