Have I No Shame?

"I've got a question for you... don't either of you ever feel any shame about where you shop?"

That question was posed to Becky and I yesterday by Dennis, my boss and Becky's husband. We were talking about a goofy find at Goodwill (one of those vintage hip/thigh/buttocks slenderizing machines) when he interrupted our conversation to pose this question. Becky said "No, why should we have any shame? Do you have shame about where you shop?" Dennis said no, why should he?

He went on to say that he was no fashion plate, but would never - and then he cut himself off to think of a better way to say it. Problem is, there really is no better way to say it. He won't shop at thrift stores, and that's that.

But Becky and I do, and we love it.

As for shame, I have never felt shame for doing so. I've been shopping at thrift stores since I was a young girl. I've always thought it to be fun... a sort of adventure. I never know what I'm going to find - a book I've been coveting for ages, a designer label sweater, or a vintage hip/thigh/buttucks slenderizing machine. The fun of thrift store shopping is in the hunt.

As I mentioned earlier, a new "lifestyle center" opens today in Reno. It's housing all sorts of tony and trendy shops. I have no desire to go check it out. Shopping at those sorts of stores just isn't my thing. There's absolutely no surprise at stores like that... all that brand new stuff glittering on the shelves in perfect little rows. Sure, it may be new, but in actuality it's the same old same old.

I prefer vintage stuff... and treasures. The brand new Yankee candle that I get for a dollar at WARC. Or maybe that SARK book I wanted that I found for $2 at Goodwill. Or how about the great pair of Lucky jeans I got for $5... with no rips, tears or other signs of wear? Yeah... that's what I like about shopping at thrift stores. Sure, it's a crap shoot, but it's one crap shoot I tend to win more often than not.

And let me tell you, this girl likes winning... and there's absolutely no shame in that!