Advanced Thrifting Tips

I have thought of a few further tips for your approval, which I have broken down into the following categories:

CLOTHES AND FASHION

Instant Karma: Pick up and rehang clothes that have fallen as a result of someone's ineptitude (not only is this a nice thing to do, but the staff may see you do this and be favourably disposed towards you, or it may turn out to be an awesome piece that you wouldn't have otherwise seen!).

Advanced Tactics for the Morning Rush: If you like it, take it into your basket or over your arm. You can decide against it later. If you're going to the 'cheap' CARITAS first thing in the morning, this is an essential tactic. I've had people sorting through my stash and asking (sheepishly, when I turned to confront them) if I was going to buy an item or not! Not cool that it must be this way, but protect your finds and be prepared to re-stock them yourself as you rule things out. Or you can be a Thrift-Angel and put the items you liked but which didn't work out in the open for the next fashionista.

Colour Trends for Next Season: Know your Pantone colours for the upcoming season. While this is a little frivolous (I'm a BIG believer in the classics and the neutral colours for the most part - black & white, navy, taupe, browns, greys, cream, hunter green, scarlet, and pastels (in the spring, at least) will practically speaking always be en vogue! And just as pastels show up on fashion runways in the spring, so will jewel tones in the autumn!), sometimes it's reassuring to know what is technically 'in fashion', according to the people who dictate such things (funny to think about, but they do have tremendous pull on the industry!).

Pantone Spring/Summer 2014: really hating the 'radiant orchid' myself!

Pantone Fall/Winter 2014: urgh, more 'radiant orchid'?! I'm going to stick with my classic autumnal colour wheel, thanks ever so much (though I am digging the royal blue and cobalt!)

Fashion Trends for the Upcoming Season: I personally appreciated this report from Fashionista.com more than the usual Fashion mag suspect's offerings. On my Fall 2014 watch list are the following:

• Blanket coats/ponchos
• Birds and Hunting prints
• Serious texture (think: carpet-like, shearling and heavy knits!)
• Velvet! (really?! A hat tip to fellow Canuck Alannah Myles!)
• Midi/tea-length skirts
• SCARLET REDS! (take that, Pantone! Looks like many designers have ignored your advice completely this season!)

Know Your Size by Eye, not by tag: One of the more frustrating thrifting truths is finding out just how many people are ashamed of their waistline or overall size - torn and cut-out size tags seem to abound! While I could get really depressed about the general mental well-being of fellow sisters in our society, I try to just ignore the missing tag and estimate the size of the garment by eye. I've gotten quite good at it - it takes a little practice, but you'll soon be able to spot your size without a tag. Another mystifying thing I've noticed is that North American sizing, the system I grew up with, tends to be hugely inaccurate on garments I've found in Switzerland. Now I don't know if that implies that N.A. sizing varies widely by geographical location (i.e. a size 2 in L.A. does not equal a size 2 in Toledo or Halifax... is everything bigger in Texas?!), by country (I have noticed differences between Canadian and US sizing (shoes, especially!), though I didn't think there was an official difference!), or if it's just consistently inconsistent and with a small enough sample size the differences are artificially magnified. It doesn't really matter, though - I try to eyeball each garment and guess if it fits before trying it on. For pants, there's the old trick of the neck wrap. But I doubt this works for women as well as it does for men! So I check to see if the waistband of the folded pants will reach my hip bones, and then I see if the hips will reach the sides of my hip-thigh region. Those are my trouble spots with pants - I have a friend whose knees are apparently bigger than expected, so she might check if the pants on the hanger could hit the sides of her knees before trying them on.

Dry Clean Only? Read this guide first! This is the best internet resource I've ever found on the subject, and boy are there a lot! KTCampbell has made, as far as I'm concerned, THE definitive volume on what can and cannot be hand-washed (and how, and all the specifics you could ever need!). While I have previously recommended that you should 'pass' on all the "dry clean only" garments you're tempted with (alright, suits and really special dresses aside... maybe!), there are some exceptions to that general rule. Read what KT has to say now and you'll have a good idea of what's worth the risk and what isn't!

ALL OTHER THRIFT STORE ITEMS

The "Do Not Buy" List I go by:

• If it's cracked or chipped and it's for eating, drinking or storing edibles in, don't buy it. Glass chips can be deadly, and chipped or cracked pottery is a haven for bacteria... potentially nasty ones, too!
• If it's electronic/electrical and you don't get a warranty (note that Arche Brockenhaus is a good place to buy such things, thanks to their policies and in-house repair centre!), don't buy it.
• If you really want it, but you're not sure how often you'll use it, or where you'll keep it when you're not using it, rethink that purchase.
• Stuffed animals, pillows and any other 'plush' item is going to be difficult to thoroughly clean - and you don't know its history (so avoid these).
• If it cannot be easily cleaned in general, consider giving it a miss. Children's toys are probably covered in layers of drool - was that kid thoroughly vaccinated? Did it have a childhood illness? If you can't clean the heck out of it (and I mean soak in bleach, nuke in the dryer, etc.), don't buy it!
• Helmets and baby-related items like cribs and strollers are not recommended. Helmets could have been in a previous accident (however minor) or dropped or improperly stored and would therefore be next to useless in a future emergency. And cribs and strollers are often subject to recalls - be very cautious about buying these things second-hand. Remember that Ikea will always be competitively priced!
• Intimate apparel. Okay, I've bought silk pyjama pants. But even something as benign as a bra would be potentially a bad buy - elastics lose their strength over time, so these are things that are better purchased new. And used underwear and swim wear is a little icky for me; if I have the option to afford new items, I'll do that instead.
• If it needs only minor repairs that I am 100% confident I can do myself, and as well as a professional, and the same day when I return home (time is money!), then I might consider something that is broken or worn. Otherwise I don't tend to believe anything broken or incomplete is worth your time or money - if it's not ready to use today, it might not be a sound investment, no matter how cheap. Remember to think of it brutally honestly - if it costs 5 Fr. compared to 30 Fr. new, but you don't use it, it's a waste of 5 Fr. (NOT a savings of 25... be careful not to get lured into that trap! I've seen old people at Brockiland make this cardinal mistake time and time again - sometimes it's simply a waste of money, and those 5 Fr. coins could be better used elsewhere!).

BY SPECIFIC STORE*

*I am intending to do individual blog posts on each of the thrift shops that I visit in the area, but in the meantime here's a rough guide to just a few of them (my favourite haunts)!

'Cheap' CARITAS clothing (kleider netto) Birmensdorferstrasse 38, near Werd tram stop and the Wiedikon Bahnhof. This is the one where I have experienced the most annoying fellow thrifters during the morning rush, many of whom may come from cultures where there are different acceptable norms, I don't know. Regardless, you might need a slightly thick skin to avoid becoming hopelessly irritated in this small store. Fortunately, most of the others I've met here during the opening hour are older and more matronly (read: round), so they're not in direct competition with me, though I suspect some of them are shopping for family members (as evidenced by one older lady wanting to take something from my pile which certainly wouldn't have fit her).

Big score on the last "at opening" trip to Cheap CARITAS! Had to fight for that hoodie, though I had it first! People can be a little pushy and grabby first thing in the morning here. I even managed to buy a skein of pure wool there that day! Love those comfy leather shoes, too!

VIRTUAL TOUR OF THE STORE HERE.

1. The youngish man working here can be breathtakingly rude. He was so bad once that I went onto the website with half a mind to complain about his abominable service, only to discover that he was a 'feature' on the news feed - a success story of someone with limited social skills who had never been able to hold a job elsewhere before starting a charity training program through CARITAS. (I felt like a total jerk for thinking ill of him after reading this!). Most of the staff here are very nice indeed, with the one exception. So be prepared and don't take it personally if you're on the receiving end of his gruffness!
2. CARITAS shops on Birmensdorferstrasse CLOSE FOR LUNCH between 13:00 and 14:00 (1PM to 2PM), and all CARITAS shops are closed on Mondays (but are open on Saturdays). Don't show up at 12:45 and expect a warm welcome (depending on who's working at the time!). Sometimes there's a line up of pushy old broads waiting for the door to open at 14:00. I was in front and there before one of them, clearly, but she felt entitled to elbow her way to the front. This seems to happen a lot in Switzerland - it pisses off my Canadian mores greatly!
3. Both cash and cards are accepted (applies to all CARITAS locations).
4. There is only one change room, which offers scanty privacy (note that one of the 'walls' of the room constitutes the menswear section - some men like to peek in! >:p Punch them if they do, but keep that in mind and maybe stand nearer the other side! If the curtain doesn't quite stretch far enough, leave it gaping on the women's side!
5. There is a mirror to the left of the front door that also has a nearby display hook. This is also conveniently located next to the purse and bag stand. I like to use these to hang my tentative purchases on while I try them over my clothes next to the mirror, if the change room is occupied.
6. There is a posted limit of 3 items in the change room at once, though I suspect people cheat on this.
7. The shoes (3 Fr.!) and belts (1-2 Fr. at times!) are a real steal if you find something that suits and isn't too worn or ugly. I have bought two pairs of shoes here for 3 Fr. each - impossible to beat that price! All prices by category are listed on the mirrored wall above and behind the cash desk. I don't like the selection of bags and purses here (though I did once buy a suede camera bag here) - check out 'expensive' CARITAS down the street for purses and nice bags (or any of the other CARITAS locations).
8. The rack outside the door has items for 1 Fr. - sometimes this rack is just inside.
9. Men's pants, as of May 2014, are on the rack to the left of the cashier/counter area. As this area is infrequently used, it's also a good 'base-camp' to try things on in. Just don't get in the way of the grumpy employee!

'Expensive' CARITAS clothing Birmensdorferstrasse 52, just a couple of doors down from the 'cheap' CARITAS near Werd and Wiedikon Bahnhof. There's certainly a different clientele at this shop, though you will recognize some overlapping customers. The most 'expensive, exclusive, designer' stuff is to your left as you enter (three sides, all near the cashier's till/counter), men's wear is scattered about on the right (though it seems to move a bit), and there's a rack of nice dresses right near the change rooms. To the right is the entrance to the 'cheaper' stuff, and the shoes are on the back of the half wall to the right (there is a chair for trying them on). Jackets and outerwear (suits, too) are at the far end of the store (right of the entrance).

Latest haul from 'Expensive' CARITAS - a lovely french dress and a surprisingly expensive top. Would've bought a lot more if the others had fit me!

VIRTUAL TOUR HERE.

1. The staff here are all very nice and highly trained (in contrast to the 'cheap' CARITAS) and can help you with just about anything (if there's a hole or a stain, you may be able to negotiate a slight discount, for example, though keep in mind that they are a charity organization).
2. There are three spacious and private change rooms here, each with a 3 garment maximum.
3. There's a lot more space than at 'cheap' CARITAS! A more pleasant shopping experience, but the prices reflect this.
4. I find that the prices here have to be carefully considered, especially with shoes - some are legitimately over-priced for the item in question (too much wear, but has a famous designer name, for example). So shop wisely here - if you want to splurge and fill your bags, 'cheap' CARITAS is the safer bet (and possibly the Heils-Armee, too). Again, cards are accepted as well as cash.
5. The above being said, however, the NICEST garments are here at 'expensive' CARITAS! You can find very high quality dresses, for example, for a very reasonable price. Two of my favourite shirts have come from here - I suspect that all the donations are sorted (and typically rather carefully!) and the nicer things are re-directed here from 'cheap' CARITAS. WHICH IS WHY YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT CHEAP CARITAS FIRST, THEN THE EXPENSIVE ONE IN ORDER! Not all the goodies make it to the upscale boutique, and you can get some amazing steals first thing in the morning at 'cheap' CARITAS! But be warned - the secret is out!
6. Check all the racks (an universal thrifting rule!) even if you're not the 'designer stuff' type - you could find something that is absolutely perfect for you that is a little more than you intended to pay but well worth the investment! Same goes for the reverse - check out the cheaper section of shirts at the far end of the shop, too. 
7. Things get misfiled and replaced incorrectly all the time, too, so check the tags if present so you don't have a nasty shock at the till when what you thought was a 5 Fr. shirt suddenly costs 40! Note that the cheaper shirts and other garments may not have price tags on them - one of my nice striped mid-weight 3/4 length sleeved shirts I found here, without a label, cost me 10 Fr. at the till, much more than I expected (but still a good deal, though it stung momentarily in contrast to the pricing at 'cheap' CARITAS!). Still, it was a fair price.
8. Dresses are scattered throughout the store, located in the designer section, on the circular rack near the change room (accurate for May 2014) and are also in the far corner of the shop on the street side of the building (turn right at the entrance, walk to the end - the racks are on the right). I don't know what the difference is between those near the change rooms and those at the far end - both racks are worth perusing! 
9. Shoes that are on display outside on the windowsills have their mate behind the cashier's counter - just ask for the complimentary shoe ("Entschuldigung, könnte ich bitte versuchen Sie das andere Schuh?" If you know how to say this better in German, please advise by commenting and I'll update it!).

'Household' CARITAS, across the street from the clothing shops, Birmensdorferstrasse 53. This is a small, squishy store full of breakable stuff you could accidentally knock over with a big bag (or a backpack - ALWAYS take off your backpack on the bus, tram and in stores! It gets in the way of others without you knowing it!).
VIRTUAL TOUR HERE.
DOWNSTAIRS (UNTERGESCHOSS) HERE.

1. The spiral metal staircase leading downstairs is SO NARROW that you cannot pass another person on it, and it's difficult with a large bag. In fact, it's so narrow that if you're a bigger person, or a claustrophobic one, you may wish to rethink it!
2. Downstairs is abominably messy and stuffy and hard to browse in. I don't like being down there with more than one other person - it's a tight squeeze.
3. The store itself is not big, and English-language books here cost 4x the German ones (for example, a paperback is 1 Fr., but my English language copy of The Blind Assassin cost me 4 Fr.).
4. Sometimes the staff here are a little bitchy. Well, there's one unpleasant lady here that took her time in coming to serve me (she was already behind the desk!) in some sort of passive aggression and then was pretty miserable about the whole transaction. I don't like that. But the other times I went I was served by a very friendly woman. 
5. I like their window displays, and I've got a few useful odds and ends here (kitchen utensils, etc). But its competition is the dingy and awful (yet strangely wonderful!) Brockiland, and Brockiland's prices are about the same and there's a lot more selection. Check out the window display for the best of what's in store. 
6. They also close for lunch between 13:00 and 14:00 (1PM to 2PM) and, like all CARITAS stores, are closed on Mondays. 

Hardbrücke CARITAS clothing, In Bogen (arch) "C", which is towards the train tracks (turn right off of Geroldstrasse). My other favourite place. I went here at opening yesterday and had the whole place to myself. The lady even asked my permission to do the vacuuming - so nice! I have scored some really great pieces from here, but I have paid more for them (just as I would have at "Expensive" CARITAS - everyone's pricing pales in comparison to that of "Cheap" CARITAS!).

As it was yesterday (22 May 2014)

Circa February 2014

Circa February 2014

VIRTUAL TOUR HERE.

1. Lovely store interior, bright and airy, but only the one change room under the stairs (though admittedly it's generally not that busy in here).
2. Nice scarves and shawls to be found in the drawers (furniture is often also for sale!).
3. Proper suiting and blazers (unfortunately with high price tags to match, but still way less than retail, of course!).
4. Vintage designer dresses (like Gucci, Prada, etc. - seriously big names)
5. Decent selection of menswear (shoes included).
6. Shoes here aren't cheap but can be very nice.
7. Fantastic for babies' and children's clothing, if you're into that sort of thing (offspring, I mean).
8. Recommended for N00b Clothing Thrifters (and of course the folks who know what they're doing, too!) - clean, bright, friendly and with a great range of clothing (but not much else - occasionally things like light bulbs and extension cords (22 May 2014) or the odd CD). Hardbrücke is a great area to browse and lunch at, too - make a day or morning of it. The Heils-Armee is very close by, too.

Oerlikon CARITAS Schwamendingenstrasse 11, South of the Sternen Oerlikon tram stop. Not my favourite CARITAS (certainly my least favourite). Ran into many people I wish to not run into again (a perverted old man intentionally peeking into my change room... three times, and a couple of pushy old ladies who elbowed past me as I waited politely for the store to reopen at 14:00, and who rattled the door at 5 minutes to the hour when they saw an employee passing by! RUDE!).

A belt and some bangles. There were about 4 clothing items I would have happily purchased, but they were all quite overpriced for the quality (Oerlikon is my least favourite CARITAS).

1. Clientele seemed awful here, and even the staff were (perhaps understandably) grouchy.
2. Small store with not much room to maneuver in the ladies' section at the side (the most popular section). Two change rooms (or perhaps one and an alcove), which I found was prone to perverted men (the men's section was on the totally opposite side of the store). 
3. Nicely presented clothing and accessories, as is the case with all CARITAS.
4. OVERPRICED compared to other CARITAS stores. Something of low quality suited for 'cheap' CARITAS cost 8 Fr. here instead of the 1 - 5 Fr. range!
5. Remains my least favourite CARITAS of all.

Brockiland... for BRAVE and INTREPID THRIFTERS ONLY Steinstrasse 68, or the less good but slightly less gross (more furniture, less of everything else) Fahrweid location near Dietikon (see their site). Did you see the video? I'll post Karflooie's vid here once more - this really is the best introduction to the store.

When my downstairs neighbour passed away and his widow moved to a smaller apartment closer to family (I miss you, sweet lady!), the van from Brockiland came and took away everything that she didn't want - furniture, bedding, etc. Seeing the process first-hand, I can tell you that what is on the shelves at Brockiland probably came directly from a recently deceased neighbour's home, with little thought put into presentation, organization or even the occasional and well-warranted dust-off. Brockiland is always being restocked, so go often if it's the sort of place you don't mind spending time in. More on Brockiland:

1. The downtown location really is a pit. A dank, musty pit full of crazy old people (like, actually crazy - the sort that have lost their marbles to a degree, some completely!).
2. Price guides are posted on small flyers posted here and there at random in the store, but they really are just a guide... and usually if there's confusion, they'll be rounded up, sometimes much more than you'd expect.
3. The usual cashier in Fahrweid is an absolute doll - she's friendly and she's fair and efficient. The lady downtown likes to talk with fine young male things like my friend who always gets a huge discount, and is a little gruff (but not unkind) to young women. ;) I think I'm just bitter that my friend gets a whopping big discount for being cute. Both of these ladies (coincidentally, they are both black ladies) are actually quite nice and BOY must they have PATIENCE to deal with the CRAZY OLD PEOPLE! If you are polite and friendly to them, you will have a pleasant experience at the till. Even though there was an enormous line-up behind me once, the lady was all smiles and patience as I counted out my change (to pay for an unexpectedly higher bill than I had calculated, argh. Always the way here).
4. CASH ONLY! Bring bargeld with you!
5. No change rooms here, at either location.
6. There are signs to leave your bags at the cashier's desk, but NO ONE DOES THIS. I say go ahead and then wait to be asked - I never have.
7. I once waited 10 minutes in a long line for the check-out. Old people budged into the line the whole time. It was awful. I had already taken another turn through the whole store to see if the line would diminish, but it didn't. The old farts all haggle and bicker with the cashier, who will have none of it, so it's a slow process. And they budge in front of you. It's so unbelievably maddening! This was 4pm on a Thursday - perhaps this is the time when all the crazy old people check out with their daily acquisitions and head off for dinner. Other times have not been nearly so bad for me.
8. Did I mention the CRAZY OLD PEOPLE?! No, I mean CRAZY-crazy. Like will follow you around to try to scoop your finds, or will hover next to the re-stocker who is almost in tears and is yelling at them to back off, or the one poor employee who completely lost it and was waving a broom and shouting at them to back off (which they didn't) - they come on like ZOMBIES, greedily setting in upon 'fresh offerings'. There's a few well-studied age-related dementia-like conditions that probably attest to this behaviour, but regardless there are HOARDS of CRAZY OLD PEOPLE, which is almost exclusive (but not totally) to the Steinstrasse location. Did you read my anecdote of the lady who reached into my basket to put a faux-pearl necklace in her teeth?! If she had figured they were real, would she have given them back?! I don't think so! CRAZY OLD PEOPLE! CRAZY! Some of them are always there (I recognize them, and I've only been 3 or 4 times in total!), all day long, it seems. It's creepy. It's like a zombie apocalypse. Some of the old guys are a bit... pervy, too. Watch your back(side)!
9. There are also crazy young people here - mothers who talk too much and too long to their infants who lack the capacity to understand, care or respond, and mothers who, because they're important to the infant believe they must therefore be important globally, take up whole aisles or push you off your bin or rack while using their stroller as a battering ram... ooh, if they didn't get pooped on and puked on all day long and are sleep-deprived already, I'd be willing to mete out some similar retribution! So crazy people in general. Some are scary crazy. Don't go here if you're experiencing PMS or are having a bad day (unless you want a reason to start a fight!). There are those people here who will follow you around and try to snatch things out of your hands. I hate that more than anything about thrifting! Maybe bring a friend for back-up!
10. Don't go here if you have severe allergies to mold or dust or rat poo or anything like that. While I've never seen rodent droppings, I did find a dessicated Brussels sprout in a serving platter once.
11. Don't go here if the idea of finding a dried Brussels sprout is appalling. If you're a dirt or germ-a-phobe, skip Brockiland altogether. 
12. Do go here if you want to be alarmed and amazed and entertained by the generations of junk and horrible, horrible clothes. I have found at least two garments that I have successfully rescued from Brockiland, though both were at the Fahrweid location.
13. Do go here if the idea of digging through cardboard boxes of unsorted t-shirts is your idea of thrift heaven. It's not mine, but I do appreciate having the option available if I have the yen to do so. Most of the clothes are on the racks, however, but it really is serious rummaging as the clothes are segregated by colour (which I find conceptually creepy - latent racism?) and not by gender or sizes or season or any other sensible system. Just by colour. And loosely so.
14. Good buys (potentially) at Brockiland are the following: bedding (there's lots), tablecloths and linens, clothes (maybe...but boy oh boy do you have to rummage and work for this!), kitchen utensils (whisks, spatulas, that sort of thing), small tools (screw drivers, wrenches), crockery (mugs, teacups, teapots, plates), drinking glasses, weird vintage and amateur art, laundry hampers and baskets, old vinyl records or CDs, board games, curtains (I found my kitchen window sheer curtain here!), and some sewing notions (though Tigel is my favourite for these sorts of things). Furniture (mostly at the Fahrweid location) seems very over-priced to me, but then I haven't really looked into the used furniture market much here. Ikea will always be cheaper and less risky (bed bugs, etc.).

Heils-Armee Zürich Geroldstrasse (Hardbrücke), near the bahnhof (to the right of the main exit). As far as I can tell, there's only the one Heils-Armee in Zürich, which is surprising to me. Still, it's a fairly sizable store and the selection of clothing can be decent at times (though nothing like CARITAS). The homewares section is a little scant for my liking, but the art room is usually worth a peek, even if the stuff you'd want always has 'SOLD' (verkauft) labels on it. The prices aren't super low, either, but are still typically lower than the Zürcher Brockenhaus, for example.

1. Two changing rooms (clothing is upstairs)
2. Cash or cards are accepted. 
3. Staff are usually pretty friendly - one of the main employees (a lady in her late 20s, early 30s) speaks English with an Australian accent. She's half Aussie and half Swiss, though she says she identifies more with the Swiss side. She's a little reserved but actually very nice if you get her talking. Some of the younger volunteers here are super friendly!
4. They have a really stringent policy on price tags - no tag, no sale. I do not understand why this is, or why they need to repeat this message in bold font throughout the store, but I have a feeling people exploit it - I found *the perfect* henley shirt that fit like a dream, but it was missing its tag. I knew about the policy and I tried to, in broken German, see if they could hold it for me, price it, and I'll pay. Or I'll pay twice as much as they think it's worth (c'mon, when it fits that perfectly!). But I got some real attitude and accusatory looks, and they took it away. I checked back daily for 4 days and I saw it sitting in a bin behind the counter, untagged. When I came back the next day, it was gone, and it was nowhere to be seen. I very nearly cried (silly, I know - but it was perfect!) - someone else had snagged it. Maybe the person who removed the tag in the first place (they don't 'hold' items here - maybe it was a strategy?). Sigh. Still a sore point! If someone understands why they are so strict about this "no tag, no sale" policy, please let me know! I want to understand what it is that they are trying to prevent. I guess they don't want people haggling for prices, but why they don't just standarise their prices like CARITAS does is confusing to me.
5. They have SALES, usually unadvertised, some of them outrageous (like 50% off all clothing). See the sandwich board at the foot of the driveway. As I mentioned in a previous post, they also have special dates when they set out summer or winter clothing, or Christmas items - see the website.
6. Clientele here is far less annoying than the Ausser-Sihl shops (I don't know why), but it also seems as though the competition-to-selection ratio is less favourable (the good stuff gets snapped up fast and it can be long stretches before more good stuff returns). 
7. Lots of furniture in the basement - I'd check out the Heils-Armee before Brockiland if I was in the market! 
8. Large selection of books, with an English language section. These are also subject to random sales!

Zürcher Brockenhaus Neugasse 11, between Langstrasse and Sihlquai, N of the Hauptbahnhof. Almost equally far from Limmatplatz, Museum and Sihlquai tram stops, closest bus stop is Roentgenstrasse. You can see the building's peachy facade from the train as it dips underground into the HB! This is also a great place for new Thrifters to try their hand at the trade - it's clean, it's trendy and it's a delight to shop in. Unfortunately, with these luxuries come higher prices, and it can be quite picked over. There's lots of competition for everything here.

1. I don't remember if they have changing rooms or not (I didn't like the clothes I found)
2. There's a cafe you can take a break at on one of the upper floors.
3. There are lockers for your bags at the entrance (coin operated - 1 Fr. or 2 Fr., if I remember correctly. Bring change!)
4. Staff are fairly friendly (in a hipster sort of way!)
5. Great selection of books, though lacking in the fantasy and sci-fi departments (I'm not even a big fan, but trying to find any Tolkien novel is going to be difficult!)
6. The furniture is awesome (but not cheap)
7. Household items are quite picked over, but they did have lovely full-sets of tea services, etc. 

Arche Brockenhaus Hohlstrasse 489, between Letzipark and the Altstetten bahnhof. I think I like the staff here most of all. They took my word (rightly) on something (the tag tore off my ski pants while I tried them on!), and I appreciated the trust very much. Good people here - pay them a visit! I didn't use the slide - it was too rickety even for my liking! Dodgy!

As I saw it, circa January 2014

VIDEO ON THIS PAGE. 

1. Friendly staff, but the clientele is a little annoying at times (similar to the Brockiland milieu, though the stairs might keep the older ones at bay).
2. Prices aren't fabulous (I remember thinking it was an absolute rip-off for sewing notions and wool!), but the selection's not bad for the size of the store.
3. There are changing rooms (one or maybe two - one for sure) with curtains, and some creepy dudes who will have a go at peeking (seriously, is this a Swiss thing?! This never happened to me before! If it is a common past-time of the old Swiss men, then Swiss ladies - you have my deepest sympathies! Urgh!).
4. Lots of furniture, especially hard chairs and stools (and some of it quite cool, I think).
5. Decent selection of books upstairs (behind the stairwell).
6. Fairly good selection of household items, with a load of 'knickknacks' and 'curios' and all those things that collect dust (mathoms). There are shelves and shelves of useless 'decorative objects' along the sides of the upper floor.
7. It has a dodgy slide you can take at your own peril. I still haven't tried it. 

TIGEL Brockenhalle Hornbachstrasse 62 in Seefeld, near the Chinagarten. A proper brockenhaus with everything including the kitchen sink. I really like this one, though it's a little out of the way. I found great deals on sewing notions and fabrics, a whole little room of jewelry on the wall, and each room of the 'house' is themed, so it's easy to find things and enjoyable to peruse. Gets top marks from me!

Fabric and other craft and sewing notions at TIGEL.

I liked the view from the windows. On the upper floor they sell custom-made wooden furniture (reclaimed wood, I think).

Very creaky wooden stairs, but as you can see the general atmos is agreeable!

1. I like the layout of the place - it's tight, but it's easy to get around and navigate the areas.
2. I thought the prices were better than many places in the area!
3. The selection was good (though the basement where the kitchen stuff is is truly dank!).
4. The clothing wasn't very exciting, however, and I don't recall seeing a change room (but I might be mistaken).
5. Nice staff and a nice 'atmosphere' to the place. Recommended for N00bs - a fun and safe place to browse.

HIOB Thrift Shop Wehntalerstrasse 530 in Affoltern. A pretty, large, clean brockenhaus - great for N00bs or those who like the selection and variety of Brockiland but cannot stomach the squalor or chaos of it.

Lots of potential take-homes at HIOB! Even late in the afternoon!

What I took home with me.

1. The website might be English-friendly, but I found the two ladies behind the till off-putting and unfriendly. Weirdly, though, the experience as a whole was a positive one - lots of space and pleasant browsing.
2. Open on MONDAYS!
3. I paid in cash, but I got the impression that cards might have been a possibility (but be forewarned that I didn't actually try to pay this way!).
4. Large, clean, well-lit store. Great change room area (2 rooms, I think), but just a small selection of clothing which seemed competitively priced (price lists posted in change room and elsewhere) but mysteriously cost more at the counter thanks to favourable categorization on their part.
5. HUGE selection of books - even the 'English' section was large!
6. Nicest selection and display of crockery and drinking glasses I've seen at a thrift shop.
7. Prices not too out of the ordinary, though they are a little higher than Brockiland (but worth it!).

There are other Brocki's in the area (EMMAUS, for example) and some which are listed but no longer exist (BROCKI WEST does not currently have a store! Don't go looking for it in the middle of nowhere on foot like I did!) that I'll cover in subsequent posts!

Until then, Happy Hunting, fellow Thrifter!

TiZ