When Old Becomes New

There is something so special about walking into a thrift store. It doesn’t matter which one although we all have our favorites, and it doesn’t really matter why you are there. It’s the excitement of what you might find and if you are going to find your next favorite thing!

Now don’t get me wrong, thrift store shopping is not for everyone. It takes time, it takes patience, and it takes the ability to look at something and really see the potential. My favorite thing to thrift shop for is clothing. I admittedly have a clothes and shoe fetish. I love a variety of styles and I like to change things up pretty regularly so, for that reason alone thrift shopping is ideal. I can’t imagine the amount of money I would spend if I shopped in full-priced retail stores! The satisfaction of walking away from the register with arms full of bags and knowing that you didn’t add to your ever-growing credit card debt or even put a dent in your bank account is oh so sweet! That being said, as much as my friends envy my incredible, one of a kind finds, they often express to me their frustration and anxiety of going to the thrift store. They don’t have the time it takes to look through everything. They never seem to find anything they like, or they don’t really know what to look for.

For those of you who feel this way, I’m going to share a few tips that I have found helpful. First of all, yes, successful thrift shopping does take time. My suggestion is to plan it into your schedule like you would grocery shopping. I feel that a couple of hours is sufficient. Second, bring a list. Just like when you go to the grocery store, think ahead of time about what you are looking for or what you are hoping to find. Having a list helps to ensure that you don’t purchase the whole store except the one item you really wanted (I know this from experience). The third suggestion I have is to enjoy yourself. You’re not in a hurry because you planned time out of your schedule remember? So, you can relax, take your time and sticking to your list as closely as possible will take away the anxiety of not knowing what you’re looking for. I also try to keep in mind that just because I like something, that doesn’t mean I have to buy it. The thrift world is huge and can be overwhelming. I have questions that I ask myself when deciding what to buy. Is it on the list? If it’s not, that doesn’t mean you can’t get it, but I’ll get to that in a minute. If it is on the list, is it in good shape? Depending on the store, it is very important to check things over for missing buttons, broken zippers, stains, cracks…etc. I also ask if it is worth the money? This can be especially good if you are shopping in a higher end thrift store as the items can be marked up quite a bit.

I said I would come back to the question of whether an item is on your list or not. For me, part of the enjoyment is coming across that special treasure. The item you didn’t realize you needed or wanted, or that item that you have been looking everywhere for but never thought you could find it in a thrift shop. Trust me, it will happen and when it does, get it! You can use the last two questions from above to help you decide. I also like to try and picture wearing or using the item to determine if it is worth venturing away from my list for.

truly hope those suggestions were useful. It would be a shame to miss out on something so magical because your afraid to give it a try! I mentioned at the beginning that thrift shopping was special to me. One of the reasons for that is I have come to think of my time there as a walk down memory lane or a peek through space and time into the lives of others. When I’m not perusing the clothes and shoes, I love to look at the knick- knacks. The old appliances and dishes, and even the artwork and paintings. I like to try and imagine what kind of a life they have had and who they might have belonged to. Sometimes, I recognize items that remind me of my own childhood. When I’m looking through the clothes, I have come across articles of clothing that I have owned in the past and I may have donated to the store years ago and I wonder if it could possibly be the exact same one. What once was old to me became new to someone else, then old to them and now it’s back just waiting to be new again.