Auction

A couple of weeks ago, I was browsing through some local resale website and chanced upon a posting by the Salvation Army in Nanaimo.  The two stores hold auctions every couple of weeks and people go bid on them.  By chance, I saw a coffee pot in a pattern that my wife started on just a few weeks ago, spurred on by a stack of plates for $1 (1/2 price) at the New West hospital auxiliary store.  This pattern is rare as we've only seen a few pieces in visits to dozens of thrift stores in the past few weeks.

So we made  a bid on a trip to Nanaimo and went it to buy it today (no one else bid on it).  Interesting system as they're trying to eliminate false bids and other rigging systems.  You need an ID slip these days!

Beautiful item 114 - Scraffito by Meakin

Stopped at the Ladysmith freestore on the way back but it was bare....

A few "new" ones in Duncan, Parksville and Nanaimo.

Visited a few thrift shops that I've known about but openings times haven't coincided with our visits.

West of Duncan on Gibbins Road - a few hundred meters past the hospital - is Duncan Seventh Day Adventist church's thrift shop.  This one is hard to visit as it is rarely open, just Thursdays and 2nd and 3rd Sundays of the month from 11-15.  It is run by volunteers, small but well organised has interesting items at very good prices.  Lots of lot parking.  Proceeds go to local and international aid.

In the old part of Nanaimo on Fitzwilliam Street at Wallace is the St. Andrew's United Church shop. Located in the basement, it also volunteer-run.  Small.  Free lot parking.  Only open M, W, Th 0930-13.



On the south end of Parksville on the old highway, at the strip mall just north of the 1st set of traffic lights is the Second Chance thrift shop where proceeds go to assist rehabilitation and community  reintegration of people with brain injuries. Lots of nice collectibles here as they have partnered with a estate sale/clearance business.  Very good prices for china sets.  Free lot parking.  Only open W-Sa.

Even better than thrift stores....

is the free store!

Cowichan Regional District's waste management programme includes paying to bring items to the transfer station not necessarily for disposal but for re-use.  Pay to leave it there, free to take it away.  I don't know why people just don't take it to a thrift store.  There are two such Free Store, one in Duncan and another in Ladysmith.

We dropped in at the Duncan location today and had to ask where the site was.  Linda thought it was some joke until we got there, and she found something she wanted, but never wanted to pay money for.  Her first thought was, "I forgot my wallet" and the second, "Oh wait, I don't need money here".

Got 11 CDs, a German band dessinee book (not that I can read German), a German poultry shears (just had to bend the handle back, and get a spring),  silver-plated flower holder (needs polish), two oyster knives, an electronic thermometer (need a battery), German asparagus peeler (needs sharpening), a made-in-Brazil Henckels peeler, a German cherry pitter, all for the grand sum of...   $0.

North and Central Saanich

The North Saanich area has thrift shops clustered in Sidney and Brentwood Bay.  There are a couple of church shops spread around.

Near the north end at West Saanich Road (@ Clayton) is St John's United Church.  The thrift shop is housed in a trailer so it's small but it does have nice items.  Very reasonable prices.  Lot parking.

The Sidney area houses over a half dozen shops, all between Beacon and Bevan avenues and spread between 2nd and 4th streets s very walkable. 3 are branches of Beacon Community Services and are divided into 3 shops.  The 4th Avenue shop houses the furniture shop.  On 3rd Avenue, adjacent to each other is the housewares shop and a clothes and other goods shop.   Across 3rd from these two is an SPCA shop.  Prices are quite high though.  On 2nd Avenue is a Saint Vincent de Paul.  Haven't found much of interest personally here.  There's a pet rescue thrift shop across the street and an adjacent private one.

Free street and off-street parking though it gets busy.

Down in Brentwood Bay are spread 3 along West Saanich Road, all within 6-7 minute walk of each other.  At the north end just south of Verdier is a Salvation Army shop.   Small, a bit picked over and not much of interest to us.  Prices high as per SAs in the area.  Lot and street parking.

North of the NE corner of Wallace is a Beacon Community Services shop that specialises in clothes.  The houseware shops is further south on the other side of W Saanich before Le Bure Place.  It's also small but may have housewares of interest.  Free lot parking.

Heading back to the highway on Keating Cross Road, one finds a Saint Vincent de Paul, a new branch to replace the closed one on Quadra in south Saanich (we found it but not sure if it is being renovated or converted into something else).  It's small, and seemingly poor so not much of interest.  free lot parking.

On special days, Saint Mary's Anglican church in Saanichton (Cultra west of E Saanich Road) has a parish sale in late September.  We'll miss it but it's there.

Langford and Sooke

In the western suburbs of Victoria are 6 thrift stores - 4 in Langford and 2 in Sooke.

 The three normal thrift stores are located along Goldstream Avenue at Bryn Maur/Claude, well within walking distance of each other. Just off Goldstream on Claude is the Saint Vincent de Paul.  It's a small shop with the usual assortment, with good prices.  Street and lot parking.

On the other side of Goldstream in the back of a parking lot mall is the Salvation Army.  Moderate size, it has the usual SA items. Prices a bit high but there are always bargains.  Free lot parking.

Off in the back of the fancier mall a little bit east (other side of Bryn Maur) is the WIN thrift store.  It's a small boutique with very nice things.  Not much selection but what there is is nice.  Good prices. Lot parking.

There's a small Habitat for Humanity ReStore hidden on Orono at Van Isle.  It's a small store with mainly home reno items, as expected, but also a small assortment of housewares. Lot parking.

The small community of Sooke is surprisingly large (lots of schools) and can support 2 thrift stores.  When we were last there, there was a Salvation Army and a Saint Vincent de Paul.  The SA closed as a result of cost but the community quickly rallied and opened a community thrift shop acorss the road, and even closer to the remaining Saint Vincent de Paul both on West Coast Road.

The Sooke Community store is on the south side of West Coast Road just west of Otter Point/Murray Road (the only traffic light in the village centre).  It's small but still has a nice variety of wares.  Good prices. Free limited lot parking.

A bit further down on the other side of the street west of Shields is the Saint Vincent de Paul.  In an office building of some sort, it is also small and has a variety of wares which seem to reflect a poorer pool of donours.  Limited lot parking.

Crofton, Ladysmith and Chemainus

Three thrift stores in the northern Cowichan valley.

The thrift store at Crofton, a community one on Joan Avenue between York and King, has been in some flux.  Currently it is part of a self-serve laundromat. It's small with a small selection of items. No furniture.  Prices seem to be reasonable.  Lots of free street parking.

Chemainus Hospital Auxiliary

Heading up to Chemainus, one finds a Hospital Auxilliary shop on the corner of Maple and Oak streets.  This store is well-organised but small, reflecting the small community.  Well patronised by the locals.  Free street parking.

Ladysmith Hospital Auxiliary

Up in Ladysmith on the corner of 1st and French is the local Hospital Auxilliary.  They do seem to get whatever the community gives, some of it thrown in the dumpster.  It's on the small side.  Quite an assortment of the usual.  Free street parking.

Cowichan

The Cowichan valley, which I will define as Mill Bay to Ladysmith, hosts a fair number of thrift stores.

Beginning in the south at Mill Bay, there is the Salvation Army store on the Shawnigan Lake-Mill Bay Road just west of the TC highway.  It's a small store with the usual assortment.  Free lot parking.  Part of the lower mainland and Victoria division, it participates in the promotions of this division.

On Cobble Hill Road near Lovers Lane//Chapman Road if the Hand-in-Hand store of St John the Baptist Anglican Church.  This store is open only on a Friday between 10 and 14h.  Selection is limited to a few collectibles and clothes.  Everything appears to be saved for a Saturday in September (either the 3rd or closest to the middle of the month.  Some special event locally as a lot of thrift stores have sales on this date) when a lot of inventory is brought out for sale.  A lot of nice items at good, marked prices.

Next stop is Duncan which hosts 7 stores.

Right on the highway (east side) are two stores.  At Trunk Road is the Salvation Army while a couple of blocks further north is the Bibles for Missions at Alexander Street. The Salvation Army is a small store with o.k. prices.  Small selection of everything though quality seems to reflect the relatively-poorer area.  The Bibles for Missions is one of the smaller ones and just doesn't have too much.  Seems to be focussed mainly on clothes but has some collectibles and housewares.  O.K. prices but higher than other BFMs in B.C. Both have free lot parking while the BFM also has free street parking.

In the downtown area of Duncan are 5 stores.

On Station Street between Canada Avenue and Craig Street is the local Hospital Auxiliary.  This well-displayed store is small but has a good amount of collectibles, clothes and housewares.  Free street parking though it can be limited.

At the end of Station Street (junction with Government and Jubilee) s is WINGS III which is a abused/battered women's charity.  This small store is more of a boutique with fairly nice quality items and has higher prices.

On Kenneth Street is the Duncan Lions store.  This small store is nicely organised with lots of collectibles, clothes, housewares and furniture.  Prices are very good.  Free street parking.

The local United Church is open on Fridays.  The store is small with the usual clothes, children's ware and collectibles.  Only a small amount of inventory is on show while the rest is saved for the September sale.  Good prices.  Lot parking.

On Canada Avenue (between 1st and 2nd avenues) is the Cowichan Family Life store.  Good amount of collectibles, clothes and housewares.  Prices are o.k.  Lot parking.

Out on is the Seventh Day Adventist on Gibbins Road though the opening hours are not advertised. Will advice when I find it open. Lot parking.

Couple of small, private thrift stores too, one just north of the Bibles for Missions and another across the road from WINGS III.