86 Thrift Store Finds That Made Digging Through Secondhand Shelves Totally Worth It

Your local thrift stores, garage sales, and flea markets might be hiding more treasures and genuinely useful items than you think.

If you’re new to thrifting or just starting out, you can’t quite predict what you may or may not stumble upon while casually browsing. The only way to know for sure is to get up from your screen and get your hands figuratively dirty by physically looking through the selection of secondhand goods.

For instance, GQ suggests that you should go thrifting “with no expectations” and “give yourself over to the journey.”

However, how you shop matters a lot! Your timing, attitude, and how (dis)respectful and (im)polite you are toward store staff and other shoppers will shape your experience.

For example, ‘Southern Living’ suggests that you try to visit thrift stores early in the morning. That way, you’re more likely to have a calmer and less hectic experience.

Secondhand stores tend to be cleaner and less crowded in the mornings. So, you have to worry less about all the competitive chaos and other shoppers rushing about, trying to snag the best deals.

It goes without saying, but with common sense in short supply in recent years, it needs to be mentioned: you’ve got to treat thrift store employees and other shoppers with respect. (This applies to every other context and situation, too!)

“I’ve seen shoppers grab items and get in the way of employees trying to do their job in an effort to get an item,” says Jenna Sondhelm, vintage home décor dealer at Estate of Eclectic.

“Proper etiquette includes treating employees and other shoppers with dignity and respect. Give employees space,” Sondhelm told ‘Southern Living.’

Obviously, if you break something in the store, you should offer to buy it. Moreover, you should clean up the mess you’ve made!

It’s natural that you want to ‘stake your claim’ on a great item and avoid losing out on a good deal to another shopper who is quicker than you. However, you should do your best to be patient.

“When new inventory comes onto the floor, be respectful of the staff’s need to do their job placing things into position, as opposed to getting too aggressive and reaching for items not yet given the green light for browsing,” warns Gray Italo, owner at Gray’s Vintage Outpost.

If you ‘absolutely must’ have a specific item, behave like an adult. Calmly and politely speak with the store manager about potentially reserving or buying the item you’ve seen.

Treating others like you want to be treated yourself—the golden rule—should be applied to your fellow shoppers as well. If the store is busy, do your best to respect everyone’s personal space. You’d like to see the same behavior from strangers, right?

“When it comes to encountering fellow thrifters also looking for their own deal, allow for a healthy amount of personal space if you have your eyes on exploring the same section. Many folks move swiftly when treasure hunting, and waiting 30 seconds or even less can often free up an aisle or shelf,” Italo emphasizes.

You shouldn’t get upset if someone is quicker than you and grabs something that you’d love to buy. In fact, this can be a great segue into having a genuine conversation and a moment of human connection.

“I have been known to casually strike up a conversation with someone and mention that if they change their mind, I’d be happy to take that item off their hands. Most of the time, you’re simply validating their purchase, but you never know,” Willow Wright, owner of vintage shop Urban Redeux, said.

According to GQ, if you find a great piece of clothing that doesn’t quite fit you or has seen better days, grab it anyways. Then, take it to a tailor. All in all, you’ll still likely spend far less than buying the item new.

Meanwhile, look for awesome clothing in both the men’s and women’s sections. Just keep in mind that if a garment has a weird smell, it might be impossible for your washing machine to get it out.

“If it stinks in the store, it’ll stink at home,” GQ explains.

Stains and discoloration, on the other hand, are quite often possible to get out at home or with the help of your local, friendly dry cleaner.

No matter what, conserve your energy during your secondhand shopping sprees!

“Many thrift stores have football-field-sized acreage. You’ll need to pace yourself, and preserve your energy,” GQ suggests.

The two online communities that we’re featuring in this list today—‘Thrifting’ and ‘Thrift’—have sizeable online followings.

For example, ‘Thrifting,’ which was founded back in 2011, boasts 33k weekly visitors who make just under a thousand weekly contributions in the online group.

Meanwhile, ‘Thrift,’ created just a year later, currently gets 10k online visitors every week.

We want to hear from you, Pandas! Join the conversation with your fellow readers in the comments and share your perspectives and experiences with secondhand stores.

What are the coolest, most unusual, or useful discounted items that you’ve ever found at thrift stores, garage sales, and flea markets?

What advice, based on your personal experience, would you give anyone who’s completely new to thrifting? Share your pre-owned wisdom with all of us and feel free to humble-brag about your exciting new (old) finds.