47 Responses to Those Clothes: Try Reverse-Shopping!

1. egregious November 27th, 2009 at 11:35 am «

   Thanks Teddy – great post! The beauty of doing this kind of sorting is, the next time you think about buying something, you’ll ponder whether you will *really* use it.
2. Teddy Partridge November 27th, 2009 at 11:45 am «

   If I ever lose the smoking pounds, I’ve promised myself to thrift-shop the “new’ clothes I’ll need then. A recycle/resuse promise I likely won’t have to keep….
3. Ruth Calvo November 27th, 2009 at 12:46 pm «

   Good for you. Something finally inspired me to throw out those ‘professional’ clothes – for the office I retired from last year – during this past week. Open spaces have occurred in that jam-packed closet, and I’ll get to the storage areas soon. Hopefully, some of those job hunters will have the equipment to impress a few prospective employers, and that will help them in their search.
• Teddy Partridge November 27th, 2009 at 3:39 pm «

  I think the next round will be the professional clothes for me, even though the Mens Wearhouse that sold them is very happy to perform free alterations as I balloon. I suppose I should hang onto one suit for funerals, though.
• Loo Hoo. November 27th, 2009 at 3:46 pm «

  I did the same thing with my teacher clothes. Had my sis-in-law and niece take what they wanted and gave the rest to charity. Hope they get good use!
4. ubetchaiam November 27th, 2009 at 1:34 pm «

   Moving from place to place is another good way -from personal experience- to get rid of those things one no linger fits in or uses but I sure share this with you : “was I ever really this thin? A 32-inch waist? “.

   Damn genes.
5. Teddy Partridge November 27th, 2009 at 3:49 pm «

   I couldn’t get a truck until tomorrow afternoon, so I am filling a couple more boxes and shopping bags tonight. Thinking about my suits and ties.
6. Teddy Partridge November 27th, 2009 at 3:55 pm «

   One tip I’ll pass along, from my Community Thrift: if it’s not something you’d buy or wear, because of wear, shabbiness, or stains, simply throw it out. Taking trash to the thrift store just makes work for them, and doesn’t advance the cause. Good point; just threw out two pairs of sneakers, no one would wear them. I got almost ten years wear, though.
• kindGSL November 28th, 2009 at 3:44 am «

  I disagree. I make blankets out of old cashmere and angora sweaters and wool suits are good for making braided rugs. It is really frustrating to hear someone throws them away.

  Homeless people ALWAYS need clothes, so don’t throw them away. Give them to the homeless. They have no money to shop at the thrift store or resources to do a load of laundry.

  If anyone has cashmere they want to recycle, I will gladly pay postage.
7. Elliott November 27th, 2009 at 4:18 pm «

   I will never understand -and find it hard to forgive- those who toss out good stuff that could so easily be dropped off at the thrift shop instead.

   My mother was from the Volunteer Generation, and one of her pets was the local hospitals’ thrift shop.
• Teddy Partridge November 27th, 2009 at 4:38 pm «

  I’m going to start a bag, now that there’s room in the darn closet, and when it’s full of clothes for Community Thrift, I’ll catch a bus and drop off the full bag.

  This letting it pile up until I need a pickup truck for an hour is for the birds!
• egregious November 27th, 2009 at 5:02 pm «

  Teddy that’s a great idea to have an open bag or box for future clothes recycling. Makes it easier to start sorting the next time.
• Teddy Partridge November 27th, 2009 at 5:25 pm «

  Mom and grandma always had this by the back door, but they weren’t so space-challenged as I am. Although now that I’ve made some progress, maybe I’ll rent out this little used-to-be-a-bedroom. It’s got lots more floor space. It’s that “extra” room every San Francisco first floor flat has, underneath the stair to the upper flats.
• Larue November 27th, 2009 at 5:43 pm «

  Ted, this is starting to sound more than a bit meloncholic.

  Trusting you are ok . . . and will be well for ages to come.

  Yer a good part of many folks day, with yer wit and charm.

  Thanks for all you do here at FDL, and there, at yer home, in The City.

  Not to mention yer a phuckin loon at times that out loons the loons theyselves . .

  *G*
• Teddy Partridge November 27th, 2009 at 5:44 pm «

  Oh, yeah, I’m fine, thanks.
• Larue November 27th, 2009 at 5:47 pm «

  ‘K.
8. Teddy Partridge November 27th, 2009 at 4:49 pm «

   I sure wish Community Thrift had a use for these HIV-prevention books from my last three jobs, now largely out of date. Lotsa actual paper recycling in my future, I fear.
• Elliott November 27th, 2009 at 5:36 pm «

  I learned from my local library that if you rip the covers off books, they can merrily ride the recycle express. But it is a bummer that books of true value to me don’t seem to have any to others.

  Around here we have an HUGE annual used Book Bonanza. Books are collected all year and then there’s a big sale. Proceeds are shared among the American Association of University Women (a holdover from the Volunteer Generation), the county-wide library system, and the Friends of the Library. Maybe there’s something similar out there.

  Initially I was disappointed that my library wasn’t interest in what I thought were perfectly informative books, but the Book Bonanza is a happy alternative, everyone wins. And I can recycle the truly dated ones with good conscience.
• Teddy Partridge November 27th, 2009 at 5:41 pm «

  Our library doesn’t accept books, only money. It’s the only way they found they could get around book wars, I guess. They buy books approved by the ALA, based on demand, I suppose.
• Elliott November 27th, 2009 at 5:41 pm «

  Bummer.
• macaquerman November 28th, 2009 at 5:55 pm «

  Many hospitals accept books for the patient’s library.
• egregious November 27th, 2009 at 5:47 pm «

  Teddy, Menlo Park will take book donations. They have a stupendous annual sale.
• kindGSL November 28th, 2009 at 3:54 am «

  Try used book stores.
9. ratfood November 27th, 2009 at 5:11 pm «

   I used that “I quit smoking” excuse for about ten years. Finally buckled down, ate sensibly, exercised more and lost the extra weight. Gave away all my larger size clothes… Now I wish I had the mid-sized clothes back. I think it’s time for scientists to figure out a way to make fat healthy.
• Elliott November 27th, 2009 at 5:37 pm «

  Well, there are those strawberry shortcakes…
• Suzanne November 27th, 2009 at 5:39 pm «

  mother always did tell me to eat more fruit
• Elliott November 27th, 2009 at 5:45 pm «

  hee hee

  Is it true that Bob eats steak?
• Suzanne November 27th, 2009 at 5:49 pm «

  is what i’ve read. but is only a very limited treat iirc
• ratfood November 27th, 2009 at 5:59 pm «

  We shared a t-bone yesterday. We’ve only been eating steak about once every couple months. Bob only gets a few tiny bits. He eats well all the time though. His favorite treat is apple, which he gets a couple times a month.
10. Larue November 27th, 2009 at 5:27 pm «

    Teddy, what a great post, what a great sitch you found!

    Me and mine were real stubborn when we moved to Sacto from San Mateo, in ’88.

    We brought it all, and since then, we’ve kept it all.

    About two years ago, we started to bag up stuff and take it to local thrift stores.

    One day, I took 16 high priced bowling balls, 6 high priced bowling bags, 4 sets of high priced bowling shoes, and a ton of clothes I’d never fit into again.

    Suddenly, four closets in our small cave were free for our camping and festing gear!!

    BONUS!

    I’m holding onto my cheap golf clubs, though.

    If I ever have the money to pay $45 a round of 18, the exercize will do me well.

    We’ve cleared out a LOT of room giving up on clothes and things we’ll never use again.

    And as we DO get a bit more svelte thru force and will of our selves, we can get rid of stuff that’s too BIG for us, now!

    And man, we’ll dance a happy dance THAT day . . . coming soon, sooner for her, than me. Sigh.

    Great read for this time of year . . . thanks . . . we dropped a bird off for a local kitchen on Wed.

    Might dish up for same with another bird as we ease into XMAS . . . . we can find time, the money, it’s tight, even for a boid. But damn the demand is huge here in Sacto . . . bigger than any time I’ve ever lived here since ’88.

    The Single Barrell in post below was a gift! I love gifts! *G*

    Maybe I shoulda gifted THAT away . . . but nah, I didn’t.

    For Suz, For Herdin Us Up Here

    *G*
• Elliott November 27th, 2009 at 5:39 pm «

  betcha one or two of those bowling balls ended up looking like this. *s*
• Teddy Partridge November 27th, 2009 at 5:42 pm «

  Oddly, bowling balls are something on the “do not donate” list at Community Thrift. I suppose they are heavy, hard to store, and of limited interest. But those are some great art projects!
• kindGSL November 28th, 2009 at 3:51 am «

  Why not donate them to the bowling alley in the name of poor kids or something?
• Larue November 27th, 2009 at 5:47 pm «

  Two kewt, but nope, mine were all top shelf competitive grade, $200 a pop or more.

  And I really missed the timeline, this was back 6 years ago!!! And the equipment was already 6 years old.

  Dang, where’d the time go . . . I traded out bowling (bad knees) for golf, which I then traded out for festing and instruments.

  Wow. The time, where’d it go. And more than a few folks, lost, along the way . .

  Ok, time to turn up the newgrass, again . . .

  Shut up n pick!!! *G*
11. Teddy Partridge November 27th, 2009 at 5:44 pm «

    I’ll make one last stab at the closet tomorrow, I’ve cleared out two drawers and one entire shelf. I think I need the garbagemen to take the blue recycling bin tomorrow, though — they usually come on Friday, but I guess the holiday messed up their schedule. It’s full today, and not just from me!

    Mostly paper and workpapers left.
12. Elliott November 27th, 2009 at 5:58 pm «

    Well, I could help Bob manage his portions *s*
13. Larue November 27th, 2009 at 6:03 pm «

    Well, I got a buddy coming online pretty quick, with a streaming show on the toobs.

    Acoustic Eclectic Jam stuff . . . blue, new, and psycho grass style.

    http://www.worldwidebluegrass.com

    For those that might wanna tune in for some fine music and pickin . .

    The chat room is a hoot, too.

    You Pups be well, and good to each other, and here’s the best from me and mine to you and yours.

    We hope on.
• ratfood November 27th, 2009 at 6:05 pm «

  Thanks, you too, Larue.
14. eCAHNomics November 27th, 2009 at 6:03 pm «

    Now wait a minute. I put on a brand new T-shirt yesterday that I bought in Sydney right before the 2000 Olympics. If I had given it away, I wouldn’t have had it to wear this weekend.

    That is the short version of my clothes story. Haven’t bought anything new in almost a decade. (2 pairs of shoes excluded.)
• Teddy Partridge November 27th, 2009 at 6:11 pm «

  Think of the carbon footprint that t-shirt has — all the way to Sydney to buy it! *G*
15. msmolly November 27th, 2009 at 6:31 pm «

    Three words for the ballooning you, Teddy: South Beach Diet.
• Teddy Partridge November 27th, 2009 at 6:43 pm «

  mmmmkay
• msmolly November 27th, 2009 at 7:11 pm «

  I swear by it, my doctor likes it. Healthful eating and healthy body, lower BP, cholesterol under control. I’ve had ballooning in my past, too.
16. KarenM November 27th, 2009 at 9:16 pm «

    Congratulations on giving up smoking! That’s wonderful… Your lungs must be grateful!

    recommended
17. tpres2000 November 28th, 2009 at 6:44 am «

    Donating is a good thing to do, but there might be a way you could get back into some of those clothes:
    (Disclaimer: I have no interest, monetary or otherwise, in the following information)
    Life Extension Foundation sells a supplement called SlimSignals; it contains an African herb call irvingia which does a couple of things: it keeps your body from adding belly fat, it helps your body preferentially burn existing belly fat, it enhances your awareness of hunger level (so you don’t keep eating when you’re no longer hungry). Your mission, should you accept it, is to drink more water – not to excess – and get more exercise.
    I’ve lost about 12-15lbs, all from my midsection; I walk several miles and also swim laps daily, so I may have lost more of the fat that’s been replaced by muscle.
    Feels like a win-win situation to me!
18. damfino1920 November 28th, 2009 at 6:52 am «

    Thrift stores are awesome, and it’s great to live in a city (ABQ) with a ton of them. I don’t know what I’d do without them and Freecycle – I outfitted my crappy little apartment with both. So anything you realize you don’t use… donate! There’s someone out there who is looking for it.
19. tejanarusa November 28th, 2009 at 1:11 pm «

    Great post, and great timing.

    In the last month, I have cleared out my closet and donated at least 3 large garbage bags full of clothes, shoes, and “accessories” (no, that belt is not going to get magically longer..) to Goodwill.
    I absolutely could not believe I had that much stuff stashed in there. Things that hadn’t been worn in years, yes, still some size 6 or 8 things; things that my Mom gave me so she wouldn’t have to feel bad about throwing ‘em out, and that I recognized I never would wear, etc., etc.
    Also things I had held onto thinking I might do something creative with, like making a quilt or a rag rug…..naaah, not gonna happen. Let someone else pick them up and use them.

    Funny how suddenly one day you look around and realize how much stuff you’ve accumulated while you weren’t looking.