As most of you know, I’ve been a thrift/secondhand/consignment store advocate for many years. Some of my best shopping treasures were found while digging through racks of clothes at my favorite thrift stores in Ventura.
Thrift shopping, or “thrifting” as I call it, can be a little bit overwhelming if you haven’t done it a lot. Because of this, I’ve decided to assemble a few pointers for those of you who are eager to start, but nervous to hunt.
- Make a list in your head before you leave your house. Take a look through your closet and figure out what it is you’re looking for. Thrift stores are usually BIG places, so if you go in with no idea of what you want to find, you may overwhelm yourself. It’s easier to target one section instead of all of them. It’ll take less time and requires far less work.
- Carry cash. Most places only accept the green stuff, so don’t head into a thrift store expecting to be able to use your debit/credit card. You may do a ton of work and then head to the register, only to find out you can’t even buy the treasures you’ve found.
- Go thrifting with people you know that enjoy the experience as well. There’s nothing worse than going with people who dislike thrift shopping, as they’ll try and hurry you out of the store. That, or they’ll walk around aimlessly and you’ll feel pressured to be done faster than usual. You’ll want to take your time!
- If you don’t have a list, take the store section by section. It doesn’t matter where you start, but if you try and look at it as one big picture you’ll overwhelm yourself. If you walk into the store thinking, “Okay, I’m going to start with tops and then move on to dresses…” etc, etc, the process will be far less intimidating.
- Don’t be intimidated by things that look “too funky” or odd. Sometimes, something is so ugly that it’s cute. We’re living in a fashion age where literally ANYTHING goes, so have fun with the clothes you pick out. If you like it and think you could pull it off, go for it! You’re the one who gets to wear the clothes, so if you can rock it, get it. Fashion is the best way to display your personality!
- Don’t forget to check out the jewelry or the handbags! I’ve been lucky enough to find Coach bags for 99 cents and a Kate Spade wallet for $2. You never know what you’ll find!
- Whenever I go to a thrift store, I scope out if the store in question has baskets or carts. It always helps to use one. Instead of tiring out your arms with a giant purse (guilty) on one arm and a dozen hangers on the other, you can throw it all in one place. It save your energy and helps when trying things on.
- ALWAYS wear something tight, or a tight tank underneath your clothes. It’s rare that a thrift store has a dressing room, so I often find myself having to try things on in the middle of the store, fighting for the mirror. If you wear something close to the body, you’ll be able to get a better idea of how the shirt/sweater/dress will fit when you take it home. That being said, if you plan on looking for pants/shorts/skirts, I suggest wearing a knee-length skirt. It’s easy to slip things on underneath, and you’ll easily avoid flashing your fellow customers.
Happy Thrifting!
Let me know if you snag up any good finds by using these tips!
