Thursday, April 21, 2011

Thrift Store Find! :)

Last Friday, the unbelievable happened.  I actually found an almost brand-new American Girl doll at a local thrift store!  :D

If I believed in coincidences (which I don't), this would have been one of the biggest ones ever, at least for me!  It was the day I usually go into my daughter's first grade class to read to the kids.  Normally, I stay afterwards to help with craft time, but today I had an appointment at the chiropractor's.  I headed over, had my appointment, and found that I had 20 minutes left before I had to pick my daughter up from school.  The school was about 5 minutes away, and I didn't want to sit that long. 

As I sat there, trying to decide where to go for 10 minutes, I remembered "That Baby Store" (yes, that's really what it's called).  I'd been meaning to go in there and check it out for a while.  Even though I'm past the baby stage, they have toys and other things for children as well as baby things.  It was just up the street and a place that I never seemed to get to with my girls.  The timing would be just about right.  Why not go for it?

I actually took a wrong turn and almost debated going somewhere else, but figured, "No, I wanted to go there.  It's the perfect distance from the school..." and so on. :)  I climbed out of the car, walked over to the store, opened the door...and the first thing I saw was a beautiful Mattel Samantha looking down at me from a top shelf towards the middle of the store. 

Now, of course, every time I go into a store, I harbor a teeny weeny hope that something like this will happen to me.  I just never expected it to actually happen!  I walked (briskly) over to the shelf, pulled her down, and looked her over.  She was almost brand new:  tight limbs, no visible marks, original curl still in her hair, perfect eyes.  She was wearing the green and purple Jumper and Boots JLY set from 2008 (and no, I didn't actually know what it was called at the time...I'm not that good! ;)  I did recognize the outfit and see the AG tags on it).  She was marked at an unbelievable price...but still high enough that it didn't technically fit in the budget.  But what was I supposed to do?  There was no way I was going to walk out and leave that doll there!!

The only way I could justify it was deciding that I would re-sell her, or at least sell her clothes, or something.  Quite honestly, I was so dazed at the amazing discovery that I wasn't really thinking clearly.  The lady at the checkout mentioned that she had just been donated the day before.  Talk about perfect timing!

Before I knew it, I was walking to the car, holding her, and calling my mom to tell her the good news. :)  I'm surprised I didn't hyperventilate!!

So here she is:  beautiful Sam. 

Notice how nice and tight her arms are?


I'm still figuring out what her fate will be.  I sold the outfit, and boy, was that tough!  I purposely did not try the outfit on Emma.  I knew it would look great with her green eyes and then I would talk myself out of getting rid of it.  I had to at least partially reimburse myself for what I spent!  Right now, Sam's listed for sale on AG Playthings, but no one seems interested in a Samantha doll.  In some ways, it would be fun to keep her.  But the truth is, I don't have enough room to have an extensive collection.  I already have my Gotz Little Sisters Tess doll, who looks similar to a Samantha.  I also have a Pre-Mattel Samantha that my mom is going to let me have once I fix her up.  Quite honestly, I prefer the PM Samantha faces because they remind me of my childhood.  I could just make this Sam into a different character.  But do I really need 3 similar dolls when I'm looking at trying to stick to no more than 12 or 13?  

Truth be told, I was hoping this doll would be my "golden ticket" to get my hands on either a My AG #25 or a Rebecca doll.  I've decided I'd like to get a #25 to be a middle sister for Emma and Charlie.  I don't have real definite plans for Rebecca.  I just know that eventually I'd like her to be a part of my collection.  No one on AG Playthings seems interested in trading, either.

So, we'll just see what happens.  I may just end up keeping her.  EBay was going to be my next step after AG Playthings, but Samanthas haven't been selling real well recently on eBay.  If I can only sell her for a minimal amount, I'd rather just keep her.  I'll keep you guys posted on what I decide. :)

What was your most exciting thrift store find?  

21 comments:

Casey said...

That is so cool! I love thrift stores. My most exciting find is a 1950s diamond and white gold wedding ring set for 50 cents. I asked them if I could pay a bit more :)

. said...

How much are you selling her for? In about two weeks, I'll be able to go some negotiating!

Rebekah said...

Oh, wow! She looks really nice! I wish I could find stuff like that at thrift stores! :)

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Hi gals! :) Thanks for commenting.

Wow, Casey! That would have been exciting. What a steal!

Hi Rachel Noel. :) I'm trying to get $75 for her. It's possible we could negotiate on the price, especially if she hasn't sold in 2 weeks. Shoot me an email when you're ready & I'll let you know if she's still available. :)

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Thanks, Nutti Netti! This is the first time it's happened to me, so don't lose hope! :) It could still happen to you, too. ;)

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

I guess I should add that I'm asking $75 plus shipping, which would most likely be around $10 for anyone in the lower 48 states. :)

Phoebe said...

Wow! What a pretty. She's such an amazing find!

Jenny said...

Congratulations on a great find! She is a beauty!

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Thanks, gals! :)

bwaybabs said...

Oh wow, that's so lucky! I always go to thrift stores too, hoping the same thing will happen. It never does for me, though =( When I was little I really wanted a Samantha-I still want a Samantha. I would totally buy her from you, but it looks like someone beat me to her =(

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Hi bwaybabs. Nothing's definite yet. If you want, you can email me (use the "Contact Me" tab at the top of the blog) and I can keep you posted, okay?

And just to let you know, I've been at this for several years, and this is the first hugely amazing thrift store find I've ever had. So don't give up hope! It just may happen to you sometime, too. :)

anya said...

Wow!! I've never found /anything/ at a thrift store. You are so lucky to find Samantha!!!

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

It was pretty amazing! :)

Jen said...

Oh my, what a find! (I probably would have fallen over just from finding the outfit alone!) She's lovely, though I can't blame you for not wanting a doll so similar to ones you already have. Hopefully you find her a good home!

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Thanks, Jen! :) Yeah, it was definitely the highlight of my week! ;D

bwaybabs said...

Ahh, bummer! I forgot to check the comments! I'm so used to receiving e-mails when someone leaves a comment on an entry that I commented on, that I totally forgot to check back. Oh well =( Grats to whoever ended up getting Samantha!

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Sorry, bwaybabs! I would have emailed you, but I didn't think to check for your email address. :( One of the AG Playthings members bought her. Hope you find a Sam of your own soon!

Anonymous said...

Beastsbelle- I know this is late but-amazing find! Congrats to whoever got her! She is in very great shape! My greatest doll find is an AG bitty twin doll with the newest meet outfit and retired underwear for 25¢! Never give up on thrift stores!

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Thanks so much, and congrats on your own find as well! :)

I agree, shopping in thrift stores is like going on a scavenger hunt. You never know what treasure will turn up next. :)

Makenzie said...

My most exciting find was an our generation doll wearing AG headgear :T actually, my sister found her,but my friend found a brand new condition kit doll wearing her full meet outfit minus the shoes. My best friend found Karito kid zoe wearing Karito kid pjs. But I usually dont find anything good :T

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Sounds like you guys found some great things. Don't give up...you never know when you'll find something amazing! :)