I’m back today with a fun thrifting post sharing my tips for thrifting success! If you guys have followed along for a while, you will know that I have enjoyed thrifting for years and love finding unique pieces at affordable prices! From the picture above, I actually thrifted the top and skirt a few years ago and still love both pieces.
Starting this August I challenged myself to see if I could only buy secondhand through the rest of 2019. I love a good challenge like this that made me be a bit more creative with what I already owned, and honestly it saved me money because I barely bought any new clothes this semester! I ended up breaking this challenge just one time, and that was when I had to buy a black button up for my new internship, and I only have a few days to find one before I started. If you follow on Instagram, I shared in my stories how I found 2 black zip ups for this internship at two different thrift stores, but could not find a black button up anywhere! Long story short, I broke my challenge for one top, but I challenged myself to look at secondhand stores before immediately jumping to retail, which is my main goal going into 2020. I don’t know if it completely realistic to only shop secondhand forever for me personally, but I definitely am going to keep up checking the thrift stores first and using this tips for thrifting to find some treasures!
Since I have been thrifting for years, I wanted to share some of my favorite tips for thrifting that I use to end up with pieces I love!
- Be prepared to stay a while and dig– In a retail store, sometimes it is easy to pop in for 5-10 minutes and find exactly what you want. With a thrift store, that’s usually not the case, and you will miss a lot of treasures if you do that! I like to give myself at least 30 minutes when I go, but sometimes it takes even longer than that to sift through depending on how much is there and what I am looking for!
- Grab anything you may want– If you think you like it or have an idea on how to use it, grab it while you’re there. It will save time later if you think you want it, and that way no one else can take it while you’re deciding!
- Try on pieces while you’re there– I know so many people who just eyeball the clothes and try them on later at home, only to find out it doesn’t fit right or look as good as they had hoped. Almost all thrift stores have a dressing room, so take advantage of it! Sure, it is only $3 for a top, but if you buy 4 and end up not liking 3 of them once you try them on, then you spent basically $12 for one top! Just another way to save money while thrifting.
- Look in every size– Most thrift stores are not known for their impeccable organization, so chances are you will find a mix of sizes in every size category. But also keep in mind that sizes are different for different brands, so if you’re normally a small, a large might fit!
- Look in the mens/kids sections too– Depending on your size, you can find some oversized pieces in the mens or sometimes cropped pieces in the kids. I actually don’t tend to have a lot of luck doing this, but I know people do!
- Keep an open mind – Just because something isn’t exactly how you want it, keep an open mind! A sweater that is way too long? Cut it! A home decor piece that is an ugly color? Paint it! There are tons of options, and the great thing about buying things for just a few bucks is that it isn’t a big deal if it turns into a DIY gone wrong.
- Go to a variety of stores– Don’t just expect to find 10 pieces you love in the first thrift store you try. Try thrift stores, consignment shops, even garage sales! Especially if you haven’t thrifted much, take some time to test out all of the nearby secondhand stores and see which ones are your favorite for future trips!
- Keep a “to thrift” list– I keep a list in the notes section of things I want to find at the thrift store! This could be vague or very specific items, but it helps you know where to look first if you get overwhelmed!
- Go with a friend- Sometimes having someone to bounce ideas off of and ask “is this cute or just ugly?” can be really helpful! It is also just really fun to find some outrageous pieces together and have someone to laugh about them with!
- Go to different stores for different pieces– Once you have been to one thrift store nearby, don’t be afraid to check out other ones! If I am looking for a book, I have one thrift store I know usually has a better selection. For home items, I go to a different one that has a larger selection and cheaper prices. But for clothes I have yet another one that I usually find the best pieces at! Of course it is hit or miss depending on the day, but knowing what I am looking for can help me decide which store to start at and hopefully score some pieces from!
I also have been watching a few thrifting videos on Youtube and had stumbled on people thrifting their Pinterest- AKA trying to find pieces like what they have pinned recently. I loved the concept of this and decided to try it for myself! I even made my own video… which is has been 3 years since I shared video content on The Trendy Chick! I guess 2020 is the year that will be making a comeback?! Checkout the video below to see how I did thrifting my Pinterest and what I ended up buying this time at the thrift stores!
Let me know in the comments below if you use any of these tips for thrifting success!
xo, Scarlett
