Goodwill Hunting

We zipped across the river to Vancouver yesterday.

First stop was the Goodwill outlet center (aka 'the bins').

It's an interesting place.

For the uninitiated, there are people who make a living from scrounging through the bins and then reselling things. I can't imagine trying to make a living that way, it's a pretty dirty place. And people are rude. At least some of them.

I was Google-searching for the addresses of a couple locations in preparation for our excursion when I found a few stories about people who were making a living that way, some of them had been banned from Goodwill for LIFE, some were under restraining orders from other shoppers... it was crazy.

All that over crappy used stuff.

There were a few vultures yesterday, putting their carts along one side and effectively blocking the entire side of a bin, they had to go through it  FIRST before anyone could get there... they didn't want all their stuff to be gone, I guess.

We didn't spend a bunch of money, just found a few things.
But just going is the fun? part.

Lyssa is working on reselling some toys, she found a few things she was happy about.

We also visited a couple retail Goodwill locations.

Those are interesting, too. They seem to specialize, one being particularly good for furniture, another for toys, still another for books. I'm sure they take the demographics of the store's location into consideration when they're sorting.

In one of the Vancouver stores, there were lots of porcelain selections, none of which came home with us. My hoarding tendencies are more about art supplies and crafty things.




The expression on this first doll's face seems appropriate under the circumstances, hung up on a board in all her nice clothes, looked at by everyone who walks by but just.. left hanging there.

And look to her left.
Is that a vampire behind the other doll?
You won't convince me otherwise, especially considering my latest choice in reading materials. 

Aaaargghhhh!!

I thought this one was actually holding a microphone when I looked at the photo, said to myself, 'hey that's odd, I didn't see that when I snapped the pic' then realized what I was actually looking at.

Drop the mic

This next photo cracked me up because of the eyes. I don't understand how someone felt a need to repaint, but if you enlarge the photo, you'll see how creepy the girl looks.

And I thought the smaller girl in back, looking on, was sort of cute and innocent.

 

The 'eyes' have it.

Hug me

AbsoLUTEly unnecessary. But decorative.

Paint me like one of your French girls...

Not pictured... the two older ladies and one man (none of them were together) who didn't seem to realize that one's nose is connected to their whole breathing system, so had their noses uncovered. Are people really that goddamn stupid? I was going to take photos of them, too. But I decided I didn't need the craziness it would cause.

Today I haven't gone anywhere. All that thrift store shopping made me want to stay home, where it's not as crazy.

Most of the time.