Two free hours is a gift. Some people spend them napping, some go to a theme park, and some drive straight to the nearest thrift store. When a booth owner who goes by Sea The Good dropped her husband off for an errand in Surfside Beach, South Carolina, she looked around and realized her three solutions to a free evening were all within a few minutes of each other: Chinese food, a cupcake place and a Goodwill. So that is exactly where she went.

She was shopping for inventory for her vendor booth, where she sells dishes, mugs, glassware and especially home decor, along with primitive style utensils that do well on display. Her car, she cheerfully admitted, was a disaster.

Her video on the Sea The Good channel follows the whole trip aisle by aisle, and the standout find was a cheerful piece of wall art showing a pig driving a flower truck, which she says was originally sold at Hobby Lobby. It was marked $5.95, and she knew right away that it would be adorable in her booth in the springtime.

A Cart Full Of Small Wins

The prices in this store were wonderfully low, mostly under $10. A cheerful sign reading “Believe in the magic” was $1.95 and destined for her Christmas booth display. A pretty little gold scoop cost only 50 cents. A copper-lidded pan with a wooden handle was $4.95, and she thought the copper would look wonderful in a fall display. A cup from a local restaurant went in for 95 cents as a gift for her husband, though she admitted she was really buying it for herself.

Larger pieces came next. A cane-backed rocker with a cane bottom, in very good condition, was priced at $14.95. She noticed a similar chair marked down but hers was not, and she shrugged and said she would pay the $15 anyway. It was going to her house, not the booth. She also bought a fall garland with pumpkins, sunflowers and cotton at $6.95 and took two of them. She found a large clear glass vase marked for Home Interiors and Gifts for $4, and said the brand holds a special place in her heart because she once found artwork from the company that her mother had on the wall when she was little.

The rest of the cart was a pleasant mix: a white picket fence planter for $3.95, a pretty ivory platter for $1.95, a little Santa and some Easter eggs for 95 cents each, a flat woven basket for about a dollar, a small owl salt shaker, an orange vase with miniatures, and a seashell bucket that suited her coastal home. She even found a few quirky items, like a kitchen turkey timer she decided to leave behind.

What She Passed On

She was selective. A pretty gold frame at $4.95 got a no at first, then a yes once she saw the details. But she left a palm tree piece because it was damaged, a mustard-colored stand at $8.95 that she would happily redo on another night, and several fall floral picks that were not in good enough shape. A tea light holder piece, a wooden bookend set and white shells that needed cleaning all stayed behind. She noted that she already had a chair to haul home and that was as big a project as she wanted.

An evening trip also meant a bonus. As she was shopping, the staff began putting out fresh carts. She had assumed it was too late at night for that, but the store kept stocking, so she took a second pass in the opposite direction and found even more, including a glass dish with a starburst pattern for $2.95.

How To Shop A Goodwill In A Hurry

You do not need a booth to borrow her approach. These habits help any time you have just a couple of spare hours.

• Have a plan. She knew exactly what she was hunting for: home decor, small display pieces and Christmas items that sell. A list keeps you from impulse buys that do not fit.
• Do a second pass, and go the other way. Walking the aisles in reverse shows you things you walked past, and fresh carts mean new stock.
• Look for maker marks. The Home Interiors mark inside the vase told her something about its history. Look at bottoms and insides before you decide.
• Check condition carefully. A cracked frame, a broken stand or a wick that has melted away changes the deal. Do not pay full price for damage.
• Know your market. Small things, like miniature cups and display items, sell well for her. Learn what sells in your own area and shop for that.
• Ask about heavy items. At this store, staff carry large pieces out to your car, which makes buying a chair easy.
• Add it up before you buy. Tally the cart and weigh the total. Little prices add up quickly.

It all came to a happy end at the register with a cart full of cheerful decor and one very pleased shopper. Her favorite find was the chair. And as for the pig in the flower truck, it just goes to show that the best finds usually come when you give yourself permission to take a little time for yourself.

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