My friend S. and I have a standing date nearly every week to go dig around one of the local thrift shops. The past few visits have left us a bit empty-handed; but my mom has told me she’s having a similar problem with thrifting up north too. I guess everyone is opting to hold yard sales instead of donating to charity since the weather is so nice right now! Despite this, after several trips and lots of digging, I did find a few little things that came home with me!
This vintage Villager blouse was pointed out to me by a fellow thrifter. We run into each other regularly, and she always loves to see what vintage inspired outfit I’m wearing that week. Last week she asked if I had seen the Peter Pan collar blouses in the shirt section, and somehow I had missed them! There was a white one which was sadly far too big for me, and then this coral pink one. It was only a couple dollars and will go very well with some of my floral skirts (and 40s trousers)! I especially love that it has a tag for the owner to write their name on it–cute!
Scarves… A bit hard to find lately, but something I always look for! I love the star-print one especially; I think it’ll look snappy with some of my more nautical outfits. I seem to be drawn to anything with blue and red in it this spring–two colors that are my warm-weather standbys.
Finally, a few accessories that I couldn’t pass up for the prices they were asking. It seems all the thrift stores lately have raised their prices on costume jewelry, or the selection has gotten quite weak (at least with the sort of pieces I scour for). But I found these two: a Fakelite bangle (I’m envious of thrifters who find real Bakelite pieces!) and a fan brooch. To add to the already overloaded brooch holder… lol.
Anyone having better thrifting luck lately?
Great finds! I’m really in love with the coral blouse – so adorable!
Nice finds, I went this morning to find a little blouse for a funeral for tomorrow. I am always so surprised to find little gaps in my wardrobe like this. I was able to find a little silk blouse to go with my black ginger skirt. While in Florida last week I found some vintage Pajamas that are so pretty and some great fabric. No patterns at all, was surprised by this.
I know what you mean about gaps like that! I’ve been trying to fill in a few I’ve found since moving back to a more temperate climate. It’s amazing what “duh!” things I’m lacking!
♥ Casey
I love that you call it Fakelite! I’ll have to remember that, as I never see the real thing in thrift stores either. I went thrifting this weekend and found a leather handbag for $1, that was the only thing I got for myself. Everything else I picked up will slowly find its way into my Etsy store.
Love your finds, especially the brooch. Very cool.
Oh wow!! A $1 handbag is always a great find, imho!
But then again, I have a bit of an inability to pass up cute, inexpensive handbags in the thrift store. lol.
♥ Casey
Oh wow! That blouse is a great find! I can’t wait to get down and do some thrifting with you.
Mom
Hopefully we’ll have more luck!!!
♥ Casey
I’ve noticed the selection at my local (southern VA) thrift shops getting pretty weak, too. If I stick with it, I find I can still occasionally luck out on some items; but not like I used to. I’m going to start heading out to rummage sales and yard sales now that the weather is nice.
Maybe it’s something about Virginia right now??? :/ I had really good luck through February, and it’s just dropped off since then. Rather frustrating, but I think you’re right that rummage/yard sales (saw a couple promising looking church rummage sales last weekend, but of course didn’t have time to go poking around…) are the way to go right now!
♥ Casey
“Thrifting” is a bit hit & miss across the pond but I found a 100% cashmere Burberry crew neck jumper the other day in perfect condition! I was so thrilled as natural fibres are almost impossible to come by in charity shops here. I have been trying to find silk scarves for months but no luck yet sadly. I love the little fan broach Casey.
Oh wow! Finds like that are becoming harder to find here too. :/
♥ Casey
Lovely finds !
How old is that blouse ? I’m asking because of the stiches (looks like serger/overlock), and I have a lot of clothing (probably vintage) with the same kind of stiches. But because I don’t know how old the stiches are, I can’t ‘date’ the clothing..
- Jip.
Judging by what the lady who pointed it out to me told me (she her sister wore them back in the day), and this page on the VFG website, I’d say mid 1960s. Serging/overlocking is a bit older than one would suspect! I found a page awhile ago that had some history on it, but have since lost it. If I find it, I’ll let you know!
♥ Casey
Ooh that peter pan collared blouse is right up my alley! And I love the scarves. I keep forgetting to look for scarves, but this weekend when we were furniture hunting at antique malls I did get two nice inexpensive ones.
I’ve had very poor luck thrifting over the last few years, unfortunately, though I do imagine I’d have better luck if I were able to do it more often. I don’t think I’ve even been fortunate enough to find fakelite, lol!
I think perhaps the thrifting luck as far as vintage is starting to wear out! :/ I’ve been having a better time of just hitting the vintage shops and paying a bit extra.
♥ Casey
Oh, that peter pan collared blouse is adorable!! And lovely fakelite! Good finds.
I definitely feel that the thrifting up here has dried out lately, too; it’s been a while since I found anything pre-’60s. I guess the well is running dry for older pieces– shudder!!
I know–that makes me sad about finding vintage!
♥ Casey
I don’t know why but I seem to be having uncommonly good luck up here in the wilds of Ohio. Seems like I can’t go to my local thrift and not find a vintage Pendleton skirt or blazer, or vintage slips, or vintage sweaters. The things I’m not really finding lately are good vintage dresses, lovely scarves, and costume jewelery.
I love the little blouse. I plan to make one very similar to that, only in a much lighter shade of pink. Like you, I have a ton of things it will coordinate with. Good finds! Just be persistent!
We seriously moved to the wrong place, obviously, as far as thrifting goes! lol. I’m so envious of all your finds!!
♥ Casey
I wonder if the thrifts just aren’t running this good stuff through? Because I don’t see alot of it at yard sales either.
I wonder too! A lot of the bigger charities pick over the donations and send the vintage/designer things to other locations or mark it up. :/
♥ Casey
Hi Casey,
Just came across your site today and it’s fabulous! I like the variety of post topics.
I have to agree with your comment; in recent years, here in the San Francisco Bay Area, the 4 major charities that run thrift shops sell the quality vintage clothing and jewelry direct to dealers and we, the humble public are left with cast-offs (with the occasional “yipee” find, albeit at the top end of the retail price range). Sometimes one has to go weeks empty-handed, but I don’t think it’s time to throw in the towel =)
I just found out your blog and I love it. Great style.
estrellasdefebrero.blogspot.com
I did up in Wmsburg, but I didn’t find any of it in a thrift store, really. Started at my standard vintage shop (with amazing prices), which led me to a lady who was doing a yard sale/moving and had a random assortment of 40s/50s items. She still has a trunk of 1950s wool coats if you’re interested! I took off with a 1930s satin pajama set, two ’40s wool suits, and three slips. I bought two of her 1950s NOS dresses from the vintage shop as well!
Oooh! A vintage shop in Williamsburg? I might have to check that out next time I’m up that way!
What great finds too–I love serendipitous things like that. Wish I could say I needed more coats, because I’d totally jump on your offer! But I think if I brought any more home, my husband would balk. My coats already are squeezing his out of the closet. haha!
♥ Casey
Well, I’m glad to hear I’m not alone in my thrifting dry spell…it’s been nothing but ugly 1990′s clothing for sometime. Of course, it’s a real rarity that I find 1950′s vintage but when I do, you better believe I’m usually making some sort of “EEEPPP!” sound and silently praying that the tiny waist will work with my not-so-tiny one. I do love that coral shirt…I need to keep my eyes open more in the blouses isle! Thanks for sharing, Casey!
You too? That makes me feel a little less “woe is me!!! The thrifting stinks here!”. lol. Although it was good in February, it’s just died since then! 50s and earlier is becoming few and far between; even 60s and 70s in some cases!!! :/
♥ Casey
Love them! soo adorable! Your blog always cheers me up
Aw, thank you Shirley!
♥ Casey
What charming finds! I’ve been especially smitten with brooches all of a sudden this year, so I’m especially keen on the cute fan number that you found.
While I’m sure that there are vintage treasures to be had at various thrift stores across Canada, by and large, as the years tick by, I’m finding it trickier and trickier to track down anything vintage on the second hand front. My only lucky day so far this year happened just last week actually, when at a local Salvation Army I found two vintage 50s hats! One is a white floral banded style that could very easily be used for a wedding, but which looks equally pretty as a warmer weather chapeau for all manner of events (it was $3.00). The other, a chic little black pancake hat with a tiny bow on the front, had a tattered veil that was beyond repair (it literally came off in pieces in my hands as I picked it up), but interestingly, I think the hat actually looks better without it, so I really don’t mind that it’s now veil-less (it was $6.00).
I know that many gals south of the 49th routinely find reams of genuine vintage items while out thrifting, but I do not have anywhere near that kind of luck up here in small(ish) town Canada, so a day like that with two 50s hats is a highly memorable one in my books.
♥ Jessica
Your hats sound lovely!!! I’ve seen a couple at the thrift shops here, but they always want a small fortune for them. :/
Vintage is getting harder to source here too–even some of the thrifts in large cities where the populations would theoretically support it, is drying up. :/ Florida was really a goldmine when we lived there, since there were so many retirees!
♥ Casey
Love the fan! I always have to check out the jewellery in these places.
I’ve been finding that for some time, too. I’d rather just make a donation to my preferred charity than pay the over charged prices some of the shops are asking, then I feel I’ve done some good and don’t feel ripped off. Not that it’s the only reason I shop in them, they are like the donkey and carrot for me. But I have noticed that an awful lot of very poor quality items are being hoiked up in price to ridiculous levels. Damaged items and general tat. Don’t know about your side of the pond but over here they seriously have to learn that just because something is old it doesn’t always mean it has value. Mind you, a lot of people should pay attention to that!
Also, a lot of the good stuff they get in nowadays doesn’t even hit the shop floor, it gets whisked off to some other place to sell. That goes for the books, too.
And unfortunately my nearest town doesn’t , shall we say, have the most well dressed or chicest inhabitants, so the selection is never gong to be all that great.
I’ve noticed the newer, “fast fashion” pieces being priced too high at my thrift shops too! Which in some cases works in my favor, because they’ll mark an Abercrombie and Fitch shirt for $6 and pass over the nicer designer item and have it selling for $3.
I just refuse to pay $8 for a Target or H&M piece!!! Ridiculous!
♥ Casey
What finds Casey! I too love the star scarf. Can’t wait to see it worn in future posts…..so cute!
I was in Florida last month and my fiance spotted a thigh length black wool coat for him at the Salvation Army. It was a perfect style and fit and it it was only $12. I think we lucked out on that one because it was Florida and the temp was in the 80′s. I didn’t have as much luck mostly becuase of all the terrible staples the SA uses in the necklines. I almost cry every time I see staple holes in silk shirts and algadon cotton tops.
I was so spoiled by thrifting in Florida! I found some really fantastic winter pieces while I was living there–most of my vintage sweater collection is Florida in origin.
I hate that some shops staple things! :/ They’re always such a pain to remove too…
♥ Casey
Oh yeah, I also had some luck at my local SA a week or so ago. I found a hip length cashmere Eddie Bauer coat and a Tahari jacket for myself. Each under $10 and the staples didn’t damage them.
Score! I love blouses like that. I have a vintage Echo scarf too, their prints are always so nice.
I LOVE the fan brooch! I could see Loretta Young wearing it.
I’ve not been thrifting much lately but I did find an old Singer sewing book. Copyright 1948. I’m SO excited. 
I’m always pretty disappointed in prices at thrift stores in my area. When I visit my grandparents over the mountains, the difference is astonishing. I haven’t had terribly much luck lately, but I did find a beautiful handmade leather backpack recently. I paid $30 for it, which seemed a bit steep, but I’m already getting quite a bit of use out of it, and a lady at a store complimented me on it and said it reminded her of one she paid $300 for in…Bali or something.
It’s amazing what a little distance will do with thrift store selection! I’m kind of curious to try thrifting in northern North Carolina, since it’s within easy driving distance. Might have better luck!
♥ Casey
I can’t believe you found a Villager blouse. I remember their clothing from the late 60′s and early 70′s. I had several pieces and loved them.