Bagels & Bargains: The In-Store Thrift Event

A lovely curated collection 

On Saturday, April 6th I was invited as a special guest to the Impact Thrift Store in Feasterville, PA.

Of course, I never need an invitation to feel welcome at Impact, as I'm recognized on the regular basis as "the thrift blogger" by a number of the employees.  Since interviewing the staff prior to the Impact grand opening almost a year ago , I thought I'd eventually be just another eager shopper scavenging for secondhand deals.  So, imagine my delight and surprise to be a blogger invited to another Impact in-store event.

I arrived at Impact at 8 am, when the 20 or so bloggers, crafters and invited guests walked through the doors an hour before the store opened. Given first dibs on the merchandise and fun prizes, we were all wide awake despite the early hours. In a partnership with Denise Sabia of The Painted Home crafting and design website, the Bagels and Bargains event featured curated items fresh from the Impact donation warehouse, 25% off coupons, craft supply goody bags and much more. And all of this swag was provided to promote the Impact ECOfest Home Show on April 27th, another event which I also plan on attending.  

But I couldn't afford to be distracted by all of the glitz and the glamour. I was in a thrift store, prior to opening. It was go time. 

I decided to skip the complimentary breakfast, for the time being. Instead I managed to politely socialize with other bloggers, photograph the things I loved and prowled the store for savings. And all the while I was fascinated by the fact that I hadn't seen it so desolate since my behind-the-scenes Impact tour. 

After stuffing a few small finds into my cart, we gathered around Denise for a game of The Thrifted Price Is Right.

Jackie Jardine, come on down!!! 

The rules were simple: The first person to shout out the correct price for some of her curated thrift finds was the winner.

And when the time came to price that lovely framed  photograph from 1902...you better believe I stepped up my game.

"$20!" 

I shouted and hit the price right on the nose, winning myself a $25 gift certificate. Man, let me tell you. It was almost like I won a car from Drew Carey...almost.

After a few more rounds of pricing and some raffle prizes, we were encouraged to roam around. The small crowd immediately swelled, gravitating to the selection of curated lovelies that Denise had handpicked. But I pushed forward as all of the stools and suitcases were grabbed, and got my fingers around what I knew I was meant to buy from the beginning...that very antique framed photograph that I had correctly priced.

It's the perfect addition to my collection of vintage photographs. 

I made several trips around the store, carefully searching each aisle for a hidden treasure. And it didn't seem like long before the doors were opened to the public, and our little private shopping event came to an end. But I was by no means, disappointed. I received a goody bag of paints and supplies that will soon come in handy for some repurposing projects in the works. I got a 25% off my total order coupon and won a $25 gift certificate. 

Of course, I grabbed a bagel for the road.

After thanking the hostess for her hospitality and saying my goodbyes to the staff, I drove back home with thrift scores in tow. 

It really was a great day, one that I needed. I met other bloggers with a similar passion for thrifting, won some prizes, got some much-needed repurposing advice from an expert in design, was again recognized as the girl behind Let's Go Thrifting. And on top of all that, I scored some sweet thrifted loot.

FREE! FREE! FREE! 

A little wicker and wood curio cabinet, a wooden owl pin, a vintage white doily, Sex In History book and the antique 1902 framed graduation portrait. And with the combined savings of the 25% coupon and the $25 gift certificate...not only was this all free...but I have $4 to spare in certificate spending. I went to the Bagels and Bargains event and actually earned thrift money!

Do I love being a thrift blogger, or what?