People are always asking me how I manage to find great deals on clothing at thrift stores without having to spend a lot of time sorting through the racks. What’s my secret? Follow these five simple tips and you'll thrift like a pro:
#1 Get educated about fashion. Visit department stores periodically to familiarize yourself with different designer labels. Examine clothing and accessories carefully, from the fabrics and materials they’re made from, to the colors, patterns and stitching. Also try on clothes to see which styles look best on you. By doing this, you’re teaching yourself how to tell the difference between well-made clothing and accessories and junk.
#2 Know what you want. Before you get to the thrift store, know the colors, fabrics and cuts that look the best on you. (This is why tip #1 is so important.) When you know what you want, you’ll spend less time at the thrift store weeding through the clothing racks.
#3 Know the best times to shop. Ask thrift store employees for the inside scoop on when new merchandise is stocked. With this information, you can get to the stores on those days and get first dibs on the best merchandise.
#4 Be discriminating. Remember that just because an outfit is inexpensive doesn’t mean that it’s well made. You aren’t really saving money if you buy poorly constructed garments.
#5 Watch for price reductions. Secondhand stores occasionally have sales events, early bird specials and special promotions. A thrift shop in my hometown, for example, has 99-cent sales several times a year.
Do you have your own favorite method for finding the best deals at thrift stores?
LaCheryl
#1 Get educated about fashion. Visit department stores periodically to familiarize yourself with different designer labels. Examine clothing and accessories carefully, from the fabrics and materials they’re made from, to the colors, patterns and stitching. Also try on clothes to see which styles look best on you. By doing this, you’re teaching yourself how to tell the difference between well-made clothing and accessories and junk.
#2 Know what you want. Before you get to the thrift store, know the colors, fabrics and cuts that look the best on you. (This is why tip #1 is so important.) When you know what you want, you’ll spend less time at the thrift store weeding through the clothing racks.
#3 Know the best times to shop. Ask thrift store employees for the inside scoop on when new merchandise is stocked. With this information, you can get to the stores on those days and get first dibs on the best merchandise.
#4 Be discriminating. Remember that just because an outfit is inexpensive doesn’t mean that it’s well made. You aren’t really saving money if you buy poorly constructed garments.
#5 Watch for price reductions. Secondhand stores occasionally have sales events, early bird specials and special promotions. A thrift shop in my hometown, for example, has 99-cent sales several times a year.
Do you have your own favorite method for finding the best deals at thrift stores?
LaCheryl