Okay, so you’ve seen my denim blazer, my lace tops, and my epic leather accessories and you’ve decided you’re gonna give this whole “thrifting thing” a chance…except for one thing: You feel like you don’t know what you’re doing! Don’t worry, I’m sharing my top five thrifting tips for ultimate thrift store score success! Even if you’re a veteran, it’s always fun to hear how others thrift…am I right? You walk through the doors of the thrift store and smell the aroma of possibility. Okay, possibility sometimes smells a little musty and old, but don’t leave! I promise it’s so fun. Here we go!
Ask about the deals
Nearly every thrift store has their own daily deals. Most common is a daily deal on certain colored tags. Often times it will be 50% off the color tag of the day or the week. The tag color will rotate…It’s like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get! One of my local thrift stores has 20% off your entire purchase if you shop from the time they open until noon. Other common discounts are Senior Discounts, Military Discounts, and Students or Teacher discounts. If you know what the deals are you can quickly decide if you need that leather jacket. P.S. You ALWAYS need the leather jacket. You just need it more if it’s 50% off.
Ignore the size on the tag
Alright, you’ve asked what the deals are and you’re ready to find your next favorite piece. Every thrift store will be organized differently, but don’t put something back because it’s “not your size”. Do you know how many different brands are sitting on a rack in a thrift store? Or how many different ways their sizes are cut? I legitimately have tops hanging in my closet that are small, medium, and large. Plus! Don’t we have tops that we like to fit a little bigger and others we like to fit more snug? So, if you see something that catches your eye, pick it up, and ignore that size!
Inspect
Now, after you’ve found your new favorite piece, check it out! The most common flaws I see in clothes at the thrift store are rips in the seams (especially under the arms), broken zippers, missing buttons, holes or snags in lace details, and stains that won’t come out, like grease. Don’t write off your new find because of a tear in a seam or a missing button because those flaws are often super easy to repair! And if I can do it, you can do it because sewing is NOT MY JAM. Now, snags or holes in lace aren’t easy to fix so rub your hand under any lace details to check for these flaws and unless you have the mad sewing skills that I don’t have to repair it, put it back, and keep looking.
GET OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE!
This one I’m yelling because I really want you to try and shop in the blue section if you only wear black. If you only wear t-shirts, then check out the blouses. If you shy away from dresses, meander your way to that corner of the store. I mean what better way to experiment with that new style you’ve been secretly wanting to try when you’re only spending $6.00 to try it? Seriously, who cares what others think about your style choice? My husband often pokes fun at my creative style, but you know what? I love it. I love playing around with pieces you wouldn’t “normally” put together. I one hundred percent believe you can change the way you feel and think by the way you dress. So do something different. Get out of your comfort zone. And buy something fun!
If at first you don’t succeed, try again
You won’t always win at the thrift store. Don’t get me wrong…the hunt is ALWAYS FUN! But you won’t always catch. That’s why fishing is called “fishing” and not “catching,” am I right? Learn to love the process of looking through the racks and being excited when you find something. The beauty of thrift stores is that the inventory is constantly changing and rotating. If you wait a week or two between shopping you will almost never see the same thing again! Isn’t that cool? Pretty soon you’ll be making hard u-turns to check out a new thrift store because you just gotta see what’s inside. You’re welcome for your new found obsession.
There you have it! My five tips for thrifting success. I can’t wait to hear about what treasures the thrift store holds for you! Share your thrift store finds with me by tagging me @thestampedlily or even send me an email! Have some tips I didn’t mention? Share them below and we’ll all be thrifting rock stars in no time.
Happy Thrifting!
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