Dirt Cheap, Real Good: A Highway Guide to Thrift Stores in the Washington DC Area (Washington Weekends) [Paperback]

Chriss Slevin (Author), Leah Smith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 11, 2004 | Series: Washington Weekends

Dirt Cheap, Real Good is a take-along travel guide to the best second-hand shops in the Mid-Atlantic region. It leads readers on six adventurous road trips, featuring the very best of local thrifting. The network of routes, which map the finest second-hand, antique, and vintage shops, all originate from Washington, DC, allowing you to create your own weekend thrift expeditions. Dirt Cheap, Real Good offers the low-down on the merchandise, hours, and phone numbers for each location, plus colorful descriptions of each stop, as well as photos, road maps, and quotes from local characters. As the icing on the cake, Dirt Cheap, Real Good notes pits stops at quirky bars, cheap motels, greasy spoon diners, off-the-wall amusements and miscellaneous roadside oddities.

Route #1: Washington DC to Philadelphia, PA
Route #2: Washington DC to Pittsburgh, PA
Route #3: Washington DC to Charleston, WV
Route #4: Washington DC to Winston Salem, NC
Route #5: Washington, DC to Raleigh, NC
Route #6: Washington, DC to the Delaware and Maryland Coasts

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...(a) humorous guide..." -- Darragh Doiron, Port Arthur News, April 21, 2004

"...offers thrift store travel adventure for followers of fashion, urban hipsters and those who are just plain cheap." -- Publishers Weekly, January 19, 2004

About the Author

Chriss Slevin is a bona fide packrat. On numerous road trips and other journeys she has accumulated a collection of highway souvenirs, clothing, and thrift oddities. She works as a Program Officer for an arts foundation in New York City. Chriss studied painting at the Rhode Island School of Design and her artwork has been exhibited nationally. Chriss currently lives in Brooklyn, NY and is a dedicated thrifter, expert bargain hunter, and a staunch advocate of dirt cheap living.

Leah Smith has developed thrifting into a form of creative expression. For the past 14 years, she has made numerous thrift shopping expeditions across the country and has collected enough artifacts to open her own vintage store. Leah currently lives in Boston, MA where she earned a BFA at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts and Tufts University in film studies. One of Leah’s plays is published in Seven Short Plays for the Bedroom (Mutable Press, 2002)

Product Details

• Paperback: 275 pages
• Publisher: Capital Books (May 11, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931868689
• ISBN-13: 978-1931868686
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #674,575 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #42 in Books > Travel > United States > Washington, D.C.

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun Mid-Atlantic Travel Guide!, July 13, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Dirt Cheap, Real Good: A Highway Guide to Thrift Stores in the Washington DC Area (Washington Weekends) (Paperback)

Chriss Slevin and Leah Smith travelled 4000 miles to research "Dirt Cheap, Real Good" and all of the hard work shows. This thorough travel guide of the thrift shops and other stores specializing in highly discounted items is broken down to six road trips that start in Washington, D.C. and travel to Delaware, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and other places surrounding D.C.

"Dirt Cheap" is a really fun book, and the restaurant recommendations included in it are a real treat.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars These Ladies Know Thrifting!, August 20, 2004

By 

Andrea T "earthgrrl" (Arlington, VA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dirt Cheap, Real Good: A Highway Guide to Thrift Stores in the Washington DC Area (Washington Weekends) (Paperback)

I read this book assuming that, after 9 years living in the DC area, I would find summaries of my favorite haunts, and maybe scoff at outdated listings for a few that had closed. I did not expect, and was very happily surprised, to find mention of several newer shops, including a few nearby I didn't even know existed!

The book was obviously very thoroughly researched, and I'm sure they had a blast writing it. (Now, if only I had thought of it!)

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not just thrift stores!, August 5, 2004

By 

Marge - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dirt Cheap, Real Good: A Highway Guide to Thrift Stores in the Washington DC Area (Washington Weekends) (Paperback)

You may purchase this guide looking for some stores to stop into, but what you'll find instead is the makings of a thrift vacation. The authors outline great roadtrips to surround the highlighted thrift stores, so you'll know where to stay and eat as you thrift your way around the mid-atlantic region. They even throw in some other activities besides thrifting in case you go into bargain-hunting overload. It's a pretty genius idea and a totally original take on road-tripping. I highly recommend picking this book up for a new perspective. Plus, they do give you all those great stores to stop into.