It’s that special time of year again folks, the time that only comes once a year. A time of joy and wonder and, PRESENTS! I love giving my friends and family members gifts to show my gratitude for their exisitence, however I have never been a traditional gift giver. Whether you are rich or poor my gift guide will help you create a fun and quirky Christmas! This is my thrift store gift guide!
Records:
Sorting through the record bin at the thirft store can often be a fruitless cause. Occaisonally you can find a gem like a Bob Dylan or Johnny Cash, but sometimes there are gems that you don’t even know are there. I find there are standards at every thrift store, names that you can always find and that are excellent presents. A few examples are Herb Alpert, especially his Whipped Cream and Other Delights, Classic Christmas Records, a la Bing Crosby sings your Christmas favorites, Mozart, Vivaldi and Beethoven, and vintage Country records are always there!
Books:
Thrift stores always have awesome books. Sweet Seventies Romance novels with the super sexy covers are great gifts for granny. Fifties cook books and how to guides are amazing, I gave my sister a Better Homes and Gardens sewing guide from the Seventies and now she is pro at sewing. Vintage travel guides make great coffee table books and as always the classics; Dickens, Steinbeck, Welty, Faulkner are fantastic especially if you find a first edition or early print.
Housewares:
I love finding mixed matched china sets at thrift stores, it makes a great gift for the Shabby chic lover in your life. For the drinker, a vintage decanter and a set of mixed matched martini glasses. Lately I’ve been finding a lot of wooden salad bowl sets that make useful and unusual gifts. Coffee mugs featuring geese, cartoon characters, mountains villages and “World’s Greatest” are funky gifts! Vintage suitcases are awesome gifts because the recipient of such an item can find a million ways to use them.
Electronics:
There is always a plethora of used appliances at the thrift store that still work! Last year my boyfriend got me a set of hot curlers that I have not been able to live without! Some other items that are super cool gifts are: Poloroid cameras, crimpers, eighties cell phones, alarm clocks, unusual land line phones, I found a Garfield one a week ago, calculators, curling irons, fifties hair dryers, make-up application mirrors, coffee makers, blenders etc.
Merry Christmas and Happy Thrifting!
pamelasmithson 