After a slow 2xOT day I zipped downtown to see DEAD LOVER w/ @asmereck.bsky.social, a goofy flick mixing THE LOVE WITCH and RE-ANIMATOR. Omw I saw that the 14th St Goodwill that I thought closed down just moved 1 door over. For a~$13 tithe I got an iRecord & a basic tarot kit. #thriftfu #litotimancy

[2/2] Lacking time to sort thru them, I lugged them to work: not easy for an out of shape 50 year old. For a tithe of my pain & sweat I pulled ~40 CDs (+ 1 tape & a DVD). The remainder, possibly 100s thereof, I left outside our locker room: it was a feeding frenzy. Physical media 5eva!

#litotimancy

B/c missed the more modest initial runs (& b/c I adore her) I set an alarm to gank the latest #thriftgremlin merch from @kathleenillustrated.co, an iridescent hoodie. Truly, do you know of anyone so imbued with #thriftfu to whom this is more suited? DO YOU??? I WILL FIGHT THEM WITH #litotimancy!!!

A small painting, found while thrifting, of the character Bizarro (Superman's backwards clone), with a speech balloon reading, "You no worry. Bizarro NOT watching you poop." (Since he always speaks in opposites, the implication is that he is, in fact, watching you poop.)

Yesterday, after torrential rains all day, it cleared up enough to do #thriftfu #litotimancy for a few last components of my costume(s?). While I only truly polished one off @ Five Below, I did find this small canvas that I eagerly snatched up & promptly installed in the appropriate spot in my home.

An Agent Astro doll, thrifted on Wednesday, October 23, 2025

I don't divulge much of what #thriftfu #litotimancy actually TELLS me, often b/c it's not always immediately obvious, but I was taken by this Agent Astro doll. When I got it home, w/o thinking, I ripped off its nametag, a big no-no if I ever hope to re-sell it.

And suddenly, it changed. [1/2]

Your skeeter's thrift haul for Wednesday, October 23, 2025: a pair of black canvas shoes, a 2' tall doll of Jasmine from Disney's ALADDIN, Converse-branded fabric markers, a CD/DVD-ROM drive, a Tokidoki sushi car toy, a gold lamé midriff hoodie, a white canvas belt, a 2-piece ensemble (mostly white with orange & blue detailing, an "Agent Astro" doll, 2 books (GOD IS A VERB by Rabbi Cooper and TWIN CITIES by Jose Pimienta), 5 VHS tapes (THE POWERPUFF GIRLS: BOOGIE FRIGHTS, ROWAN & MARTIN'S LAUGH-IN: THE SOCK-IT-TO-ME COLLECTION: SALUTE TO THE SEXY '60S, TROLLEY: THE CARS THAT BUILT OUR CITIES, RONALD REAGAN IN "FOR GOD & COUNTRY" AND "JAP ZERO" and a screener of MAX), a gold chain belt and 2 cassette tapes ("Piss Factory" and "Milla" [Jovovich])

Wednesday 2xOT was less rigorous than its predecessor, but nevertheless I limped to Steinway Thrift for #thriftfu #litotimancy. For a total tithe of $124.55 I got all this, including components for 2 different Halloween costumes, 1 pulling ahead of the previous lead contender. (I have 1 more, too.)

Thrift haul for 10/15/25: 4 comic books (HOBGOBLIN #1-3, KICKERS INC. #1), 5 books (2 graphic novels: SPY FAMILY vol. 1, BREAKDOWNS: PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A YOUNG %@🌪⭐️! by art spiegelman; 3 prose: HANDMADE NATION by Faythe Levine & Cortney Heimerl, THE MAGIC OF NEON by Michael Webb & CUSTOM KICKS FROM ARTISTS AROUND THE WORLD by Maki), 1 vinyl LP (Paul Kanter, Grace Slick & David Freiberg's BARON VON TOLLBOOTH & THE CHROME NUN), black wool gloves emblazoned with white bones, a yellow hooded sweatshirt with 2 blue & 1 iridescent 4-pointed stars, geometric figures and the words "pretty stars and then focus but also," a Peanuts wash towel from Japan, an EVE doll from Pixar's WALL•E, and 12 small toys (Iceman, Playskool Little People Batman & Robin, Green Goblin from the '90s SPIDER-MAN: TAS, Mr. Freeze (unknown Batman line), superdeformed General Grievous from Star Wars, HeroClick(?) The Signal from Batman, red Darth Vader figurine, an off-brand View-Master reel, a VOLTRON: LEGENDARY DEFENDER Myzaxx toy & a Sanrio-like bear character with an èclair for a head, possibly from Yummi Land).

Detail of 1 vinyl LP (Paul Kanter, Grace Slick & David Freiberg's BARON VON TOLLBOOTH), an EVE doll from Pixar's WALL•E, and 12 small toys (Iceman, Playskool Little People Batman & Robin, Green Goblin from the '90s SPIDER-MAN: TAS, Mr. Freeze (unknown Batman line), superdeformed General Grievous from Star Wars, HeroClick(?) The Signal from Batman, red Darth Vader figurine, an off-brand View-Master reel, a VOLTRON: LEGENDARY DEFENDER Myzaxx toy & a Sanrio-like bear character with an èclair for a head, possibly from Yummi Land).

While performing #thriftfu #litotimancy after a painful day of 2xOT I put back everything in one shop...

...only to plunk down $35 in their sister shop 2 blocks away. Not the $120 jade face brooch, tho. Nor the turquoise mole necklace at Housing Works, but they still dinged me for $59 otherwise.

Thrift haul for September 28, 2025: and assortment of 19 small toys, including 3 still in their wrappers, and 2 campaign buttons.

After DEVILHELM I went by Wmsbg institution & personal #thriftfu mecca Mother Of Junk to perform #litotimancy on their $1 toy bins. While there I made friends with a little girl who was just discovering the existence of PEZ dispensers, of which there were many. I even got one! Total tithe = ~$24.

A blue Nehru-style jacket with a white collar & accents, plus black & yellow speed lines and vortices. If you can't get laid in this, just cut it off.

I did manage a feat of #thriftfu #litotimancy last night b/t work & a show by Dracula And His Band The Draculas @ Otto's: this gorgeous eyesore is a Guaranteed Wax Block Print Nehru jacket, coming to a whopping $13 tithe. No idea what manner of affair I'll wear it, but I WILL wear it, because DAMN

On a white padded bench is a clear toy car, gears visible inside, an 18" doll of Garnet from the cartoon STEVEN UNIVERSE, and a toy toilet covered in blue "stains," all thrifted on 8/24/25

A black metal & synthetic fiber woven chair sits on your skeeter's back balcony

Last night I went from work to a couple thrift shops to try to #thriftfu #litotimancy a few last minute tapes for OVCRN. While I didn't find any, I did tithe $12 for a millennial-style toy car, the skibidiest toilet & a space lesbian. Omw home, I found a deck chair by the bldg my bench came from.

Thrift haul for August 13 & 17, 2025: 5 graphic novels (PLAIN JANE & THE MERMAID by Vera Brosgol; THE SIXTH GUN vols. 1 & 2 by Cullem Bunn, Brian Hurtt & Bill Crabtree; I LOVE THIS PART by Tillie Walden; 20TH CENTURY BOYS vol. 1 by Naoki Ursawa); DRAWING BLOOD by Molly Crabapple; LITTLE MISS CURIOUS (Hebrew) by Roger Hargreaves; a pin of KC Green's "This Is Fine" dog

Between last Wednesday while Pavement was being de-fanged & last night I tithed ~$30 to #thriftfu in #litotimancy, but each haul was small enough not to catalog, yet here they are together: 6 books (5 GNs) & 1 pin, + a Mr. Men/Little Miss book in Hebrew found our locker room free library.

After some modest #thriftfu #litotimancy at Housing Works (2 books, 1 comic & a pin) & lunch w/an old roommate @ Momo Ramen, I retrieved Pavement, who weathered the extraction of TWENTY-ONE TEETH (& an ingrown claw), and I weathered an extraction of >$2K. We'll both be recuperating for a minute. 😬💸🙀

Thrift haul for 8/5/25: 4 books (NERDY NUMMIES by Rosanna Pansino, HELSINKI BEYOND DREAMS by Hella Hernberg, TO BE OR NOT TO BE by Ryan North, BOOK OF RHYMES: THE POETICS OF HIP-HOP by Adam Bradley), a World's Smallest Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots set, a canvas print of a black & white checkered blob against a red background, a short chain necklace & a ~8" tall wooden carving of the Hindu deity Garuda.

Four books purloined from an internally-communal bookcase: QUANTUM CREATIVITY by Amit Goswami, PASSION PLAY by Sean Stewart, SAINT GERMAIN ON ALCHEMY: FORMULAS FOR SELF-TRANSFORMATION, and MOST HARMLESS by Douglas Adams

After the movie Tues, I did #thriftfu #litotimancy @ Housing Works. For a ~$55 tithe I got 4 books, a toy, a chain, a tiny canvas print & a wood sculpture of Garuda, Vishnu's mount.

If that wasn't enough, I also nabbed 4 books out of the locker room free library & a NAKED GUN poster at the theater.

Thrift haul for 7/30/25, L to R: Archangel oracle cards by Diana Cooper & Jane Delaford Taylor, KUNG FU PANDA Wii game, Threadless Robots tee (including Voltron: Legendary Defender #defendedbe), DVD of DEAD AGAIN (1991, dir. Kenneth Branagh), VHS of THE COUNTRY MOUSE & THE CITY MOUSE: THOSE AMAZING MICE IN THEIR FLYING MACHINES, 45s of 4 songs from the soundtrack to XANADU performed by Olivia Newton-John, I, ROBOT: THE ILLUSTRATED SCREENPLAY by Isaac Asimov & Harlan Ellison, HOW TO BE AN ANTI-RACIST by Ibram X. Kend8, THINGS IN JARS by Jess Kidd, BREAK8NG OPEN THE HEAD by Daniel Pinchbeck, LONG WAY DOWN by Jason Reynolds & Danica Novgorodoff, HUMAN BODY THEATER by Maris Wicks, WOMEN'S HISTORY FOR BEGINNERS by Dr. Bonnie J. Morris & Phill Evans, TEEN TITANS: RAVEN by Kami Garcia & Gabriel Piccolo, SUPERZELDA: LA VITA DISEGNATA DI ZELDA FITZGERALD by Tiziana Lo Porto & Daniele Marotta, a STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER D-O figuratively mug in box, and a FRAGGLE ROCK Wembley doll.

Wed I deftly dodged downpours to #litotimancy a ~$48 tithe to #thriftfu: I found 9 books (5 GNs), 1 DVD, 1 Wii game, 1 VHS, 2 45s BOTH from the soundtrack to XANADU, 1 tee, a Fraggle Rock Wembley doll, Archangel oracle cards & a STAR WARS D-O mug set (haven't seen E9: I just needed a green robot).

A white T-shirt with an image of a Black male singer and the caption "Hangin' Out With My Family!"

Before ELIO I did some #thriftfu #litotimancy at a pair of shops under the same ownership one avenue & a couple streets apart. Formerly I've exited either w/hauls, but b/t them both all I found last night was this tee referencing notorious terrible movie & @rifftrax.com fodder BIRDEMIC for just $6.

Thrift haul for 7/3/25: 12 VHS tapes, 2 tees, a handyman's utility belt and a Spider-Gwen toy. Total tithe = $50.80

On Thurs eve I decided that b/c I needed comic longboxes, I might as well get them in Astoria &, while there, do some #thriftfu #litotimancy. B/c Jessen lives nearby, we got gyros & watched a few of the tapes I got, which were all of surprising quality: next #ovcrn @wonderville.nyc will be FIRE.

EXCUSE ME, sir, but the term is #thriftfu or, to be taxonomically-formal, #litotimancy, and I will THANK you not to deplete the reserves thereof, AND I will thank you to show us what you got.

Your skeeter (a "white," balding, bearded, bespectacled, middle-aged man) takes a selfie while wearing a fluorescent green sweatsuit

I did some light #thriftfu #litotimancy (a neon green hoodie/sweatpants matched set, 2 VHS tapes & 5 books [3 GNs]; total tithe =~$30), got pizza at a recent Two Boots location, strolled down the UWS to Herald Square, bought a handkerchief and ate a Burger King #httyd kids meal for the Meatlug toy.

It was only well after any such beast would've closed that I realized too late I had squandered a rare, precious opportunity to be off the same day as local yard sales. Granted, I didn't even get out of bed til nearly 2 pm today, but if I'd known I might have made the effort. #thriftfu #litotimancy

Thrifting haul for May 18, 2025: 7 issues of defunct comic news magazine WIZARD; "Build Your Own Conspiracy Theory Kit"; 3 letter toys for K, E & N; James S.A. Corey's LEVIATHAN WAKES (books 1 of sci-fi franchise The Expanse); THE BABY WITCH'S JOURNAL by Astrid Carvel; THE STATE OF ISRAEL VS. THE JEWS by Sylvain Cypel; VHS tapes of CHITTY-CHITTY BANG BANG (1968), THE ODYSSEY (1997), "Plan Smart: Students Getting Ready 4 College" (1997) & "The Philips Five Minute How To Make Your Own CD"; WORLD WAR III ILLUSTRATED #47; THE FLASH: MOVE FORWARD by Francis Manapul & Brian Buccelleto; GERONIMO STILTON, REPORTER v.1: OPERATION SHUFONGFONG; THE COLLECTED BLURTINGS OF BAXTER; POST-MODERNISM FOR BEGINNERS by Jim Powell & Joe Lee; MY HERO ACADEMIA v.1 by Kohei Horikoshi; and a Victorian-style cameo pendant of one of the Hitchhiking Ghosts from "The Haunted Mansion"

Closer view of the Hitchhiking Ghost cameo from Disney's Haunted Mansion

Last night after work I hit old faithful Steinway Thrift for #thriftfu #litotimancy. I found 9 books (6 GNs), 7 issues of WIZARD Magazine, a conspiracy magnet set, 4 VHS tapes, stuffed characters of the letters in my name, & a cameo of a Hitchhiking Ghost from Disney's Haunted Mansion. ~$51 tithe.

Thrifting haul for April 1, 2025: 10 VHS tapes, a Blu-Ray of A WRINKLE IN TIME, a Babar toy, a Junji Ito mug, a Transformers toy, 2 shirts, a hoodie featuring a Marilyn Monroe-style image, a black multipurpose bag, and... (reference next pix)

...a 3rd party, unlicensed ceramic figurine with a marked resemblance to Snoopy in his World War I Flying Ace persona, except he's astride a red rocket that could be misconstrued for his genitals, a red cross, a black collar, oddly squinty eyes that could be seen as Asiatic, a disquieting grin, and what may or may not be a Hitler-style mustache, or possibly an attempt to make the nose look less like Snoopy's & more like an actual dog's nose. (front view)

...a 3rd party, unlicensed ceramic figurine with a marked resemblance to Snoopy in his World War I Flying Ace persona, except he's astride a red rocket that could be misconstrued for his genitals, a red cross, a black collar, oddly squinty eyes that could be seen as Asiatic, a disquieting grin, and what may or may not be a Hitler-style mustache, or possibly an attempt to make the nose look less like Snoopy's & more like an actual dog's nose. (side view)

Not content w/Sun's haul, I conducted #thriftfu #litotimancy @ the UWS Unique Boutique. For a tithe of just >$100, I got 10 VHS, 1 Blu-Ray, 2 shirts, 1 hoodie, 1 robot toy, a Junji Ito mug, a cap, a Babar stuffed toy, a heavy-duty backpack & THE Most Cursed Knockoff Snoopy Merch EVER, a new jewel.

Thrift haul for March 30, 2025: 3 DVDs (IN LIVING COLOR s1, MIRACULOUS TALES OF LADYBUG & CAT NOIR and THUNDERBIRDS), 5 VHS (THE SWAN PRINCESS III, THE POLAR BEAR KING, WEE SING: GRANDPA'S MAGICAL TOYS, RETURN TO SNOWY RIVER and DENISE CALLS UP), 2 books (ELECTRONICS: A SELF TEACHING GUIDE 2nd ed and HANDYMAN BEST PROJECTS TIPS & TOOLS), 3 graphic novels (MONSTRESS v.1 & 2 and JAMES BOND: HAMMERHEAD), a Transformers Optimus Prime toy and a 2-XL toy (2023 edition)

A closer, solo look at the newest 2-XL toy: its helmet visor is also a screen

"Family portrait" of four 2-XL toys, left to right: original 8-track version, '90s cassette version from Tiger Electronics, the new digital version & a variant of the cassette version skinned to look like STAR WARS' R2-D2

Sunday evening I did my first real #thriftfu #litotimancy for March, & while the crop was bountiful (5 books [3 GNs], 5 VHS, 3 DVDs, 2 robot toys: tithe =~$47), the real score was the 2023 digital version of 2-XL, the educational toy of which I now own every version, at least those of which I know.

Thrift haul for 2/9/25: 2 sweaters, a pair of slacks, a buttondown short-sleeved shirt with a sushi print, 6 VHS tapes, 1 DVD set, a roll of velcro, 5 lion toys AAAAAND...

...a blue straw fedora with a black band, on your skeeter's (nearly 49 year old "white" bearded man) head. Thrift haul, 2/9/25.

Last night I went from work to ol' reliable Steinway Thrift to flex my #thriftfu #litotimancy. For a tithe of ~$71 I found 2 sweaters (one punk, one 8-bit), drawstring slacks, a sushi buttondown, 6 VHS tapes, 1 DVD set, 5 lion toys ( #defendedbe), a roll of velcro🤷‍♂️ & a new persona.

What'd you do?

A black-framed 4-sided lantern with silkscreened imagery of hand-drawn studies of a skull & spine on the smoked glass & indecipherable writing. It is extremely metal. 🤘💀

You don't need to tell me anything about thrift shops: I practically subsist off them nigh-exclusively, and I'm pretty sure that's how I came across this Chr°mecas+ in the 1st place. Check out my hashtag #thriftfu for some of my great scores: this rad lantern for $14 was a recent #litotimancy find.

I've already spotted a Neil Gaiman book in the wild while doing #thriftfu #litotimancy. He often is in the mix in such shops, and there probably already was some in the supply chain, but I'm wondering if we'll see a deluge, or if resellers realize they have an albatross to be straight-up mulched.

Your skeeter's thrifting haul for 1/12/25, including a HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON Stormfly toy, paperback of SING ALONG WITH MAD by Frank Jacob's & Al Jaffee, a VHS of LITTLE LADIES OF THE NIGHT (1977, dir. Marvin J. Chomsky) starring the late Louis Gossett Jr., a paperback of HERO MAKER: 12 WEEKS TO SUPERHERO FIT by Duffy Gaver, hardcover of Peyo's Smurfs reprint THE SMURFETTE, paperback of Antony Johnston & Justin Greenwood's THE FUSE v.1: THE RUSSIA SHIFT

The cherry on your skeeter's thrift adventure for 1/12/25: A pin of an eyeball with legs by Brianna Gardocki

While yesterday wasn't ass-breaking, I hadn't done #thriftfu #litotimancy in a few weeks so I went to old reliable Steinway Thrift where, for a mere $12 tithe, I found 4 books (3 comic), a toy, a VHS tape, and a pin that looks like it should've been designed by Stephen DeStefano for The Residents.

I'd considered seeing SUNN●))) at Lincoln Center tonight, but as the weekend had its way w/me I thought instead to do #thriftfu #litotimancy. Yet even that felt irresponsible, so I just headed home. But only 4 blocks from my house I found an intact floating bookcase in the trash! Pretty okay day. 🤗

A Black & Decker-branded toy workbench with a pegboard & mounted toy drill press, sitting on the 86th St express train platform.

After work on Sun eve I did #thriftfu #litotimancy in some shops & found 2 VHS tapes, a blank chalkboard globe & a part for 1 of my H'ween costumes. I got 2 beers w/coworkers, then omw to the train I found this toy workbench outside the same bldg as my vinyl bench, which is going in my crafting set.

This skeeter's thrifting haul for October 15, 2024: 2 vinyl LPs (a radio-exclusive sampler of Stevie Wonder's "Journey Through The Secret Life of Plants" and the soundtrack to the Robert Altman film POPEYE (1980)), 1 DVD ("collectors edition" of BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA (1993, dir. Francis Ford Coppola), 2 yellow caps (1 a visor), a red polo shirt, THE WILD UNKNOWN TAROT GUIDEBOOK by Kim Krans and 3 VHS tapes (THE RESCUERS DOWN UNDER, ONCE UPON A FOREST and MARDI GRAS WITH ARTHUR HARDY).

Before the movie last night I did some #thriftfu #litotimancy in the neighborhood in hopes of finding a few last components of a simple cosplay for #nycc. I did find 2 yellow caps for a different costume for Halloween, + 2 LPs, a DVD, a polo, a book & 3 VHS. Total tithe = ~$40.

The finds as described in the skeet, w/some details noted: the DVDs include season 2 of THE KIDS IN THE HALL, season 1 of GHOST HUNTERS, CALDER: SCULPTOR OF AIR and BALLISTIC: ECKS VS SEVER; the LPs are 2 long play disco singles and CAPTAIN KANGAROO SINGS "THE HORSE IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS"; the 45 is called "Toot & Puff; the tsotchkes include a wooden goblet, a trophy that resembles a superheroine and a little black & silver icon, origin unknown

Spread of all VHS buys, which include but are not limited to: THE ROYAL HUNT OF THE SUN DANTE'S DIVINE COMEDY A HOLE IN THE HEAD BERNADETTE, THE PRINCESS OF LOURDES BROTHER'S KEEPER a Spanish vacation planner for Walt Disney World Frank Peretti in MR. HENRY'S WILD & WACKY WORLD vols. 1 & 2 3 A.M. THE HARD WAY GRIMM'S FAIRY TALES: BEAUTY AND THE BEAST THE SILENCE OF NETO NEVER CRY WOLF A MIDSUMMER'S NIGHT DREAM (1968) MATISSE CENTENNIAL AT THE GRAND PALAIS PARADISE LOST SHADOW CONSPIRACY TV ENGLISH vol. 8 MOURKA: A ONE-WOMAN PLAY .COM HOSTED BY MARK HAMILL MELROSE PLACE (taped from TV in 1995) 8 VHS-C minitapes & a VHS adaptor

Your skeeter wears a coat made of 2 clashing plaid patterns

I did #thriftfu #litotimancy omw home last night in hopes of finding a few components of upcoming costumes. I found none of that, but I *did* find all this: 21 VHS, 8 VHS-C (+ adaptor), 3 LPs, a 45, 4 DVDs, 3 tsotchkes and a coat from the estate of Harvey Dent. Total tithe = $65.