Published on 2012-01-30 by Jenny
image source: sparklecandace on flickr
So you're wondering what it takes to rock the thrifts? Is there skill involved? Do some people just have it more than others? Are they more patient, more determined or just lucky? Is there such thing as a Thrift God? I think about these things! I've had this post swirling around in my head for months... making little mental notes when I'm out in thrift shops, having great days, instagramming my finds. And I thought it would be fun to put together a Guide To Thrifting - not just to share my tips, but also because I'd love to hear what you do to come out with some treasures.
Over the years, I've gotten to be pretty good at the Art of Thrifting. And yes, it is an art. I started 15 years ago, and I've been doing it professionally for the last 10. At this point, I'm comfortable saying with confidence that my eye is well trained. I thrift at least 5 days a week, which means I'm in anywhere from 12 to 20 thrift/antique/junk shops/flea markets weekly. Obviously, this is a big part of how I'm able to find so much, spending that kind of time... But is that all it takes? HECK NO. There's more to it than that. Part 1 of this series is all about Thrifting Fundamentals, you ready?
THERE'S SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE and YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU MIGHT FIND.
These are two things I've said countless times, I'm kind of a broken record always using the 'you never know' line with my kids. Particularly with Henry, who has started to grumble a bit when I suggest we stop by the Goodwill. Over the years, though, this kid has had some pretty epic finds of his own, so he's a believer, even if he does need a little prodding now and then. So that's sort of my first tip, and it's kinnnnd of a hippy one. When you pull into the thrift, believe you're going to find something awesome. Put it out there. It can't hurt right? It's always nice to start off on a positive note. Wish on an eyelash, do a little jig, whatever it takes. We've done a chant for years, since Henry was a little guy. "1, 2, 3, 4, LUCKY LUCKY!" is what we say. We do a little high five or a fist bump and we're on our way to Treasure Land.
WHEN TO GO.
Not a big surprise, but I believe in going often, as often as you can. This doesn't mean you have to spend tons of time. In fact, if you only go in for a few minutes and just do a quick scan, that can be pretty rewarding, too. The 10 minute "pop in" never disappoints. Set the timer on your phone as you're walking in: give yourself a short amount of time to see what you find. It's a fun little challenge, and who doesn't love a challenge?
If you have more time on your hands though, go in the morning. My favorite time to thrift is first thing, right outta the gates, like 8 am style. The stores are usually really quiet at that time of day and even better, they're freshly stocked. Win, win! Plus, you're fresh off a good night's sleep so you're primed and ready to spy needles in haystacks! If you can't go in the morning, try the evenings around the dinner hour. Goodwill stores are open until 9 and they stock that place all day long, putting out something like 1000 pieces of clothing each day (not including furniture, wares, etc). Any weekday is a good day to thrift in my book but I almost never go on weekends. That's when everyone else is thrifting and I'm at home enjoying my coffee and morning record spinning. (Weekends are, however, great days to go to antique malls or shops. But we'll talk more about Antiquing later...)
WHAT TO WEAR.
This might seem silly, but it's not! My thrifting uniform is pretty simple: jeans, layers + comfortable shoes. You're on your feet, your rifling through bins, you're combing through racks, sometimes you're on the floor sorting through who knows what, and thrift store floors are really the cleanest, you know? I'm not opposed to a cute dress/tights/leggings combo but I usually go the jeans route. Layers because sometimes thrift stores can get kinda hot, especially when you're getting all worked up finding treasure after treasure.
That said, I don't go out looking like a bum. I feel like it's still important to "dress the part." If you feel cute, you feel good. And who wants to feel bad while thrifting?! No one does. Wear a cute cardigan, a vintage brooch, bring a cute purse. Sometimes even the things you wear help you find your way to treasures. I've had countless incidents where thrift store employees say stuff to me like, "you like vintage stuff, right?" followed by something awesome like, "I have all these dresses at home that used to belong to my grandma, do you want them?" or something along those lines. So walk the walk, friends. Especially when vintage is concerned.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR.
So this is something that's different for everyone. Since I am a dealer and I do this for a living, I'm not only looking to thrift things for my personal use. I'll pick up anything in any size, shape, or color from just about any era as long as it has that something and I think it'll appeal to someone else. I buy everything. Clothing, housewares, linens, books, toys, puzzles, furniture, kitschy crap, you name it. Of course I love anything mid century modern the most, so my eyes are extra peeled when it comes to 50s and 60s items.
I keep a notebook in my bag and it has an ever-changing list of things I'm on the hunt for. Sometimes it'll be silly things like 'bowls that would be good for the cat's food' or things that are on my to-do list like 'cool lampshades' for the 9 zillion half baked vintage lamp projects I have in the basement or 'a new shelf for the kid's playroom' but I don't always have these things on my mind, so it helps to refer back to that list. I think it's really easy to walk into a thrift store and just GO and SEE what you find, but remember that thrift stores are great for meeting practical needs too.
Also worth sticking on that list? Your collections! What are you looking for? Are you building a certain collection, is there something you're on the lookout for? Now you won't forget.
All these globes have been thrifted. I started the collection a little over 5 years ago when we first bought our house and the most I've spent on a single globe is 8 bucks, most of them have been $1-3. They're out there, you just have to be patient and hit it regularly.
HOW TO UNEARTH A TREASURE.
I used to have this rule when it came to shopping the clothing racks: TOUCH EVERY PIECE, MOVE EVERY HANGER. I still do that, but just not as much. It's part laziness/effort to save time, part exercising my eye. I like to quickly scan and see if I can pick out the vintage prints/textures/colors without having to move every single hanger down the line. BUT, this is most definitely the best way to find stuff on the racks, whether or not you're looking for vintage. When I have the energy and I'm in the mood, I do it. It seems to be the trend now for thrift stores to organize things by color, right? So certain racks with nothing but solid black or solid red make it pretty tough to find a gem. Just the other day, I was combing through the blazer rack, and if I had been doing my eye-scan, I would have gone right past an adorable black 1950s blazer with tiny bows on the collar and the sweetest little round glass buttons. So if you have the time, give this a whirl. I think it'll pay off for you.
(I have a great technique for bin shopping (books and clothing) as well, but I'm going to save this for Friday's THRIFTING WITH KIDS post, where we'll be talking about lots of kid related tips, one of which is how to get through the book bin and come out a winner.)
When you're cruising through the housewares section, you have to move things. There might be an amazing plate in a pattern of dishware that'll have a choir of angels singing in your ear, but you won't see it if you don't pick up and move stacks of plates. There might be an incredible vintage typewriter inside a boring old case but you'll never know if you don't open it. Dig through the boxes and the bins because the treasures are there. You can't really count on a thrift store to display things in a nice way (in fact, I don't like when they do this, the hunt thrills me) and the stock changes by the hour, so get in there and get your hands dirty and don't be afraid to work!
Another thing I do, especially during the first 15 minutes in a thrift store is I do an overall casing of the joint. Whether it's a thrift I haven't been in before, or I haven't been in for a couple weeks, I have this excited/jittery feeling and I can't go to one section and hunker down before I know what's happening overall. It's sort of like, getting your bearings. Cruise through the whole store real quick, scan past the shelves in the wares section (this is how I found that Finel bowl for $2.95) and then head to your favorite section and dig in. Nothing worse than being in a thrift store for an hour and then looking over at someone's cart and seeing something AMAZING and wondering... wait. did they get that while I was here? Did I miss that? Yeah, that's the worst.
Also, when you're just about finished shopping, and you think you've found all the treasures you can find, MAKE ONE LAST LOOP. This might seem completely insane but it works. The whole time you've been in the store, all the busy thrift bees have been stocking and re-stocking with new things. Make a quick loop through and the new things will probably stand out to you that much more, especially since you're eye has already looked at all the other stuff. I like to call this technique "The Backtrack." You can use it. ;)
WHAT TO LISTEN TO.
I always have my small headphones in my bag because let me tell you something: I cannot thrift to modern country. I just cannot do it. If I hear Kenny Chesney or Keith Urban or Tim McGraw again? No. I do my best thrifting to the oldies. The oldies are where it's at. Give me some Mowtown and I will find me some treasures. Don't be afraid of just popping in your ear buds and getting into the zone. Trust me. Good tunes and thrifting are two peas in a pod.
TAKE BREAKS.
Making a day out of it? Stop for breaks! Thrifting is so fun but it can be so draining! Standing on your feet on those cement floors for hours, touching and looking at So Much Stuff, being exposed to all kinds of noise (and dare I say, smells? ok, we won't go there)... but seriously. Get yourself a treat! A bubbly coke or a chocolate milkshake or a latte never hurt anyone.
Stay tuned for PART 2 of this thrift adventure, coming at'cha this Wednesday. We're going to dig in deeper and talk about thrift karma, pet peeves, training your eye, solo thrifting vs. thrifting with friends, hitting up antique malls and estate sales and thrifting in new towns!
Please chime in and share your own thrifting tips or favorite stories in the comments section!
