With this Saturday being National Thrift Day AND the fact that the top requested content I get is more on thrifting, I am spending this WHOLE week’s blogging on her! Now days, thrifting is seen as trendy, sustainable and a whole lot more. Regardless of what motivates you to thrift, there are definitely some do’s and don’ts you learn from trips to countless stores.

I started thrifting in middle school with friends because it was the thing to do. Growing up outside Broad Ripple Village, vintage was always cool and a huge part of the fun and retro art/bar/shopping scene where I lived. To this day I love sifting through the racks of clothes wondering what life they’ve had before I even came along and thinking up a million ways to style pieces that I swear are calling my name. Since my love affair with thrifting began, I’ve shopped all over the US and bought my fair share of both trash and treasure. While some have ended up back in shops, my thrifted pieces are typically my most favorite and cherished items I own.
With all these years of experience and many a #thriftthursdays under my belt, I’m sharing with you 4 major things to know before you head out on your next thrifting adventure.

LOCATION

Before you even step foot into your car to head to your thrift shop, consider what type of area your store is located. What types of retail stores are near it? What are the demographics financially of that area?

While those answers should not necessarily dissuade you from shopping somewhere, knowing these things can help you better find what you’re looking for. If you thrift at a store surrounded by Wal-Marts, Targets and similar type stores, that is probably going to be a majority of what you will find. If you head somewhere with more high-end stores and folks with higher incomes you are much more likely to come across better and unique items. The richer someone is, the more likely it is they will donate clothes or items they’re ready to move away from on a whim while folks with more modest budgets may only be donating more used and common items. Remember, this is not to say one is better than the other, BUT, if you know you’re looking for particular types of items, this can drastically help you find the best locations to have a thrifting experience of your dreams.

MAKE A LIST

While I do a lot of my thrifting just for fun and not really seriously looking for particular items, when I am in need of something specific, I make a list. Not only does this help you save time, it makes sure you use your time wisely. If you’ve thrifted before you know how tiring it can be - there is so much to look at! By snagging your “need” finds first, it leaves your bigger and better spent browsing time to find thrifted treasures.

GOOGLE

Before you head to the store, make sure to check the location out online to see if they are having any sales, offer discounts of even have coupons. It might surprise you to know that thrift stores have sales since everything is already so discounted, but they do. Goodwill typically has different color tags 50% off or Saturdays can run similar deals. Saving money, even when things are already inexpensive, is a bonus worth googling. Plus, if you’re checking out them on maps you can peek at some reviews of the location if you’re a first timer there. While some reviews should be taken with a grain of salt I have definitely been steered to locations that better fit my needs just from checking out some online reviews.

GET INSPIRED

Thankfully we’re in a time of fashion where everything - and I mean everything - is in style. Every decade and style of clothing has their fair shot at being trendy and personally, more than ever, I think the style has really evolved into allowing ANYONE to style ANYTHING how they want. If you are looking to stay “on trend” but feel so lost when you get into a shop, pop on Pinterest, Instagram or your favorite shop and screenshot, save or add to your cart the items you love. When you’re shopping, refer back and be willing to big-picture that piece. By this I mean the following: On Instagram my very favorite influencers have been ROCKING long, button-up, flowy “teacher” skirts. When I headed out to thrift last week, I made sure I saved a few Grams and looked through the skirts. While I didn’t find her exact skirt fresh off of LuLu’s I found a very cute blue skirt I adore (see below). A huge part of thrifting is seeing the potential in an item. I promise you, a lot of pieces you might find are not exactly what you envision when you are looking to recreate a trend or look you’ve seen. It takes a lot of vision, creativity and big-picture moments to be happy with your pieces. When you can do this though, I swear you will reach thrifting nirvana and have way better experiences in store.

I hope these tips will help you take on your next (or first!) thrift trip with more confidence and excitement! If you have any tips you want to add, comment them below! If you liked this post, don’t forget to check out my posts this Friday and Saturday as they will ALL be thrifting related touching on more tips for thrifting and how to style your new finds!