image source: graygoosie on flickr
We talked about the ‘Fundamentals of Thrifting‘ on Monday. This post is all about the nitty gritty details. The funny little bits and pieces and little nuances that set you apart from the rest. You’ll be a bo-na-fied ar-teest when you’re done here and you will rock those thrifts! Treasures will be found!! This is exciting stuff!
Let’s get started.
TRAIN YOUR EYE.
If it’s vintage that you’re after, it’s a good idea to start paying attention to things like labels, prints and patterns, textures, stitching, colors, etc. It’s not something I can really put into words so much… but something that you’ll just pay attention to and practice and one day you’ll realize you have an Eagle Eye for scanning a rack and plucking out the gems in record time. Vintage shades and colors are just different from those of today, they really are. Textures, knits, construction, it’s all different. Practice really feeling the fabrics and textures and studying the labels, too. You’ll know a David Crystal for Izod dress when you see one, you’ll know that if you come across a Lilli Ann piece, you’ve hit the jackpot. (I came across this article and found it to be pretty helpful, especially worth checking out if you’re new to this sort of thing.)
If you’re looking for new, non-vintage clothing, you still can apply these same kind of techniques! Know your brands, know what you’re looking for! I can spot Banana Republic, J Crew, Boden/Mini Boden, J Jill, etc all day long – the nice things about brands like this (over your average Merona shirt from Target) is that they wash + wear really well… so a lot of times, they’re still in great condition even though they’re pre-worn. I’ve picked up plenty of Oilily, Mini Boden, Hanna Anderson, Crew Cuts and Gap Kids for Dotty and Henry, and these brands really hold up so they’re a great thing to look out for. Mister Matt has a nice collection of Banana Republic/J Crew and Gap stuff that’s perfect for the office. So it’s not all about finding vintage! Here’s a tip if you have kids and a little bit of extra storage: Don’t be afraid to buy ahead! Last year I came across 5 pairs of cute (like new!) Gap jeans for dotty- skinny, dark denim, adorable jeans. And they were all 4T. Two bucks a pop meant I was definitely grabbing them and saving them for down the road. Guess who’s wearing all those jeans right now? Yep, they’re in her regular rotation. 10 bucks total compared to easily $100 that I could have dropped at Gap Kids. Just sayin’.
THRIFT KARMA.
This is big. When you’re combing through the racks, touching every hanger and each piece of clothing and you come across a garment that’s hanging halfway off the hanger, FIX IT. It takes two seconds and it really makes a difference. See something on the floor about to get stepped on 50 times? Pick it up! No biggie, right? I might be going overboard here but every time I see something hanging off a hanger, I have this little voice in my head that says, “If you don’t fix that, the thrift might not reward you with treasures.” Call me crazy, call me superstitious. Either way, it’s a little habit that’s completely ingrained, and I can’t stand being in a thrift store that’s a hot mess.
Another nice thing? Be nice to the employees. Not just friendly, but be helpful! I always have my items off the hanger and folded into stacks that are sorted by price. I probably do this because I used to work in retail and it’s another thing that’s just habit for me – but 9 times outta 10, the person standing at the register lets me know just how much they appreciate my help. They’re able to ring me up really quickly because I can stand there and say, “two at $4, five at $3, eight at $1″ and so on. It’s a little thing you can do and it makes the thrift a much happier place. Trust me.
SOLO THRIFTING VS THRIFTING WITH FRIENDS.
This is probably obvious, but I prefer to thrift by myself. Everyone shops at a different pace, and there’s nothing worse than being there with a friend who fizzles out just as you’re getting your groove thing going. I have my best luck when I’m able to really just dig in and get dirty, free of any chatter or interruptions or constant LOOK AT THIS! DID YOU SEE THIS?! comments from whoever I’m with. Leave me alone to enjoy my mowtown and I’m in the zone. This is also why I like to hit an antique mall alone. I find the whole process of going out into a place like that to be a little like meditating. Completely relaxing and unplugging from conversation and just getting a little lost in time. A peace-out time for the Freckle, if you will. (I’m a little bonkers, I know.)
That said… I just had THE MOST FUN on a Thrift Tour on the last day at Alt Summit – a couple cars packed full with girls excited to treasure hunt in a new city. The cool thing was that we were finding things for ourselves and other people around us. No fighting over the cute polka dotted dress or the faux Enid Collins bucket purse, oh no! Clothes were flying everywhere and lots of chatter + ‘look what i just found, It’s totally you!’ happening and it was a great day. After hitting up a handful of great shops, we went to the cutest little coffee shop and watched through the big storefront windows as snow began to fall over Salt Lake City. So if you’re a solo-thrifter like me, remember that it can actually be really, really fun (every once in a while!) to come out of your thrifting shell and make a date with some friends.
fab recap of our thrift adventure over on Modern Kiddo btw.
TOOLS TO HAVE ON HAND.
I always carry the following: baby wipes (your hands get dirty touching all those hangers!), a tape measure (especially helpful if you know your measurements and don’t want to try stuff on – I almost never try things on anymore, takes too much time!), a magnifying glass and hand sanitizer. It’s also great to have a bottle of water and some gum.
THRIFTING IN A NEW CITY.
I LOVE a good road trip. I especially love a road trip that allows for a little spontaneity. How fun is it to pull off for lunch and toodle around a tiny town you’ve never been to looking for a little thrift shop? SUPER FUN! You know what’s great? THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT. Seriously, folks. There are apps for that. I used a couple (hunter + buddy) when we drove out to Wyoming last summer.
A quick search of the app store turned up Thrift Hunter, Thrift Buddy, Amvets Mobile and Buffalo Exchange. Also, you can use google maps on your phone and just search “thrift store” or “goodwill” and see what comes up. I’ve had plenty of success going that route. No pun intended, hyuck hyuck!
PET PEEVES.
Oh my goodness, let’s talk about a few things that cause me to go bonkers.
1. People that let their cell phones ring and ring and ring. Most times these people have annoying ringtones that are a SONG or something… Nickelback, for goodness sakes. And they have it CRANKED. And they just let it ring! What is this?!
2. People that turn their kids loose. Seriously. Is there much that needs to be said about this?
3. Parents who don’t recognize that their kid is not into it and yet they keep shopping, keep scanning, keep pushing the cart on down the aisle with the kid in it, who really doesn’t want to be there and the parent is basically ignoring them and making everyone else miserable in the process. Just the other day, I overheard a woman tell her daughter (age 5 or 6, sitting in the cart) that she better stop yelling at her or she wasn’t going to take her anywhere. And the little girl was simply asking when they were going to go. She was actually quite timid about it and definitely not yelling. It was unsettling and I might have given the Mom the stink eye.
4. People who pass gas. Let’s just not do that, ok? Matty doesn’t thrift with me often, but it seems like any time he does, he’s always commenting about how he just walked through some dude’s fart cloud and he’s immediately ready to go. It’s kind of wrong, people. Take the toots outside. Please and thank you.
5. People who don’t follow the RULES OF THE ROAD. What I mean by this is: an aisle that’s clearly only wide enough for one cart, and you’re halfway up the aisle, happily combing your way down a really long rack of shirts and someone enters the aisle with a cart, coming at you head on. REALLY? Rules of the road. You’re driving the wrong way down a one way street.
6. The use of packaging tape. What is this?! The Goodwill loves to use clear packaging tape – the real strong stuff! – on things like cardboard/paper/other materials that will essentially be destroyed if you attempt to peel off the packaging tape. This makes me so frustrated.
7. Thrift stores trying to be something other than Thrift stores,
throwing wacky prices on stuff they think is collectible. True story:
one time, I was in a thrift store in Richmond, and I came across this
rack of dresses and attached to the top of the rack was a handwritten
sign that read, “VANTAGE.” Need I say more? But seriously, it’s a
growing trend for thrift stores (the Goodwill has gotten really bad
about this) to price things like it’s an antique shop. And it’s totally
not cool! A) items have been donated, B) It’s a THRIFT. STORE. the
answer’s in the name, no? I’m seeing too many crazy over the top prices
on things that are chipped, rusted, beat up and broke down and would
never have that price on them in an antique store. Thrifts need to fix
this, asap.
(I should stop here, I feel my blood pressure rising)
FEED THE THRIFT MONSTER.
I’m a big believer in this one and I think it goes hand in hand with the good thrift juju. Totally important to put things INTO the system and not just take from it. I try to remind myself about the something in, something out rule… in an effort to not have my home turn into a thrift store, I regularly go through with a small donation bag and drop off a little donation. It doesn’t have to be a big ordeal, making a thrift store donation. It doesn’t have to be this kind of thing that’s like, “ohhhh jeeez. I guess we’re putting together that huge donation this weekend so that means we can’t do anything else…” but it can be just little bits at a time. And since you’ll be doing all these great 15 minute “pop-ins” you can easily do a quick little drop off too.
HAVE FUN.
People! Have fun. Thrifting is good. You’re recycling and reusing, you’re spending less and supporting great organizations.
Enjoy it. And do it often.
Stay tuned for Part 3, Thrifting With Kiddos, coming at’cha this Friday.
{ 21 comments… read them below or add one }
Ha ha ha!!! Your pet peeves section totally cracks me up! I was at a goodwill today and many of the things you mentioned were in full swing…. I did find a pair of cute cowboy boots for the wee one though
“take the toots outside”
You are hilarious!
Love this series.
It’s making me itch to thrift.
Love from,
Greta
Just smiling and nodding through this. I feel so understood! And ugh- the tape. It’s the worst with vintage Fisher Price, isn’t it? Gah.
Your pet peeves are totally mine! I see the craziest mom/child interactions in thrift stores (or non-interactions like when random children are just playing by themselves in the toy area). Moms telling their kids to shut up, making empty threats or telling them they can’t get a toy and then expecting them to be content for the rest of the time… When I bring my kids thrifting, I always let them get something. It should be fun for them too- win win situation!
I think my #1 pet peeve is the markup on vintage and antique items that you mentioned. Salvation Army stores in my area are the worst for it! It’s nice to find stores that have it all wrong and mark up fake Gucci purses and don’t realize the value in 50s and 60s treasures!
GREAT post! And I put things back on the hangers too! I also feel like if I don’t, the universe will say “none for you, sister” and jerk some amazing piece of something away from a shelf further down the line.
And yes! The aisle hogs! They drive me crazy. And the pooters. One time, the Mister and I were in a thrift store and he was trying on something in the dressing room. In the stall next to him, he heard a man tell someone else that he had poop in his underwear. I mean…and this person was trying on clothes – with poop in his pants! This just goes to show – wash everything that you get from thrifts before you wear them. No matter what. No matter if it’s the cutest thing ever and you have nothing to wear to a date that night. Wash. It. On a related note, my Mom worked in a thrift until just recently and they were constantly having to close down dressing rooms because people would use them as bathroom stalls. Hello.
Eh, I’m gross. Great post, mama!
i am loving this series! you are so funny – your pet peeves are spot on, ha! i get so annoyed when i am working my way around a rack one way and someone comes over and starts working the same rack coming right towards me and we have to do a little pass around each other switch-a-roo awkward dance – I just don’t get it.
I actually did a paper a few years ago for a college class on how to make the thrift store for a nonprofit in my town more successful. My biggest recommendation for them was to LOWER THEIR PRICES. I actually compared total sales figures from the other thrift store in town, and the store with true thrift prices made almost $100,000 more per year. I could go on about the reasons for them making more but I doubt anyone would find that as interesting as I did.
Oh, and they still haven’t lowered their prices 3 years later. Apparently they didn’t take my recommendation. *sigh*
Two comments from the mama-laytee… I remember shopping with you when you were a preteen and you would feel fabric between your fingers (make the “give me money” sign in the air… That’s it) and instantly declare what the fabric was! I *thought* it was silk and you would say, “that’s not silk, it’s rayon!” Who would have thought this natural talent would serve you so well?
And the halfway hanging off the hanger/good karma thing… Totally agree! It’s the little things we do, in thrifting and in the world, that make up for less considerate shoppers. I imagine the employees cursing under their breath when they have to rehang, re-sort and straighten up all day.
One last thing, my pet peeve… When I find something that makes my heart skip a beat and it’s a Size 6! Why always Size 6??!!! I have never been a Size 6…
i consider myself a pretty seasoned thrifter as well. my sisters are envious of my ability to visually scan the clothing and immediately find all the NWT hanna andersson dresses, gap, etc. and i can spot a fiesta or pyrex product from aisles away.
the only other thing i would add to your list would be to listen to the thrift gods when they call to you. this has happened to me more than once, and i was rewarded! i had actually been looking for something really specific.. the red bowl in the primary colors Pyrex mixing set (to complete my set). i felt the urge to go to goodwill one morning on a whim, as i was driving by. i immediately headed to the dishes aisle, and what was sitting there but a fabulous red Pyrex mixing bowl from the set, hardly even used.
Clearly you haven’t been to the SPCA store over here lately, because their new prices would make your head postively explode. I’ve had to ban them, which makes me sad, because they were the closest thrift to my house.
Another pet peeve is permanent marker on things.
What if someone has violated the rules of thrifting and you cloud them with the toot as you walk past them? Is that acceptable? Just wondering.
I just started realizing the fun of thrifting in a new town a couple years ago. Last summer I realized we’d be visiting my in-laws the same weekend as The World’s Longest Yardsale – yes, please! It was hot as hades(and we didn’t even go on the hottest day!), exhausting, but a fun adventure for the family. Our biggest scores were in a big indoor flea market that we only stayed in so long because it had AC, ’cause man, did it stink! I spotted a comforter bag almost full of Star Wars Legos – $40. I walked over to my rather timid husband and said – get me that for $25. He did it!!! My son saw it all, got to play with it until we went home, then patiently waited for Christmas to have it. I also found a little pitcher for my Stafforshire Calico collection for $18 or so – I can’t remember as we were running on fumes at that point. We didn’t find as many treasures that day as I’d hoped, but it was a lot of fun.
Awesome post, I love reading how you thrift and tips and tricks. Your pet peeves make me crack up, especially cause I have a few of them on my list too. The crop dusting (passing gas as the mister puts it) has surely turned him away from thrifting with me. He’s walked thru far to many clouds to enjoy the thrift, and now passes on the options to even join me. The tape thing sounds silly we don’t have this, but it’s better than here where they seem to staple the tag on the clothing which drives me nuts. It adds nice little holes to about every adorable garment.
s
p.s. did you snagged that bowl this morning on your instagram? i’m envious of your amazing thrifting luck
Love this!
Unfortunately the thrifts in my area are in that final pet peeve category. They’re pricing stuff at antique store prices, and some of it isn’t even worth that new!
I’ll see your “take your poots outside” peeve and raise you a “if you must use the dressing room to change your baby’s diaper, DO NOT LEAVE YOUR DIRTIES BEHIND”. I cannot even begin to count off how many times I’ve encountered poop-filled diapers in the changing rooms – bleagh.
And, dude, thrift juju is totally a real thing. I live by it.
so good!! i’m totally with you on the karma point. i’m always rehanging things and picking stuff up, taking things off the hangers (though all of our thrifts out here seem to use barcodes so i don’t have to sort things). people seem to think it’s weird but i figure- you reap what you sow!
love love love loved this one. And all the comments are hilarious. Reading what @EarthaKitsch said about people using the change rooms as bathroom stalls reminded me of a time when I was about 5 and my little sister 2 or thereabouts – we were op-shopping with my mum and my little sister went missing. After a panicked few minutes searching the vinnies (the name of the op-shop) for her we finally found her squatting in a change room, going to the toilet right there on the floor! Oh my god my poor mother was mortified, she still cringes when she tells that story to this day! haha
Ha! I think you should change the invitation from “post a comment” to “start a novel”. Great post and love your thrifting etiquette. Maybe I will have to reconvene my thrifting adventures… And how could you not have a ball thrifting with those fabulous Modern Kiddo gals et all?
Best. Thrifting. Post. Ever. hands down! I was laughing and nodding along with you on every single one of your bullet points. Hello kindred thrifter
Interesting that you mention one of your pet peeves being stores that think they are vintage boutiques with high prices. It’s sadly a growing trend in Australia that op-shops (as we call them) are pricing their customers out of the market.
In the past 5 years thrift store prices are just ridiculous. Anything that looks vaguely vintage is at least $50+ and if it has a label ( real or fake) forget about it. One of my local stores had a pair of designer louboutin boots priced at $750 !!! Seriously if I had $750 to spend on boots I’d be shopping at the fancy stores and get my boots wrapped in tissue paper in a pretty box.
Most of the good stuff doesn’t get out on the floor sadly as they have sorters that set things aside for dealers to buy in bulk. Its been a couple of years since I’ve come across any decent linen tea towels, and enamel is impossible to find.
I used to work with a girl once that went to work for the salvation army as a sorter. They had a list on the wall of all the designer labels to “mark up”
Even the crappy items are expensive and sadly I fear that a lot of it gets sold off as rags. As mentioned by Abby if they would lower their prices they would make more profit all around.
I’m a season op shopper and tend to come home empty handed more often than not these days. Often because I can’t afford to pay thrift prices any more when I can buy online so much cheaper.
Yes I occasionally find some treasures, but it’s just mot what it used to be.
So ladies in the States, enjoy it while you can. I’m dying to head over there just to get my thrift on!
Really enjoyed your 3 part guide: lots of great tips & very entertaining: it makes me want to go thrifting in America! (I’m from Australia!)
Thank you for saying that about the fart cloud. That happened to us today and it was in a line. The feeling was beyond awkward because everyone is stuck in one spot, close together. I felt compelled to openly ask my daughter (4) if she needed to go potty. She loudly made it clear it wasn’t her!
Also, your trio of posts here is nothing but enabling. I need to stop – but you just put all of my own rationalizations out there! I’m probably going to head over to Oxfam tomorrow. Thanks a lot.