Vashon IGA

So when I was a daytripper and then a vacationer on Vashon I had no idea there was a second grocery store on the Island.

Thriftway was all I knew of, and frankly was all I needed.
But of course I now know there is and IGA on Island as well. Just one street west of the downtown core.  I have to confess that I am kinda charmed by IGA.

Maybe it is because I spent a summer working at an IGA in Greenville, Illinois and that happened to be a great summer job for me.  Or maybe that the Vashon IGA is not the wierd, artsy, hippy dippy Vashon. It is an ordinary supplemental grocery store...

Sure I once bought day old fried chicken that tasted exactly like the store smelled.
And no one is claiming they have an abundance of any particular food item.
But honestly I have had good luck with everything else I've purchased there.

Sometimes things are delightfully cheaper.  Their bulk nuts are like $5 a pound cheaper! Their clementine oranges are $1 a bundle cheaper (right now). Also, as a Tillamook yogurt die hard they often have Tillamook yogurt on sale!

But really, I love IGA for these reasons:

1. When you forgot something at Thriftway and you just cannot go back there again.
2. You don't want to run into anyone.
3. You are going for a quick in an out- after all IGA is just smaller
4. You can always park close to the door.  This doesn't sound like a big deal but since I am always hauling kids in and out- this matters a lot to me!
5. It is what it is. Nothing fancy. Just a simple store. There is no pretension.

Here is their website if you are looking....
http://www.vashonmarket.iga.com/

Vashon's Thrift store: Granny's Attic

The Vashon thriftstore, aka Granny's, is open three days a week.  It's a charitable organization so all the profit they make goes to various (I think now) non-profits on the Island.  Cool deal!  We have, at all times, a box of stuff to go to Granny's that is slowly filling. When it gets full I drop it off (drop off is 7 days a week).

I bought all of Miriam's birthday presents there.
We bought an adorable dollhouse there and then remodeled it.
We have purchased dishes, some jewelry etc.
The great thing about Granny's is that almost everything there is super super cheap.

Today I went there to drop stuff off and it was right after 10, when it opens, and it was crazy. People were parked way back in overflow parking, the line was super long, and frankly it was a mad house.  It wasn't unfriendly but it was nuts.

On one hand I sort of get the frantic-ness of Granny's. Stuff is cheap, there aren't more of whatever you are getting, some things area  real "steal." On the other hand it feels to me like a cycle, sure I'll buy this now but eventually it'll make it's way back to here.

I think the best way to shop this place is to go in with a general "idea" of what you want.  Things like, "kids toys for the airplane, or  if you have a specific like a new coffee table that's great but not "urgent"

Anyway, here are some photos of a couple of things we've gotten at Granny's.