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Thrifting

Thrifting

Date: Dec 14 2007

Themes: Fashion

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

Think of that favorite sweater or pair of jeans you’ve had for years. What if you lost it or it got worn out? Would you be able to replace it at a store?

Believe it or not, your best bet would probably be a thrift store. Thrift stores sell used clothes and household items. They’re also called secondhand stores. You can find things there they don’t make anymore.

A lot of thrift stores are run by churches and charities. People donate things they don’t want anymore to the store and all the money the store makes goes to the charity.

Listen to Marni and Jason talk about thrift stores.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Marni

Marni

Jason

Jason

Marni:  So I got these shoes at a thrift store, a new thrift store that opened up recently.

Jason:  A new one?

Marni:  Yeah.

Jason:  Cool.

Marni:  There’s always new thrift stores opening up. You ever notice that?

Jason:  Really?

Marni:  Yeah. I think this area is very thrift-store oriented.

Jason:  Definitely. It’s cool because you can get things from the past that you can’t get anywhere else.

Marni:  It’s true.

Jason:  Like, I’ve get these really big blue gloves that I use for biking that are really waterproof but like, no one makes like, tacky blue gloves anymore, you know?

Marni:  Yeah, you basically have to find that kind of stuff at thrift stores.

Jason:  Yeah. The only problem is the effort it takes to find it. Going through the entire thrift store in search of that one treasure.

Marni:  You can’t go in lightly. You have to be ready to commit and sift through everything. I kind of love it. I have to be in the mindset of going and thrifting but I find if you’re up for it, you find great stuff.

Jason:  It just takes a long time. It’s really dusty sometimes.

Marni:  I know people who wear gloves. It kinda makes sense because sometimes you’re like, “Who was wearing this before? It could be some skanky old guy.” And yeah…like, you know, “Who was sitting on this before and what did they do on this couch?”

Jason:  Eh, it’s the same as a hotel or restaurant or something.

Marni:  I guess, but I figure a hotel at least you’re paying for it so hope that maybe somebody else was a little more…Yeah, now I’m kinda creeped out about hotels too. I’m probably just never gonna go to one again. Only stay in five stars. Yeah. that’s not gonna happen.

 

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Discussion

Marni’s shoes came from a new thrift store. Jason is surprised that a new thrift store opened because they’re often very old and dingy. But Marni reminds him that people in Portland (where Marni and Jason live) are particularly interested in thrifting.

Jason likes thrift stores because you can get things there that aren’t available at new stores anymore. He has a favorite pair of gloves from the 80s that he got at a thrift store.

The only problem, he says, is that since every item in a thrift store is unique, it takes a lot of searching to find anything you like. Marni says that if she gets in the right mood she enjoys searching through a thrift store. She knows people who wear gloves when they go to thrift stores because you never know where the items came from.

Furniture, particularly couches, can be a little sketchy, since the people used to own them might have done…well, who knows. It’s probably not best to think about it.

Jason points out that thrift store couches aren’t any different than furniture in a hotel room. Marni thinks about it for a second and decides she’s a little afraid of hotels too!

Have you ever found anything really great at a thrift store? How would you feel about sitting on a secondhand couch?

 

Comments

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laneypussy

Madagascar

hi !!!!Laughing for me i like bying my shoes at a second-hand,since they're cheap and also in good condition.

05:22 PM Dec 14 2007 |

laneypussy

Madagascar

hi!!Laughing!!!for me i used to buy my shoes at a thrifting since there are cheap and also in good condition than new shoes !

05:19 PM Dec 14 2007 |

gomaa

Egypt

actually in my point of view I think that thrifting is very important especially for those whose  financial status is not that good

05:12 PM Dec 14 2007 |

Cranos

Cranos

China

SORRY BUT I THINK YOU ANSWER WRONG ACCORDING TO THE DEMANDS OF THE QUESTION.

04:28 PM Dec 14 2007 |

Cranos

Cranos

China

Thrifting I think is common in many countries especially developing countries.Many poor people depend on used items .Yes I sometimes go thrifting usually when I can not afford to buy the new item.It is conveniant and always at hand.

Iam not a chinese but I lived there and I have seen lots of thrift stores,am surprised to here you say that in China it is rare to find thrift stores.

 

04:25 PM Dec 14 2007 |

ALEX_DO

Russian Federation

The stores, where you can buy cheap second-hand clothes, are unpopular in my country. But the stores, where you can buy cheap second-hand mobile phone are very popular.

03:58 PM Dec 14 2007 |

sahery

Pakistan

WHAT IS THIS I CANT UNDERSTAND AND I THINK ITS SO BORING AND BAKWAS.

03:36 PM Dec 14 2007 |

sahery

Pakistan

WHAT IS THIS ITS SO BORING.

03:33 PM Dec 14 2007 |

lalobrown

lalobrown

Dominican Republic

i think thrift stores are gr8,here in my country there is a ST called¨”la pulga” and i like to there cuz i can get secondhand video games but i dont like to buy clothes

03:32 PM Dec 14 2007 |

samirahmad sadaf

Algeria

life without girl friend is useless

03:00 PM Dec 14 2007 |

patagonia2004

Germany

Sometimes, I like to go to thrift stores. With some luck, you can get things and clothes in good conditions for a few Euros. And sometimes these shops also offer new stuff. But like both in the lesson mentioned, it usually takes some time to find a "treasure". And especially clothes are usually out of fashion when finding them in these stores.

In my opinion thrift stores make a lot of sense concerning sustainable consumption. Old stuff can be re-used by other people and it is not always necessary to buy something completly new. Moreover you can save  a lot of money.

02:33 PM Dec 14 2007 |

Lusty

Lusty

Russian Federation

I think that in thrift store people can find lots of intresing items. But I wouldn’t buy any clothes there.

02:00 PM Dec 14 2007 |

wqwangqi

China

01:58 PM Dec 14 2007 |

xinglovechang

China

Nice to meet you !let’s make friends!

01:24 PM Dec 14 2007 |

xinglovechang

China

Nice to meet you !let’s make friends!

01:23 PM Dec 14 2007 |

Xiang

Xiang

China

If you like, just go for it.

The more you think, the less you will gain.

Cool

01:03 PM Dec 14 2007 |

ruzzy17

Ghana

In my country,  not only the poor go thrifting the love also love secondhand things there

thrifting is no bad business   

12:48 PM Dec 14 2007 |

susanking

susanking

China

thrifting is not very popular in china,i think. may be it's just the condition of my city—-except some secondhand book market, there is no other popular thrifting store.

12:22 PM Dec 14 2007 |

bEybHijOsH

bEybHijOsH

Philippines

yeah, its reaLLy nice to sHOp @ tHrift stOre epeciaLLy wHen yOur bUdgEt is gOOd for seCOndhand heheheheheh!

umm…seriOusLy, i like to sHOp @ thrift stOre becOz it's nOt OnLy yOu can get it on a LOwer priCe but it aLso yOu branded and nOt easy tO brOke. hEre in pHiLLipiNes its pOpuLar… 

11:55 AM Dec 14 2007 |

zengss

China

Can I make a friend with you?

11:53 AM Dec 14 2007 |

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