It’s Thrift Shop Day!

If you have never gone thrifting, then you don't know what you're missing, because you never know what kind of gem you will find at a Thrift Shop. 

I was never a fan of Thrift Shops, until my friend Kevin, who was so into Thrift Shops and Garage Sales, that he would arrange special days devoted to what he called "Thrifting" and "Garage Sailing."

Kevin would drag me to Thrift Shops, where he would dive into the cornucopia of used and slightly used clothes, casually digging through each isle, looking for the best possible deal he could find.

Going to the Thrift Shop always reminded me of clothes shopping with my Mom, for some reason I always find the smell of the old clothes and furniture to be overwhelming.

Thrift Shops scared me, everything seemed so second hand, from their displays to the shopping carts and even the fluorescent lighting.

I did not appreciate the world that Kevin was trying to introduce me to, until I found my first gem: It was an original Back To The Future promo shirt, the front of the shirt showed the back of the Delorean with a trail of flaming tire tracks, and above it in big blue letters my favorite quote from the movie, "Roads? Where we're going we don't need roads...."

The shirt only cost me $8.00 and I still wear it today.

I finally understood Kevin's obsession, and not only did I overcome my fear of Thrift Shops, but I became a Thrifter.

Now when ever I go to a Thrift Shop, I search endlessly for that one gem.

I also eventually learned that Thrift Shops are where most Drag Queens find their outfits, but that is a another story....

Happy Thrift Shop Day.