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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Living Life on the Cheap … A Green Case for Shopping Thrift By Barb Tobias NABBW’s Thrifting Expert Years ago, after I got over myself, and realized that where I shopped didn’t define me, I actually allowed myself to love the art of thrifting. I’ve always been a blissful shopper and I took great thrill […]

I began thrifting because it was fun and, quite frankly, I loved to shop. Okay, I still do. But, initially there was a deeper motivation for my need to haunt the secondhand shops that peppered my town … I was broke. I loved the fact that I could buy fabulous things for pennies on a […]