Years ago, I loved going thrifting. I knew the location and sale schedule for every thrift shop in New Orleans. You could expect to find me there if it was a big sale day.
And, then, Ebay happened. I realized I could buy and sell thrifted items on Ebay as a full-time income so I could work from home and spend more quality time with my small children.
Initially, I loved it. When I thrifted just for me, I needed to be very selective because a house only has so much room and a closet can only contain so many clothes. As soon as I started buying, I could find and take home all the treasures. I could squee over finding designer items even when they weren't in my size.
I loved the hunt and I loved taking home all the gorgeous things that I found, but over time, I lost my passion for it. When I had to go out, over time, I found that I just didn't enjoy it the way I once did.
Ebay began to shift policy and I found it harder and harder to sell items that would once have flown off the page. More and more people were doing what I did and the competition got stiffer and stiffer. The Ebay fees grew higher and higher. By the end, it was very difficult for me to make the profits I once did and I'd grown to hate thrifting.
I shifted into making my own beaded jewelry and I did well with that for a while, but for years after, I did not enjoy going thrifting as I once had. I could go into the store and I would poke around the edges a bit, but I couldn't bring myself to go through the racks of clothes that I once found so inviting.
As the years passed though, I wondered if I could go back to the thrift shops and rediscover my love for finding hidden treasures. I've realized that I don't do a lot of leisure activities. I don't really play the way I once did.
Today, I decided to take a trip to the local Purple Cow. I went in. It's a spacious, clean, well-run space. I walked around the edges of the shop and found a very cool mug that looks like pottery and, after going through the racks of jewelry, I found a necklace that I could see myself wearing.
I couldn't quite bring myself to go through the racks of clothes, but I did go in and I did find some things that I liked so maybe I'll try another store next week. I would like to reconnect with a hobby that once brought me a great deal of pleasure. I need to commit to finding a way to play.
Maybe thrifting won't be a passion for me ever again, but I am trying and, ultimately, that is the biggest part of the battle.