Jumble Sales & Charity Shops

When I was a kid, we shopped at the weekly jumble sales at the Air Force base we lived in. It was a good place to pick up an interesting assortment of household items left behind as a result of families being moved onto their new posting after their 3 year time limit expired; as well as barely used second hand clothes outgrown by the neighbourhood kids.

These jumble sales were really the pre-cursor of the modern day car boot sale (in the UK) and Garage Sales (in the US).

Other outlets, like Charity shops and Thrift Stores have also been around for years, but conjure up images of unwanted articles of clothing, sometimes tinged with the aroma of mothballs, sold to benefit a charity or other local cause.

But over the past few years, some of these venues have morphed into something new and exciting.

Gone are the dusty, musty and badly organized shops, and in their place are well organized shops, stocked with designer wear at discount prices.

Resales & Consignment Shops

As well as revamping some Charity Shops, the downturn in the economy seems to have triggered an explosion of local Resale and Consignment shops, and many of these have popped up in our local neighbourhood of Mar Vista in LA’s westside.

Over the next couple of month’s I’ll cover some of the best of the best, and provide a review so that if you’re in the neighbourhood, you know where to head to for a bargain.

Here’s some local shops I’ve visited recently, and plan on featuring:

• National Council of Jewish Women – Council Thrift Store
• The Help Group’s “Silver Lining” Resale Boutique
• The Movie Studio Thrift Store “Reelcycle”

© Jumble Sale Photo

© Oxfam Photo