Thrift Store Review: Die Schatzkiste, Kaiserslautern

http://www.naw-kl.de/e1545/e1570/
Die Schatzkiste
Second-Hand-Warenhaus
Pariser Str. 28
67655 Kaiserslautern
Tel 0631-4147401
Open Hours:
Monday - Thrusday 8:30 - 17:15;
Friday 8:30 - 15:45; Saturday 10:00 - 14:00

On to more thrift stores! I was excited to find Die Schatzkiste, which means "the treasure chest." Doesn't that sound like an exciting name for a thrift store? Like a pirate, the shopper can go on a treasure hunt for the best booty ever. Arr, mateys, I be lookin' for bargains!

Um, sorry. I'm not sure what just overtook me there. Ahem.

Anyway, this is a fun store to visit. It's very big with two floors full of secondhand items and merchandise turns over quickly there. In fact, that's sometimes to the store's detriment. There is quite a bit of secondhand furniture available, but browsing through it can be frustrating. It seems like every time I find a piece that looks perfect, I notice the sign on the item that says it has been sold and is just awaiting pick up by its new owner. However, don't let that deter you! It's a huge store and having that much selection in one place is a major bonus.

There is such a random of assortment of things for sale; want to buy a wetsuit or kitchen cupboards? How about children's lederhosen? No joke, this store has these items, as well as typical household items like furniture, kitchenware, home accessories, etc. There is even a small section of clothing for men, women, and children.

The store has a really random assortment of items, such as this, um, "interesting" painting. It sold, though!

Prices on the furniture tends to run from moderate to slightly high for thrift store prices, but also take my opinion with a grain of salt. I feel as if thrift stores both in the US and abroad seem to have really upped their prices in the last five years or so (don't get me started in this post about how Goodwill at home was charging the same, or more, as the discounted price that Target had marked on merchandise they donated!). At Schatzkiste, I saw a cheap Ikea folding chair. I had just bought a similar chair at Ikea for about six euros so I thought if I could buy this used one for a few euros, it'd be worth it. I asked, auf Deutsch, the lady working there how much it was and she said ten euros. Obviously I put it back! However, prices aren't too bad overall and it's possible to find a nice piece of furniture at a reasonable enough price.

This store is a really good place to pick up reasonably priced kitchenware. I have made it my goal to buy an ice cube tray every time I go there. So far, I have paid sixty cents and now have two ice cube trays. A girl can never have enough ice, especially when her German freezer compartment is "huge" (by German standards).

Upstairs, with lots of furniture and houseware.

The staff at the store are very pleasant. I've spoken my "I'm pretending that I actually speak German unless you ask me a question and the ruse is up" and it has been received pleasantly, even when I outed myself a few times when I had to switch to English. Don't worry if you can only speak English; they've been nice about that, too.

A bonus is that the store will even deliver purchases in the local area for a reasonable price! My friends bought some dining chairs and a small loveseat and had it delivered.

It's worth a visit (or many visits!) to Die Schatzkiste. Who knows? You might find a buried treasure.