Goin' to the Salvation Army

I made a recent post about one of my favorite thrift store haunts, but it is not the only thrift store that is near & dear to my little SLP heart. I also enjoy finding good deals on games and books at the Salvation Army.

Via wikipedia: "The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over 120 countries.

It was founded in 1865 in the United Kingdom by William Booth and his wife Catherine as the north London Christian Mission and with a quasi-military structure.^[3] The theology of the Salvation Army is "mainstream Protestant".

I have been going to the Salvation Army store in my community since I was little. It was the little run-down store I got dolls, stuffed animals, and jewelry at until I reached middle school. At that point, I thought my thrift store days were over unless you count used bookstores. This was helped by the decision to close the store's downtown location and relocate a larger building on our "major" road. The new location brought the store major traffic as well as turning into a target for donation theft. My mom and I no longer felt entirely safe going to our favorite thrift store. 

I started going back to the Salvation Army a few months ago with the expectation that I would find nothing of use. Life, however, likes to surprise  us with the unexpected. I found a Guess Who? game for two dollars as well as some brand new scholastic paperbacks for .69 cents. I was hooked. 

Top 5 reasons I love Salvation Army

1. Their games are ALWAYS cheaper than the ones at Goodwill. I can buy games for $1-2 dollars there when I end up paying $2-4 at Goodwill.

2. Their books are TYPICALLY cheaper than the ones at Goodwill. Paperback books are usually .69 cents and hardbacks are $1. I have gotten some new hardbacks for $2. (This is similar for their school supplies too) 

3. I'm collecting random objects for an phonics tub/alphabet tub (similar to picture below from Teaching Treasures) and small toys are .29-.50 cents

4. I can usually find crafting items (Goodwill in my area never has them) that I can use for therapy art projects for .50-$1

5. In general, everything (except for their clothes and "antiques") are cheaper than Goodwill (and yes, this does vary from store to store)

Cons:

1. The clerk at our store is usually in a bad mood. 

2. It's always crowded and the parking lot is crappy.

3. After hours donation theft (which makes me worry about people trying to break into my car during store hours).