Eco-Pioneer Readings and Thrifting at a Flea Market.

Hey folks, it’s been an good thrifting month. I hit up that new Savers store (again) in Apple Valley and a really great flea market in Medina, MN (next to the famous Medina Ballroom.) Fall always gets me thinking about nature and green stuff turning different colors, chlorophyl, all that leafy kind of stuff. In high school ecology class we read Aldo Leopold’s “A Sand County Almanac.” Man, that book messed up my head real good. If you want to learn more about the basic facets of the green movement from one of the cornerstone founding fathers of ecology I’d suggest you read Leopold’s publishing’s. That very Sand County he’s talking about happens to be right where I grew up. I picked up that hardcover biography on him for $2.99. It has lots of great old photos and insider stuff about his life. An odd time to grow up if you ask me. Simpler times, in  a lot of ways – must’ve been pretty nice.

Also picked up another classic from one of my favorite authors Jack Kerouac. The only title I didnt have from him for $1.99. OH and a rad old copy of an ecology textbook/manual that has the best illustrations in it. FREE IDEA FOR ALL YOU SNAKES: Someone should take these old diagrams and print them on t-shirts, this is something I would definitely buy. Just the diagrams, no lame quotes, no Brooklyn hipster day-glo graffiti splatter bullshit, just smart, interesting shirts for nerds and designers (arguably the same thing).

Also, check out the random old product pics I shot at the flea market. WAYYY too much cool graphic designy stuff at those things. Picked up that big plastic seed filler thing for $2 flat, don’t ask what I’m gonna use it for – it’s still a secret. WE FOUND that “Game Of the States” for $5, offered the jabba-the-hut looking vendor guy $3 but he wouldn’t take it or counter offer so I bought it anyways. It has some killer graphics on it and is sorta fun to play. Flea markets are interesting venues. Expect a sole blog post about the basic tenets of thrifting at a flea market real soon. You all should just go take a look at the place yourself. Its about 15 mins west on Hwy 55 from the Twin Cities, hell, theres even a meat raffle. The flea market goes all summer and ends in late October or as one of the old lady vendors put it  “until it gets pretty cold ya know”.

Speaking of green things, Oregon – I’ll see you real soon.

A Thrifting Trip To the Ax-Man Surplus Store

**UPDATE** I few weeks ago we did a post about “10 Important Tips for Having A Yard Sale“. This was all because my mother was about to have her annual Fall garage sale in her neighborhood. She usually has my grandmother and a few other good friends put some stuff on the sale, but it’s at least 50% her stuff. With the sale completed she was proud to announce that the sale’s overall total brought in just over $2025. That’s nothing to sneeze at folks. So the next time you think having a yard sale is a waste of time and effort just remember that it could pay off your car or afford you a couple months of mortgage payments.

ON WITH THE SHOW – So I made a trip out to my favorite Ax-Man surplus store today. I was surprised to find out that Ax-man is a Twin Cities area-only chain with 3 locations. I was at first hesitant to do a post about my Ax-Man trip since I figured it’s not a true “thrift store” but in many circles, this is truest of all “thrift stores.” They have the weirdest most unexpected “stuff.” Something I only recently noticed was the insane amount of awesome vintage packaging and products they have there. Pictured above is just a sampling of my favorites I saw. Check out those electron tube boxes – so cool. Oh, and all you poor art students should go take a look at the surplus portfolio cases they got in, great for transporting your work or storing it, for about 1/4 the cost of buying a new one online. One final tip: old license plates smell a lot like B.O., remember to bring along your little bottle of Purell or some sanitary hand wipes.

More soon!

Saint Paul Thrifting

Came across this article via a Facebook friend, Ms. Jahna Peloquin. I talks about the spread and strategy for thifting the good stuff out of Saint Paul. Take a gander here. Things have been busy as they always do come the end of Summer but we’ll have some new videos and some more thrifty awesomeness to show you in the coming days!