Can we talk about how thrift stores are goldmines for art supplies?

I stopped by a Goodwill in Portland last Saturday and found a ton of half-used tubes of Windsor blue and burnt sienna for like $1 each. Also grabbed a set of unused brushes still in the package for $3. It's not just paint either, I saw sketchbooks with only 10 pages used and a bunch of canvas panels. Has anyone else scored good art stuff at thrift stores or is it just my local one?

3 comments

3 Comments

gavin_allen4815d ago

Yeah the weekday trick is real, I grabbed a set of Prismacolor markers for $4 on a Tuesday morning.

butler.mark17d ago

You hit the nail on the head, the Goodwill near my place in Atlanta is a total goldmine too. I found a huge bottle of gesso that was barely touched for $2 last month, and a whole set of charcoal pencils still in the box for pocket change. The best part is finding random stuff like old paintbrushes or a weird palette knife you never knew you needed. I think the trick is going on weekdays when they restock, because the good stuff gets picked over fast on weekends. Have you found anything weird like printer ink or old calligraphy pens?

troy_ross17d ago

Man @butler.mark is totally right about the weekday thing. I tried hitting a Value Village on a Saturday once and it was picked cleaner than a church potluck. My weirdest score was a tackle box full of those little plastic dividers that are perfect for organizing paint tubes and chalk pastels, like someone’s whole art stash got dumped in there. Also found a half-finished paint-by-number of a sad clown that I’m honestly too scared to touch, feels cursed. The real hustle is figuring out which days the old ladies aren’t clearing out the craft aisle before you get there.