Thrift Store "Registry"?

[Deleted User] · May 2014

Thanks ladies. I know about the crib, carseat, stroller issue. For the kid stuff, I'm thinking more vintage matchbox cars and used outdoor sand toys. And hand-me-downs. Kids grow so fast, why not get hand-me-downs of the cute clothes my friends dressed their kids in?

I'm just so glad you guys like the idea of a thrift store "registry". I was concerned that wouldn't be etiquette approved. I'll eventually create both a "proper" registry with items that are always better to have new; towels, bedding, pillows; for those people who will be traveling and won't want to bring their gifts with them and the people who just don't thrift. But I'll have enough word-of-mouth going around with the more local gang that my bar will eventually look pretty dang cool. Thanks again.

wrigleyville · May 2014

Yeah, I can't see why it wouldn't be etiquette-approved. It's more of a logistical quandary, but it sounds like you have some good ideas. I think it's a great idea.

I also love vintage items. We live in an old apartment building, and I had so much fun looking for a mirror and candlesticks for our fireplace mantel, throw rugs, hurricane glass, etc. I LOOOOVE thrift stores.

[Deleted User] · May 2014

@wrigleyville, Brown Elephant? It's my favorite, but I live kinda far away nowadays (Rogers Park), but I try to get to the Andersonville one a couple times a summer at least.

wrigleyville · May 2014

adk19 said:

@wrigleyville, Brown Elephant? It's my favorite, but I live kinda far away nowadays (Rogers Park), but I try to get to the Andersonville one a couple times a summer at least.

Yup! The one on Halsted.

We also try to visit other thrift stores that directly benefit hospitals, churches, shelters, etc.

Oh, and we love this place: http://www.open-books.org/index.php But that's kind of getting off-topic.

[Deleted User] · May 2014

We're buying a house first; house first, then marriage. And I'm all set on getting a fixer-upper. But when I watch these DIY shows on cable and I get so angry at the violent demo they do on things like kitchen cabinets. I want to donate to and shop at those Home Improvement ReSale shops. And I want to paint my new house with recycled paint. And I want to buy used furniture at thrift stores and garage sales and sand and refinish them. And I want to make a headboard I saw on Pinterest out of books from thrift stores and library sales. I have PLANS! Now, to buy the house.

mysticl · May 2014

adk19 said:

We're buying a house first; house first, then marriage. And I'm all set on getting a fixer-upper. But when I watch these DIY shows on cable and I get so angry at the violent demo they do on things like kitchen cabinets. I want to donate to and shop at those Home Improvement ReSale shops. And I want to paint my new house with recycled paint. And I want to buy used furniture at thrift stores and garage sales and sand and refinish them. And I want to make a headboard I saw on Pinterest out of books from thrift stores and library sales. I have PLANS! Now, to buy the house.

Habitat for Humanity takes old cabinets, counters, etc.

[Deleted User] · May 2014

sophhabobopha said:

I did some googling, and found this: http://www.sokindregistry.org/
Love the idea; I'm a thrift queen also!

I finally got around to checking this out and it's pretty amazing. Though look at the "Family Registry" example as the wedding one is pretty horrifying etiquette-wise. It looks like exactly the kind of thing I'm looking for. Thanks!

[Deleted User] · May 2014

mysticl said:

adk19 said:

We're buying a house first; house first, then marriage. And I'm all set on getting a fixer-upper. But when I watch these DIY shows on cable and I get so angry at the violent demo they do on things like kitchen cabinets. I want to donate to and shop at those Home Improvement ReSale shops. And I want to paint my new house with recycled paint. And I want to buy used furniture at thrift stores and garage sales and sand and refinish them. And I want to make a headboard I saw on Pinterest out of books from thrift stores and library sales. I have PLANS! Now, to buy the house.

Habitat for Humanity takes old cabinets, counters, etc.

I know. And I've seen a couple of their stores around where they sell the stuff they collect. It's interesting the list of stuff they won't take though. Like, I think they'll only accept low-flow toilets and faucets and such. I mean, the greener the better, but that means the toilet I'm taking out of the bathroom gets landfilled instead of reused. And I don't think making a toilet into a planter is exactly the look I'm going for in my yard.

kitsunegari89 · May 2014

Put information about it on your wedding website under the "registry details" page or similar. That's what I would do, anyway. Write something about how you want to reduce your consumption of new items, and that if guests choose to bring gifts you would prefer used items like cool but mismatched pieces of china, vintage pyrex, jadeite, milk glass, or (my favorite thing) Griswold cast iron cookware. Or better yet, just tell people when they ask.

[Deleted User] · May 2014

mrshutzler said:

Put information about it on your wedding website under the "registry details" page or similar. That's what I would do, anyway. Write something about how you want to reduce your consumption of new items, and that if guests choose to bring gifts you would prefer used items like cool but mismatched pieces of china, vintage pyrex, jadeite, milk glass, or (my favorite thing) Griswold cast iron cookware. Or better yet, just tell people when they ask.

YES! Cast iron!!! I can't even tell you how many 'outdoor kitchens' I have on my Pinterest board. I totally want to cook over an open fire. But of course, I love a good cast iron recipe even if I have to make it indoors.

syoun1nj · May 2014

I tend to not like the idea of a Pinterest "registry," where brides pin pictures of expensive vacations, etc. But I wonder if one would work for you, if you made a board and pinned pictures of inspirational pieces, or pieces you already have, so folks could say ok, she wants plates. She likes these black and red ones - and then they have an idea of your style for plates, and can look at thrift stores/etsy/ebay etc for them.

If you do this, I would have an account that ONLY has this board so they don't also see any other boards you may have at the same time and get confused.

wandajune6 · May 2014

wrigleyville said:

adk19 said:

@wrigleyville, Brown Elephant? It's my favorite, but I live kinda far away nowadays (Rogers Park), but I try to get to the Andersonville one a couple times a summer at least.

Yup! The one on Halsted.

We also try to visit other thrift stores that directly benefit hospitals, churches, shelters, etc.

Oh, and we love this place: http://www.open-books.org/index.php But that's kind of getting off-topic.

I love Open Books! I donate a lot of books to them each time I move out of/around Chicago.

The Brown Elephant in Oak Park is pretty good too, though I think a bit smaller.

kitty8403 · May 2014

@adk19 If you're a vintage lover, I would suggest registries at Etsy for art and decor, and maybe Replacements.com for china, silver, and so forth. (yes, they do this.)
ETA: the only problem I see with your plan is that it's tough to "register" for one of a kind pieces, which is much of what you'll find on Etsy. Other shoppers can quickly undo all the research and effort you put in to compiling your list. You might have better luck receiving things you picked out if you stick to shops that offer custom work or do multiples of the same item.

[Deleted User] · May 2014

kitty8403 said:

@adk19 If you're a vintage lover, I would suggest registries at Etsy for art and decor, and maybe Replacements.com for china, silver, and so forth. (yes, they do this.)
ETA: the only problem I see with your plan is that it's tough to "register" for one of a kind pieces, which is much of what you'll find on Etsy. Other shoppers can quickly undo all the research and effort you put in to compiling your list. You might have better luck receiving things you picked out if you stick to shops that offer custom work or do multiples of the same item.

I'm not so much a vintage lover as I am a tree hugger. My actual style is pretty contemporary. I just like keeping items out of landfills, so I try to purchase used as much as possible. I was just wondering if there was a polite way to tell my friends and family that I'll take their hand-me-downs.

kitty8403 · May 2014

adk19 said:

kitty8403 said:

@adk19 If you're a vintage lover, I would suggest registries at Etsy for art and decor, and maybe Replacements.com for china, silver, and so forth. (yes, they do this.)
ETA: the only problem I see with your plan is that it's tough to "register" for one of a kind pieces, which is much of what you'll find on Etsy. Other shoppers can quickly undo all the research and effort you put in to compiling your list. You might have better luck receiving things you picked out if you stick to shops that offer custom work or do multiples of the same item.

I'm not so much a vintage lover as I am a tree hugger. My actual style is pretty contemporary. I just like keeping items out of landfills, so I try to purchase used as much as possible. I was just wondering if there was a polite way to tell my friends and family that I'll take their hand-me-downs.

---box again---
Hmmm. In that case, I like PP suggestion of having a list of needed/wanted used items with specific colors/sizes/numbers (maybe with your mom or FMIL or MOH?) in case people ask. You might also try finding some artists that specialize in upcycled work--can you do an in-house "registry" with a local gallery or find some talent online or at a regional or "made in wherever" show and link to examples of things you like on their sites? There are some wonderful options out there for recycled light fixtures, lamps, artwork, serveware, decor, furnishings, etc. You might even find a larger place that specializes in green or upcycled materials that will do a traditional registry.

I would suggest still having a small registry at a traditional store for a few things you know you'll still want new (towels and such).

kitty8403 · May 2014

These guys carry some handmade and upcycled pieces. Might be worth a look. Just run a search for "recycled" or whatever you're looking for. .http://www.uncommongoods.com/giftRegistry/registry.jsp

kitty8403 · May 2014

I would also run searches on green wedding guides for places carrying upcycled, used or sustainable items. A few possibilities/inspiration sites:

http://www.branchhome.com/

http://www.theultimategreenstore.com/t-gift-registry.aspx

http://www.arenaturals.com/giftregistry_home.asp

http://weddings.weddingchannel.com/wedding-registry-ideas/bridal-registry-guide/articles/5-popular-eco-friendly-registry-picks.aspx

hellohkb · May 2014

What an awesome idea! FH and I met at a thrift store, so that is such a cool idea. I highly suggest registering on Etsy and adding used items from their Vintage collection. You could always register for many different vintage and used (not all of the items in the vintage section are truly "vintage") items.

selenathegreat · May 2014

mrshutzler said:
Put information about it on your wedding website under the "registry details" page or similar. That's what I would do, anyway. Write something about how you want to reduce your consumption of new items, and that if guests choose to bring gifts you would prefer used items like cool but mismatched pieces of china, vintage pyrex, jadeite, milk glass, or (my favorite thing) Griswold cast iron cookware. Or better yet, just tell people when they ask.

I like this idea too. Just keep it simple and post some pics of pieces in your aesthetic. If I were your guest I'd dig it! I practically live at Goodwill and antique stores.

puddlehopper · June 2014

I think giving your guests multiple options is always best, it allows them to give a gift that they feel good about giving. On my wedding website I gave links to my traditional registries but also listed names of artists at a local art gallery we liked. We also listed colors that we wanted to decorate with, this allowed people to pick there own gift out or make a handmade gifts that was more likely to fit into our home. We ended up with some amazing handmade items, artwork form our favorite artists, and items that people picked out themselves and we love them all, and they were all in our colors so people actually found it helpful!

Here is the wording we used on our website and the color swatch that I found online on pinterest:

"Jack and Jill will be decorating their home in grays and turquoise, please see the color swatch provided below for an example of the range of colors."

[Deleted User] · June 2014

adk19 said:

sophhabobopha said:

I did some googling, and found this: http://www.sokindregistry.org/
Love the idea; I'm a thrift queen also!

I finally got around to checking this out and it's pretty amazing. Though look at the "Family Registry" example as the wedding one is pretty horrifying etiquette-wise. It looks like exactly the kind of thing I'm looking for. Thanks!

I've started a SoKind Registry. It's pretty cool, though you have to find your own images of the items you want. So far, I only have 5-6 items; picture frames, flowerpots, beer glasses, etc. I currently have it password protected, so it won't be available for viewing until I'm ready to share. Thanks to everyone for their suggestions.

orriana · June 2014

I'm seconding the sokind.com registry. That's what we are using, although we do plan to add a few items on more traditional sites for the purists. It allows you to add used gifts, as well as gifts of skill, service or day-of-event help.

[Deleted User] · June 2014

orriana said:

I'm seconding the sokind.com registry. That's what we are using, although we do plan to add a few items on more traditional sites for the purists. It allows you to add used gifts, as well as gifts of skill, service or day-of-event help.

Right. I'll eventually register for bedding and towels and such on a more traditional registry, but the fact that this lets me register for mismatched used beer glasses thrills me to no end. I might actually modify it (or create a new one) to be my Christmas list for next Christmas, or open it up to my family once we buy a house since I know my parents will want to get me a little something, and a couple of my cousins might too.

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