LAKEWOOD, Colo. -- Maybe I should have told you this before I started this regular blog, but I don't really consider myself a hard-core thrifter. I do go to thrift stores every weekend, but I don't wait outside before they open. I feel good about the deals I get, but I don't obsess over finding the most undervalued treasure in the store. There are people who do these things. I admire them, and want to be like them.
"We call it the thrill of the hunt," says Maggie Scivicque, the marketing director for ARC thrift stores. "We have a lot of regulars who spend a great deal of time digging through every single aisle. They will spend hours and hours and they are here on all of our sale days , and they make sure they’re getting the best finds."
What makes something a good find depends on what you're looking for. For some its means brand name clothing for pennies on the dollar. I followed Maggie through the ARC store at 6791 Colfax Avenue in Lakewood looking for brand name clothes. We found a kids' Columbia brand fleece for $5.99. We also found a pair of Prada shoes for 20 bucks.
Right now I'm especially interested in winter bargains. The store had some great vintage looking snow pants. I ended up leaving with a pair that cost $12.99.
But the best winter bargain is coming up soon. On Friday, Feb. 3 and Saturday, Feb. 4, ARC thrift stores are holding their annual 99 cent sweater sale.
"It’s a two-day, 99-cent blowout -- every single sweater in the store," says Scivicque. "We prepare months in advance. Every single aisle up front -- women's, kids, men's, you name it -- every single sweater is just 99 cents."
There's a cashmere sweater priced at $8.99 right now that will be 99 cents if you can wait one more week! I always wait for the deals. So mark you calendar for Feb. 3 and 4, and I'll see you there!
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