Tips and Tricks for Thrifting
- Ella Schnoor
- Nov 13, 2020
- 3 min read
The best way to source vintage clothing is to thrift it- it's cheap and effective, especially if you enjoy shopping. Every time I go thrifting, it feels like I’m hunting for treasure, trying to find the oldest and most unique pieces. I have a lot of experience thrifting as it is one of my favorite things to do. I’d venture to proclaim that 90% of my closet has been bought second-hand; I’ve been buying used clothes from yard sales, thrift stores, and consignment shops for as long as I can remember. To get the most of my time and money, as really digging through racks can be quite time consuming, I have a set of tips and tricks I like to follow. Not every thrift trip has to be a large and lengthy ordeal, but this is just what I do when I’m really trying to score some treasures.
Use a Shopping Cart
Grab a cart and put every item that you are even a little bit attracted to in your cart. This is essential for me because I am chronically indecisive. In doing so, I save a lot of time making decisions, especially because I can focus on digging now and sorting at the end.
Look for Store Discount Days
Most large-scale chain thrift stores have discount days where items are marked down a significant amount. My favorite thrift store is The Salvation Army, and every Wednesday, all items are 50% off- that is a serious discount. Other days of the week, certain colored tags are discounted. There are usually signs around each store that says what that day's discount is, and don’t be afraid to ask an employee if you can’t find anything. Trust me, it is worth knowing. Who doesn't like saving money?
Have an Open Mind
You never know what is hiding where, so I like to shop in pretty much every section, even the children's clothes. This might just be my proclivity towards perfectionism, but I hate the idea that I could be missing out on something I would love simply because I excluded a section.
Be Patient
When I am feeling especially hardcore, I like to go through each section more than once. Employees usually stock new pieces throughout the day, so depending on how long you are shopping, you might find something that wasn’t out before and get to have first dibs! Also, it’s easy to miss pieces that are already out your first time looking. I especially like to go through my favorite sections- denim, skirts, sweaters, and sleepwear- more than once.
Go When You are Feeling Happy and Energetic
As silly as this sounds, it truly does take a lot of effort to shop and you don’t want your time or efforts to go to waste. I am also a firm believer that you are given the kind of energy that you put out. If you’re in an irritable, negative mood, you probably won’t get as lucky as will if you lead with optimism and positivity- not only for thriting but for everything in life!
I made a short TikTok video that goes along with this post... it even has visuals! Everybody loves videos, so I figured I would include it in this post. I also include a small haul at the end of the video. Happy shopping!
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