As a warning, there are about a million photos in this post. Sorry.
Last week necessitated a trip to the thrift stores. Not only had it been a while, but I was also looking to maybe add a couple of skirts to my wardrobe without having to spend real dollars, and maybe a small shelf or somesuch for my office at home. Needless to say, I walked out with none of those things. Funny how that works.
First stop was the Out of the Closet Superstore on San Fernando in Glassell Park. I’d never been to that one, even though I drive by it at least once a week on my way to either Home Depot1 or Super King.
I kind of regret not bringing that Angelyne shirt home. I can’t say I would have worn in it public, though, but resisting the urge to rescue it was tough. I did end up getting the Cat’s Pawn book2 and that Nat Geo issue with the dino chart.
Then, it was off to Saint Vincent de Paul. That place used to be a huge favourite of mine, mostly for mid-century furniture. The past year has seen slim pickings, though. I guess people just got hip to it. You can still find some great stuff, but it’s usually priced way high in the hundreds, and that’s kind of a bummer. That Saturday, there was this great great great vinyl record recording machine thing. Or at least that’s what I’m assuming it did. It had all kinds of bits, bobs, and knobs that put it out of the ordinary range. But what do I know?3
And then, I ended up at another Out of the Closet. This one is on Colorado in Pasadena, near PCC. It wasn’t a planned stop, but it happened to be on the way back from M Local, which has probably the best cucumber salad and hummus this side of the 134. As I was scanning the VHS shelves, some guy who was looking at the tapes turned to me and said:
“I like it here because you can still read the titles. Them damn kids always make a mess. You can tell there ain’t been no kids round.”
I guess I just never put the two together before. The more you know.
The few things that made it home: a beer stein, a Grand Canyon cup, a couple of Nat Geos (dinos and space, obvs), another copy of A Brief History of Time (which is going to a friend), a copy of Lady Chatterley’s Lover (for laundromat reading) and a lobster tray, because why not (and mostly for key holding). Most importantly, this photo of a family from Frederick, MD (according to the info on the back). I saw them at the second Out of the Closet, and just couldn’t leave them there. I’m planning on reframing the photo, and soon they will be joining the rest of my collection of other people’s family photos4.
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