Thrift stores have become a main stay in my shopping repertoire. I started regularly scouring thrift shops when I was a broke art student working two or three jobs at a time and barely pulling in enough to cover my bills. My friends and I would make trips to some of the local stores to find clothes, household goods and stuff to repurpose into art.
Years later, I still shop at thrift stores fairly regularly. Thrifting brings a sense of adventure, a sense of accomplishment and, yes, a sense of uncertainty. You never know what you will find when you go. I've gone into the store with the intent of trying to find a pair of jeans and left with not only the jeans, but a dress, some work clothes and a couple books. I've also gone looking for a dress for a wedding and come away with bupkis.
Here are my tips to be a successful thrifter:
- Know your wants versus your needs. Thrifting takes a certain amount of luck. It's important that you are aware of the things you really, truly need and can't really wait for and the things that you need, but can maybe wait for. There may be a point where you have to give up looking in thrift shops and move onto a retail store. Only you'll be able to determine what that point is.
- Again, know your wants versus your needs. It's also important to know your wants versus your needs so that you don't end up on an episode of "Hoarders." The point of thrifting is to save on things you need or can use, not to buy things "just because."
- Be patient. Thrifting is a little bit of a game of chance. Some days you might leave with half of the store. Other days, you might not find anything at all. In a way, it's kind of similar to shopping in a retail store. The key difference is that if you find an awesome dress that you LOVE, but it's a bit too tight, you might not be able to just go grab a different size from the rack.
- Be consistent. Given that the stock is constantly rotating in thrift shops, it doesn't hurt to stop in on a fairly regular basis to check out what is in store. I've been looking for a bread machine. Every time I go to the thrift shop, I take a look for one. I haven't found it yet, but at some point, I'm confident I'll find one.
- Keep your mind open to an items possibilities. About 2 years ago, I tried on a GORGEOUS white eyelet dress at Goodwill. Everything fit, except the bust. A good friend of mine bought the dress and had it altered to become her wedding dress.
- When it comes to trying on clothes, look at the sizes...but don't look at the sizes. You'll be shopping a multitude of designers and brands at thrift shops. Every one of them have different sizing scales. If you're a size 10 in one brand, you might be a 12 in another, and an 8 in another. DO NOT freak out over this. Use the sizes as a guideline only and focus on the fit. If the piece doesn't fit well, don't buy it, regardless of the size.
- Most importantly, don't buy something just because its cheap.
- So, there you go! These are my tips for successful thrifting. I hope that they help you out, whether or not you've ever stepped into a thrift store. Please let me know if these tips help or whether you have your own recipes for success.
- Til next time! -Erika
To add onto your comment about not buying something just cause it's cheap, I'd say to remember you get what you pay for. Whether it's a thrift or retail store, just because something is cheap price wise doesn't necessarily mean it's a good deal. Sometimes cheap price wise can also mean cheap quality wise. If the workmanship is shoddy and it looks like it'll crumble to bits if you breathe too hard on it or it'll fall apart in the wash after one or two wears, in the long run it's no bargain at all.
ReplyDeleteBest thrift store find ever is still a silk Ralph Lauren skirt with the tags still on it for $5!