Tips and Tricks of Thrifting

I am a very systematic person. I eat a hamburger from the outsides in (always), I eat yellow skittles first before the rest of the colors, and before I enter a thrift store I have a plan. It depends on the location, but I almost always hit the household items first, then clothes, then accessories, and lastly toys before hitting the checkout. It depends on what your priority is, but I think it's a good idea to go in with a bit of a plan.

Here's what I've found to be helpful when I go thrifting, I hope you find it helpful too!

The DO's & Don'ts of Thrifting

DO!
1. Go in with a plan! Looking for skirts? Shirts? Furniture? Vintage Pyrex? Hit your hot spots first. For me it's the household items for Vintage Pyrex. Then, I start over at the beginning of the store and work my way through it aisle by aisle.

2. Dress for the Occasion. I know this sounds kind of odd, but hear me out. If you're going in to check out clothing items this really matters! You want to wear something simple, don't bring anything extra like a jacket or wear a super complicated outfit. You also want to make sure you wear a Camisole, and some slip on shoes. I can't tell you how many times I've tapped out from trying on clothes because I was sick of taking my shoes on and off, or because I can't really visualize what the cardigan would look like because I can see too much of my bra.

3. Give yourself plenty of time. Thrifting isn't a 15 minute thing. This is a time commitment! If you're looking for goods/household items, you can normally get in and out in under 30 minutes. But if you're looking for clothing, budget at least an hour, or longer.


4. Try everything on. This is my golden rule that must never be broken! If you're one of those people who HATES trying on clothes, then thrifting might not be for you. For every ten garments I try on, I normally end up with one that I like. I broke this rule once, and got home to find a really cute skirt with a broken zipper that barley fits! So now, I've got a really cute sewing project to fit it instead of a really cute skirt.

5. If it looks weird on the hanger, but you like the style or pattern, take it to the dressing room with you! You never know. Remember, The people who hang the clothes on the rack at Goodwill and Value Village are *NOT* Retail professionals. Retail stores display things to sell them to you, Thrift stores are not.

6. Inspect your items. Remember, sometimes there is a reason why these items have ended up at a thrift store. There may be missing buttons, broken zippers, or a crack or chip.

DON'T!
1. Get discouraged. Sometimes you go into a store and don't find a thing! It happens.

2. Think that you'll be an expert at this right away, this takes practice and thought.

3. Don't pay top dollar for something that you can get NEW for a similar price. I hate seeing Old Navy clothes on the racks at Goodwill for $6! Most of the shirts at Old Navy can be found for that price anyways, NEW!

4. Pass up name brand items . The Thrift stores are getting smarter, they know what they have when they put it on the rack. Remember your thrifting because you don't want to pay premium for clothes, but if you find something premium for $14 it's still a steal!

5. Go once a year. Go a couple times a month or at least once a month. It keeps you in practice and helps you get to know the trends of your local stores.

I hope this helps.

Stay tuned for my BIG TRIP REPORT! I just got back from 5 Thrift stores, and I'm DYING to share my finds with you!