My entire family is addicted to thrift-storing--we routinely shop them first whenever we need anything at all, from furniture to books to clothes and the like.
My parents took my brother and me shopping at these stores from the get-go, and they regarded the merchandise there as just as good (and probably a lot better!) as at any other store.
Many of our toys, clothing, and other belongings came from thrift stores, and we were never ashamed of this. To us, an item didn't have to be brand-new and come from a pricey store in order to be considered "good."
Our parents both grew up in impoverished families and knew the value of a dollar. Although both are professionals and could have afforded, to some extent, to be spendthrifts during our childhood, they worked hard to teach my brother and me to save and manage our money well.
I now take my little goddaughter (age 8) thriftstoring in order to pass along some of these lessons.
Amy Dacyzn of Tightwad Gazette fame addressed this issue in her books as well.
