Economics of the thrift shop kind and happy Japanese elephants

I am currently taking an economics class.  I saved this course for the last to complete my associate's degree in business because I was intimidated by those who had taken the course and said it was difficult.  For some reason, I have taken to it like a duck to water.  

I am seeing a lot of infographics, thought I would take a stab at Thrift Shop Economics.  

As you may have gathered, I spend an inordinate amount of time thrift shopping. I have find the trends of thrift merchandise to be fascinating. At the peak of the Great Recession, there was unbelievable amounts of furniture. Peak donations right now are the old style TVs. Seems you can give them away but who wants them?  Maybe some are parting them out.  

There are always clothes in abundance.  I read a recent article on The Altantic about the-neurological-pleasures-of-modern-shopping, that the brain finds pleasure in the pursuit of inexpensive things. The gist of the article was that clothes shopping has become a widespread past-time.  Inexpensive clothing has made shopping a cheap, endlessly available form of entertainment. Guilty, as charged!

These happy elephants were thrift shop rescues last month. The bigger one is marked "Japan" on his foot.  The two smalls have some crazing so I assume they must be from around the same time period.

European Bee orchid