How To Find Deals at Thrift Stores

When it comes to thrift shopping, we all know that it can save us each a well earned dollar or two or twenty. It’s worth the money to take a look and see what you can find. However, if you’re a smart shopper, you are still trying to find out the best way to thrift shop. We’ve all heard the same tips time and time again. Be prepared to dig, go in with a mission, give yourself time to look, focus on jewelry and other accessories, etc. These are all really great tips but there’s more to it than that. I used to work in a well known re-sale shop that has stores nation wide, so not only did I quickly learn what items are a great find and what isn’t, but I also learned from customers. We had several that would supplement their income by making regular trips to thrift stores and bringing items in to sell at the re-sale shop. They found some very amazing pieces, too! I’ve also been thrift store shopping my entire life. I didn’t grow up in a family that had a lot of money, and that made me a very resourceful shopper. From all this, I compiled a list of my best tips on How To Find Deals at Thrift Stores.

1. Mix up the section you are looking in. A lot of children’s sizes overlap with juniors sizes in both tops and bottoms. For example, even though it wasn’t thrifted, I recently picked up a brand new Abercrombie kids tank top for $9.90 in a size XL, which fit about the same as a medium in Abercrombie & Fitch. I also have this ancient vintage little boys t-shirt that I’ve been wearing since I was in high school. It’s from back when boys t-shirts were as tight as the girls and reminds me of something I’d see on Eric on an episode of That 70′s Show. Bottoms also overlap too. For many brands, a childrens 14 or 16 is a juniors size 00 or 0. The mens section is a great place to look for current styles, especially when it comes to sweaters. In high school I wore a lot of Grandpa-style cardigans and sweaters and the mens section of my local Goodwill was where I bought them all. The mens section is also a great place for over-sized button ups in both cotton and flannel. The styles are often plainer than in the womens section and, if you’re into vintage styles like I am, odds are that you’ll find something you love.

2. Hit up the sale rack. I once found a vintage Levi’s denim jacket from the 1970′s, complete with the faux sheep fur lining, on sale for $20. It was an amazing jacket and I wore it for years (successfully avoiding the horrible cowboy tuxedo look, by the way). I’ve also scooped up great deals like a pair of Vigoss boot cut jeans (typically sold at Nordstrom) with pink rhinestone details on the back pockets for only $8. Often times these sale racks are indeed full of some of the most interesting or hideous items that you can imagine but, just like with most sale racks, there’s usually something great on there that just needs to be found.

3. Look for the obscure thrift stores. Some of my favorite finds were from a St. Vincent DePaul store that was located in a place that attracted the bare minimum of window shoppers. Because of it’s location fewer people shopped there and those who did were mostly the age of my Grandparents. The racks were fuller and I found some very unique and hard to find items. The best one that I ever scored was a vintage Girl Scout button up shirt. One of the customers from the re-sale shop used to visit a second hand store in a lower class area of town but, because of this, would find some of the most amazing items. Free People tops only a season or two old priced at $5, vintage real designer items for under $10, bright red petticoats in good condition for $15, etc. Those shops are visited less and their customer base has less of an idea about what the labels are and what the current trends and styles are. One year my boyfriend wanted to dress as George Jung (the guy from Blow) and we found the most amazing vintage plaid mens peacoat that was absolutely perfect.

4. Look for potential. Some items would be great and up to date with just a tiny bit of altering, or when layered with just the right items. If you are someone that loves to be creative, sew, and play dress up then look for these items! You could find some great t-shirts that just need to be re-made and re-styled into something that’s incredibly current. Or you could find a great dress that has a great skirt, but maybe a not so great top. If you are crafty, do not shy away from these items! Not only will you end up with something that is completely unique but you’ll have saved yourself a lot of cash. However, be realistic. If you don’t have the time or talent to spice up items that have potential (and if trying to do so will make you need an acne treatment), skip them.

5. Look for household items. I really cannot even begin to count the number of cute vintage items in my house that come from Goodwill. I love retro and vintage dishware from the 1950′s thru the 1970′s, and built quite a collection. I have plates covered in green daisies, plates etched with mushrooms, mugs with mushrooms and flowers, and Asian patterns that look like they belong in a seedy Chinese restaurant where the food is questionable. People donate some pretty amazing housewares and you can often get them for very very cheap. A Goodwill that I used to frequent sold paperback books for $1 and hardbacks for $3. As someone who loves to read, I amassed quite a unique and funky collection. When I had an 8 Track Player, I was also able to have a really great collection of fully functioning 8 tracks. I was so amazed the day that I found 8 tracks by both Jimi Hendrix and Bread at Goodwill. Check out the records section. Even if you don’t have a record player, you can re-create them into some funky house items, like record bowls (one of my favorite crafts to make!), and use the sleeves to make gift boxes.

All this being said, don’t discount the basic tips for successful thrift shopping!!! They are very good basics to keep in mind, especially if you are new to thrifting. Fellow fashion blogger J has posted tons of great tips for thrifting on her blog and her recently posted Sparkle Shelf article How to Successfully Thrift Shop. If the idea of a thrift store is just too gross for you, check out consignment and re-sale shops. The items are often a lot nicer since they are handpicked for the store by the staff. Some re-sale shops are even dedicated for specific items, like vintage by era (the city I used to live in had one that only carried items from the 1930s and 1940s) or only designer items.

Hopefully with these additional tips, you will be able to spot How To Find Deals at Thrift Stores better. Remember that it’s not always about what you find on the surface but what you can create with these items. Being a good thrift shopper means that you are resourceful, patient, and have an eye for what makes your style you.