Martini glasses, records, Norman Rockwell prints or a couch: Thrift holiday gifts on Cape
With the holidays just around the corner, you may find yourself with an endless list of people to buy for or in need of some kind of holiday party gift. A common dilemma on the Cape but what if instead of buying new, you bought used?
Thrift gifts. A fairly common phenomenon for younger generations — myself included — but an overlooked way to holiday shop overall. Thrift stores are full of unique and interesting finds at ridiculously good prices. Whether you're looking for a good book, a nice set of glassware, a record or even a nice piece of furniture to give this holiday season, your local thrift store is a great place to look.
Here on the Cape, there's a slew of thrift stores to pursue. But in an attempt to make your holiday shopping easier, here are a couple of recommendations of where to find a good thrift gift.
Where to thrift a gift on Cape Cod
Waquoit Congregational Church Thrift Store and Ella’s Books
If you’re in the market for a nice piece of art, a small knick-knack or a book, the Waquoit Congregational Church Thrift Store and Ella’s Books is the place to go gift shopping.
On the left side of the store lives Ella’s Books, a used book store filled with books of all genres for bargain prices. Speaking from experience, I’ve found so many books that are now in my library — such as “The Sun Also Rises” published by Modern Library — at Ella’s Books. Books are usually $1 to $2, making it the perfect place to shop for the reader in your life.
As for the thrift store, pursue through the art selections. I found a framed print of Norman Rockwell’s “Triple Self-Portrait” for $10 that now hangs above my bed. Along with the art, they have a decent selection of homewares, such as mugs, teacups, and kitchen supplies as well as some fun knick-knacks.
The Waquoit Congregational Church Thrift Store and Ella’s Books are located at 15 Parsons Lane in Waquoit. They’re open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday.
Christ the King Parish Thrift Shop in Cotuit
If you’ve driven toward Mashpee and Falmouth on Route 28, chances are you’ve passed the Christ the King Parish Thrift Shop.
With a clothing store, garage, tent and boutique, there’s a slew of options for a perfect thrift gift. The clothing store caters to all ages and has accessories. Plus select clothing items are 50% off every day.
The garage is full of old CDs, electronics, books and more but the tent is where I’ve found the most gems.
From unique furniture items to framed art and reasonably priced housewares, the tent is full of giftable items. During my visits, I found tennis rackets and a Reader’s Digest Classical Music greatest hits compilation record — which I gifted to my boyfriend — and Fleetwood Mac’s “Fleetwood Mac” for a dollar.
Needless to say, if you take your time to look through each building, you'll stumble upon something worth gifting.
The Christ the King Parish Thrift Shop is located at 4463 Route 28 in Cotuit. They’re open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. outside, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the clothing store and boutique on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
Cape Abilities Thrift Shop in West Yarmouth
If you're looking for a nice holiday gift for someone who just moved into a new place, Cape Abilities Thrift Shop is the place to go. They have everything from couches to headboards and a nice selection of kitchen and homeware perfect for giving.
When I moved into my current house, I found all my dishes, a few good quality pots and pans and some decorative Norman Rockwell plates — for $5 each — at Cape Abilities. There’s certainly an air of higher quality second-hand goods at Cape Abilities so the prices may be higher than other places but the quality is top-notch.
If you're shopping for a vinyl lover, do not skip their record selection. They have a room in the back full of crates of records plus a bookcase full of them by the drawers and dressers. Worth a look through if you want a cheap, but good gift to give.
Cape Abilities Thrift Shop is located at 316 Route 28 in West Yarmouth. They’re open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Sunday. To pursue items in-store, check out their Facebook group, www.facebook.com/groups/CapeAbilitiesThriftShop/.
St. John's Thrift Shop in Sandwich
Filled with cute glassware, china and other goods St. John’s Thrift Shop is a quaint little store full of giftable finds. I stopped in last week while my sister was in town she found a set of martini glasses that would retail for $50 at a place like Anthropologie for $4 for a set of four, so stop in if you're looking for a smaller, but still stylish gift.
St John’s Thrift Shop, 163 Main St., Sandwich, is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday.
Provincetown United Methodist Church Thrift Shop
Finally, the Provincetown United Methodist Church Thrift Shop is a great place to stop by on the Outer Cape to find a good gift. Take it from fellow Times reporter, Eric Williams who wrote in a September article, "It's a real community crossroads: a big space with an awesome vibe, and they play great shopping tunes."
The best gift finds up here would be homewares as a quick glance at their Facebook page will have you asking yourself if you might need a new coffee table or couch too.
The Provincetown United Methodist Thrift Shop is located at 20 Shank Painter Road in Provincetown. They're open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday to Saturday.
Frankie Rowley covers entertainment at things to do. She can be contacted at frowley@capecodonline.com.
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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Christmas gifts on a budget: Try one of these Cape Cod thrift stores
