My Cuppa Tea: Thrift shop until you drop, I say

Second-hand shopping is absolutely my cuppa tea.

Never a truer saying has there been than “One man’s garbage is another man’s treasure”.

This is why my dear mom pulled me closer with her recent downscaling house move. My sister, who lives with mom, has no interest in ‘old junk’, yard sales or anything thrifty.

ALSO READ: Support the Benoni Child Welfare charity shop

I totally understand not wanting to part with things. Not that I’m a hoarder (well … not in plain sight anyway – that is what drawers and cupboards and garages are for).

My gran’s display cabinet was fascinating when I was a child, full of shiny, interesting things delicately kept behind glass for looking and not touching.

Today, this beautiful corner display cabinet is in my bedroom. I simply love it and am honoured to have inherited this.

I miraculously managed to drag my husband thrift shopping with me one recent Saturday morning. Ironically, he came home with the biggest ‘junk’ item – all the while, however, telling me I was now really junk shopping, and we didn’t have space for ‘ornaments’. So, why did you buy these two very disturbingly ugly dragon ornaments? I asked.

Thankfully, I turn a deaf ear and take what jumps out at me and what makes my heart happy, whether a pair of castanets, tap shoes or a gaudy scatter cushion straight out of the 70s.

There is no better place to start in Benoni than Russel Street, Western Extension, where you will find the Kids Haven, Hospice East Rand and Murphy Cat Project shops just a hop, skip and jump from each other. Pretty, old, strange, exquisite, big and small items abound.

By the way, Murphy Cat has moved from the quaint house they were in near Lemongrass to the corner of Mowbray and Russel.

From Western Extension, we went to the Benoni SPCA shop. They’ve done an incredible job of revamping the beautiful old house the shop is in and are so organised. Everything always seems to be half-price, too. I found a new pair of ankle boots in my size for R125.

When we got home and were finding spots for all our newfound ‘happy junk’, the dragons were first perched on the lounge windowsill among my stately granny and grandpa ornaments (not happening), then moved to the bathroom windowsill, where my husband tried very hard to convince himself at that stage they weren’t that ugly, then found themselves on the ‘repurpose to charity shop’ items on the bed in the spare room, and were then finally shoved into a draw.

Oh well, charity is the real winner here, and that’s what counts.

I think hubby must stick to plant shopping.

A word of advice when charity shopping – take a basket when you walk in and put whatever instantly catches your eye into it.

Don’t be like me and see the most stunning ‘so me’ necklace and think it’ll be there when you get back to the counter. Damn!

And, remember, if you and I don’t donate to these shops, we can’t shop and get our junk fix.

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