Thrifting is the art or hobby of shopping in second hand and vintage clothing stores. The amazing thing about thrift shopping is that you always find great stuff for unbelievably cheap that no one else will probably have, at least not in this era. It gives you an opportunity to go out of your element and explore even if you don’t have much money. The cool thing about buying thrifted clothes is that once you’ve run them through the washer and dryer, they’re as good as new. Nobody will ever suspect that you dug them out of the bottom of a used clothes box, that is unless you want them to. As fun as it is, it can also be very overwhelming if not done strategically. Below are some tips to help the curious bargain hunter achieve a successful trip to the thrift store.
1. Be opened minded, don’t go looking for something specific.
Do not expect too much when you walk into a thrift store because it is not your ordinary department store or your favorite store in the mall. You’re going to come across clothing from all eras and centuries (believe it or not!) but keep in mind that you can always mix and match an item and work it into your everyday look. You cannot go looking for something specific because you never know what they have in stock and chances are if you find something, it’s going to be the only one. It’s hard to be picky when you have very little options, that’s why it is extremely important not to be closed minded. You’re not always going to find what you’re looking for but in the midst of it you might come across something better!
2. Specials are your friend!
What’s better than buying clothes at a super cheap price? Getting a discount on top of that cheap price! A lot of thrift stores will have specials every few months to get rid of inventory, which gives you an opportunity to get a lot more for even less. On top of the sales, some stores offer a discount program where you’ll receive a percentage off your next sale after you spend a certain amount or after you make x number of visits. What an awesome way to motivate yourself to get into the thrifting spirit!
3. NEVER buy underwear, bras or other undergarments.
Would you share your underwear with anyone? So why would you buy a pair that has already been worn by someone else over and over again? There are certain things we can be cheap with when purchasing, but undergarments should not be one of them. Splurge and spoil yourself at your favorite lingerie store!
4. Don’t buy expensive, but look for quality.
Shopping at a thrift store is not an excuse to purchase bad quality clothing; you should still get your money’s worth. Buying anything $15 or more is expensive for a thrift store because you can easily get that same item brand new at a regular store for a similar price. The point of thrifting is to look for DEALS. For example, you can find an almost new blazer for $4, how awesome is that?
5. Wash, Dry Clean!!
Imagine the amount of people that have tried on what you just bought and on top of that it was previously owned by somebody else. Can you say germs? I cannot stress it enough how important it is to wash everything you buy before you wear it out. It’s self explanatory, no need to go in depth.
Happy Bargain-hunting!
