Thrift Stores

Oddities, antiques, and other curiosities. We found a little bit of everything during a recent visit to the newest thrift store in Downtown Billings.

I've been writing about my thrift store finds here for the last year and a half. I've found some awesome items for bargain basement prices... sometimes even lower than what's on the tags at the thrift stores themselves (partly due to being a regular and developing relationships with the folks that work there)...

So I did my traditional Saturday trolling of the local thrift stores to find my favorite stuff... mid-century modern furniture. Usually I find the best stuff for my taste and St. Vincent De Paul first and Montana Rescue Mission second. Rarely do I go to Habitat for Humanity's Thrift Store but things have been lean lately so I decided to go check it out...

This is a classic 50's hairpin leg table with a porcelain top. It has drawers for storage and wings that lock underneath that you pull out and lock into place to make the table larger so it's great for any size space. This kind of item doesn't show up at thrift stores very often and when they do they get snapped up fast...

This Saturday I hit the jackpot! I stopped at the St. Vincent De Paul Thrift Store on Montana Ave. for the 2nd time and found 3 of the Drexel Declaration chairs like the one you see above. Unlike many antique wooden dining chairs this has the signature mid century lines and the funky spindles that are very uncommon in this kind of chair...

Usually when I hit the thrift stores here in Billings I'm looking for Mid Century Modern furniture and accessories. I love the Mad Men look and while I do buy and sell I figure if I get stuck with what I buy then it's something I'll still enjoy...

As I've mentioned on this blog I frequent Montana Rescue Mission and St. Vincent De Paul Thrift Stores. The nasty, moldy table you see above was purchased at St. Vincent De Paul across the street from Cat Country on Montana Ave for a grand total of $8...

The thrift stores in Billings are the gifts that keep on giving. In a conversation with one of the employees of St. Vincent De Paul he said what he thinks happens is when older people pass away their kids come from out of town to deal with their belongings and don't realize what the furnishings they bought in the 50's and 60's is really worth...

Sometimes my thrift shop find of the week is a quality piece of mid century modern furniture that I got cheap but can sell for big money (4 or 5 times what I paid for it). This week it's something quirky but cool. Genuine American kitsch that I have a feeling someone will pay up to $20 for...

When one spends as much time at thrift stores looking for bargains to resell as I do you find all kinds of off items. Remember the "Scholastic Guides" readers? I do but I don't seem to remember this guy... "The Bald Bandit". Frankly, for 59 cents, I'm upset with myself that I didn't buy this (it's at MRM in the Heights if you care) so I could share the story plot with you but s

I'm beginning to live like a hoarder. I don't have boxes full of crap that I'll never use but my Montana Avenue apartment is difficult to negotiate anyway. Just last night at 3am I stubbed my toe twice on the legs of mid century modern furniture on the way to bathroom...

My co-worker Rick thinks I've become one of "those people"... the kind who go to thrift stores and garage sales and buy knick-knacks and become hoarders. Oh contrare... I do go to thrift stores like Montana Rescue Mission, Salvation Army and St...