The Salvation Army

There are two big thrift stores on the South Shore worth a trek: this Salvation Army and the Goodwill in Quincy. The Goodwill kicks the Salvation Army’s ass.
First, I’ll tell you the good stuff about this place. Every Wednesday is half-​off day (clothes only). You can find excellent vintage union-​made coats and clothes from all the old people dying these days. They just don’t make clothes like they used to, so do yourself a favor and snag some quality stuff while it’s still around. And there’s a lot of stuff to look at.
But the Salvation Army is a bit of a dump. I realize that the Salvation Army operates on a shoestring budget and exists on donations, but if the store invested just a tiny bit more on keeping the place clean (the place feels coated in dirt) and fixing the pond-​sized potholes in the parking lot, I reckon they’d get a lot more business to make up for the fixes.
Also, the prices are high, especially on furniture. There’s no way a dresser should be $ 80 and a mirror $ 40 at a thrift store, but these prices are the norm.
Their «dressing rooms» are a bit of a joke and there are no public bathrooms, which strikes me as ridic, especially given the high number of older shoppers I see in there.
But overall, visiting the Salvation Army is a good take and a great way to kill an hour or two. Just make sure to pee first and bring your hand sanitizer.

Friend them on Facebook and you’ll find out about their specials. Seems like they have a 50% off everything in the store on a regular basis these days. Almost once a month on a Saturday. I got so often, they know me by name!!! I have gotten a lot of Chico’s clothing there are great prices. They are opened every Wednesday night (I think until 8:00) and all the clothing and shoes are 50% off except the incoming color tag. They have a special section for juniors and a special section of plus sizes. That makes it easier to find a bargain in your size.

Visited here today for the first time… wow! Totally neat and organized with some nice stuff. I was shopping for clothes and walked away with a beautiful cashmere blazer and cute cardigan. A little more expensive than most, but worth it.

As with most urban areas, you gotta go out to the middle class burbs to score unique finds on the cheap. I was in the area and figured I’d try my luck as Boston metro thrifting is a mostly futile experience.
I got a really great lamp (lamp, I loves it) without a shade for $ 7.50. A bit high by my standards but worth it to me because it was truly something I wouldn’t find elsewhere. They had a small but pretty decent furniture section and I also found some glassware that was a step above the usual type you get in the Salv Arm. I didn’t look at the clothes this time around but they make up the majority of the stock.
The fellow patrons are chatty and all South Shorey and the staff is unexpectedly competent — a rarity for thrift venues!

I have acquired many a thrift score here.
I used to work at Filene’s and had always lusted after this really cute, black, a-​line dress on the rack. Trouble was, I was only a lowly student with various things I had to responsibly spend my money on. That excluded this $ 60 dress from my purchasing realm.
A few years later I found the EXACT dress, in my size, $ 10. You can’t beat it.
Now that I’m out on my own, I can appreciate the furniture they have to offer, as well. $ 20 love seat that smells a bit musty, but looks very clean? Febreeze that thing up and you have yourself a bargain.
And sometimes, SOMETIMES you might run into Yellow Man here. If you’re from the South Shore, you know who I speak of. He’s one of the local eccentrics who tells some tall tales, wears yellow, has a yellow house and is generally harmless but entertaining.
Anyway, I digress. This place is great for the fact that rich people’s trash can be your treasure.

This is my home away from home, when I’m away from home. By far the best thrift store on the South Shore and maybe even beyond. All of their donations come from rich suburban people so you’re bound to find some $ 2 treasures.
Favorite item of all time purchased here:
A bitchin’ antique TV cabinet that I bought for $ 20 and pimped out with some free paint and walmart fabric.

I grew up with this as my thrift store. Every time that I visit my family, I drop by. Due to its location, you can usually find clothing in fantastic shape. I also like the fact that salvy’s prices their clothing individually. SO, if its a crappy tshirt, its cheaper than a nice tshirt. The people that work there are really friendly and they always have amazing discounts on top of their already super low bargains. If gas wasn’t so high, I would go there weekly.