Top 10 Thrifting Tips and Tricks

Thrift Store Frame $5.95 purchased on sale for $4, Original Price $209

Thrift shopping is a great way to find amazing buys as well as items to repurpose. After all, who doesn’t love a bargain!

To maximize your trip to the thrift store, we’ve composed a list of Thrift Store Tips & Tricks.

Here are the Top 10 Tips for Thrift Store Shopping:

Find The Best Thrift Stores In Your Local Area
Listen to word of mouth and ask friends where they thrift. Read the reviews on Yelp and Google.
Find Out Sale Days
Once you’ve narrowed down the store you will visit, give them a call to see if they have sale days. Some stores change their sale daily, others weekly. Some have color coded discounted merchandise which changes every couple of weeks. If you know when to go you could save up to 50% off their already amazing prices.
Go Early
If the shop opens at 9:00 on Saturday morning, be there at 8:50. The early bird really does get the top picks and it is always nicer to shop in a less crowded store.
Have a Budget and Stick to It
Whether your budget is $5, $25 or $100, know your budget and stick to it. Thrifting is fun and pleasurable but spending more money than you can afford is not.
Bring Cash
Most good thrift stores are cash only.
Slow, Pick, Put, Weed
1. Go Slow – You’ll never find the bargain hidden in the rack if you are in a hurry to get through the store. Go thrifting when you have at least a couple of hours.
2. Pick – Be picky. You are looking for real bargains. That equals great prices, good quality and something you can use.
3. Put – If you find something you like or even think you like, put it into your shopping cart. You can weed through later but if you leave it, someone else will pick it up.
4. Weed – When you are finished shopping, go to a quite place in the store and go back through everything in the cart. Weed through and pull out anything that you really don’t need or that isn’t a great bargain. Remember, don’t go over budget.
Have a Point of Reference
Knowing the brands and pricing of the products you are shopping for can help you find great bargains. On a recent thrifting trip we found 2 pairs of great shoes on sale for $14.99. One was a very well know designer whose new merchandise sells for $125.00 – $150 while the other brand typically retails for around $50. The better bargain is obvious.
Buy Trendy
Thrift stores are a great place to buy trendy merchandise. Turquoise and Coral pink purses hot this year? Instead of spending hundreds on a new department store bag that will be out of style in a year or two, look for one at the thrift store. Typically, top trends trickle down from high end department stores to mass retailers. Most trends are around for at least 2 years. If you know what’s “hot” you are sure to find trendy colors and styles at a good thrift store.
Wear Workout Clothing or Stretch Pants
Many thrifts stores don’t have fitting rooms. If you plan to thrift for clothing, wear leggings and tank tops so you can try clothing on top.
Hands Free
Serious thrifters keep their hands free. You don’t want to worry about carrying around a big purse. Wear a money belt or shoulder sling purse that zippers and concentrate on your thrifting and not your purse.