Last week, my dad came to town to bring me some items to donate to the Junior League’s Attic Sale. When I asked him where we should meet to make the exchange, he said, “The Goodwill Store.” When I got there he came out to the parking lot and ordered me to go inside to see something he was thinking of buying. Intrigued (and a little scared), I walked in. He took me over to the shirt section…all the while telling me how he had promised himself he wouldn’t even look at the shirts because he had enough at home already. (After all, Mr. Fashion has that sweet denim one in his closet, remember?) He pulled a red shirt off of the rack, and much to my surprise, it was nice looking. A button-up red shirt with a Georgia “G” embroidered on it. Well played, Dad.
Now, I am not exactly sure how long my dad had been in the store, but it’s probably safe to say that he had been debating whether or not to buy that shirt for a good 20 minutes or so. He asked my opinion, so I told him, “I love it. You can wear it to a game, so you should get it. How much is it?” His reply? $3.75.
Y’all. For $3.75 I would’ve thrown 30 of ’em in my cart. I guess this is why I live paycheck to paycheck, but I digress. On my way out of the store (
Dad was still shopping), I heard him tell the cashier, “That’s my daughter. She’s never been in a store like this before.” Um, yes I have. Silly Dad. Some of the best vintage finds are in thrift stores!
After departing the Goodwill Store, I took my things over to the building where the Junior League’s Attic Sale held. The Attic Sale is our biggest fundraiser, and for a mid-sized city, we do pretty well with it. This year, for example, we raised over $55,000 that will go back into our community in the form of grants and donations.
The Attic Sale is basically a gigantic yard sale (think an entire warehouse packed full of stuff) where people start lining up at 5am in the morning to find deals on anything from clock radios to baby strollers. You see all types of people at the sale – old, young, rich, poor – the clientele is quite diverse. There are people like my dad, who love a bargain, and even if they don’t need a gently used tennis racket…they will walk away with one. There are people there who know that some of the items donated come from the fancy-pants houses in town, and want to see if they can find a Tiffany lamp for $5.00. And of course, there are people who come to the Attic Sale because it’s where they stock up on their kid’s clothing, shoes, blankets, toys, books, etc. This year, I watched a little girl’s eyes light up over a used baby doll that her mother told her they could buy. It broke my heart and warmed my heart, all at the same time.
When you clean out your closets in anticipation for Spring/Summer, or if your kids (or grandkids, or nieces and nephews) have toys they no longer play with – please donate them to a local charity or thrift store. Whether your items end up in the hands of a cheap old man, a Carrie Bradshaw wannabe, or a needy family…the proceeds will go back into helping the people who need it most.
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