Don’t judge a book by its cover, some of the grungiest thrift stores have the most mesmerizing, vintage pieces for a steal. It’s no secret, thrifting takes work. It’s not a normal shopping experience where everything is color coordinated, perfectly arranged by designer and season, you may have to even search for your size.
Tirelessly looking through countless racks, checking each piece before purchasing can be cumbersome, but don’t fret. Vixen is sharing the best kept secrets that’ll have you thrifting like a pro in no time.
The Internet Is Your Friend
Before you put the rubber to the road, there are online resources to help guide you to the perfect thrift shop. Next time you want to find a new thrift store in your area, just enter the zip code on The Thift Shopper. It lists all the stores listed in that area, complete with their hours, location, customer reviews and mailing lists info.
Season Changes Are The Best Time To Shop
If you’re a shopaholic like me, you know that shopping out of season saves you tons of bucks. Stores put there items on mega-clearance, some for thirty cents on the dollar. Stowing away those items may take up closet space until the next season, but it’s well worth it. Thrift shopping is the same way.
When seasons change, people tend to do a big of house cleaning, giving away unwanted items. Right after the holiday season when people bought tons of new stuff but are purging themselves of the old and right after shoppers spring clean after the long, snowy season is ideal for any thrift shopper.
The Best Days Of The Week To Shop Are…
Tuesday. For chain stores, new shipments arrive. For thrift shops, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday being the best days. Normally it takes 24-48 hours to process all of the weekend’s donations, making them readily available just in time for you when you arrive at the top of the work week!
Have An Idea Of What You Want Beforehand
This can easily be applied for shopping at designer stores or boutiques, but this tip definitely comes in handy for the thrift shoppers. Due to the overwhelming abundance of inventory in a normal thrift store, from clothes, shoes, furniture, books, electronics, it can be difficult to decipher what you really need or what just looks good because of the appealing price.
Need a V-Neck cut red T-shirt? Looking for a vintage, 60s flare pant? Need a super cute, old school lamp for your office? Have what you’re looking for in mind before you step foot out the door, or you could be walking around forever with no goal in mind.
All Vintage Stores Are Not Created Equally
Secondhand stores, thrift stores, yard sales, antique or vintage shops all have a unique inventory and finding what you’re looking for is unfortunately never a guarantee. But you can have better luck if you go to the right kind of vintage store.
Need a cheap, last minute dress shirt for an interview? Going to a vintage store may not be your best bet, as they’re likely to carry specialty, designer pieces. Goodwill or The Salvation Army may be your store. Looking for a gorgeous, sequin holiday dress that won’t break the bank? A consignment or vintage clothing store should do the trick.
A Must Have Piece Doesn’t Fit? That’s What Tailors Are For!
Just because a secondhand clothing item doesn’t fit your curves on the first fitting doesn’t mean you have to leave it behind. Bigger items can often be brought to a tailor and taken in for a relatively small fee. This is especially wonderful for designer items like coats, suits, dresses and jeans.
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