Foodie Finds on the Cheap at Desert Industries Thrift Store

I’m a cookbook fanatic. I love collecting cookbooks. New, old, doesn’t matter, I have a list a mile long of books I’d like to own. Part of my list consists of older editions or books no longer in print, and they can be hard to find. My collection gets a lot of attention when people visit my house. I have several areas where the books reside, with one shelf being for those books I use the most, another one that’s the best reference cookbook and two short stacks of new favorites that we’ve seen on food tv shows (usually Food Network), both getting prime real estate on the top of another book shelf unit. That unit has books broken into categories: bread, international cooking, cookies, etc. Then there’s the shelf of collectibles. Currently, it holds quite a few favorite foodie finds, like the Fanny Farmer series, Meta Given books and two coveted Julia Child tomes. When people visit, they frequently comment on the amount of books and how organized they are. I’m a foodie and it shows at first glance.

Being a foodie, my shopping doesn’t stop there. I’m frequently hunting for unique food props for photo shoots and I love scoring on a unique piece of equipment that isn’t easily found. Cool pitchers, unusual patterned plates and a newfound interest in cake plates have inspired me to always be on the lookout for things to add to my kitchen.

While I have a few stores I always check if I’m in need of a special baking pan or a specific color of teacup, I’ve also found that some of my best buys have been from thrift stores. Last year, when Deseret Industries opened in Fontana, I visited for opening weekend and it quickly bumped up to the top of my list. (You can read more about that here.) In fact, they are sponsoring this post, which means I’m being compensated  for sharing the one-year anniversary news with you, but the photos and words are my own.

Deseret Industries was welcomed to Fontana with a fun grand opening ceremony a year ago. Located at the southeast corner of Valley Boulevard and Cypress Avenue, the parking lot is large and the store is easily accessible via the 10 freeway. They’re getting ready to host another event — the 1st anniversary celebration! It will be held on Saturday, May 21st from 10am-8pm at 16593 Valley Blvd, Fontana, CA. Shoppers can receive a 10% discount on any second-hand item as well as coupons for 10% off future purchases when they bring donation items to the event. There will also be music all day and a free tote bag for the first 500 customers.

To get the 10% discount, print this graphic below and take it into the store with you. (Right click on the image, click “save image” and print your preferred way.)

One great reason to visit Deseret Industries — aside from helping DI help people find work with their employment services and provide job training for members of the community  — is to save money for yourself! I visit to scour their extensive book collection, but I also save myself a ton of money. My daughter just moved out not long ago, and she’s needed a few things for her new kitchen. I can head over to DI and for $20, walk out with a set of dishes and cups, a couple of cookbooks to add to her fledgling collection and some decor. And that’s just a start! They typically place 5000 quality secondhand items on the floor each day. Look at some of the things they had to offer when I was there last week.

That’s just one small area of their book section. From crafts to food to fiction to non-, whatever you like to read, I bet you’ll find it.

Every time I visit, this display is different. I almost bought those two blue glasses, aren’t they pretty! I was picturing them in one of my beverage and cupcake photo shoots.

They even had a craft section of patterns and fabric. So many different things are available. It’s easy to see why they’re so popular, when you see such a variety. I’ve been to a lot of thrift stores while searching through books and DI is one of the biggest I’ve visited.

That glass case contains things like brand name bags and collectibles. You never know what you’ll find! And the bike section? It’s perfect for growing kids who will be too big for a bike or families on a budget. There was a lot more available in the outdoor section, but it was a popular section of the store and I didn’t want to photography anyone.

Here are a few other cool facts about Deseret Industries, a non-profit organization known for its humanitarian aid around the world:

Deseret Industries in 2015

• Served over 14,000 (14,281) associates
• Provided more than 65,000 (66,846) community grants (vouchers to needy families for free merchandise from DI, granted through partnerships with other charitable organizations in the communities served by DI).
• Helped place more than 5,600 (5,642) individuals in permanent, full-time employment following their training at DI.  (However, 692 of these were DI-funded ERS placements—account reps I think—so 4,950 is the number of associates—store and non-store.)
• Produced more than 37,000 (37,240) humanitarian kits to provide relief to victims of disasters around the world.
• Manufactured and shipped more than 43,000 (43,005, including box springs) mattresses and 10,000 (10,667) wood furniture items for sale in DI stores and for humanitarian relief.
• Deseret Industries has 42 retail stores and donation centers in seven western states, one humanitarian center, and one furniture manufacturing facility.
• The employees at Deseret Industries come from all parts of the world – our associates speak a total of 78 languages.

Your purchases will help further their goals, so everyone wins. Last week, I walked out with the five cookbooks shown below for only $14! I purchased some items for a Christmas party last year, helped fill a couple of young adults’ kitchens and some of my food props are vintage glassware that I could only find at DI.

I’ve even bought items before to make handcrafted cake stands, with a pretty glass or a vase or candlestick and a plate; with the right glue and maybe ribbons, you’ve got a made-to-match cake stand on the cheap.

If you’re like me, hunting for foodie finds, or just trying to save money — whatever reason you have for visiting Deseret Industries — you’re going to have a good time wandering. Print out my coupon above to save that 10% and head to the anniversary celebration on May 21. Maybe I’ll see you there!