A Fail-Proof Guide To Thrift Store Shopping!

Thrift stores are a great way to save money in this economy, as well as find unique or vintage items, but they can be rather difficult to deal with. To go home with some amazing finds, all you need is a little know-how and patience!

By ~getroughedup on DeviantArt

Here are my nine golden rules for shopping at a thrift store or flea market.

• Find out what days of the week the store has sales. You’re already saving money, so why not save some more?

• Get up early. You’re going to be there a long time, so you may want to be there before the afternoon- that way you get the best of everything.

• ALWAYS try stuff on! Some thrift stores don’t have fitting rooms so in this case, wear a skirt and tights. Pants and other skirts fit fight over the thin material and you won’t have to show your butt to everyone.

• If they do have fitting rooms, wear stuff that is easy to take on and off. A good example: jeans, a loose shirt, and slip on shoes.

• ALWAYS only carry cash with you! Many thrift stores only take cash! Plus this will nix overspending.

• Carry smaller bills such as tens, fives, and ones. If you’re going to a market where there are actual sellers, they will try to get you to spend as much as you can. If you only have small bills it’s easier to haggle with them (if you don’t know how to haggle, read this guide). It’s also easy to keep track of how much money you have left.

• Be open minded. It’s used clothing. Yes, some thrift shops get unsold stuff from retailers, but most of it is other people’s stuff. You may need to hem something, or sew a button on. Try to see potential in things that look interesting.

• However, don’t buy it unless you really want it. It’s better to go home with next to nothing than a bunch of junk you don’t want.

Lastly, (and most important!)

• BE PATIENT! Thrift stores have a lot of crap in them, I admit. To find the hidden gems, you MUST look through stuff! You won’t have much luck just staring at the racks. You have to go through them.

So there you have it! Nine rules for thrifting. If you keep most of these in mind, you can’t fail!

Thanks for reading!