How to find the best stuff at thrift shops

how to find the best stuff at thrift shops

I’ve written a little bit about thrifting before but I recently needed to break out my skillz (yes, skillz with a “z”) again and I thought it would be helpful to share some of my tips.

I’ve been trying to spend as little money as possible, but I still need to look presentable at work. It’s a Catch 22. On Friday when I tried on my last pair of clean pants and had to check the mirror (twice) to prove that yes, my pants had worn so thin that you could see my underwear right through them, I knew that it was time for some new clothes. So right after work I popped over to my local thrift store and scored some serious deals! I have so many people tell me, I never find good stuff at thrift stores, you must be lucky! Well, I’m not, friends. I strategize to find the best stuff at thrift shops. Here’s how I do it.

1. Research!
Did you know Yelp is more than just restaurant reviews? It’s true! Yelp is one of my favorite places to go for reviews of any kind. Before popping to every thrift store within a 20 mile radius, I’ll pop over to Yelp and see what the good Yelpers have to say about it. Sometimes they’ll even share information about discounts! If you can’t find anything on Yelp, Google Reviews might be helpful too.

2. Find out which days the store restocks
Thrift stores restock on different days, just ask an employee which day they restock and shop that day for the best stuff. Usually stores don’t restock on the weekends, so stuff will be more picked over then. I almost always thrift during the week. There’s less crowds and higher quality stuff!

3. Leave yourself enough time to look through everything
Often times thrift stores are stocked to the brim with merchandise. This can be overwhelming. I know. Don’t shop on a strict time limit, you’ll get frustrated. Leave yourself enough time to look through everything you need.

4. Still overwhelmed? Keep a list!
One of my favorite things to do is keep lists. One of my many lists is a running list of things I want or need. Going into a thrift store without a solid idea of what you want can lead to unnecessary purchases and buyer’s remorse. I can easily get overwhelmed in a junk shop, so I keep a list of things I’m looking for in Evernote, that way I can easily refer back to it.

Processed with VSCOcam with g3 preset5. Looking for clothing? Try on different sizes 
Grab a cart and pull all clothing that you like within 2 sizes up or 2 sizes down from what you normally wear. Clothing at thrift stores is all different brands, therefore different brands have different sizing. I usually wear a 4 or a 6, but I tried on clothing from a size 2 to a size 8. And guess what? The sizes I ended up buying were all over the map. (And if this is discouraging, remember, your worth is not measured by your dress or pants size, my friends!)

6. Not creative? Shop with a creative friend.
Creativity can help when shopping at thrift stores. Creativity helps you to see that ugly, dull dresser repainted a crisp, bright white. If you aren’t a visionary, bring an honest and visionary friend with you to shop. I love shopping at antique malls and thrift stores with George because he can see through the dirt. He knows if something is fixable or just plain junk. I also really admire the thrifting skills of my friend, Candra. She is a total fashonista and has the keen ability to find key wardrobe pieces in piles of junk.

Processed with VSCOcam with g3 preset7. Don’t be a brand loyal
There are some amazing finds out there for the taking. In my most recent thrifting excursion I found a pair of pair of “7 for all mankind jeans.” Those jeans are super pricey! Unfortunately they didn’t fit me properly, but I did manage to score pants from Ann Taylor, Levi’s, New York and Co. and some little known brands I’ve never heard of. Don’t be loyal to one brand, focus on the style and the fit of the item and you’ll have better luck.

8. Ask yourself this question: is the piece easily fixable?
Thrift stores will often have pieces that need a little work. There’s a missing button or the drawer pulls are loose. But the piece may have some big problems too. I have a terrible habit of biting off more than I can chew and I’ve done this with far too many thrifted things. I now like to ask myself if I could fix it in a weekend. If I can’t, I don’t buy it. If I can, I make an attainable (S.M.A.R.T.) plan for fixing it.

9. Outsource the “fixing!
If the piece just needs to be tailored slightly, I’ll usually buy it. 9 times out of 10 a thrifted blouse that you take to the tailor will be cheaper and will fit you better than buying a new blouse at the local mall. It’s more environmentally friendly too!

I saved even more money at the thrift store with discounts!

I saved even more money at the thrift store with discounts! 7 pairs of pants for $20.72!

10. Ask for discounts
Many thrift stores will offer discounts on either certain days of the week or offer discounts for educators, the military or students. Ask about those discounts! I know the clothes may only be $3, but another $1 off doesn’t hurt!

11. Shop often
I’m not condoning unnecessary spending, but don’t get discouraged if you don’t find something on your first thrifting excursion. It might take time to score the perfect pair of thrift store jeans. Relax and have a good time! The thrill of the hunt makes scoring a deal much more enjoyable!

Do you have any tips for thrift store shopping? Let me know about them in the comments!

love,
melanie

 

15 thoughts on “How to find the best stuff at thrift shops

  1. Mallory

    Hi Melanie – I’m a new reader to the blog. I love that you have managed to embrace a new life living small. It’s a dream of mine.

    Your tips for thrifting are really smart – espesh the one about asking for discounts – you never know!

    In order to make it through long long racks of clothes, I first filter for fabrics I like. This eliminates a lot of black clothes that have gotten too ashy, or white clothes that have gotten too yellow (gag). It definitely helps with jeans too. Then I look at size.

    I’m more brand loyal when I shop though. It helps when you are going through so many clothes to keep an eye out for brands you like and know hold up. Also, I find it hard to pay $7 for a pair of Old Navy pants that you might even be able to get new for the same price. It’s still used clothing, after all 🙂

    1. melanie Post author

      Hi Mallory, great tips! Luckily my usual thrift shop is small and a little more picky than some shops I’ve been to. I’ve never seen anything too gross there, but that’s a great idea for those ginormous thrift shops where the racks of clothes seem never ending. Thanks for reading!

  2. TÉLIO TEXTURES

    What a great blog post! Never thought about asking what day they restock. Vintage finds, here we come.

  3. Raissomat

    I’m the same as Mallory! I too look for great fabrics when thrifting, and that’s how i found a prada skirt, a Gaultier tutu, a missoni camisole..but you’re right those branded clothes aren’t the ones i wear the most. Two skirts, a dress and a silk jumper are the thrifted items I wear the most, and I bought them based on color/cut I feel comfortable with.

  4. Michael

    Well, if you are having this much fun at thrift stores, I cant wait to hear your experiences at flea markets and roadside yard sales. I think I am beginning to lean more to the flea markets and yard sales for a couple compelling reasons. First is the ‘sellers’ are usually anxious to move the merchandise. Unlike a store sale they are on a time limit to sell their product. I call that a seller incentive. They also are willing to haggle over price. Don’t think I have ever paid the ‘asking price’. And most often there are ‘freebies’ to be had. If I purchase a radio with CD player for $10.00 I can get them to throw in a few CD’s. And my fave shopping time is near the end of the day. Sure I miss some of the deals the early birds beat me to (se le Vive), but at days end I get great prices and a few times have been offered 10-20 bucks just to haul it off. They don’t want to mess with packing up the wares. Its fun, enjoyable, and I have even made a few good friends. Happy shopping !

      1. Micahel

        Thanks for the links. You know….you are a great writer. Creative in style, choice of word and phrase, an have a knack of nailing down your points without excess verbiage. I hope you are considering writing some form of book. Perhaps a self published E book ? Keep up the good work, Best, Michael

  5. Stephanie R

    Another tip is to find thrift stores in or near very high-income residential areas. They get better donations and many more designer items. Love your blog!!

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