You Never Lose Out from: DOING THE RIGHT THING!

My friend wants me to write a book on all my thrift store stories. I have so many of them. I even have a great title for it ... Finding G-d While Thrifting.

So here is a story that happened today. Let me know what you think --

A few weeks ago I was at one of the local thrift stores. The woman knows me. As soon as she saw me, she handed me a small baggie of jewelry. (I go to this store for the big giant bags.)  I asked if they had any big bags, which she gives me. The small bag was marked "Sterling" for $150. I glanced at it, and then put it down. I started really looking at the big bag, trying to decide if I wanted it or not. (It was $75, and had like 10X more stuff.)  So this other treasure hunter I've seen around comes over to me, and asks if I am taking the small bag. I hesitated for a second ... I didn't really look at it. I saw a Silpada necklace that sells for $15-20. There were a bunch of other smaller silver pieces that are really hard to sell, and the heaviest brooch was marked pewter, not sterling. I am debating saying I want to look at it better when I had a flash back to another incident. When one of the stores had their grand opening, this woman ran in like a lunatic, and grabbed every single jar. She wouldn't let anyone else look at them, and then she bought them all.  I didn't like that, so ever since then, I've been good about sharing jars. So with that in mind, I handed the bag to the guy and said, if you aren't going to take it, I'll look at it better.
So the guy looks, whips out his loop, and gets all excited. I said, OH, what did I miss? He said he would show me after he pays. Which he does. He pulls out a 14K bracelet that would have more than paid for that bag! He did give me the Silpada necklace, but I was very annoyed with myself. Then I thought it through ... that bag wasn't meant for me to have. This bag belonged to that guy, and I got there a few minutes before him. Hashem put that thought into my head to hand it to him, because otherwise, if I had seen the gold, I would have bought it. Even though rationally I knew it wasn't mine; I was still very annoyed with myself. (I did end up getting 3 jars [for less than that one bag] that had a 14K bracelet, so like I said, you never lose out from doing the right thing.)

Now today I called one of the stores, and they had 2 jars and 2 boxes of bangles. So I head over there. When I walked in, a different treasure hunter was there waiting for them to open the case.  When they opened the case, the guy lunged in and grabbed the jars, and one of the boxes ... which he glanced at, and handed to me. He grabbed the second box, and set it down. I was so annoyed, because it's really not fair to grab everything in there. While still blocking me, he reaches to the other side to grab the necklace there, and announces it's sterling silver. (I know; I saw it yesterday and the day before.)  I was making faces at the cashiers. I finally walked over and told them what happened; how he grabbed everything and wouldn't let me look at anything. I said, It doesn't matter, you can't get what isn't meant to be.
So I waited. He gave me that first box which was junk. Put it back. He wouldn't let me look at the second box, because he was taking it.  Then he hands me one jar while he is looking at the second jar. That jar had a Silpada necklace in it, but not much more. Maybe a silver ring, maybe 2 of them. Finally he hands me the other jar. I saw a silver ring, some other little things, a brooch, and basically decided it was worth it. He set his box aside, and went to go look elsewhere. I decided to get the second jar, but couldn't decide on the first. So I finally just put it back; let someone else get it. So the guy comes back, and starts asking me what I see in the jar. He starts berating my selections, saying the "you think that's a brooch" and it's an ugly color that doesn't sell. I cut him off with, I like it; it's for me. So I pay for my jar and then the worker comes out with two rings. He grabs at one ring, while I snag the other. It's a Tiffany ring. I explained to her that it's a nice ring, but they don't sell for what they have it priced at; they should have marked it lower. (I wasn't lying; just trying to help her.)  The guy goes to buy the ring he had plus his other stuff. So while he was in line, I told the worker what happened. She whispers to me that there is another jar in the back but she can't bring it out yet cuz she has to watch to make sure he pays for the ring since it's $160. She tells me to hang around a few minutes, and she will bring the jar out.

So I go to my car and dump my jar. HAHAHA! I got a pair of 14K cz earring studs in there. And the brooch wasn't a brooch, it was a necklace, which is fine, cuz I really like it for my projects. (I'll explain another time.)  I go back in, and look ... there is a new jar! The guy is gone, and I look at the jar. Yes, there are some nice things, so I buy that one as well.

I dumped everything, and tonight when I was going through it ... I am not sure which jar it came out of, whether it was the first or second one I bought ... but the pretty silver ring isn't silver. It's 10K white gold! I THINK IT'S HYSTERICAL! Here the guy thought he was going to get the best stuff by hogging everything, and Hashem rewarded me for being patient.

Like I always say ... if you are meant to have it, you will. There is NOTHING that can stop you from getting what you are supposed to get!

And I still believe that you will never lose out from doing the right thing. So share those jars and bags, because you never know who is supposed to get what.

Happy Hunting!