Thrift Shopping Your Way to Wealth By Barbara Tobias NABBW’s Thifting Associate People often question why I continue to thrift shop … after all, I have more than everything I need. I guess it boils down to my love of the hunt. I love to scour the thrift shops and garage sales for items that can be made into something else. I enjoy creating new things out of old or used items.  After all, I am a Diva and I love to change my environment … often. I’m past worrying about whether I’ve made a purchasing mistake because I hold a Diva Sale at least once a year where I sell my “mistakes”... Read More

The Frustrations of Our Long, Cold, Winter Can\’t Hold Out Much Longer: Not When Our Thrifty Diva Cheerily Reminds Us That “Garage Sale Season is Coming…” By Barb Tobias NABBW’s Thrifting Associate My favorite time of year is just around the corner. Yes, that\’s right, Garage Sale Season! Do you know that that means? It\’s time to start purging your home and preparing for the onslaught of sales around the city.   The snow is on the ground and the chill has set in. What better reason to begin to purge those unwanted items from your home. Think of it,... Read More

The Art of Garage-Sale “Barbgaining”                               By Barb Tobias NABBW’s Thrifting Expert People repeatedly ask where I shop to find such fabulous finds. The answer is … everywhere. Smart shopping is not whether you can find extraordinary things at local garage sales; rather it is a question of how and when you buy. So, let\’s talk about “the deal.” Bargaining or negotiating the price of items is expected when shopping resale; garage sales, yard sales and estate sales, typically on the last day. The trick... Read More

By Barb Tobias NABBW’s Thrifting Expert  The philanthropic movements behind most thrift shops are not always in the forefront of most shoppers’ minds as they enter resale establishments. Like many, my early motivation for patronizing these thrifty haunts was purely for the thrill of the hunt and the joy of snatching up fabulous items for a fraction of what I would pay retail. It wasn’t until I began looking behind the scenes, that I realized that many thrift organizations support philanthropic causes ranging from crisis pregnancy centers to animal rescue. They use their retail proceeds,... Read More

A Vendor\’s Take On The Mile High Flea Market By Barb Tobias NABBW’s Thrifting Expert Enthralled by the grandeur of the Mile High Flea Market, I took the four-day challenge. As a shopper and as a vendor, I visited this sprawling bazaar, farmers market and antiques fair northeast of Denver on a consecutive Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This is the oldest of the area\’s flea markets and a virtual Disney World for resale devotees. Earlier this year, its owners ditched a rebranding effort, so once again its official name, and the one the event launched with in 1975, is Mile... Read More

The Thrift-Mobile By Barb Tobias NABBW’s Thrifting Expert Years ago, I thrift shopped with complete abandon. Little thought was given to equipment, packing material or how I would get my new-to-me treasures home. Today, as garage sale season approaches, I plan, and turn my vehicle into a well-stocked machine…the “thrift-mobile.” The extra coat, the bags of sand and the collapsible snow shovel (I live in the mountains) make way for an assortment of thrifting essentials. I\’ve always been fond of big, over-the-top items, so transporting monstrous finds was always a... Read More

Thrifting For Savvy Shoppers By Barb Tobias NABBW’s Thrifting Expert Most of us have less cash to burn these days, so buying other folks castoffs is a great way to save a buck … particularly when searching for short-term items. The Internet, specialty shops, bookstores, and going out of business sales carry drastically reduced items that are perfectly good for occasional needs or events. Moms-To-Be While some pregnant celebrities bare their bellies for posterity, the majority of expectant mothers are concerned with being covered and comfortable. Most can squeak by for three or four... Read More

The Bustling Thrift Scene … from Dicey to Divine By Barb Tobias NABBW’s Thrifting Expert As the economy spiraled downward, Americans tightened their belts and secondhand shops made their move onto Main Street. Spencer James, lead writer of the Brigham Young University Study, states that thrift shopping increases when the economy slows, and that middle class families are shopping at thrift stores with the same regularity as lower income families. The study goes on to suggest that while high-income shoppers scour the secondhand market for antiques and unique finds, the average family is... Read More

How I Became A Garage Sale Junkie By Barb Tobias NABBW’s Thrifting Expert It wasn\’t a planned event. I was simply curious after spotting a lopsided Garage Sale sign dangling from a post on the side of a road. At the time I was a single mom struggling to eke out a living for my son and myself, so I yielded to my nosy nature and the prospect of finding a few treasures. Following the arrow with heady anticipation, my hopes were dashed as I pulled up to the house, scarred by piles of clutter strewn across the lawn. After jockeying my car into a spot across from the sale, I hesitated,... Read More

The Dress By Barb Tobias NABBW’s Thrifting Expert I\’m all grown up. And, I think I have a pretty good handle on who I am. After all, I\’ve spent years assessing and reassessing my actions … my directions … my choices. Along the way, I\’ve thrown out the bad and kept the good. At least I\’ve tried to. But, some things just seem to stick and I\’m unable to shake that old feeling or experience. That\’s when I realize that, despite my efforts, I\’m still a slave to my past. One event, in particular, still haunts me. It has shadows my life in many... Read More