Every once in a while, a girl needs to go on a resale binge.

And when I say binge, I’m not exaggerating.

Last week, I had an excuse, when I took a group of students from the Upward Bound program at the University of Maine on a field trip to Goodwill in Bangor.

The purchases were intriguing – one girl, who loves stuffed animals, left with a bag full of plush toys. One of the guys bought a giant stuffed bunny for his girlfriend. A counselor couldn’t resist a silky Taco Bell jacket (very tongue-in-cheek). And one girl – truly after my own heart – left with the same tweed handbag in three colors – pink, green and taupe, even though she owns nothing taupe.

But when you’re only spending 95 cents, who cares if it doesn’t match? This is the ultimate in guilt-free shopping. The items are priced so low that you could practically get a week’s worth of clothing for 25 bucks. Even better, at a thrift shop, a portion of the proceeds goes to a good cause. So by shopping, you’re doing a good deed.

And occasionally, you find an absurdly good deal, too, like the Lilly Pulitzer skirt that I picked up at Sylvia’s in Brewer for $4.50 (more on that later). This week, I combed some of my favorite haunts in the area and came home anything but empty-handed.

It all started at Goodwill, where I, too, bought the tweed bag in pink (new, originally from the Weathervane). It’s trendy. It’s not very well-made. But for 95 cents, I’m not going to split hairs. I also found a new Nine West bag (tags still on it) for $8.95. Since I don’t have a brown handbag – how that happened, I’ll never know – and since brown is sure to be the new black, as it is every fall, I decided it would be a good investment. It wound up being my most extravagant purchase.

I also picked up a gauzy wallpaper-print blouse and a cute printed V-neck ($2.95 and $3.95 respectively). Coincidentally, the bags matched the shirts. Strange but good.

On Monday, I left the students at UMaine and headed to Ellsworth, home of four fabulous thrift-resale shops. First, I stopped at Sacred Hoop on Route 1, the new kid on the block. I didn’t buy anything, but the shop does have a great selection that changes often (cute bags, too). Plus, proceeds benefit Maine Coast Heritage

Trust, Acadia Wildlife Rehabilitation and Maine domestic animal shelters. Next, I drove to Jalysa’s Closet on Water Street, one of the more eclectic shops I’ve visited. I liked the fabulous vintage section in the backroom, as well as the buy-two-get-one-free sale on summer tops, but since I have enough of those, I stuck to the basics: a preppy belt for $1 and a pair of $5 cufflinks for a shirt I bought three years ago. Maybe now, I’ll wear it.

Then I headed up Main Street to Vicky’s 2nd to None. I didn’t have much luck, but I’ve found some great buys there in the past, including a Marc Jacobs top and a fabulous vintage swing coat. That’s the thing about resale shopping – you can’t go with a list, because if you’re looking for a white T-shirt, you’ll end up finding a green spotted skirt and a pair of disco pants instead. It’s possible to find basics – I recently bought two pairs of perfect chinos from American Retro in Bangor – but you can’t expect to find them.

You also can’t expect to be in and out of a shop in five minutes. Especially if you’re treasure hunting, which is how I think of combing the resale racks. I’ve become a master of the fabric hunt – I can spot cashmere, worsted wool and other fine fabrics in seconds. It takes a trained eye, but you, too can develop it. Pretty soon, you’ll know what to skip over (faded cottons, anything with pills on it, anything cheaply made) and what to zero in on (leather handbags, designer anything, classic sweaters and adorable printed items).

That’s what happened at my next stop, Nice Twice, on Route 1A. I’ve driven by there a million times, and stopped on only several trips. Whenever I go there, I wonder why I don’t stop every time I drive 1A. The clothing here is great, the accessories even better (they had the same watch I wear daily, rich-looking vintage silk scarves, and one of the best handbag selections around). Because I already bought two purses, I stuck to the clothing and found a sweet tulip skirt from Gap for $4.50. The print jumped out at me, and the price tag sealed the deal.

Feeling quite satisfied, I trucked off to Holden, where I stopped at Aunt Nellie’s Attic on Route 1A. I love this place. It’s spacious and full of new Christmas ornaments and party supplies (stylish stuff you would actually use, not tacky old paper plates and napkins). There’s also a well-edited selection of used items. The glassware was tempting, but I really loved the pottery made by members of the Hammond Street Senior Center in Bangor, which benefits from sales at Aunt Nellie’s.

After browsing there, I finally stopped at the Unique Boutique (across from Marden’s on Wilson Street in Brewer). If you’re looking for a gown – wedding, prom or otherwise – this is the place to go (as is Vintage Finery in Orrington). Since I wasn’t, I checked out the pants and accessories instead. I loved the brick-red chinos from Banana Republic, but they were too short. I also eyed the adorable canvas handbag by Fossil for $4.50. But I didn’t end up buying anything (which is good, because the shelf where I store my purses is getting quite crowded).

Next, I headed off to Sylvia’s Resale on South Main Street in Brewer, which is always a treat. A frog-print Lilly Pulitzer skirt leaped off the rack and into my arms. Although it was a bit loud even for my taste, I snapped it up for $4.50. It would’ve cost $130 new. And besides, I have a rule: Always buy designer, whether you like it or not. Someone will appreciate it. Case in point: I once found a barely used Dooney & Bourke bag at the Salvation Army for $1.99. Not my taste at all. But my mother loved it.

That’s the beauty of shopping resale – you never know what you’ll find, but chances are, it will be great.

Beach bag winner

Phyllis Merritt of Jonesport won a festive beach bag filled with flip-flops, sunscreen and a towel big enough for two by sharing her funniest wedding-related shopping experience. Here is a highlight from her letter, which described a desperate wedding-dress hunt for her late sister, Nancy Woodward Allen. She was in the market for a “gardeny floral” for her outdoor nuptials:

“By the time we dragged through the doors at our final hope, we were hot and tired. Although we were fairly frazzled, we were also determined, and we developed our plan of attack. My mom and [sister] Colleen scoured the racks for everything they could find in Nancy’s size. They’d bring the goods to [maid of honor] Shelly, who would help Nancy change. I’d receive the rejected dresses, put them back on the hangers and return them to the racks. This would work.

“Gowns, dresses, long skirts and blouses flew into the changing room. Quickly, I discovered that I could not keep up with those speedy clothing changes, so I decided to put all the clothes back on hangers first. After I had accumulated a stack, I would return them to their racks all at once. What a time saver that would be! But I waited a little too long before delivery. The garments were piled so high in my arms that I couldn’t really see where I was going. I turned and ran smack into another customer. Dresses went flying as the other customer and I fell to the floor. ‘I’m so sorry ma’am. Let me help you. Are you OK?’ I apologized. She didn’t answer. The sickening thud of her head striking the floor echoed in my ears.

“‘Mum, mum, I think I’ve killed a lady,’ I gasped from the tangle of clothing.

“I heard my co-shoppers explode in laughter. Quite quickly I realized that I wasn’t guilty of inflicting bodily harm to anyone. The mannequin had survived.”

P.S. We did find a dress!

Congratulations, Phyllis! I’ll drop your beach bag in the mail as soon as I stop laughing.

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