By Bennett Secrest | Writer & Kian Kiasaleh | Writer
March 19, 2015
Originally established to raise money for charities, thrift shops have taken a new form in our culture today. While they continue to sell items donated from the local communities and send the proceeds to a good cause, thrift shops have garnered a newfound affinity from the youth.
Cheap and trash are no longer looked down upon, but celebrated. We consider one man’s trash to be another man’s treasure as we take part in this process of recycling our possessions. Thrift shops were originally seen as an epicenter for frugality and bargaining. And they still are, but people have now adopted thrift store style into their aesthetic. Even artists like Macklemore have expressed his fascination for thrift shops in the title song. Entering a thrift shop entails surprises and some good laughs, as you never know what’s waiting inside the store. The clothes, the trinkets, the furniture, they all have a personality and tell a story of the previous owner that is recycled onto the buyer. You’re not only giving back to aid organizations, but having the opportunity to explore a myriad of treasurable junk you normally wouldn’t find in regular stores.
The variety of thrift shops here in San Clemente complements the laid-back environment. There are many popular thrift shops throughout San Clemente that are jam-packed with vintage, designer, and essential clothing along with cool trinkets and items. The most notable are La Tienda, The Pac-Rat, Salvation Army, and The Bargain Box. The range of items varies greatly from store to store.
La Tienda consists of clothing and a multitude of shoes/sneakers that typically have a vintage feel along with, minor designer brands such as Nautica, and a plethora of band shirts. As far as non-clothing items, La Tienda has a wide variety of books and vinyl records to choose from as well as dishware, electronics, furniture, etc. Corey Bland chortles,”I love this store. The guys are friendly, helpful and kind. The prices are competitive, maybe cheaper than the neighboring thrifts. It’s a great place to dig around in and there are hidden treasures to be found.”
The Pac-Rat is a small thrift shop that carefully chooses the products it wants to sell. These items consist of vintage clothing and shoes/sneakers, rare vinyl records (I managed to get a Peter Frampton vinyl a long time ago), surfboards, jewelry, etc. The owner is also a delight to converse with and treats you as if you were family as soon as you enter her store.
The Salvation Army is, by-far, the largest store that has an abundance of clothes and items. The amount of clothing is overwhelming and usually consists of unwanted clothes, but, if you are determined and search through each rack full of clothing, you are bound to find many great pieces, ranging from sports clothes, designer clothes (of all brands such as Polo Ralph Lauren, Givenchy, Nautica, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, etc.), essentials, etc.
There is also a large amount of shoes/sneakers that, sometime, consist of rare Jordans and designer shoes. As for items, Salvation Army has furniture, vinyl’s, CD’s, dishware, children’s toys, electronics, luxury goods (usually designer handbags such as Coach and Louis Vuitton), etc. The best part about Salvation Army is they get new shipments of donated goods on a daily basis so there is always a fresh new batch of items to search through each week.
Junior Jake Seifert gloats,”If you love finding bargains at thrift stores, the Salvation Army next to the Department of Motor Vehicles in San Clemente is your heaven on earth!”
The Bargain Box is a higher end thrift store that carries designer clothing (predominantly women’s), along with jewelry, accessories, vinyl’s, books, furniture, etc. This store also picks and chooses what items they will take and put up for sale to keep a specific style of items to be known for. The quality of items in his store is extremely impressive and you are able to buy very valuable items for a fraction of their original price in great condition.
The best of these thrift stores is the Salvation Army for its variety of great items that flow through the shop every week. To see which store is best, I advise that you visit these stores and take a look at each one for yourselves and choose which you like best. All of these home-town San Clemente thrift shops are excellent and are deserving of your business.
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