You’re shopping at a thrift store??? Are you kidding me?
I was appalled when my boyfriend in college announced that he was going to a thrift store to shop for an outfit. Wendell, who’s now my wonderful husband, wanted to buy a shirt and a pair of pants to wear to a cookout. Wendell was used to thrift store shopping because his aunt went there all the time.
I was not used to them. I argued with him that thrift stores were for poor people and that all of the merchandise was used and dirty. I refused to go in the store, but Wendell paid no attention to me and marched right into that thrift store.
I sat in the car … and pouted.
Well, now I shop at thrift stores all of the time! And I love it!
Heck, I blog about thrift stores. So what happened?
Well, several weeks after my, “I’m-not-going-to-any-thrift-store” fit, I got a major attitude adjustment when I visited an estate sale to look for a bedroom suite. Because I was a poor
college student, I couldn’t afford to pay what the department stores wanted. But at the estate sale, I was able to buy a beautiful Queen Anne, four poster bedroom suite for less than
$1,000.
Excited that I had saved so much money, I then visited several secondhand stores and bought linens, a bed spread, a small rug and art for my bedroom walls, all for less than $100.
Then I noticed that the thrift stores carried a lot of nice clothing. I spotted some designer clothing for less than $5. And then it hit me. I could be a fabulous fashionista without having to pay full price! After that, I was hooked and ditched my preconceived notions about thrift stores.
I've had great success shopping at thrift stores:
1) I purchased a Coco Chanel vest for $4.99 that was originally more than $2,000.
2) I have purchased Coach handbags for as little as $4.88 each.
3) I paid $6.88 for a Brooks Brothers coat; A friend of mine told me that she paid $1,100 in a department store for the same coat.
4) I bought a pair of black, signature Eileen Fisher slacks for $6.99; I remember seeing the original department store tag that priced them at just under $200.
So, here is my take on thrift stores today:
#1 Thrift stores are for everyone.
Everyone, that is, who wants to buy high-end clothing, furniture and housewares for just pennies on the dollar.
#2 Thrift store clothing is generally in good condition.
Occasionally you might find a stain, but don’t you sometimes find a little bit of makeup or dust on the clothing at department stores? And, thrift stores carry some items that have never been used or worn. That’s because some department stores donate brand new items to thrift stores that are operated by charities. Remember, my Eileen Fisher slacks still had the department store tag on them.
#3 New clothing doesn’t always equal quality clothing.
At thrift stores you can find vintage and high-end, ready-to-wear clothing that’s well constructed and made with superior fabrics. I’ve learned over the years how to differentiate between what’s quality and what’s not by examining the look and feel of a garment and
the label.
Thriftstyleliving Tip: If you don’t recognize the label on a garment, you can use your smartphone to look up the company online to see what their clothes sell for. That way, you can find out how much of a bargain you’re getting.
The truth is that shopping at a thrift store can be as exciting as shopping in a high-end store. The only difference is that shopping at a thrift store is more like going on a treasure hunt. From designer clothing and housewares to priceless heirlooms, you never know what you’ll find.
You also save a lot of money.
Wendell was … (sigh) … right.
LaCheryl
I was appalled when my boyfriend in college announced that he was going to a thrift store to shop for an outfit. Wendell, who’s now my wonderful husband, wanted to buy a shirt and a pair of pants to wear to a cookout. Wendell was used to thrift store shopping because his aunt went there all the time.
I was not used to them. I argued with him that thrift stores were for poor people and that all of the merchandise was used and dirty. I refused to go in the store, but Wendell paid no attention to me and marched right into that thrift store.
I sat in the car … and pouted.
Well, now I shop at thrift stores all of the time! And I love it!
Heck, I blog about thrift stores. So what happened?
Well, several weeks after my, “I’m-not-going-to-any-thrift-store” fit, I got a major attitude adjustment when I visited an estate sale to look for a bedroom suite. Because I was a poor
college student, I couldn’t afford to pay what the department stores wanted. But at the estate sale, I was able to buy a beautiful Queen Anne, four poster bedroom suite for less than
$1,000.
Excited that I had saved so much money, I then visited several secondhand stores and bought linens, a bed spread, a small rug and art for my bedroom walls, all for less than $100.
Then I noticed that the thrift stores carried a lot of nice clothing. I spotted some designer clothing for less than $5. And then it hit me. I could be a fabulous fashionista without having to pay full price! After that, I was hooked and ditched my preconceived notions about thrift stores.
I've had great success shopping at thrift stores:
1) I purchased a Coco Chanel vest for $4.99 that was originally more than $2,000.
2) I have purchased Coach handbags for as little as $4.88 each.
3) I paid $6.88 for a Brooks Brothers coat; A friend of mine told me that she paid $1,100 in a department store for the same coat.
4) I bought a pair of black, signature Eileen Fisher slacks for $6.99; I remember seeing the original department store tag that priced them at just under $200.
So, here is my take on thrift stores today:
#1 Thrift stores are for everyone.
Everyone, that is, who wants to buy high-end clothing, furniture and housewares for just pennies on the dollar.
#2 Thrift store clothing is generally in good condition.
Occasionally you might find a stain, but don’t you sometimes find a little bit of makeup or dust on the clothing at department stores? And, thrift stores carry some items that have never been used or worn. That’s because some department stores donate brand new items to thrift stores that are operated by charities. Remember, my Eileen Fisher slacks still had the department store tag on them.
#3 New clothing doesn’t always equal quality clothing.
At thrift stores you can find vintage and high-end, ready-to-wear clothing that’s well constructed and made with superior fabrics. I’ve learned over the years how to differentiate between what’s quality and what’s not by examining the look and feel of a garment and
the label.
Thriftstyleliving Tip: If you don’t recognize the label on a garment, you can use your smartphone to look up the company online to see what their clothes sell for. That way, you can find out how much of a bargain you’re getting.
The truth is that shopping at a thrift store can be as exciting as shopping in a high-end store. The only difference is that shopping at a thrift store is more like going on a treasure hunt. From designer clothing and housewares to priceless heirlooms, you never know what you’ll find.
You also save a lot of money.
Wendell was … (sigh) … right.
LaCheryl
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