An Absence

In case you've been wondering if this blog has been rather quiet for the past few weeks, it is because I've been travelling.

Not too many non-profit thrift shops found during our travels.  The first stop was in Sitka, Alaska where a shop (may not have been purely non-profit) was open but nothing of interest was found.  We then were in Japan where we didn't know how to search for the term.  There is a thriving used clothes scene though due to decades of wage stagnation (Yen prices appear to be pretty static in the time).

Thailand is a country with huge wealth disparity and you do have quite a quite a large impoverished population who scrounge through discards to make a living.  The only non-profit thrift store I was able to locate was one operated by U.S. women in Bangkok, which unfortunately is only open for a couple of hours every week.

Onto Malaysia which may not have as many wealthy and a burgeoning middle class who consume conspicuously (and very likely, imprudently using debt) as Thailand's but apparently also without a noticeable amount of hard-scrabble poor.  Clothes are often sold through pop-up "bundle shops" but the Salvation Army does have a presence, just not where we were though.

Last stop was Honolulu with the usual goods.  Crystal wine glasses were hauled home...