Ann About Town: Popping Tags at The Salvation Army

I was popping tags when Macklemore was in diapers. There was a vintage clothing store in the small town where I attended college, and my wardrobe was heavily salted with beaded cardigans, 50’s dresses and gigantic mens’ overcoats, which I wore with the sleeves rolled up.

That love of the odd and the old never ended, and at least once a week I’m at The Salvation Army Thrift Store on Grand River Avenue. In the summer, East Lansing is rife with yard sales and garage sales, and church “jumble sales,” but at this time of year The Salvation Army is the only thrifting venue in town that’s consistently available.

I know that there are folks who find the whole idea of second-hand clothes (and especially shoes) somewhat skeevy, but I am a fan of a bargain, and it also makes me feel virtuous to know that I am re-using and re-purposing where I can.

The Salvation Army store is arranged in a way that makes sense, with separate areas for shoes, men’s clothing, women’s clothing, children’s clothing, housewares, toys and books. Within each category of clothing there are racks of, say pants, skirts, sweaters, shirts, and coats. There is a case near the front of the store in which small valuables are displayed, and a room in the back used to house an ever-changing assortment of furniture, old radios and televisions, sewing machines and other large and (sometimes) pricier offerings.

Shoes worthy of admiration, but sadly left behind.

Sometimes I’m searching for something specific, and on those visits I love the hunt, the process of looking through rows, and piles, and racks in search of The Find. Last fall, I found that I missed my trusty Doc Martens, and so I repaired to the Salvation Army to see what they had. It’s a skill that requires some patience, that kind of hunting; the eye has to move across hundreds of pairs of shoes focused only on those that are black with rounded toes, and even those that pass first muster have to be examined to see if they are the correct size, and to make sure they aren’t knockoffs.

The surge of joy on finding a pair of Size 9 Docs with just a little scuffing on the toes was kind of incredible; a pair of shoes that would have cost more than a hundred dollars new could be mine for only $3.99. As an added bonus, they were already broken in and had the street cred that new Docs can never possibly have.

Other times a thrift store session is a more relaxed period of looking at things and imagining where they came from and how they might be re-purposed. With a little (okay, a lot) of patience, one can go through a rack of tablecloths, rejecting everything that is pastel, or polyester, and come upon a mid-century number with a bright map of Florida. Amidst the jumbled piles of plates, dishes, utensils and casserole dishes on the back wall of the store, I have found the useful (a corkscrew to replace the one I had just broken) and the beautiful (a piece of pink-and-white Bavarian bone china that matches the set I inherited). It helps to have a good eye, although the best finds are not always superior by virtue of their objective value; sometimes they are just things that make your heart beat faster, make you smile, or help you re-imagine a boring wall in your living room.

One last thing: although I shop mostly for entertainment, this thrift store is a useful place for someone just setting up housekeeping and/or living on a tight budget. It’s possible to find plates, bowls, glasses, silverware, pots, pans, bedding, rugs and curtains that are serviceable, if not elegant. One can also expect to find clothes, shoes, boots, pajamas, warm coats and toys for children at a fraction of retail. I readily admit that last week when it was sub-zero around here and the zipper on my down coat broke, I went thrifting and found myself a warm, wool coat with a vaguely 1940s vibe for $5.00. It will cover for my puffer coat while the zipper is mended, and I like it enough that I’ll undoubtedly wear it long after the “real deal” is collected from the tailor.

The Salvation Army Thrift Store is located at 2655 E, Grand River Avenue in East Lansing.

Note: The Salvation Army has long been controversial because, as a conservative, religious organization its policies and past practices relative to the LGBT community have been disappointing to many LGBT advocates and allies. Some people who dislike the organization’s political stand on these issues say the work the Salvation Army does, helping millions of people each year, makes up for their position on homosexuality and gay marriage. As a nonpartisan organization that does not editorialize on political issues, at ELi we take no stand in these matters. If you would like to read more about the politics, here’s a link to The Salvation Army’s own website that addresses their position on the LGBT community, and here’s a link to a writer critical of The Salvation Army’s claims that it is not homophobic.