I like free things that people throw away. Some of my favorite stuff is other people’s junk. On one of my odd-jobs I found myself cleaning out an 83 year old woman’s house in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. She had some of the most amazing things produced in the 20th Century. Like her glassware. I think older women like having a lot of glasses on hand, old time glasses that we don’t use in the modern world — grog glasses, champagne flutes, tea cups, high balls. I think it made her feel ritzy to have champagne service for 20, like at any moment she might entertain a party of socialites and have just the right glass to impress them with. She held onto all of this stuff and her daughter was THROWING IT AWAY. Sinful. The glasses were mixed in with other goodies like drink stirrers from all the hotel’s she had ever been to, a collection of tourist spoons and wigs in too many styles to mention. Of course I got all of this while the getting was good, but this was a once in a lifetime situation. So where can an eccentric cheapskate go to find home accessories when knocking on the doors of the elderly doesn’t seem right? Oh, Bargain Thrift Furniture.

Maybe I haven’t seen all the aforementioned items at the Bargain Thrift Furniture Store in Germantown, but the quality and array of merchandise really is off the charts. Originally this furniture thrift store was located further down the street on Germantown Avenue. It was much larger and junkier and it took all day to sift through bins and buckets full of stuff, some of it wet, most of it dirty. Over the past few months Bargain Thrift Furniture has moved up the street to swankier digs (the corner of Queen Lane and Germantown Avenue), but the prices have stayed the same.

One of the highlights of the store is the intact furniture sets that are sold as a group, even though they might make a little more money if they were sold separately. I like to think that the management cares for the items. For instance, on my last visit I spotted a glass top, kitchen table with all the original chairs and a complete 50’s bed room set: his and hers twin beds with head/foot boards, two night tables and two decorative plaques. Nothing was scratched or falling apart which is hard to come by. At the back of the store are very well organized, clean boxes of appliances like, toasters, egg beaters, hand blenders. You can also find interesting knick-knackery like salt and pepper shakers, linen napkins and cloth doilies.

Most of this furniture could be sold at antique markets for the price of a Faberge Egg, but because Germantown/Mt. Airy is full of older homes and therefore, older furnishings, the stuff is constantly streaming in. And older folks really loved to take care of their stuff, hence, no nicks or scratches.

I’m making this place sound like there’s a gold bar sitting on every sofa. Of course some of it is standard junk, like, nasty 80s love-seats, things that are more then a little rough around the edges and “kuntry”. There’s a Bargain Thrift Clothing store next door, so don’t get dismayed if you don’t find what your looking for. There’s always a chance you’ll walk away a winner in the clothing section.

Bargain Thrift is about 15 minutes outside the city by car, or you can take the R7 to Chestnut Hill and get off at the Germantown stop and hoof it. This pilgrimage is worth it if you’re looking to outfit an entire room or looking for high-quality, vintage home furnishings.

See our other coverage of the Bargain Thrift Family here: Bargain Thrift on Germantown Avenue

Bargain Thrift Furniture Store
5261 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19144
(215) 849-4440

Hours:
Monday, Tuesday, Friday: 10am - 6pm
Wednesday: Thursday 10am - 8pm
Saturday: 9am - 5pm

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