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Monday, April 5, 2010

My Chanel Shoes: A True Story of Thrift Store Karma

Since you last heard from me, we have been in Alabama, visiting our dear daughter. We were accompanied by my mother. All this intergenerational travel is fun, but stressful. Lucy Marmalade/Miss Em was a great host, getting us tickets to the ballet Cinderella and treating us to meals.

Now we're back, with about a week of vacation ahead of us. And I am, of course, completely uninspired. So I will present a true story of thrift store karma. I was saving it for an uninspired moment.

Several years ago (5? 6?), I was, as usual, blissing out at Goodwill. I was in the check out line, with some unmemorable stuff, when the woman in front of me (not someone I'd seen before) decided to show off her finds. She had about 4 designer bags. She explained to me that they were good fakes. Then she said, "But these are real." And showed me some black Chanel loafers. They WERE real. She said, "I don't wear this size, but I got them for my grandbabies to use for dress up." I said, "What size are they?" She said, "37." "That's my size," I gasped.

That's as far as you can go with thrift store etiquette. You cannot beg for the shoes or offer to buy them or even make remarks about how it is a total waste to give children Chanel loafers to use as dress up shoes.

And, of course, this woman paid for her wares and whisked off to wherever with the shoes.

Being a masochist, I went back to Goodwill the next day. I am embarrassed to admit that I was a wee bit depressed about the shoes. Really, it's better not to know about what you missed.

I was looking through a big bin of shoes. I said to myself (sorry if this offends your religious sensibilities), "If God wanted you to have the Chanel shoes, he would have given them to you!"

Then, you guessed it, ANOTHER pair of Chanel loafers appeared, identical to the first, only in brown. I kept looking for a third pair, but none appeared.

These are, no question, the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn. No one knows they are Chanel except for me. They are plain old loafers with the crossed c's on top. Interestingly, anyone who did notice the logo would assume they were fake. That is because, with my general disarray, I just don't look like someone who would have Chanel shoes.

Not only did I get the shoes, but I got a neat story.

Do you believe me?

6 comments:

Susan B said...

Wow, that's amazing. What a lucky find!

Shelley said...

Of course I believe you! On account of you haven't pulled my leg yet (that I know) and also that I'm quite gullible.

It does seem a shame that real Chanel shoes should go for little girl's dress up, when you would have enjoyed and appreciated them so much more. Never mind, you got some anyhow.

I hear that many millionaires look quite ordinary. That's why they are wealthy, of course.

Duchesse said...

Well of course I believe you, you're Frugal! You have the ultimate karma.

Yes, some millionaires look ordinary, Shelly- and some people who look rich are not. Appearances can deceive. And some people who look like a million bucks indeed have it in the bank!

Funny about Money said...

What a story! And what a shame that silly woman didn't give the first pair to you when you said they fit you. On the other hand, if she had, you'd have lost out on the opportunity to tell this story.

Frugal Scholar said...

@DejaPseu--True dat! But they're not as nice as your shoes.

@Shelley--I do plan on being the millionaire next door, but I am also working on jazzing up my look---if only for the sake of the shoes.

Duchesse--The last is my goal, so far unrealized.

@Funny--I'd rather have the shoes than the story.

Sources said...
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