Itinerary: Thrift Shopping

Amid the beat-up stuffed animals and Herb Alpert records, there are still pearls to be discovered in thrift stores. Sure, the pickings have been slim ever since vintage clothing became popular, and many thrift stores have been plundered by vintage clothing store buyers and antique dealers. Still, it’s important to note that most people shop in thrift stores because they can’t afford to shop anywhere else. Besides being a consumer safety net that’s less expensive than Kmart, most thrift stores support worthy charities.

Today

For cheap furniture, check out the Salvation Army (56 W. Del Mar Blvd., Pasadena, [626] 577-4649), a warehouse-sized store loaded with sofas ranging from left-out-on-the-sidewalk-looking ($80) to retail store quality ($300) and wooden desks, some decrepit ($20), while others are IKEA-like ($200). They also have more than a few antiquated tennis rackets (some in good shape) ($1-$3), kids’ bicycles ($15-$40) and bags filled with golf clubs ($8-$12 for the bag, $3 per club).

On the next street over is the Salvation Army Antiques & Collectibles (35 Waverly Drive, [626] 795-0274), where they’ve stored some fancier items, including a mahogany dresser ($300), pianos in excellent condition ($500-$575), attractive grandma-type sweaters ($7-$10) and a so-awful-that-it’s-good copy of Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” ($20.50).

Friday

Council Thrift Shop (11571 Santa Monica Blvd., West L.A., [310] 477-9613) is often packed with people for good reason. This is probably the best thrift store in L.A. for finding high-quality stuff, from dining room tables to lamps to trench coats. The clientele is a mixed bag of Brentwood housewives, neighborhood eccentrics and people who argue with the sales staff about prices.

There’s a large, jumbled record collection and occasionally some worthwhile music (records cost $1; cassettes, 50 cents). On the men’s “E” rack are the more expensive (sometimes overpriced) men’s jackets and shirts.

The Home Depot-sized St. Vincent de Paul Society of Los Angeles (210 N. Avenue 21, Lincoln Heights, [323] 224-6280) has gigantic rooms filled with clothes and furniture. In the parking lot, used cars are lined up for sale. If you want to quickly furnish an apartment without spending much money, this is the place.

Saturday

Relatively undiscovered, Ticktocker Timeless Treasures (9441 Culver Blvd., Culver City, [310] 559-8338) has the best selection of used books you’ll find in any thrift store. On the paperback classics shelf, there’s Hesse’s “Narcissus and Goldmund,” Rostand’s “Cyrano de Bergerac,” Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice,” Twain’s “The Prince and the Pauper,” Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales,” and “The Essential Rousseau,” all for 25 cents to 50 cents each.

There are also sections devoted to religion, foreign language, travel, biographies and cooking. A paperback copy of Arthur Golden’s bestseller of a few years back, “Memoirs of a Geisha,” is 50 cents, while “101 Wacky Facts About Mummies” is only 25 cents. The Children’s Room has a large collection of kids’ clothing and a wall of shoes priced very reasonably and in excellent condition.

Another fine thrift store for uncovering treasures among stacks of National Geographic magazines, the UCLA Medical Center Auxiliary Thrift Shop (11271 Massachusetts Ave., West L.A., [310] 478-1793) receives some exceptional donations from ornate wooden cabinets to women’s designer suits. Some random deals scattered around the store include a couple of elaborate Yamaha keyboards ($200 and $225), a decent-sized color TV that works perfectly ($150), a gorgeous purple kimono ($75), a Valentino dress ($25) and a Built to Spill CD ($3).