Tuesday, June 12, 2012

I'm Too Thrifty For My Shirt, Too Thrifty For My Shirt, So Thrifty It Hurts

While we were in Chicago, I went on a little walk to check out a resale shop I read about online. The proceeds from the shop go to help those who are under- or uninsured, so I figured if I did spend any money, it'd be going to a good cause.

I wasn't looking for anything in particular, but sometimes you come across a real find, so I had to at least look. Clothing doesn't usually pan out for me because being a plus-sized chiquita, my choices are limited. I think that'd be one benefit of being a skinny-balink - I'd be able to go vintage without any issues. I did see a dress that I was seriously tempted to buy for my cousin, but I wasn't completely sure she'd be interested so I passed on it.

I did try on one pair of shoes - gorgeous pointy-toed Stuart Weitzman heels for $40.00. These shoes typically run around $300.00 a pair and I walked back and forth in them for a few minutes - they were in perfect condition, the soles weren't even scuffed - before putting them back on the display table. Finding shoes for my giant feet is always a challenge, but since I don't need pointy-toed stilletos in the truck, I had to pass. It was painful.

Then I rounded the corner and these caught my eye:

How could they not? Look at them. They were practically screaming from the shelf. I picked them up, turned them over, inspected them. They were Ed's size and I was totally going to buy them. I always thought it was a little weird to buy shoes in a resale shop, but these sneakers were in PERFECT condition. It's like they were on a date with the Stuart Weitzman pumps - two perfect pairs out for the day. OK, that's lame, but I'm totally serious. They were perfect.

The laces were in pristine condition - bright yellow, and looked as if they'd never even been tied. The mesh on the front didn't have a spot on it. The soles were clean and bright, perfectly new rubber. And the interior didn't have a visible speck of anything. I would bet my pinky toe that these shoes had never been worn. I think someone either got them as a gift, or bought them and then decided they hated them. Maybe they weren't into the bright colors. Who knows.

What I DO know, is that I totally scored a deal. I knew the brand name was expensive, but didn't realize
how much they were until I got home and Googled them. I found the same exact pair, color and everything, for $120.00. You know what I paid for them?

TWELVE DOLLARS! That's right, twelve freakin' dollars. I rock.

I really wanted to go back to the truck with a little surprise for Ed, and since he's been doing a lot of running lately, I thought these were perfect. So I paid for my shoes, hit the Whole Foods across the street for a few things, and then walked back to the truck.

Turns out the shoes fit Ed perfectly and he liked them - liking even more that they glow in the dark - I'm not really sure why that matters since it's unlikely that he'll be running at night. Maybe it'll help me find the shoes when he leaves them where he's not supposed to.

From now on, when he leaves to go on a run, I'm going to yell "You glow, boy!" as he sprints away from the truck.


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2011:
Except It’s Not Four, It’s ONE
2010: A Few Pictures And Less Than A Thousand Words
2009: Explosions Of Color And Flavor
2008: A Big Gay Case Of Mistaken Identity
2007: Gilding The Shopping Lily
2006: Dog Day Afternoon
2005: Sorry, no post on this day.

3 comments:

Gil said...

They sure look better than the shoes the guy in the City had for sale!!!

garage sale said...

I really love the neon shoe! Cool page indeed.

Anonymous said...

Still laughing .... reading aloud to my son, a writer himself, I even got a smile out of my teen. "You go, girl!"