Now that everyone has spent his or her last dime on a mountain of textbooks, a few ISU t-shirts with the new logo and a couple of greasy pizzas, it may be time to think about some hip new threads and comfy couches.

But most college students, perennially poor, may not have the cash flow to buy a new wardrobe and furniture at retail prices. Solution: bargain basements.

In typical college-town fashion, Ames is a virtual mecca of stores that specialize in great merchandise at super-value prices. Old favorites, like Goodwill and the Salvation Army Thrift Store, carry everything from sofas, to dishes, to sweaters, to shoes, while a new shop, Ridiculous Rags, specializes in vintage gear and costumes.

Goodwill, located at 3718 Lincoln Way, changes quite a bit when students flock back to town in mid-August. While donations stay fairly steady from spring through October, sales skyrocket once school starts back up.

“We see an increase of business in the increase of traffic among students,” said Rodney Tomlinson, manager of Goodwill. “We’ve been selling a lot of furniture now; we can’t keep it on the floor. A lot of people are trying to outfit a dorm room or apartment.”

Spring cleaning and summer moving contribute to a mountain of new merchandise, and the store kept things moving with half-price sales about one Saturday a month. Another such bargain opportunity is coming up next week on August 26.

Besides furniture, the store carries a slew of housewares, electronics, shoes and clothing. And after expenses, all of the money that Goodwill earns will go directly toward the rehabilitation of mentally, physically and emotionally challenged individuals for job training. Mainstreaming them is the main goal, Tomlinson said.

Donations are always welcome; people with items to give need to stop around to the back door and ring the bell for help. Open hours of Goodwill are Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m., Saturday from 9 p.m. till 6 p.m. and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m., and the phone number if 292-8454.

Another shop worthy of some browsin’ and buyin’ is the Salvation Army Thrift Store at 411 Kellogg in downtown Ames. It, too, recognizes that the university is an integral part of their customer base.

“The students are a very big part of business,” said Gerine Corbin, manager. “We just sold two couches this morning to students who needed them for their dorms.”

Furniture, housewares and clothing are the mainstay of the store. Students come in mainly to buy pots and pans, dishes and of course, funky clothes at prices that are perfect “if you wanna stretch your money.”

“We do have excellent clothing if you have the time to look,” Corbin said. “We have outdated, crazy stuff. Students love to come in here and get all gussied up for their parties and what not. We think of [the store] as a very, very inexpensive, secondhand department store.”

Donations are also encouraged, and they are accepted Monday through Saturday at the back door. Donors are asked that items be boxed and bagged just to make things easier.

All proceeds go to the Salvation Army, which in turn puts the money toward several worthy causes, including adult rehabilitation centers and those who might not be able to afford living essentials.

Open hours are Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. The store is not open Sundays; the phone number is 232-3449.

The co-owners of Ridiculous Rags, at 2414 Lincoln Way (in between the two theaters), have put an interesting twist on the concept of a “thrift shop.” The store, which opened in late July, carries both used and vintage clothing, and in addition, they offer wacky costumes for sale.

Response overall has been quite supportive. Most customers have said that it’s about time Ames had a store like Ridiculous Rags. “A lot of people who come in are just looking and laughing and saying they’ll be back,” said Nanci McCune, co-owner and co-founder.

While jeans, flannels, sweaters and hats will appeal to even the most conservative dresser, all the Cyndi Laupers and Elton Johns out there might like to know that Rags also stocks fishnets, wigs, feather boas, leather coats and yes, leisure suits.

For McCune and partner, Lynn Lloyd, their work is never done. They constantly scout the surrounding metropolises and garage sales for fabulous bargains.

“I’ve been to Minneapolis, Santa Fe, Nebraska, Missouri,” McCune said. “Wherever we do, if we see a used clothing store or garage sale, we have to stop.”

The prices, while a little more than other bargain basements in town, will still leave your wallet relatively full. “You can get five bags of stuff for what you would’ve spent for one outfit at the mall.”

Ridiculous Rags also offers outrageous gear for Halloween and theme parties. Tuxedos galore (both male and a female version with a little black skirt), Spock ears, wigs, theatrical makeup and costumes are for sale; there is no rental plan, but they “do buyback if [the costume is] funny enough, unusual enough,” McCune said.

The store only accepts cash as of now (sorry, no checks or credit cards), but ATMs abound, so “it’s usually not a problem,” McCune said.

Open hours are tentative, but in general, the store is open Monday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. till 5 p.m. and Sunday whenever they feel like coming in. Large costume orders should contact the store at 292-1809 two to three weeks ahead of time.