luck

so how much is luck involved in finding?

well, you visit several hit-or-miss shops, every so often, you come to know their strengths and weaknesses. the one on main street always gets the best shoes, while the one on the other side of town gets the best cardigans and paperback books. you visit often, but don't always win with a treasure to come home with. you sometimes go out of your way and leave empty handed. you leaf through dirty piles of unwanted items to find it. your toddler gets terribly bored and begins to hide under teh unwashed smokey smelling racks of coats and you just ran out of hand sanitizer. your hair gets sull of static when you try on that sundress. and its pilled all over.

and yet, with all that planned time and effort, being in the crowded, smelly thrift store with the rude sales people...somehow...when you do arrive at the just so straw beaded structured spring bag for a mere dollar...you credit lady luck.