I love to thrift. It's like a source of therapy. I don't just go to get some cheap stuff. It is literally a thrill to search the racks and discover something for a handful of quarters that cost someone else a mess of a whole lot more. If I can land some decent pieces for decent prices at fractions of the cost I am beyond excited.
So, with my love of thrifting I decided to dive into a topic that seems to have some people stumped. How to thrift. A lot of people tend to get overwhelmed when thrifting. So here are my tips. I am breaking it down into categories so bear with me as we divide this up in parts.
Outerwear
This is probably one of the best deals you will find while thrifting. They are typically the most expensive to purchase full priced and even in the thrift store itself. However, a deal is a deal.
#1 - Look for good quality that will last a while. You don't tend to wear outerwear as often as everyday clothing but the difference is that when you do wear it, you wear the same thing. So, you need it to be able to take a good amount of wear. I look for brands I know to be reputable and decent in quality.
#2 - Look for defects that come from excessive wear. The overall piece could be in great condition but if there are some parts with great wear that will cause it to lack efficiency, then it's not worth it. I passed up this dELiA's wool pea coat because I didn't need it...sadly...but over all this would have been a perfect purchase. The wool was in great condition. No wear, stains, picks, discoloration, or general yuck. The zipper worked great and all the toggles were there. It will be a steal for whoever ends up with it! Look for that diamond in the rough y'all!
Originally = $70-$90
Their price = $8
Same thing with this Eddie Bauer sport's coat. Great condition, all the buttons, no stains or discoloration.
Originally = $99-$119 (see similar)
Their price = $6
#3 - Look in all sections. Men, women, and children. So many times at thrift stores they guess and place items where they think they go. Or they are picked up and placed elsewhere in the store. And unlike a department store there isn't inventory that goes with particular places. It's usually left. Like this Banana Republic water resistant waist length trench. I found it on a kid's rack! Silly store!
Originally = $100-$130
Their price = $13
#4 - Look for items that could actually be fixed. Sometimes wear and tear could be fixed. Trust me, a LOT of my time is used staring at a piece of clothing in the store and thinking to myself, "how could I fix this." I know my limitations and my thought process on a particular piece will deter me or not based on what needs to be done. Example: this forever 21 wool pea coat was in really great shape. Except, someone had taken the toggles off the cords. Cut them completely off...bummer. If would have required me to remove all the toggle patches holding the cord on the jacket, purchase toggles, rethread new cord, and reattach the cords. Too much work for me. And the jacket, even though it wasn't, looked worn having the cut cords. It stayed on the rack.
Originally = $40-$70 (I couldn't find exact so I made a guess based on current product)
Their price = $10
#5 - Look through bright colors. Like many of the pieces in this post you can see that several come in brighter colors. I don't mind colors with a bit more expression. However, the colored sections do have hidden gems in them that don't blind the eyes. You have to look.
#6 - And last, don't be afraid of a piece purchased in the men's or children's sections. As I mentioned in the points above sometimes you can find pieces in those places because of misplacement. However, don't be afraid of a jacket classified as a men's coat or kid's coat. If it fits, you like the style, and it keeps in line with the above items...GO FOR IT! Enjoy that good deal and style it right!
Happy Thrifting!
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