Craft book secret

One of the best, and in some ways worst, sources of inspiration comes from extremely dated crafting books. And by extremely dated, if the colors recommended are gold, fuchsia and olive, it’s probably from the 70’s.

My frugal vintage craft book secret; local Goodwill outlets. The outlets are different from Goodwill stores in that all the stuff (except furniture and some appliances) gets dumped in huge bins. The advantage is that you purchase stuff by the pound, and books for about $0.50 a piece, magazines for even less. The disadvantage is that what you find is likely to be in pretty rough condition and you have to really sort to get to the treasures.

Some days the book bins will offer only a thin leaflet or two with cross-stitch patterns, but other days will give up an armful of books on soap making, knitting, embroidery, and Christmas crafts. Yesterday I found the proverbial armful, with some very vintage gems and even a full bag of spanish moss.

Some tips for enjoying the experience:

1. Dress as if you are going to go to work at a recycling center, things get broken and spilled in the bins, many things are quite dirty, so leave the pretty clothes at home and wear something sturdy.
2. Bring gloves with you. Again, things are a bit dirty and there can be broken bits of glass or plastic (although most of the time the employees are good about removing the most dangerous stuff.)

Be prepared for some competitive shoppers, many of the regulars stock antique and thrift stores with their finds and they are not always the most polite of people (however there are many more friendly people, it’s just that the rude ones are more noticeable.)

If I were buying the same books at a regular Goodwill store I would have spent about $30-35, at the outlet my total came to a whopping $5.15. If you have an outlet nearby it’s certainly worth the inconvenience or unpleasantness (after you’ve got your bearings its much more fun and exciting.)

Filed under DIY, crafts, frugal shopping |