Thrift store, cheap thrill

I am not a big fan of Ukay-ukay (thrift/bargain store) not because I don’t like second hand items but because the place is often dusty, dim, humid or hot and the goods have distinct yucky smell of medicine used to treat clothes, bags and shoes. I have tried going to Ukay-ukay shops several times in the past but only to get out of the store sooner than I can grab a great find. And digging through piles and piles of clothes or going thru several racks of clothes that are hanging way too high for my height, is just not my cup of tea, you know why? Because I sweat a lot, sneeze a lot, and I just hate it. And I don’t have the patience for it. If I want something, I go to the mall with a list of things to buy. I know where to go, what to do and I don’t stay longer than necessary. You cannot do this in a thrift shop. But I envy my friend who frequents Ukay-ukay shops and proudly brings home quality products - not necessarily branded/designer stuff - at a very cheap price. She’s so good at it! I dare say, Ukay-ukay hunting is a skill not learned by many people! Hayyyzzzz. Well, to comfort me, she sometimes brings me something nice for free. I compensate her effort by paying for the item or by taking her out to dinner or coffee or a movie ;)

Anyway, just this weekend my friend convinced me to accompany her to a thrift shop, this time, to a shop that is bigger (but still dusty and hot) and brags of selling only items from the US of A. I was free so I said okay, I’ll give it another shot.

I told her I only wanted to buy a bag (A bag, okay?) and that’s it. I did not want any clothes as I hate digging into piles of them or going thru dusty racks. One bag and we go. She said, fine, let’s go and find your gem of a bag!

So, off I went and braved the dust, heat and smell of the Ukay-ukay shop.  But wait, oh-oh, it’s not your ordinary Ukay-ukay shop, it is big! No, it is very big! And one thing I noticed, the crowd is mixed. I was told that the place used to be a warehouse converted into a badminton court and now a shop for store display/second hand items from USA. There is even a parking space inside! Can you now imagine how big the place is?

The store sells many household stuff (unused/store display or second hand home decors, frames, kitchen wares and other kitchen items, mirrors, cabinets, etc.) a few clothes and bags, lots of men’s shoes (to my dismay!), baby strollers and home appliances. Hey, they even have old records, yeah, records! And sweetie, books and all kinds of toys are a-plenty, too! They restock almost EVERYDAY and stash away (I don't know where!) unsold items every week. So if you find something and like it so much and can afford it, don’t let it go. Chances are, you won’t find it again.

It was a crazy experience. I found lots of branded and no-brand but quality goods. To cut the 3-hour rummaging story short, I went out of the shop soaked with sweat and stinky but smiling and carrying big bags of:

1. 1 small, black, Guess leather & fabric bag (it had $0.01 cent on ithe inside pocket, hehe - in very good used condition for only P300.00)
2. 1 small, black, unbranded evening bag – (P100.00 - this one’s really cute, good as new)
3. 1 small, black, Nine West bag (P200.00, made of genuine leather)
4. 1 small, red, Kenneth Cole Reaction leather sling bag (P200.00, my first ever red bag)
5. I medium-sized, brown, Nine & Co. office bag (a bit pricey but the leather is in excellent condition and the lining is very clean, this is my favorite buy for only P500.00)
6. 5 women’s belts (Wohoo! And all of them for only P350.00)
7. 1 black, Faded Glory, pullover shirt (This, I saw on the way out, hehe – for only P15.00, yeah, One-Five!)
8. 4 knives (for P150.00)
9. 1 flesh-colored potpourri jar (P50.00 – I actually use this as a cotton ball jar)
10. 1 tiny pepper jar (P20.00)
11. 1 decorative ball (P100.00 – I don’t know what it is called and I regret buying it, wahh)
12. 1 flower vase (P50.00, the color of fire, love it!)

MY LOOT! 

(not included in photo are the stainless steel knives and pepper jar)

MY BELTS (L-R) 

1st belt is not branded but made of genuine leather;  2nd belt is by lands end, genuine leather with solid brass buckle (perfect for my Nine&Co. bag); 3rd belt is by Yves St Laurent; 4th belt is braided genuine leather made in Argentina by Capezio (perfect for my Kenneth Cole Reaction red sling bag); 5th is a no brand fashionista wide belt made of genuine leather

MY TOP BUY 
A medium-sized, genuine leather office bag by Nine & Co. Lots of compartments, love this!

 

Total spending (excluding gasoline, of course) was P2,035.00 – not bad, considering the many excellently used branded bags and belts I got. Oh boy, the trip was so worth it. Come to think of it, what I paid for is actually way cheaper than the price of a brand new Guess bag. What a bargain!

By the way, I would not have been able to score those items at those prices if not for the excellent (but sometimes tacky, lol) haggling skills of my friend. I know there are lemons and cherries in Ukay shops, so if you are not a regular Ukay buyer, I suggest you tag along someone seasoned and skillful at scoring great items and haggling for cheaper prices.

I had a blast! Now the question is, will I do it again? I guess so (wink-wink).

 

By the way, my friend said I need to sanitize my bags before I use them. She recommends using Lysol disinfectant spray (for interior) and wait for 2-3 days before using the bag. To clean and condition the leather, I use Exfresh all color leather cleaner and conditioner. Reminder though, you first need to do a spot test for color-fastness. I also use a metal polish to restore the shine and quality of the bag’s hardware - metal O-rings, D-rings, studs and the like. Again, you also need to do a spot test as this could discolor some hardware. Result? Good-as-new-stuff for a fraction of the price of a brand new item, isn’t it nice and practical?

There you have it, hurray to my first ever successful Ukay-Ukay adventure! I never thought it could be this fun, what a cheap thrill!