store review: the salvation army in frogtown

Posted on June 15, 2011 by highplainsthrifter

Salvation Army Thrift Store, Frogtown, St. Paul

I’m not going to lie: the Boss inspired me to stop at this Sal Val on Monday. Ever since I read about a fellow thrifter’s insane Bruce Springsteen concert T-shirt find there, I’ve been more than a little motivated to check it out again. And my goodness, am I glad I did! It turns out, a few days prior to my visit, a vintage shop that had recently closed had donated boxes upon boxes of merchandise to the store. We’re talking super primo designer vintage, most of it from the ’50s and ’60s. Anyway, as you can imagine….a major bonanza ensued, as evidenced by my overflowing cart.

After I stuffed my cart with vintage, I spent the better part of the next hour going through the rest of the shop.

WHAT’S GOOD

♥ The store is large and well laid-out, two things I really appreciate.

♥ While they don’t have as big of a selection as the downtown Minneapolis Salvation Army, they have a more than decent amount of nice furniture and lamps. I saw a well-crafted coffee table for $10! Also spotted? A couple cute vintage lawn chairs and a pair of hanging bird cages I’m totally kicking myself for not buying.

♥ The shop has an above average collection of framed artwork, including (at the time of my visit) some larger scale mid-century pieces, some cool Native American powwow photos and some small kitschy pieces from the ’70s.

♥ The prices are really reasonable. Over the past year, prices at nearly every Salvation Army have gone up substantially, but this store is an exception. For example, I didn’t pay more than $3 a piece for any of the vintage I snagged, and some of it was discounted by 75% thanks to the tag sale they had running.

♥ The service was exceptionally sweet and patient. While I was waiting in line, I saw the manager and cashier address two fairly difficult, argumentative customers with poise and kindness.

♥ And last but not least, they have a dedicated vintage section. Which makes this girl’s life a whole heck of a lot easier!

WHAT’S NOT GOOD

♥ The couple times I’ve visited, I’ve noticed that the housewares section has really slim pickin’s. If you’re looking for Pyrex, dishes, knick knacks or bake ware, you might not have the best of luck here.

♥ It’s not super clean, a fact I can overlook in every thrift if the prices are rock bottom, as they are here.

The vintage goodies (numbering in the dozens), need laundering and steaming before they make their Internet debut, but here are a few other things I found on Monday that got me excited.

A complete, 16-volume set of Family Circle’s DIY Encylopedia from 1973 ($8). (Incomplete sets retail for around $50 on Etsy.)

I cannot wait to dig into these babies, you have no idea! Here are a few of my favorite covers…

I also picked up a couple random pieces of framed art. We’ve had a couple customers at Mighty Swell request more big-eyed boy/girl ’70s art, so I picked this up (even though it sort of creeps me out).

This photo of the Dump Sweet Dump (50 cents) mirror is too funny not to share! Yes I am wearing a wool sweater in June…it’s Minnesota!

After purchasing this cap-sleeved ditty (75 cents), the number of red and white gingham shirt I own is now up to three! Yikes!

Go here to find: Clothing (modern and vintage), art work, furniture, photo frames, books.

Selection/Variety: ♥ ♥ ♥

Quality: ♥ ♥ ♥

Pricing: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Organization: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Customer service: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Cleanliness: ♥ ♥ ♥

Stroller-friendly? Yes!

Do they take credit cards? Yes!

While you’re there: There’s a ton to do over in this ‘hood! I love Ethiopian food and Fasika down on Snelling is one of the best spots in town. Go with a friend and split the veggie sampler. It’s nourishing, healthy and a total bargain at $14. If you’re in the mood for more thrifting, try digging for treasures at the Goodwill outlet at 2505 University Avenue or visit the plain old regular Goodwill store over at 553 Fairview. I also love finding stuff I never knew I needed at Ax-Man Surplus on University. That store is so fun!

Where it is: 572 University Avenue West

Hours: Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Contact: 651.789.0099, Facebook

xo!

Meghan

thrifting trip: burnsville loop

Posted on February 28, 2011 by highplainsthrifter

When I leave work feeling like a crabbed-out stress case, there’s one thing that can always make me feel better: Shopping. Thrift-store shopping, to be exact. I wait until traffic dies down, and then grab my iPod, some water and hit the road. While most of my favorite thrift trips are all-afternoon adventures, I’ve got a few routes down that can easily be done after work (even if you’re a 10-6-er like me).

This one, back and forth to Burnsville, is one of my ole stand-bys for those nights when retail therapy is most definitely required. I like to head south on 77 (Cedar Avenue) so I can hit the Savers that’s barely in Apple Valley. Then I cut across to Burnsville on Cty. Rd. 42 which leads you directly to the Unique and Salvation Army stores. (Pro tip: If you’re stretched for time, just hit the Unique and Salvation Army in Burnsville—they’re literally across the street!) From there, you can head back to Minneapolis on Hwy 35W, or cut back to 77 on Highway 13 hitting Antiques Minnesota and the Chap Thrift shop in Burnsville along the way.

(Click the pinpoints to see pics and details like hours, phone numbers, website addresses, etc.!)

If you liked this post, check out my other thrifting treasure maps…one for St. Cloud and another featuring Family Pathways Thrift Stores up Highway 35.

Hugs!

Meghan

favorite find of the weekend

Posted on February 21, 2011 by highplainsthrifter

My sweetheart and I were thrifting fools on Saturday. He moved recently, so we’re hunting for, well…everything. Our first stop of the day was the Salvation Army Boutique in Oakdale. The week before, I had spotted this amazing antique radio/bar thing that would fit well in his apartment. Tragically, it was long gone. (“Flew out the door,” said the manager.) My bummed-ness was quickly remedied by finding this cute little fur piece, on sale for 1/2 off.

Half-off of $9 = $4.50, right? Right.

And that, my dears, is my favorite find of the weekend. Have you been thrifting lately? Have you found anything special? Do tell!

xo,

Meghan

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thrifted ‘fit: mickey mouse sweater

Posted on February 16, 2011 by highplainsthrifter

I know, I know. This sweater is completely ridiculous. But…you’re crazy if you think that’s going to stop me from loving it or wearing it on a lazy (i.e. non-dress) day.

From top to bottom…
Sweetheart Sunglasses, Urban Outfitters
Mickey Mouse sweater, thrifted this weekend for $1.49 at the Elk River Salvation Army
Dickie’s cut-offs, thrifted
Tights, Target
Socks, American Apparel
Cowboy boots, thrifted

xo,

Meghan

first impression: salvation army boutique in oakdale

Posted on February 10, 2011 by highplainsthrifter

I visited the new Salvation Army “boutique” in Oakdale this week. It’s a nice little spot unlike any of the other Salvation Armies in the cities. Layout-wise, it’s akin to a consignment shop, full of antiques, vintage goodies, nice furniture, quality books and vinyl, and fancier clothes. And, as you’ve probably already guessed, the price points are substantially higher than at the other Sal Vals around town. Here are some peeks from the shop.

Even though the prices on the high side, I still found some deals as everything with a tan tag was 50% off the day of my visit. I came home with a haul that included a ton of awesome jewelry, a never-worn pair of Etienne Aigner peep-toe pumps, some rad coffee table books, a gorgeous prom dress from the ’50s and a hand-knit throw. Among other things, to be blogged about later.

Anyway, if you’re over that way, I’d recommend checking it out!

Salvation Army Boutique
Address: 6060 50th Street North, Oakdale
Phone: 651.773.1365
Hours: Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m., closed on Sundays
FYI: Credit cards are accepted, personal checks are not.

xo,

Meghan

thrift-store find: how we girls ought to start our days

Posted on November 20, 2010 by highplainsthrifter

Well hello there!

Truth: I’m a reliably “glass half-full” kind of girl. But the past couple days have been a wee bit rough. And popping out of bed with a smile on my face has just not been happening.

Well, the somebody must have known that I needed a little nudge’n back to positivity, because I stumbled upon this cute little glass last night at Salvation Army. I love the gal’s little headband/scarf and the sock hanging out of her top drawer (relatable much?).

Vintage glass, 80 cents, Salvation Army

I ought to give these words of wisdom a try. Starting tomorrow, perhaps?

xo,

Meghan

pssst!

Posted on November 13, 2010 by highplainsthrifter

Psst! Did y’all know that you our local Salvation Army thrifts have an e-newsletter? Well, they do. And if you sign up to get it, you’ll be the first to know about new store openings, changes in hours and upcoming sale events. The icing on the cake? Most dispatches also come with a 25% off coupon! Lah-dee-dah!

All you have to do is enter your email, name and zip code.

Hop on over here to sign up.

xo!

Meghan

weekend road trip

Posted on September 19, 2010 by highplainsthrifter

This weekend, I took a drive to Wisconsin to visit my mom & thrift my fanny off in my hometown. With only a couple of weeks until the sale, I was a bit hesitant to go, since my to-do list is ultra scary, but occasionally, I crave a road trip like you would not believe. And this weekend was one of those times.

Sadly, much of the 14-hour round-trip drive looked a lot like this…Rainy, rainy, rainy. Gray, gray, gray.

Saturday, I got up and thrifted like crazy. I went to a bunch of my favorite spots from when I was in high school and had major luck. How hilarious is this sign at the register at the Salvation Army?

Here’s a pretty find from the morning…an extremely soft, creamy white, hand-tooled leather handbag from Mexico. I want to keep it, but am probably going to sell it. *sniff* It’s the nicest size and in impeccable shape. So lovely.

After thrifting north of town, I met my mom at home and she drove us to some more stores in northern Illinois (Gurnee, to be exact). On the way, we passed the reason for my crazy asthma…the Pleasant Prairie Power Plant, which generates 13 percent of all of Wisconsin’s electricity, but also puffs out 8.6 million tons of carbon dioxide annually. Yucks.

The thrifts in Gurnee were all complete dumps. Imagine: diaper-y smell, dim lighting, hoards of kids, dirty merchandise. All around nasty and stupidly expensive. After a couple of (discouraging) stops, we were shopped out. We headed home, I washed a bunch of my thrifted goodies, we ordered Chinese, watched “American Masters” and called it a day.

The drive home was uneventful, with just a couple pit stops for gas, one of these and some smoked string cheese for my honey. I did see this little guy, tied up in the rain outside a gas station, however. Random, right?

All in all, it was great (albeit quick) trip home, and I anticipate another one in my near future.

(All the pics for this post were taken with this app, btw.)

How was your weekend? Do anything fun? Hit up any thrifts? I hope it was a lovely one, whatever y’all were up to!

<3!

Meghan

the cup that made me lol

Posted on September 4, 2010 by highplainsthrifter

Happy Saturday, folks.

I went thrifting in Blaine yesterday after work, and here’s my favorite find of the night.

Pay attention would-be roofie-ers!!!

Found at the Salvation Army for 99 cents.

If you’re out a’drinkin’ tonight, I hope your beverages aren’t meddled with. Check back tomorrow for a round-up of Labor Day sales.

xo,

Meghan

recently thrifted: white eyelet skirt

Posted on August 9, 2010 by highplainsthrifter

If Sundays are “fundays,” I’ve decided that Mondays are “nonedays.” As in, I don’t want none of this. Insert sigh heavy sigh here.

Anyway, about the skirt. It’s been a long time since I’ve worn anything from Old Navy on the regular, with my favorite scoop neck black tee being an exception. But this simple cotton skirt I picked up at Salvation Army has gotten a lot of wear in the last week, both for work and play. I almost passed it up, but am really glad I didn’t. For $2, I figured I’d give it a whirl.

My documented obsession with eyelet has yet to abate.

Top to bottom

Earrings: F21

T-shirt: bought at the H & M in Bordeaux, 100 years ago

Necklaces: Bueno key & thrifted chain

Skirt: thrifted (Elk River Salvation Army)

Heels: thrifted (Downtown Minneapolis Salvation Army)

Jess snapped these pics after our long overdue catch-up dinner at True Thai last week. Thank you, lady!

Also, just in case you missed it, I’m giving away two copies of my favorite zine, “Super Friends,” this week. Leave a comment on this post by Thursday to be entered! Easy easy easy.

xoox!

Meghan