I’ve been thrift shopping my entire adult life. At first, it was mostly for clothing and records, but now I focus almost exclusively on decorating my home. For me, thrift shopping is meditative and also extremely rewarding. I’ve scored so much cool stuff over the years. I’ve also developed some strategies:
• If it’s your first time to a thrift store, scope it out, making a mental note of how it’s organized and what the clientele is like. If the place is teeming with hipsters and other stylish sorts, the goods are probably pretty picked over that day.
• I’m a freelance writer so I have a flexible schedule. I take advantage by getting up a little early on occasion to knock out the morning’s work so I can enjoy an hour-long shopping excursion to the Goodwill near my house. I try to go at least once a week. The more often you go, the more easily you’ll unearth treasure. I also find that the more I go, the more discerning I am about what I buy. If you’re a nine-to-fiver who shops on weekends, try to get there right when the doors open.
• Ask an employee how frequently dropped-off items are moved to the floor. If they hold items for a day or two to price, then Monday is an ideal day to shop. Most people drop their stuff off over the weekend.
• When digging around familiar thrift shops, I always hit up aisles in the same order. I’m most interested in finding cool furniture or lighting right now, so I beeline to that area. Then it’s on to kitchen wares, ceramics, linens, and so on. I have specific items I’m always looking for — vintage enamel pans, for example, and wool blankets — which I scan for quickly, and then I slow down to see if I’ve missed anything special that’s not on my list.
• Visit thrift stores that are off the beaten path. When I lived in San Diego, I headed east of the city to a place that always had interesting midcentury finds and heaps of great fabric.
• Shop alone. Unless you’re mad for modern and your best friend is strictly shabby chic, you might end up grabbing at the same prize. No big whup unless you’re a serious hunter. Thrifting, for me anyway, works best when it’s a solitary endeavor.
• Learn how to recognize quality. My dad, by profession, is a numismatist — or coin dealer — and the man can spot a fake from 50 feet away. Perhaps it’s genetic, but I can often pick out the good stuff with a quick glance. I also test for weight, examine materials and manufacturing, and check for informative labeling. That’s how I found a Tiffany silver heart necklace for a dollar. It looked nicer than the other jewelry around it and I acted on a hunch. When in doubt, I use my iPhone to do a little research.
• If you find something amazing, don’t leave it alone. You’d be amazed at how quickly another eagle-eyed shopper can swoop in. I have literally dragged a heavy chair — along with my shopping cart — to the cashier lest someone else snag it before me.
• Feeling unsure about an item? Put it in your cart and walk around with it. Mull it over. Ten minutes later, you might have thought of the perfect place/use for it. I am still kicking myself for not buying a pair of gorgeous caramel leather bookends. I couldn’t think of anywhere to put them, so I passed them up, even though they were only $1.99. When I got home and opened the kitchen cabinet where I stash my cookbooks, I remembered: I need bookends.
• Consider the potential. I'm sure you've seen all the amazing DIY projects here on Apartment Therapy and around the Web. Many of those began as junky but promising thrift store finds.
• If you find something incredible that just isn’t you — maybe not your style, or perhaps not your size if it’s clothing — don’t necessarily say no. Would it make a good gift? Can you sell it? I once found mint-condition vintage Chanel shoes four sizes too small for me. I paid $5 and unloaded them on eBay for a couple hundred bucks. I generally don’t sell stuff, because it’s too much effort for the payout, but in certain situations, you just know it’s a no-brainer.
• Don’t pay too much. Thrift stores are increasingly savvy about pricing, but not always. I’ve found Ikea junk listed close to original prices (not worth it!) while a Steelcase office chair in excellent condition was practically free.
• Edit. As my design interests shift and I pick up new items, I make sure to get rid of older items in exchange. I always drop my stuff off at the thrift store, too. Somebody else is certain to think it’s the find of the day.
Pictured above are a couple of my latest scores, which are only paired for the photo. I found the typewriter, which has become my inspiration for my home office design, while visiting San Diego (I always visit thrift stores in other cities) and lugged it back on the plane. Security had a blast dusting it for explosives. ("What is that ma'am?") I've been looking for a small pedestal table for ages and found this last week at the Goodwill for $4.99. It has a nice heavy base and is Made in Canada, eh.
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rule #1- inspect it well for bedbugs! :-/
another tip: find out if the thrifts you frequent have regular sale days. The Salvation Armys in my area have 50% off days twice a month (second and last Friday), but go EARLY. everyone and their grandma shops on those days, so the early birds definitely get the best deals. And, don't be afraid to make an offer if you think something is priced too high.
Expanding on what dmh said, Goodwill has 50% off a particular color price tag for a week (the color changes every Sunday). This week in my area everything with a red tag is 50% off.
My rule is nothing goes into my house until it's been washed and dried in dryer, sprayed with disinfectant and pesticide and bagged for a week (if it can't be run through the washing machine).
i always find these tips super funny. i grew up with everything being thrifted (I've literally been thrifting from the womb as all my moms maternity clothes were homemade or thrifted) and now that thrift stores are kinda "in" it's fun to hear about how other people use them. thrifters for life!
Great tips.
My tip: use your senses.
If you are buying a bureau or armoire, smell the drawers or interior. I once bought a great old bureau only to discover that it had belonged to a smoker and all of the drawers reeked of smoke. I could not get rid of the smell, so I donated it back to the thrift store.
If you are buying glassware or china, rub your fingertip over the edges - sometimes you will find small chips with your fingertips that you did not see with your eyes.
Use your fingers to lightly tap items - the sound often will tell you what material it is made from. Bronze and brass have a deep ring to them, while pot metal has a tinny sound. Perfect pottery or glass should have a bell-like ring to it, while cracked pottery or glass makes a dull thud.
Happy hunting.
What's the name of that store in San Diego?? I have to check it out.
Hi Alirose315 -- not sure of the store's name. It is a veteran's thrift store off Highway 125 an exit or two past the 94. I've found some great treasures there, from Italian suede boots to Dansk pans.
Agree: "thrift shopping is meditative" =)
As a kid I used to be embarrassed that my dad liked to visit thrift and salvage stores. It wasn't trendy then. It wasn't until I discovered thrift shopping myself and the thrill of finding a great bargain that I understood his delight in a finding a great deal. It can be addictive though, so I have to restrain myself. I love being able to decorate my house for a fraction of what it would cost buying new. Plus my house doesn't have that generic cookie cutter look. People love to wander around and look at my things and are always amazed when I tell them almost everything came from thrift stores.
I love thrift shopping and even worked at one for a while. It brings out the inner child playing treasure hunt :) Thanks for the tips!
I love thrifting. I always remind myself that "anything could be anywhere"! I've gotten some great stuff that I never would have if I had to pay full price.
Great advice! Depending on what you're hunting for, we've also found it helpful to take into consideration the neighborhood’s affluence.
@mfeo: yes! i should have mentioned that. but keep in mind that chains like the goodwill often have a central warehouse site where they divide up the goods. my favorite thrift shop was in downtown san diego -- but i'm pretty sure most of the stuff came from north county san diego. i found vintage designer clothing (like, christian dior and such), nearly new prada bags, and so on. in general, if you live in an affluent city, thrifting is a dream! that said, i love thrift stores in the midwest, where you can score loads of cool midcentury stuff (a la palm springs many years ago) along with some really nice antiques on occasion.
Another thrifter from birth here. I'm pretty sure 95% of the clothes I wore growing up were from thrift stores, and the others were at least 50% off full price. I think it's ruined normal shopping for me, because wherever I go I think, "They're charging THAT much? I could get the same for a dollar!" ...and I do. I can't find a reason to pay full price for most things! Lately I scored an entire set of matching white dishware that probably cost $60 originally for about $10 from Goodwill. It's sort of a curse though, because I end up debating purchases with myself for ages when I do buy at regular prices. Sometimes I feel like a miser.
Taking the neighborhood affluence into account is a GREAT tip--especially for garage sales as well!
"Consider the potential. I'm sure you've seen all the amazing DIY projects here on Apartment Therapy and around the Web. Many of those began as junky but promising thrift store finds."
I don't disagree with this, but I think equally good advice at some point ends up coming right after this step. "Consider the potential. Then consider whether you actually have the time/skill/willingness to complete this project." I've gotten so many "projects" from the Goodwill that went right back a few months later when I realized I just couldn't be bothered.
I like to pick up vintage glassware - we're always breaking glasses, so extra ones are always useful. I try to avoid purely 'decorative' items, which can quickly become clutter.
@Holler: YES! (Author here.) I should have tacked that on and am glad you did. I tend to stick to things that can be spray-painted. ;-) Right now I'm working on a pair of outdoor chairs that have already cost more in time and cash than I'd ever considered. But they're looking pretty awesome so far ...