I know I've only posted about "The Bins" (Goodwill Clearance Center) one time so far. But in reality I've been there like five times. And each time I get more obsessed. It's so cheap! You never know what you'll find! Nothing is pre-bagged! Every tiny little item is up for individual grabs!
And this last time, I noticed the clock. They have a countdown clock to let you know when the next set of bins is going to be refreshed! It's so very addictive. You feel done, you feel satisfied, you are fully ready to check out. And then, you look at the clock. Only six minutes until the next bins come out. You've got six minutes. And on and on and on and then you've all of a sudden spent three hours there! It only takes me about 45 minutes to go through all the bins. The other time is just playing with the countdown clock!
I was telling a friend about the wonderful, magical place know as "The Bins" when my husband abruptly got up and walked away saying, "I do not need to hear about The Bins again." Is that a sign that I talk about The Bins too much?? My mother recently told me flat out that I have an addiction to The Bins. Is that a sign?? Nah, probably they just don't fully appreciate or comprehend the full wonder and joy and adventure of The Bins!
SO LET ME SHOW YOU WHAT I GOT AT THE BINS!!
This is the pricing for the bins. Most items are priced by weight. I never look at this board because I like to be surprised at how little I've spent each time. My top amount spent is $4.36.
One huge bag and two regular size bags cost me somewhere around $3.20.
One of my top finds! A set of vintage Asian themed barkcloth curtains in excellent shape. I can't wait to put these up!
As you may know, I love little things. And one of the best thing about the bins is that nothing is pre-bagged, so you can buy two little "sugared" strawberries and one tiny tin teacup and don't have to bring home a bag of nonsense to get them! I'm just dying over the confetti pattern on the cup!
I also found a bunch of mint green buttons. Could...not...resist....
(Pyrex was already mine for years - not found at The Bins.)
Now, I don't want to jinx it, but I've found honeycomb every trip to the bins so far. Maybe not vintage, but I'm no purist, so I don't mind! And a good pine garland (Seen here in a pile - though it is about 8ft long) is not to be passed up!
The Eleventh Hour is a book I adored as a child. Lucious illustrations and such a fun concept. The "secret file" part of this one has never been opened! Also, I needed a few plate hangers and was very happy to find one. Flamingo plates - ho!
So many tiny treasures! The little things are my favorite part!
Check out the Kool-Aid spoon! I've never seen one of those before. Andy teensy Ernie! So cute! This Bedtime bear is one of the giant sized plushes from the 80s! I've only found a few of them in my twenty years selling vintage toys.
On Black Friday @magicsummervintage and I, along with a few other friends, hit The Bins. (We were not trying to get a photo of the guy in the back. He was just a guy shopping at the bins.) Let me assure you, our shopping experience was way more chill than most other Black Friday shopping experiences. No pushing, no shoving, just people sorting through other people's junk like grown ass adults.
Ann didn't think she'd find much, because she'd been to the bins before (on opening day) and was unimpressed. The good news is, that she found a cart full of vintage clothing. Though, I did not see fit to take a photo of that, for some reason. Probably because I was too intent on the countdown clock.
My friend Sarah loves a creepy baby. And let me tell you, this one takes the cake. And maybe it also takes the cake for weirdest baby, as well. It's like an Anne Geddes nightmare up in here.
See? What did I tell you? Honeycomb. Cranky bat honeycomb this time. And I'm very much looking forward to displaying the plastic Halloween rings on the black card next year. I find jelly bracelets most of the time too. And, as a true child of the 80s, I cannot leave them there.
All kinds of goodies for my Etsy shop!
Yes, an ice cube tray. The husband loves the size of these cubes, especially for use in water bottles. Look at all the Florida and shell goodness!
Closeup of one of my favorite all-time bin finds: Plastic Florida flamingo! (And I also love the Alice in Wonderland flamingo, as well.) They are both currently living it up in the midst of my pastel Christmas forests.
I also have been to a few Estate Sales here and there. They've mostly been lackluster. When that happens, guess where I go? You go it. THE BINS.
I love Richard Simmons so much that it's hard for me to pass up stuff like this. But I don't own a VCR. And also, I don't cook. So.
Funny vintage bottle opener that didn't come home with me.
These are the pretties that I bought. Check out those amazing 80s sunglasses. They look unbelievably stupid on a human face. But someone out in Etsy land will love them.
I'm obsessed with shell jewelry. It's probably because I love to channel my inner 80 year old living in Florida, whenever possible. Now all I have to do is wait six months for weather warm enough to wear it. Sigh.
I was so excited that the huge, fuzzy diecut kitty was still there on day two of an estate sale -right before Halloween! The green lazy Susan was transformed into a display spot for some small Christmas trees and the like. Don't judge me about the drain guards. I love drain guards. They keep us from having to spend big bucks on plumbers to snake out our drains, ok? The small film canister is from the Eastman Kodak Co. right here in Rochester, and was only a buck. The husband loves film, so it's a cute prop for our house. This is something you should know about me: I don't leave vintage Avon cuteness behind. The ornaments came in their original boxes and are flocked and adorbs.
@magicsummervintage and I hit up an Estate sale on Veteran's Day weekend. (It was a huge disappointment.)
This is what you call a terrifying amount of coupons.
Loads of framed front page news. Sigh. If only.
I loved how these guys looked all lined up in their cupboard.
And the coup de grace, this enormous hat!
Neither of us bought anything. Sad times.
Guess where I'm going tomorrow??