Shopping in junk stores isn’t as easy as going to a department store and buying something new. It’s cheaper and it’s more fun, that is, if you don’t mind getting your fingers a bit dirty, scrounging through piles of junk, and maybe haggling over a price. When I say junk store, I am referring to stores that sell used merchandise—they may be billed as secondhand stores, used furnitures stores, thrift or resale shops. Junk store is the term I’ve given them.
Learning to be a good junker takes experience. (The bigger the bargains you can boast of, the better a junker you are.) The first thing to remember is that shopping in junk stores takes time. Don’t just shop in one place—shop in several. I must admit citydwellers will have an advantage here, with the amount of stores that are around. By comparing, you’ll soon begin to figure out which stores are trying to rip you off and which ones will give you a real good price.
After you’ve shopped around a bit, you will have an idea of what the stores have, what their prices run, and you may develop a relationship with the proprietor. This helps when you start talking about the price of an article you want to buy. Just last week my husband was in one of our favorite stores and helped the owner to rearrange the display in the window. She thanked him and gave him a good discount — three art books (marked $3.00) for $1.00.
Heavy iron cookware is a great item to find in junk stores. It’s good for cooking, especially sauces and stews. Often, used iron pots will be a little rusty. No problem. Wash the pot, then grease it well with shortening and let set a while. Boil water in it before you use it and this should bring out most of the rust. Thereafter, it’s important to dry it thoroughly and it wouldn’t hurt to grease it slightly, to guard against further rusting.
Knives are another thing to be on the look out for when you’re junking. Carbon steel knives, although they don’t look as shiny as stainless steel and may actually be rusty, are a better deal—they hold an edge much better than stainless. Recently we got a French chef’s knife for $1.75. You can often pick up odd kitchen utensils for a small amount, like the potato ricer we got for 25 cents.
It may be better to hunt for large appliances, such as a stove or refrigerator, at a reputable store, such as Salvation Army or Goodwill, because you know they have looked them over and probably will be giving you the straight story on its condition. (A note about Salvation Army Red Shield Stores—other than large appliances, I stay away from them—things tend to be overpriced.) If you buy a stove, make sure it’s gas. Electric ones are much more complicated and more apt to be in bad working order.
Watch out for tools too. They’re often good buys.
Clothes are another thing to check out. Usually they’re cheap. Make sure you look the item over well before you purchase it; actually, this goes for anything you buy in a junk store.
Then there are books. (Pardon me for a minute while I slip into a state of euphoria thinking of all the paperbacks I’ve purchased for 10 cents.) In many places, getting good books will mean you have to look through boxes or stacks of dusty volumes. If the books are too nicely organized, you’ll probably pay more for them. From my experience, I would say that the more things are in disarray in a junk store, the more probable it is that you will get a good bargain.
What can I say? It’s a way to save money. What a good feeling it is to go to a store, spend $4.00 and come home with a bag full of articles that you need and can use. It’s one of the best feelings—how can I say that? Here I am, sitting at a beautiful, large wooden desk that we picked out of the garbage a block away from our house. Junk stores are the next best things to alleys.
Etta L. Worthington was a contributing editor of the Post American when this article appeared.
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