Do you guys have any great tips for shopping thrift stores. As a frequent thrift store shopper, my top tip is the smell test. If it smells musty, most likely it will stay musty,
I carry a card with all waist, length, bust measurements of my family members.
I carry one of those free paper tape measures from Home Depot or other store (Ikea also has them) to take measurements of garments because you can never rely on size since many items have ‘shrunk’ or stretched from their original size.
I carry a list of specific items I’m looking for so I’m not ‘dragged away’ or overwhelmed by all that’s there. I know what I’m looking for (say, a black blazer for my daughter) and that’s ALL I look at. It’s tough but it saves a lot of time and frustration.
If shopping for myself, I wear a tank top so I can try on sweaters, blouses, etc. without having to go to a dressing room (and some stores don’t have a dressing room.)
I keep a pair of ‘peds’ so if I’m trying on sandals, I am protecting my feet!
OK, so I’ve been unemployed for the last 6 months (!!!!) so I’ve had to put all my budget fashionista powers to work for me even more than usual! :down: Thank goodness Dallas has lots of great thrift stores. Last week I went to a local Salvation Army “Family Store” just for grins, and WOW! The very first item I saw was a fabulous mid-century modern round glass coffee table--I bought it on the spot for a mere $50! Not only that but on Wednesdays, clothes are 50% off and Thursdays, furniture is 25% off. Surprisingly, they really do have some NICE stuff. I may even go back again this week to pick out a few thrifty Christmas gifts. Hey...I don’t have to say where I got them, right? ;-)
First things first! Eat a decent meal, pack a bottle of water, leave kids with DH or sitter and have general want-list. I find better things when I have a guideline of what I am needing in the closet. If you have been in the store for a couple of hours, take a breather outside. Know what colors suit you best, then you can zip through the racks quickly! Always check enclosures WELL! I had found a great black and blue winter coat-well-fitted, functional and sassy, THEN I checked the zipper...not fixable! Be realistic! Are you REALLY going to fix it, hem it or dry clean it?
I look for good quality basic items in neutral colors, solids, especially black - these things often get overlooked when mingled in with tons of other stuff on the racks. If there is a long rack of 50 black pairs of black pants, many people will get tired halfway through. You have to look at every single item so you don’t miss that “gem”. When looking at dresses, I look for dresses that might be “outdated” just because of length; I recently purchased a cool (but way too long) ABS dress, had a couple of inches taken off the bottom and now it looks modern and new. It does add a bit to the cost, but the dress was only $7.00!
Tips;
Don’t rush through, and don’t over look anything
If you like something, but you’re scared the size doesn’t fit you, try it on anyways; you never know it might look better baggy
Carry socks if you’re going to be wearing sandals just incase
Wear a tank top to save from going to the fitting room for too much
Keep hand sanitizer in your bag just incase :D
I like shop on line.
My new fav is LV handbags.
I love http://www.dora365.com
They always have a good promotion going on and I’ve had great customer service in the past.
I really recommend it.
I am not sure this comment is relevant to this thread, which is about resale stores.......
I find all the main designers there and all the main beauty products, they have all kinds of sales and deals going on and they give cashback on all purchases.
they had a deal with Lancome, I bought a lipstick and got a $35.00 dollar gift on top of that I got 13% cashback from the site, so basically for $20.00 dollars i got the value of $40.00.
I go to thrift stores mostly for books and antiques. I guess I can try thrift shops for clothes and accessories. Finding good local thrift shops that carry quality products is a priority. Some thrift shops are way below standards. So go to Google Maps or Yahoo Local and search by thrift shops, and your area. For example, I type “thrift shops astoria, new york”. You will find a list of thrift shops on the list. If you see thrift shops operated by well known charitable organizations, such as Salvation Army, or Good Will, check out their products first because they tend to carry better products and have better return policy just in case you change your mind later. You can also try some local thrift shops. Find some reviews written on the local site or google some reviews before getting there. When you go to the thrift shops, you will see tons of clothes, shoes, and accessories there, which most of them are out of style. Due to the overwhelming number of items, it will take forever for you to find and choose the item you want. Bring some friends to the stores. Ask your friends to help you find what you want and get some opinions. When you find items, try them out, touch them, smell them and ask your friends how you look in them. It is very wise to make sure the items are absolutely what you want. Sales might be final. Finally, don’t be shy to negotiating the prices with the owners. After all, what have you got to lose? The worst thing that can happen to you is to get rejected.
