Do you shop at Thrift Stores for Gifts?

I seldom do. Though I purchase most of our clothes, books, toys, small housewares and many many Christmas decorations (more on that later in the year) at my beloved Thrifttown, I reflexively point the car towards Target or a local toy store when we are invited to a kids' birthday party.

The shelves of Thrifttown are packed with jigsaw puzzles, board games and stuffed animals. I buy these for my own children, but not for others.

"No Gifts, Please" is a common part of kids' birthday invitations nowadays. I haven't quite been able to go that route with my own children, because it just seems too joyless. But as I've previously discussed here, my kids don't play with a lot of toys.

So for both giving and receiving, used toys seem like a great fit. Less costly, less packaging, less stress if the toy breaks or a piece goes missing.

I did venture in to Thrifttown gift giving a few weeks ago, and it felt great. My neighbor gave birth to her second child, a daughter. Their older child is a boy--so they actually can use some new things.

Thrifttown racks are packed with adorable, gently used baby clothes. I have only boys so shopping for girls is a special treat. I went to town and still spent less than $10. But I only felt bold enough to give second-hand clothes because my neighbors are fellow Thrifttown lovers.

Onesies... lots and lots of perfectly good onesies, for about a buck each.

Stretchy, girly, practical pants.

Now do you see why I'd rather de-lice a used stuffed animal than buy new?

Games and puzzles galore. For these, you have to be willing to take a seat at the store and go through the box, to make sure everything is there.

The death toll in the Bangladesh factory collapse is now over 400. Salon has a story up today about how to shop post-Bangladesh. It gives a comprehensive list of ethical clothing providers, but does not touch on the idea of buying used. We already have so much perfectly good stuff out there, ready to be worn again. Buying less, buying smarter, spending more when necessary and buying used are what we need to do post-Bangladesh.

Why I Thrift

                                            (picture: news.com.au)

As you probably know by now, a building that houses garment factories in Bangladesh collapsed this week. The latest death toll that I can find is 244; sadly I am sure that number will rise as workers clear the rubble and more bodies are found. The building was known to be structurally unsound; but the work continued.

The work continued because the beast known as America's Addiction To Cheap Stuff needed to be fed. 

Slowly, we are seeing a renewed interest in American Made products. But I think it's going to be a long haul. American-made clothes are hard to find, and are (obviously) more expensive than stuff made in China or Bangladesh. When you are on a budget, it's oh-so-easy to get sucked in by "affordable" items like they have at Old Navy. During Christmas break I took my boys on an outing to San Francisco. We needed to find a bathroom, so we ventured in to the flagship Old Navy--four floors of cheap stuff. They had fleece jackets for kids for $4. That was the full price--they weren't on sale. For a fleeting moment I thought about buying some for my kids. In the Bay Area, lightweight jackets are appropriate all year long. Dead of winter? A fleece jacket with a scarf is just about right. Dead of summer? You need the jacket, but maybe you can leave the scarf at home. I quickly snapped out of my cheap-stuff reverie and hightailed it out of the store, feeling physically ill by the overwhelming abundance of cheap stuff.

I'm deeply thankful for the accessibility of good second-hand stuff in my area. I can clothe my family without feeding the beast and without emptying my wallet.