Goodwill Hunting

Thrift stores are a great place to look for containers for cacti and other potted plants. Every container in this photo came from either our local Salvation Army or Goodwill store. All you need is an electric drill with a carbide bit, because around here, for some reason, the good pots I find are without drain holes. I think that occurs because I'm not the only one looking for pots with holes so the price setters know that “holey” pots sell faster than the “unholey” pots. My husband drills the holes, and has never broken a pot. Saving a few bucks on pots is a good idea when one collects specimen cacti as I do. I now have over 100 varieties in containers that range in size from a large five-gallon pot down to the tiny one shown in the photo, and every one was a thrift store bargain.

The standard clay pots at Goodwill are vastly overpriced--for instance, Goodwill has clay pots for $7.99--and you can find the same thing at Wal-Mart for 69 cents. Goodwill is funny that way--they do not have a good handle on realistic pricing. I have purchased some great pots by a locally renowned potter for 99 cents each. The same pots would set me back $95 each at a specialty store. Pots with drain holes are usually overpriced, even the ceramic art projects done someone's third grade grandkid. The people that price just seem mark items without knowledge aforethought.

Some folks cannot bear the thought of entering, let alone browsing around in a thrift store, but if you are looking for some cheap, interesting plant containers, thrift stores may have just what you need. However, you may want to avoid the restrooms and the coffee bar. Regardless of their advertising to the contrary, these stores, at least in this part of the country, are not yet the “alternative retailer of the middle class” that they claim to be.