I was inspired recently to focus this issue on what was once affectionately known as "junking" or "junquing" by the more seasoned thrifters.

Thrift shopping has lost the stigma that was once attached to it and has become rather commonplace. It has even become a sport for many and perhaps even a bit of an addiction for others. But regardless, it is fun and I love spending part of the weekend out there looking for the perfect find that is both practical and economical.

Just this weekend I was able to score an amazing Italian Coffee Espresso Machine for $25 at a local garage sale. Once I got it home and gave it a thorough cleaning it was working like a charm. I knew by the fixtures that it was a good one, but was pleasantly surprised when I discovered that it currently goes for about $650 new. I was even able to download a user manual from the Internet.

There are so many elements to "junking" and a wealth of incredible stories to tell, but I could only capture a few. In The Changing Face of Main Street, Melissa Wood gives us an overview of how Main Street in Vancouver is changing and how a new thrift store has impacted the neighbourhood. With over 30 years of being an avid thrift shopper and collector, my friend Mollie shares some of her favourite finds with me in A Collection of Memories.

On a different note, we introduce you to a wonderful new thrift store in Kitsilano called Seconds Please! Thrift Shoppe in the section called In The Neighbourhood. In Tricks of The Trade I offer Thrift Shopping 101 and walk you through the different types of thrift shopping.

We had a designer from New York submit some photos of a piece of furniture that was given to her for Vintage Value. Mary Watson from Metropolitan Home was able to sleuth out some interesting information on Scandinavian furniture and its impact on American Modernism.

In Garage Sale Savvy, Melissa Wood offers a slightly different side of garage sales in Garage Sales: A Cautionary Tale while I provide a basic overview of Garage Sale Etiquette and some helpful tips in Garage Sale Pre-Planning Primer. And for those of you planning garage sales this summer, don't forget to post you sales on the site and use some of our downloadable garage sale signs.

And with the increasing popularity of the Secondhand Safaris, we have added more tours to our schedule and will continue to do so. Not only were the tours recently featured on BCTV and CKVU, they were also written up in The National Post in Julia McKinnell's article Please ladies, no biting.

Last but definitely not least, we have added two new features to site and will soon find them a permanent home in the magazine section. First we have Ken William"s Frugal Shopper. If you are tired of paying full price for your food, come check in with Ken and he will introduce you to some of the best places to food shop in Vancouver. Secondly, we are pleased to welcome Allyson McGrane who will provide us with reviews of relevant books for all savvy secondhand shoppers. In this issue, she provides an insightful look at The Dept Free Graduate--How to Survive College or University Without Going Broke by Murray Baker.

Sincerely,
Jo-Anne Lauzer
Publisher/Editor

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Profiled recently by Kerry Moore in The Province

Check it out! The Safaris have been rated as one of the best things to do in Vancouver by Craig Takeuchi in Vancouver Magazine.

Come hear Margaret Gallagher's take on our Safaris on CBC's Basic Black radio show.
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Julia McKinnell's article Please ladies, no biting