2022-08-02T19:49:20-04:00

The IFCA Thrift Shop in Ossining is delightful!

August 2, 2022August 17, 2022/ToniOnThrifting.com/Leave a comment

The IFCA (Interfaith Council for Action) Thrift Shop in Ossining was a delightful surprise. They had a good selection, and the pricing was outstanding. $3.00 tee shirts and $4.00 for shirts/blouses, $5.00 for jeans and pants, $5.00 for handbags, $5 to $10 for jackets, $8 to $15 for dresses, baby, and children’s clothes, $1.50 to $3.00, shoes $2.50 and up. Household items can be found for anywhere between $1 to $35. The clothes and housewares were in excellent condition, and the selection was sizeable. I was impressed with the children’s section as they had a good selection and affordable pricing—the same for the jewelry, accessories, and linens.

The first IFCA thrift store opened approximately eight years ago on Spring Street in Ossining. The Thrift Shop moved to a larger space earlier this year at 95 Croton Avenue and is doing well. The store was busy while I was there. I spoke to Amy, the manager, and she said that there is a high turnover of merchandise, and I could see from the donations and sales that this is true. The store layout is open and easy to navigate, and the displays are appealing. They have an all-volunteer staff and are always looking for new volunteers to help with the shop and sorting donations.

Proceeds from the Thrift Shop fund IFCA’s community programs. IFCA was established in 1968 and provides a range of affordable housing development, property management, and supportive services to low and moderate-income people. IFCA owns and manages affordable apartments in Ossining and Tarrytown, NY. It is also a pioneer in developing transitional housing for the homeless, currently maintaining 16 units through Westchester County’s Emergency Housing Apartment Program (EHAP). Additionally, IFCA has adopted innovative community service programs to help hundreds of people beyond its tenant base, including financial literacy programs and job training. What better reasons do you need than to shop and help Ossining and the local communities? Bravo IFCA.

IFCA Thrift Shop

95 Croton Avenue
Ossining, NY 10562
Across the street from CTown

(914) 236-3000

thriftstore@ifcany.org

Store Hours:
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, 11 am to 4 pm.

Until next time, Happy Thrifting!

August 17th is National Thrift Shop Day!! Celebrate by shopping at one of your favorite thrift shops.

August 16, 2021/ToniOnThrifting.com/1 Comment

August 17th is National Thrift Shop Day. We all know that I think it should be a national holiday. I love my thrift shopping – both shopping and writing about it.

When you shop The Ridgefield Thrift Shop, My Sister’s Place, Salvation Army, Habitat For Humanity, Cauz For Pawz, Housing Works, and countless others, you are supporting PHENOMENAL causes and helping change countless lives.

In honor of National Thrift Shop day, here are some quick tips for thrift shopping:

Be friendly and ask the staff when the most new merchandise is put out.

Be kind when thrift shopping, most of the people who work at charitable thrift shops are volunteers and they have already spent hours filling the racks. If you are putting items back, put them back on the right rack.

Know your labels and brands – know what to invest in for your basic wardrobe pieces and what to buy for fun.

Don’t buy something just because it is your favorite brand, make sure you love the piece and will wear it.

Remember if you buy an item and it needs alterations, the alterations can cost two to three times what you paid. Choose wisely when buying a piece that needs to be altered.

The smaller thrift shops sometimes have the best buys.

ENJOY the hunt and know that you may not always find something. Just keep going back when you find a thrift shop you love.

Merchandise is also very geographical so go out of your own area and you will be surprised at how different (in a good way) the merchandise is.

I hope you find these tips helpful.

Thank you for reading – if you like my blogs, please like my Facebook page: TonionThrifting

Until next time, Happy Shopping

Fabulous Fashions and Consignments in Oxford, CT – what a wonderful surprise!

September 25, 2018/ToniOnThrifting.com/Leave a comment

I came across Fabulous Fashions and Consignments in Oxford, Connecticut while I was on my way to visit family — what a wonderful surprise it was. It is stores like this that always surprise me the most. Jam packed with women’s clothing and accessories and a huge kitchen in the back filled with household goods. Great selections with plenty of good quality vintage. Actually the vintage pieces that I looked at were exceptional and priced accordingly. The day I was there, I came across some excellent sales. Summer shoes were $3.00, shorts and capris starting at $1.00, and dresses for $5.00. They carry the better labels in women’s clothing and all sizes including plus sizes. They have an extensive accessories department and one well worth visiting if you are in that area. The handbag selections were abundant and priced to sell.

I absolutely loved the jewelry selection.

I look forward to my next trip to see all their Fall fashions.

If you are in the area, I highly recommend!

Fabulous Fashions and Consignment
23 Oxford Rd., (Rte. 67)
Oxford, Connecticut 06478
(203) 828-6222

Hours:
Tuesday – Friday 9 am – 5 pm
Saturday& Sunday 9 am – 3 pm

My Sister’s Place in Ansonia, CT – so much to tell and it’s all great!

August 15, 2018August 16, 2018/ToniOnThrifting.com/Leave a comment

When I first walked in to My Sister’s Place in Ansonia, Connecticut it reminded me of just how much I love thrift shopping especially when it benefits those desperately in need. My Sister’s Place is not only a top-notch thrift store that has a GREAT selection of merchandise; the best part is that all proceeds support BHcare’s The Umbrella Center for Domestic Violence Services.

There is so much to tell you about. First, the store. All the merchandise is meticulously laid out which in itself is quite impressive. They have a wide variety of stock and it is all in size order which makes it even easier to shop and that much more enjoyable browsing. They have men, women, children’s clothing, and shoes. Also, they carry appliances, housewares, furniture, toys, and other items at more than fair prices. All merchandise is in new or nearly new condition. They carry both regular and high-end merchandise. I did not see one item that I thought was overpriced and all pricing was in line for what the better thrift stores are charging.

I hope that my pictures tell the story of what a great shop this is.

I was able to score two brand new One World tops with tags on for $12 each plus a brand spanking new Talbot’s sundress with tags on for ONLY $22 (retail tag was $129). Also, A long beige cardigan (new) for $10 and a couple other miscellaneous items, all at excellent prices. Now I don’t know about you, but we thrifters consider that a great haul!

And you MUST check out their online store. https://supportumbrella.org/. They have quite the selection. Never underestimate online thrift stores, there are always good surprises especially for collectors! They are on Ebay too at ebay.com/usr/mysistersplace203

And now for the fun info:

My Sister’s Place is having Flea Market Flip on October 14, 2018 where you can meet Mark DeVito, Master Craftsman from HGTV’s Flea Market Flip!

My Sister’s Place Flea Market Flip is a fun, creative twist on recycling or upcycling similar to the HGTV show with the same name, Flea Market Flip. Proceeds from each item will be benefit The Umbrella Center for Domestic Violence Services. Individual participants or teams of two must purchase their flip item(s) at MSP for $50 or less by September 30. Registration forms are available at the store and must be completed at the time of purchase. No more than $50 may be spent on repurposing/upcycling the item(s). Receipts must be shown when submitting the repurposed item. The Flea Market Flip Rules are on their website at http://bhcare.org/page/29568.
October 14, 2018
11:00 am to 4:00 pm
Ansonia Armory
25 N Cliff Street
Ansonia, CT

The proceeds from My Sister’s Place go to The Umbrella Center for Domestic Violence Services (UCDVS) which is dedicated to increasing awareness of domestic violence and its effect on the community, empowering those victimized by providing advocacy and safe and effective services, and to working for social change to eliminate domestic violence. UCDVS provides services for victims and their children at two sites located in Ansonia and East Haven. All services offered are free of charge and confidential. Services support 170 different languages 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

PLEASE — when you are in the Ansonia area, you must stop in, I promise it will be worth it and I hope you enjoy your visit as much as I enjoyed mine. The staff is phenomenal — all volunteers and for such a worthy cause.

My Sister’s Place is located at 380 Main Street, Ansonia, CT.
Phone:
203-734-2960
Store Hours:
Mon., Tues., Wed., Thurs., Fri. & Sat – 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Sun. – 9:00 am to 2:00 pm
Here is the website which has even more information – http://bhcare.org/page/16633

If you enjoyed this blog, please like my Facebook page! https://www.facebook.com/tonionthrifting/

Until next time, HAPPY SHOPPING!!

Fantastic Finds – Everything Old is New Again …and Worth a Look!

May 29, 2018/ToniOnThrifting.com/1 Comment

Everything old is new again! The old Discovery Shop in Chappaqua was good but I must say that I am enjoying its reincarnation all the more. I stepped into Fantastic Finds and it certainly lives up to its name. A 75% off Fall clothing sale was going on when I visited. I walked out with a couple of great buys; a pair of Talbot’s pants for $5 and a Tahari dress/duster for $7.50 plus a couple of other staples. But even without the sale, this is definitely one of the better upscale resale shops in the Westchester/Putnam area. They carry men’s and women’s clothing, jewelry, scarves, handbags and other accessories. I think they have a excellent selection of brand name merchandise with some high end merchandise as well. Their Spring collection was excellent. They also carry household items such as small accent furniture, housewares, china (quite beautiful too), home décor, and musical instruments. I thoroughly enjoyed looking through the art. Actually, I had a great time browsing through the store, there was just so much to see.

As far as pricing, I find it comparable and slightly cheaper than other UPSCALE shops that are similar to Fantastic Find. All the merchandise is in PRISTINE condition and there are certainly gift quality selections to be found. I hope that the pictures tell a much better story of what Fantastic Finds is all about!

What is wonderful is that all proceeds from sales at Fantastic Finds will benefit Support Connection, an organization that provides free, year-round breast and ovarian cancer support services. They rely on your donations to provide free programs and support services. 88¢ of every dollar donated goes directly to fund these critically needed services.

Check out Fantastic Finds – I promise it’s worth the trip!

Fantastic Finds

400 King Street (former site of the Discovery Shop)

Chappaqua, NY

Phone: 914-238-9200

Email: fantastic.finds@supportconnection.org

Shopping Hours:

Monday – Saturday 10 am – 4:30 pm.

Until next time, Happy Shopping!!

Yorktown Love In Action – 10,000 square feet of thrifting and so much more….

March 14, 2018March 14, 2018/ToniOnThrifting.com/6 Comments

I am excited to tell you about my visit to Yorktown Love in Action. Let’s start with the 10,000 square feet of thrifting heaven – if you have patience, like in all thrift shopping, there are plenty of deals to be found here. The first floor holds furniture, household, collectibles and LOTS of it. The second floor has men, women and children’s clothing and shoes. Also on the second floor are tools, seasonal décor, and linens to name a few. They have separate rooms for the holiday décor and tools. The majority of their clothing are name brands and the selections endless. What won me over is that some tags are labeled “MD” which means that the ticketed price is the suggested minimum donation. This is helpful for those struggling financially so that they are able to shop at affordable prices. That is quite impressive. I am finding out that YLIA always thinks of others.

YLIA is definitely worth a trip not just to browse through the 10,000 square feet but to also help a phenomenal organization. They even have a sitting room where you can rest up and then continue shopping 🙂

YLIA’s mission is to help members of Westchester and Putnam communities who need temporary assistance due to unforeseen life events. I am sure they help more individuals and families than we will ever know about because YLIA does so with grace and dignity. They value and maintain the privacy of those they help and I admire YLIA for that. THANK YOU YLIA!

Donations are needed for YLIA – check out the YLIA website for donation information and look over what is or isn’t accepted. YLIA is looking for volunteers as well so if you live in the Westchester/ Putnam area, this is a great place to volunteer. If interested, you can also become an individual or business sponsor.

I respect YLIA and what they do. I will be heading back with a backseat full of donations that will hopefully help. I want to be able to say thank you for all they do for others.

This is the beginning of a beautiful relationship.

Yorktown Love In Action

1736 Front Street

Yorktown Heights, NY 10598

Telephone – 914.490.3966

Email – info@yorktownliveinaction.com

Check out their Facebook page as well!

Store Hours:

Sunday 12 pm – 5 pm

Monday – Saturday 10 am – 6 pm

Until next time, HAPPY SHOPPING!

Something Special Vintage Thrift in Wilton, CT – WOW!

January 16, 2018February 7, 2018/ToniOnThrifting.com/Leave a comment

When I first walked into Something Special Vintage Thrift Store for Our Lady of Fatima School I thought wow – it was worth the one hour drive! Something Special Vintage Thrift Shop is a hidden Wilton gem, tucked away in a white house behind Our Lady of Fatima School. They carry a fabulous collection of vintage and antique finds and at prices that are rock bottom.

In one cabinet in the second room, they had large pieces of matelassé designer quality fabric for $5.00 per piece– one piece had to be at least two yards! If I ever have seat cushions to reupholster, I will come here first for the fabric. In a curio cabinet in the front was a Lladró six inch bride and groom figurine that sold for $6.00 right in front of me – when Something Special says that they price things to sell fast, they are not kidding! What completely blew me away was a record cabinet that was in the front room that was spectacular. After checking it out, all it really needed was a new plug and a little polish and it would look even more amazing! And wait for it….. the price was $25.00. Can you believe it?? Look at the pictures. (I doubt it is still there sadly.)

I found a bookshelf that I was quite happy with – what I was ecstatic about was that it was all wood and $15.00. I have included the before and after pictures.

If you are redecorating or just want to spruce up a room, this is definitely a place that you would want to stop in if you are in the Wilton, CT area – I personally think it is worth traveling to.

From their Facebook page:

“It is an artistic inspiration for the decorators of today and the artists of tomorrow. If you are looking for something in particular, we can help you find it. All proceeds go towards education for the kids.”

The Something Special is only open on Saturday and Sundays from 12:30 pm – 4:30 pm. It is a volunteer-run thrift shop, where 100-percent of the proceeds benefit The OLF School.

Something Special Vintage Thrift

225 Danbury Road

Something Special is located up the drive on the south side of the Our Lady of Fatima School at 225 Danbury Road in Wilton, CT.

Wilton, CT

(203) 762-8100

Hours are Saturday and Sunday from 12:30 pm – 4:30 pm

Until next time, HAPPY SHOPPING!!

Housing Works Bookstore Cafe and Thrift Shop in SoHo

November 21, 2017/ToniOnThrifting.com/Leave a comment

One thing that you can count on with Housing Works is that they always carry above average merchandise. But what makes this Housing Works on Crosby Street in SoHo even better than most (if not the best) is the Housing Works Bookstore Café next door. If you have never been to the Housing Works Bookstore Café, I strongly suggest that you check it out. It is an absolutely wonderful bookstore with a great vibe. It is such a popular spot in SoHo but for all the right reasons – atmosphere – the books – the beauty of the mahogany walls – and of course, the café. They serve coffee, snacks and some light alcohol. The café won me over with the vegetarian options. Well done! If you are lucky enough to get a table (more often than not, you will)), you can sit back and flip through one of the thousands of mostly pristine condition books that they carry. They have a book special the first weekend of the month where books are 30% off which is a steal considering the books are already reasonably priced. And if you are a Housing Works member, you can add on another 10% off – who could ask for anything more. Did I mention that the staff is phenomenal – welcoming, helpful and overflowing with graciousness and professionalism! I can’t say enough about this bookstore including the fact that all proceeds benefit the homeless and those affected by HIV/AIDS in NYC.

Now for the Housing Works Thrift Store, I think they carry an above average variety of merchandise. The store is well organized and the displays are always nicely done. The staff is amazingly friendly and helpful. Also, the staff is honest when you ask opinions which I appreciate. I enjoyed looking through the selections and they do carry an array of sizes. My only wish is that they had more selections the day I was in but I figure they just sell out merchandise as soon as they stock it because of the popularity and location of this store.

When it comes to accessories, in my humble opinion, I find that Housing Works carries the best jewelry. I have found some amazing pieces on my visits to various Housing Works. Not too long ago I found a pair of Elsa Perretti Tiffany sterling silver teardrop earrings that were an ABSOLUTE steal at $75 and a gorgeous choker for $10.00 at the Ninth Ave Housing Works. On this visit to SoHo, I found fun sparkly earrings 🙂 in a $2 basket that have become one of my favorites. I believe all merchandise in the windows is sold through online auctions.

The bottom line is that Housing Works may be a bit more expensive but it is worth it if you find something you love of good quality.

In case you are interested, here is the information on a membership with Housing Works:

https://www.housingworks.org/donate/membership

Housing Works Bookstore Cafe
126 Crosby Street
New York, NY
(212) 334-3324
Monday – Friday – 10 am – 9 pm
Saturday – Sunday – 10 am – 5 pm

Housing Works Thrift Shop
130 Crosby Street
New York, NY
(646) 786-1200
Monday – Saturday – 11 am – 7 pm
Sunday – 11 am – 5 pm

Until next time, HAPPY SHOPPING!

TWIGS Thriftree Thrift Shop in Mount Kisco

October 19, 2017/ToniOnThrifting.com/Leave a comment

If you are a serious thrift shopper, you will notice a trend where hospital thrift shops have higher pricing than the standard thrift shop. On the upside of this, the merchandise most often consists of designer clothing and accessories. Such is the case for TWIGS Thriftree Thrift Shop in Mount Kisco which benefits Northern Westchester Hospital. I was impressed looking through the racks with clothing that you would see in Saks, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s or pricey boutiques. They carry men, women and children’s clothing and accessories. While they carry limited small home décor/housewares, what they do have is quality.

If you want to take a peek inside the boutique, please visit their website at https://www.twigsofnwh.org/take-a-peek-inside-the-boutique.

I can’t emphasize this enough, if you are looking for trendy/expensive clothing, you will pay higher prices – plus you will have to frequent the better thrift shops in trendy neighborhoods (Like St. Luke’s on Hudson Street in NYC) and those thrift shops associated with hospitals. Memorial Sloan Kettering Society Boutique was a perfect example as they carried the finest designer clothing and accessories. This even goes for furniture – the Society Boutique always, always had fabulous furniture that flew out the door as quickly as it came in. (Sadly, the Society Boutique closed last year.) I will say that every time I was there, there was someone obviously affluent going through the racks and more often than not, purchasing merchandise. It is something you see more and more when thrift shopping; everyone on every financial level is looking for that great find or unbelievable bargain.

In addition, I find that hospital thrift shops carry quality evening wear and more formal than the standards. A good rule of thumb is do NOT wait until last minute before you have a special occasion, start looking a month or two beforehand and you may get very lucky.

FYI – All profits from the Thriftree benefit the hospital. Volunteers also create layettes and make comfort pillows for patients. Donations are gratefully accepted, by appointment.

TWIGS

449 Lexington Avenue

Mount Kisco, NY 10549

(914) 666-6557 info@twigsofnwh.org

https://www.twigsofnwh.org/take-a-peek-inside-the-boutique

Hours:

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday – 9:30 am to 4 pm

Wednesday and Saturday – 10 am to 1 pm.

Until next time, HAPPY SHOPPING!!!

Attic Sale Recap 2017 & Another Blockbuster Sale Coming Up In Irvington

September 29, 2017August 8, 2019/ToniOnThrifting.com/Leave a comment

Once again, the Irvington Presbyterian Church Attic Sale did not disappoint. This year I did exceptionally well for myself and I will give credit to the fact that I went on the first day of the sale (my first time) which may have made the difference. But then again, I have also done well when going on the second day when pricing is much better and there are still great selections. Some of the items in my haul were a Lands End turtleneck for $4.00, a Kenneth Cole black wrap dress, a See by Chloe funky dress (I am loving it), a Marc by Marc Andrew tunic/dress – and each dress was $10.00. All the clothes were in pristine condition. Talk about steals; it was a great score. I did focus on the clothing FIRST. I took my time and went through the racks which were incredibly organized as is the entire sale. They have designated areas for furniture, books, shoes/handbags, jewelry/crystal, fine china, accessories and so much more. I scored a special edition Barney’s Lady Gag tote bag which is just gorgeous at the unbelievable price of $5 – YES $5. I just had to buy for my equally gorgeous niece who I know would love it. I just have to tell you that this sale is packed and there was always a line to get into the handbag room and the jewelry room – it really is growing in popularity every year for both sale lovers and collectors. I can’t emphasize it enough – this is a really great sale that should not be missed if you love these kinds of sales. All proceeds benefit multiple worthy charities in the Westchester area so all the money is helping others!

If you missed the Attic Sale, the good news is that right next door to the Irvington Presbyterian Church is the Church of St. Barnabas. And….wait for it….St Barnabas is having their Fall Outreach Clothing Sale starting on Tuesday, November 7^th. I have been to this sale as well and all I can say is these sales are both equally phenomenal and not to be missed. This sale includes fall/winter clothing, shoes and accessories for men, women and children – they also have a Christmas room and food is served in the café. The main purpose of this sale is to raise money to support the outreach efforts of the parish. Over the past twenty-plus years St. Barnabas has donated over $726,000 to charitable organizations throughout the area.

Here are the details:

The Church of St. Barnabas

15 N. Broadway, Irvington, New York

Telephone 914.591.8194

Tuesday November 7th through Friday, November 10th from 10 am until 7 pm

Saturday, November 11th from 10 am until 4 pm

Sunday, November 12th from 12 from 12 pm until 4 pm

See you at the sale!!

Until next time, HAPPY SHOPPING!!

ToniOnThrifting – Thrift Shopping Made Simple

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Fantastic Finds

400 King Street (former site of the Discovery Shop)

Chappaqua, NY

Phone: 914-238-9200

Email: fantastic.finds@supportconnection.org

Shopping Hours:

Monday – Saturday 10 am – 4:30 pm.

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Something Special Vintage Thrift

225 Danbury Road

Something Special is located up the drive on the south side of the Our Lady of Fatima School at 225 Danbury Road in Wilton, CT.

Wilton, CT

(203) 762-8100

Hours are Saturday and Sunday from 12:30 pm – 4:30 pm

Until next time, HAPPY SHOPPING!!

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Housing Works Bookstore Cafe 126 Crosby Street New York, NY (212) 334-3324 Monday – Friday – 10 am – 9 pm Saturday – Sunday – 10 am – 5 pm

Until next time, HAPPY SHOPPING!

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TWIGS

449 Lexington Avenue

Mount Kisco, NY 10549

(914) 666-6557 info@twigsofnwh.org

Hours:

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday – 9:30 am to 4 pm

Wednesday and Saturday – 10 am to 1 pm.

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Here are the details:

The Church of St. Barnabas

15 N. Broadway, Irvington, New York

Telephone 914.591.8194

Tuesday November 7th through Friday, November 10th from 10 am until 7 pm

Saturday, November 11th from 10 am until 4 pm

Sunday, November 12th from 12 from 12 pm until 4 pm

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Housing Works Bookstore Cafe
126 Crosby Street
New York, NY
(212) 334-3324
Monday – Friday – 10 am – 9 pm
Saturday – Sunday – 10 am – 5 pm