Are flea markets and thrift stores, deal or no good deal?

It's almost Fall. And people are flocking to the malls and discount department stores for school clothes and supplies, I wonder how many are going the alternate route and shopping at flea markets, yard sales, and thrift stores. On crisp fall days, it's fun to plan some family outings and Flea markets and bazaars are much cooler than the dog days of summer. 

It’s hard for a family these days to make ends meet especially and when you have kids that grow out of their clothing in practically minutes, so many people are turning to thrift shops and other budget friendly places.  But is it really a deal?

Flea markets are often full of professional fleamarketeers that sell low quality new items for what seems like a great deal.  A great deal until you take off your shoes and the socks you bought are hanging on by a thread, literally.  Or when you washed your favorite team T-shirt and it turned every other piece of clothing you own a dingy shade of puce.  Yes, puce is a color. The dictionary defines puce as a dark, brownish, purple hue. Now doesn't that sound delightful?

The new toothbrush you bought broke in half while brushing your teeth.  And, the super deal 79 cents  Crest toothpaste turned out to be Crost.   Guess you didn’t notice there was an “o” where the “e” should be.  Further examination reveals that it is made not in the USA but a country whose name you can’t even pronounce.

And everywhere you look there is glassware.  Broken, chipped, and dusty. Turn a lane and there are appliances of every kind that may or may not work.  $2.00 for a Nutrabullet, it’s worth a gamble, right?  That is what you told yourself before your kitchen walls turned out to be covered in blueberry pulp.

And the upholstered ottoman that looked so elegant doesn’t seem like such a great deal when the fleas start to hatch. 

Don’t get me wrong there are super deals to be had at flea markets, thrift stores, and yard sales. You just have to be careful.  Let me close with just a few words of caution.  Know your prices.  Know your items and what you are looking for.  And as the old saying goes, “let the buyer beware.”

Check out all the others posts at the bottom of each new post on Crystal clear blog.  And please leave a comment. I'd love to hear your adventures in thrifting too!