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Some are passionate about thrift store shopping, while others avoid it due to various reasons like believing common myths, thinking it's below them in some way. Then, there are those who would like to try it out, but fear it might be too overwhelming and they would end up with unsuccessful results.
So, to help them, we decided to compile this list based on @TheSorryGirls' YouTube video about thrifting hacks. The pieces of advice are so helpful that not only thrift store newbies, but also enthusiasts might pick up some new habits from it. So, let's dive in, shall we?
More info: YouTube
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Dress Appropriately
Wearing clothes that you can try other clothes over is especially useful if there aren't any fitting rooms in the store.
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#2
Know Your Size / Bring A Measuring Tape
Knowing your size makes the search a lot easier and measuring tape can be especially useful if there aren't any fitting rooms.
#3
Think Outside The Intended Use
Maybe a nice item you found could be used for a different function than intended – like a quilt being used as a tapestry artwork to hang on your wall.
For some, when they hear the words “thrifting” or “thrifted”, they instantly imagine outdated, dirty, and worn-out clothes. Plus, they think shopping this way takes a lot of time for inferior results, so it’s basically worthless. Yet, reality is different.
Yes, sometimes some of the clothes in these stores might be a bit worn out; after all, they’re used and donated by people (or organizations). Regarding hygiene, the stores typically do not wash the clothes they receive, but they sort them out and remove items that are too dirty.
#4
Use The Thrift Store For Placeholder Items
If you need a specific item ASAP, like stuff for the new house you're moving into or a winter coat, getting them in thrift shop is cheaper and more sustainable.
#5
Choose Your Favorite Places To Visit
The exact store to visit is always a personal choice, but some prefer stores in the suburbs as these stores tend to be larger, have more brand names and quality items and are less picked over, but still have rotation.
#6
Go Through The Whole Store
Going through the whole store and not only sections you need can help you to find something unexpected.
Regarding the time it takes, it’s highly variable. For instance, if you’re going to look for clothes or goods without any specific expectations, it won’t take long – thrift stores are usually packed. But if you’re looking for a particular item, it might take longer, as the selections can be inconsistent.
As for the inferior results, it’s also variable, but quite often, people tend to find some unexpected and valuable stuff they couldn’t find anywhere else. As Macklemore rapped in his song Thrift Shop: “One man's trash, that's another man's come up.”
#7
Keep An Eye Out For The Unique Items
Keeping an eye out for unique items can lead to the discovery of some really cool finds.
#8
Smell It
Smelling items in the store can be useful, as it helps you decide whether you're willing to invest the time and money to remove any unpleasant odors after buying the item.
#9
Choose Natural Fabrics
Opting for natural fabrics like cotton, silk, and wool is better as they're of higher quality and don't release microplastics into the environment.
Besides these relatively minor disadvantages, thrift shopping offers way more advantages. Where to start? Well, we could start with one of the biggest ones – sustainability.
As you might (or might not) be aware, fast fashion is one of the things that seriously damages our Earth. Low-quality clothes for fast-changing trends are made by using water and other important resources, get worn a couple of times, and are thrown into landfills, not to mention the microplastics that they release into our environment.
When you thrift clothes, you are not demanding new ones; you’re purchasing the ones that already exist and not contributing to pollution. Plus, you’re extending the piece's life by preventing it from ending up in a landfill.
#10
Remember Your Impact When It Comes To Thrifting
When you thrift shop, you don't create demand for new fast fashion items, which drain the planet's resources, and you're extending the clothing piece's life by preventing it from going to the landfill prematurely.
#11
Instead Of Buying New Expensive Coffee Table Books, Get Them At A Thrift Store
Thrift shops have plenty of beautiful books that can be used on coffee tables and they don't cost as much as new ones.
#12
Be Aware Of Varying Degrees Of Quality
Items in thrift stores come from donations, so you can expect them to be of varying quality, mint condition and items with visible (but often fixable) flaws included.
Additionally, thrifting can be a hobby or a fun activity to do with friends or family. Thrift shops offer a wide range of items in various styles, functions, and eras. So, looking for something specific or rare can be like a fun game with other people or by yourself.
You can also simply go looking for one-of-a-kind pieces to make your style more unique and fun.
If we have proven to you that thrifting might be a fun and worthy experience, but you still have doubts about how you can do it, don’t worry, we can help by directing you to the YouTube channel @TheSorryGirls' video “30 thrifting hacks that CHANGED THE GAME.”
#13
Check Out The Picture Frame Section For A Unique Selection
Pictures frames in thrift stores are just as good as new ones, but cost way less.
#14
Check The Men's Sweaters & Tees Sections
Men's sections tend to carry a lot of options for plain clothing items, like T-shirts or crewneck sweaters.
#15
Have A Closet Touch-Base
Look through your closet before going thrifting – you don't need too many examples of one item. If you already have an excess, consider donating some of it to thrift shops.
The video's hostess Kelsey, in an interview with Bored Panda, revealed that thrifting has always been a part of her life: "When I was a kid, it was my mom and grandmother being money-smart. In high school, I started thrifting for myself because if you couldn’t afford name brands, then the ideal was to express yourself with one-of-a-kind pieces from the thrift store."
She added that in summer of 2019, she tried committing to only thrifting and found out that it wasn't as hard as it seemed.
As you can guess from its name, in the previously mentioned video, Kelsey shares what one should do and expect when going thrift shopping.
#16
Don't Be Afraid To Check Out The Suits Section
Don't be scared to look for suits and/or blazers in women's and men's sections, you might find something that fits you perfectly.
#17
Check Out Sections You Usually Avoid
Don’t hesitate to explore sections you usually avoid, like men’s jeans, as you might discover great fits you wouldn’t find anywhere else.
#18
Choose The Best Time Of Day For You To Go Thrifting
There's no exact best time of day to go, all of it depends on each person and store's work hours, but some people try to avoid thrifting on senior days or during discounts that they don't need.
For instance, preparing or “being in the mood” for this activity; knowing which days or times of day are the best (or worst) to go; how to thrift, and so on. These pieces of advice are what today’s list is made up of.
At the same time, in our interview, the video hostess Kelsey noted that besides thrifting itself, people should strive to buy less overall: "I love seeing society buy second-hand but even better is learning to love what we already have and not feel the consumerism pressure to buy more."
So, keeping that in mind, check out today's list, upvote the tricks you think are the most worthy and if you have any that weren't mentioned (or tips on how to buy less overall), don’t gatekeep, share them in the comments!
#19
Figure Out Which Brands Make Quality Clothes
Be aware which brands make good quality products and which don't.
#20
Bring Your Inspiration
Looking up outfit or decor ideas on sites like Pinterest beforehand can help you to figure out what kind of items you want to look for.
#21
Don't Forget To Check Out The Purse Section
Thrift shops tend to carry a lot of cool and unique purses, making this section worth checking out.
#22
Check Out The Pottery Section
The pottery section can carry very cool items, so it's also worth checking it out.
#23
Have A List
Having a list or idea of what you want helps you to be more efficient and not walk aimlessly around the store.
#24
Always Look Through The Art Section
Art sections can carry hand-painted art that matches your style. Also, large printed canvases can be primed and turned into blank canvases for your creation.
#25
Try To Remove Stickers Without Chemicals That Might Damage The Product
Blow-drying or soaking the sticker in water is the best way to get rid of it, as any kind of chemical might harm a purchased product.
#26
Be In The Mood
Eating food and drinking coffee can give you much-needed energy for treasure hunting.
What do you think ?
Nice Beast Ludo 1 year ago
Well that was pointless. Basically USE COMMON SENSE covers all of it. Like I should have when I skipped this article in the first place
kitten levels tokyo 1 year ago
To me, the really dumb suggestions are the funniest. "Make sure you feel like going before you go thrift shopping." That's hysterical.
Lene 1 year ago
Ok..I wanna know something else, related to thrift shopping: is it a thing in other countries (I'm in Denmark) with a sort of combined fleamarket/thrift store where people rent shelves and put their stuff on there and you just go an browse many people's stuff in the same store? We have few chains here, the biggest one being Kirppu. And I simply LOVE this kind of thrift store! I'd also like to know what people are looking for in thrift stores? I personally go for: books and magazines, office supplies (especially notebooks and letter writing paper), toys for the kids and clothes for the kids. Oh, and postal stamps for me and my dad (we collect different countries, luckily). 😊
Nice Beast Ludo 1 year ago
Well that was pointless. Basically USE COMMON SENSE covers all of it. Like I should have when I skipped this article in the first place
kitten levels tokyo 1 year ago
To me, the really dumb suggestions are the funniest. "Make sure you feel like going before you go thrift shopping." That's hysterical.
Lene 1 year ago
Ok..I wanna know something else, related to thrift shopping: is it a thing in other countries (I'm in Denmark) with a sort of combined fleamarket/thrift store where people rent shelves and put their stuff on there and you just go an browse many people's stuff in the same store? We have few chains here, the biggest one being Kirppu. And I simply LOVE this kind of thrift store! I'd also like to know what people are looking for in thrift stores? I personally go for: books and magazines, office supplies (especially notebooks and letter writing paper), toys for the kids and clothes for the kids. Oh, and postal stamps for me and my dad (we collect different countries, luckily). 😊
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