Tell me about shopping at thrift stores

In My Humble Opinion
1

So, I’ve decided to make a more active effort to reduce my carbon footprint and so on. I’ve mostly eschewed the American practice of buying tons of junk anyway- the only durable good I have lots of is books.

Thus, I’m going to start buying clothes at the thrift store, among other things. What do I look for? What do I need to avoid? Do I need to wash them six times before wearing?

What other stuff do they sell? I’ve been in one or two, but not recently, and generally only when looking for Hallowe’en costume bits. Yes, I’m clueless.

2

Look for items that still have their tags on them - it happens!

You can’t usually depend that anything is arranged by size or style, and seasons are out the window. Try chatting with the workers there - they will usually tell you when the new stock is put out - although some places put it out all day long.

It’s really a hit or miss game - and you have to go in there with the mind set that you might not find anything.

Try to avoid anything smelly or stained - whether it be clothing or household items. You don’t want to bring mold in to your house.

I tend to avoid second-hand shoes from people I don’t know - but that’s just me.

I always wash everything at least once immediately upon bringing it home - just to make sure I don’t bring any unwanteds in to my closet.

Also check out consignment stores. Usually it’s a higher quality, more organized version of the thrift store - because the people aren’t just donating - they are trying to make some money. Therefore the items will often be in better condition. In consignment, they tend to do reductions the longer something is in the store. So if it’s a higher priced item and you don’t “need” it - you might want to sit back and see if you can save some money by waiting for the next discount. Again, chatting with the employees will fill you in on that.

There’s also places like Restore - run by Habitat for Humanity. They have leftover building supplies like paint, tile and cabinetry and other stuff from previous construction sites. Some people also donate household items like tables, chairs, lighting. You can get some great stuff there, and your purchase helps support a worthy cause!

Finally, don’t overlook websites like www.freecycle.org. This is a free posting service where local people post items they want to get rid of, but don’t want to throw away. For example, I often post when I have a couple bags of clothes I don’t want any more. And I posted on there when I needed a sewing machine and was too broke to buy one. It’s free - and you can make sure it goes to someone who really needs it.

The biggest thing is to know that it’s an adventure. As long as your patient and flexible, you’ll eventually find what you want.

Happy thrifting!

3

What do they sell?
Clothes, shoes, small appliances and knick-knacks, music and videos, furniture, and odd stuff that someone has donated.

Trash and treasure.

Every store has it’s own ambiance and has different sources for its stock, so every store is unique. Some are filthy, some are immaculate. Go to different stores and see what they’re like

Generally the clothes are freshly washed, but if the place is a pit you’ll probably want to rewash.

The only hint I can offer is that you might want to take a string or tape measure, so you can check out the actual waist size of pants. At a lot of stores (especially the ones that sell the cheapest) the waist size isn’t provided, which makes finding ones that fit nearly impossible.

4

The thrift stores I visit have a certain day when all clothes are half-off.

Don’t go in looking for a specific item. Browse and see what you find.

Most of the garbage and alas the really great stuff is taken out by the employees.

Nothing is better than having someone say “Oh, that is lovely. Where did you get it” and saying “$3 at the thrift store.”

5

Some pointers from a lifetime of thrifting…

Some stores have better stuff than others, but tend to cost a little more. Merchandise ranges from furniture, dishes, books, accessories, to standard clothing. Wear clothing that maximizes your ability to try things on (they may have few or no fitting rooms.) Bring a measuring tape for pants/jeans. Pay no or little attention to any sizing or “sexing” done by staff - men’s pants will end up in ladies plus-size. Look at everything. Bring cash (some do take checks/credit but not all.) Yep, you gotta wash the clothes, but only once : )

6

Yes, the trick to thrift store shopping is patience. You might not find anything, but you might also go the day after someone your size with your taste in clothes donated a whole lot of stuff.

It will be very difficult to find things if you’re not in the average size range. If you’re very short, or fat, or skinny, it gets harder to find clothes that fit you right. However, things like T-shirts are pretty easy for anyone of any size to find.

I’d definitely avoid the underwear. I’m not ok with wearing someone else’s drawers even if I washed them a million times in scalding hot bleach water.

If you have a free day that you wouldn’t mind devoting to shopping, check out all the local thrift stores. There are many in my area, but only a few that have a good selection and don’t give off that skeevy dirty feeling. Once you get a feeling for the stores with the best selection and highest quality clothes, it’s a lot easier finding stuff you like.

And have fun. Sometimes the best part about thrift store shopping is bringing a friend and trying on some ridiculously outdated leisure suits.

7

I’m a dude, for the record, and not a particularly fashionable one most of the time, so seasons and “what’s in” aren’t really issues for me. If I had to draw a picture of myself dressed normally I’d be in jeans, a button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and flip flops.

8

And the best part of all about thrift store shopping is the giant rush you get when you hit upon that occasional big find. Most of the time I find garbage, sometimes I find some pretty good stuff, but once in a blue moon I find designer clothing that: (1) is in great shape; and (2) fits. I have a treasured silk Ralph Lauren top and a silk black skirt with white polka dots that I’ve found, not to mention a Jones New York sweater and fully-lined wool gabardine dress slacks. None of these items cost over $3 apiece.

I think the low ratio of “fantastic finds” to “mostly garbage” helps that rush-y feeling, just like getting the very occasional jackpot at a slack machine. It’s a cheap way to feed a gambling addiction!

9

If you go to suburbs that are wealthier they generally have better stuff. From my talking with hard core thrift store people, the trick is you have to go all the time. 'Cause it varies day by day. So you have to stop in each day and look, then you’ll get the deals.

Often you may have to pay a bit. I found a great suede coat and they wanted $2.00 for it but the top botton hole was torn. I paid $10.00 to get it fixed at a dry cleaner and for $12.00 it was a great deal.

10

Hmm. That could be a problem. In my experience, women have a much easier time finding barely used, fashionable stuff in thrift stores (probably because there are still women getting rid of stuff after one season, or donating things they bought but never wore).

Really the things you need to check are probably obvious – underarms, crotches, stitching. You may get a deal for items that are slightly stained or ripped, but you’ve got to ask yourself if you’ll ever end up mending them. And as others have said, always wash in hot water when you get home, immediately if you can.

Quality really depends on the neighborhood. Rich areas really do produce some amazing finds. I’m not sure what it’s like in Florida, but New York and London are total gold mines for designer goods, and they’ve got several quality chains for various charities. Really, they are at another level. Stuff is organized and the stores themselves are very boutique-y. I wish other shops and cities would take a cue from them – it might reduce some of the stigma.

11

We’re big thrift store shoppers, have been for years. In fact my wife wrote a story for the Princeton free weekly about it, and got our kids, decked out in thrift store ware, on the cover. Very fashionable.

My number one piece of advice is to find a good store. The one near us is gigantic, and does not take worn or shabby clothes. They are so big that there is no problem with employees taking the best stuff - there is too much of it. It has also reasonably wide aisles and plenty of lighting. We tend not to go back to dingy, messy stores.

The main thing is to decide what kind of clothes you will wear, and look for them. You may or may not be in tune with what they have. You’ll soon learn the range of styles they have, and if it works for you.

We wash stuff from there once, but we wash stuff from Macy’s once also.

The store we go to has a lot of stuff besides clothes. I have a jigsaw puzzle habit, and I find very nice ones there for one or two dollars, instead of $10 or $15. My biggest find was a still wrapped 3D puzzle of San Francisco, usually sold for $60, for only $20. My wife found a very nice set of knives we gave to our daughter for her apartment.

The only problem is that the store is a lot more crowded now, thanks to the recession.

12

My sister makes 6 figures as an executive for Fender Guitar. One of her favorite things is going thrift-store shopping. The Goodwills near her have 1/2 price off everything every other Saturday. As a birthday present for the kid of a friend, she redid the little girl’s bedroom from toddler to “big girl” (5 years old). She found a white and brass daybed at Goodwill for $20. She went to the discount fabric store and bought fabric to make a duvet cover and curtains. Her high school senior daughter painted geometric art for the walls. She might have gotten the paint off the 2nds cart at Home Depot, for all I know. The only thing I can say is that for about $100 she redid the little girl’s room and it looked like a decorator had done it.

StG

13

The one we go to has racks and racks of good button down men’s shirts, of various colors. Not all are to my taste, but some are of very high quality.

14

I love thrifting, especially now that I’m a size 10 rather than a size mumblemumble. I just recently got a whole new wardrobe for about $75- 4 pairs of pants, 3 dresses and 3 sweaters. If you look carefully you can find lovely things from good brands. I got a brand new Banana Republic sweater for $7, and Banana Republic slacks as well. If there’s a fitting room try things on!

I check my local Savers store about once a fortnight just to look for nice things, even though right now I don’t need anything. Savers is priced a little higher than Salvation Army but it’s better organized and has more current things.

Find out if there’s a discount for bringing in donations! Savers gives you a 20% off a purchase coupon for a donation, which mitigates the slightly higher cost. I’ve brought in single bags or several and gotten a coupon, though I think that I’m not supposed to get a coupon for only 1 bag. Though I always ask and they always give me one.

15

I shop thrift stores almost exclusively. Much of what I do is stated above, but I don’t go as far as bringing a tape measure - I try everything on. Don’t go by the rack size or even the tags on the clothes, get into a dressing room (even if you have to wait) and try it on.

Check well for stains, rips, loose seams.

I am a woman, but I browse the men’s section too, for hoodies and stuff.

I only wash clothing once - that seems to get even the smokiest smelling clothing fresh again.

There are some great deals out there!

16

I love thrift shopping - it’s a cheap thrill! (Hardee har har)
Seriously, though, I buy most of my clothes and kids’ clothes, books, yarn, etc. at thrift stores. You have to dig, but it’s definitely worth it.

17

I don’t get clothes at thrifts very often, but I have bought some great durable goods. I bought a breadmaker once for $5. Though it didn’t come in the box, it looked entirely unused and had the manual. I also bought a George Foreman grill there for $5 in the same condition. It’s great for getting interesting stemware or other kitchen stuff. I collect pretty, unique plates, and I find them all the time for around $1.

18

Our Goodwills tag the clothes with different color tags, then will post say, pink tags 50% off, blue tags 25% off this week, next week it’s different color tags at reduced prices. They post the tag colors at the front of the store.

19

Men have such better pickings. Men die and their wives take all their clothes to Goodwill, so if you find one pair of shoes that fits, you’ll probably find ten. My boyfriend is always scoring a bazillion awesome suits there, and I only find shirts that are too short. Plus I can’t get over everything smelling like feet, I guess.

20

I don’t think I can wear other people’s shoes. I won’t even wear my dad’s (or at least, I wouldn’t, back when my feet were small enough for me to put his shoes on).