How to shop successfully in a thrift store

1. You have to think outside of the box. At thrift/second hand stores every item is unique. When it comes to buying clothes you can not let the size affect the items potential for purchase. ex: If you are a size medium in tops and you find a blazer in a large, the item can easily be sewn in on the sides or be worn a tad bit large. Also, the design of the garment can easily be altered with a little bit of creativity. ex: If you find a long printed skirt that you look at and think that you would never wear that skirt but it would be cute as a dress, then envision pulling the skirt up above your bust and adding a belt to your waist. The skirt will most likely be in the $1 -$6 range, so a $3 versatile skirt is a great bargain. Using your creativity to see the potential in vintage items will play a major role in successful thrift store shopping.

2. Get the best deal possible. Many thrift stores such as Salvation Army, Goodwill, and Second Chance give extra discounts daily. Your Local Salvation Army may choose one day a week every week where most of the store is half off. Other Thrift stores will choose a color for that day where it is an extra percentage off. Finding out your local thrift store daily deals can make your shopping trip a better bargain.

3. Keep an eye out for hot items at thrift stores. You can almost always find a good leather purse/handbag at a thrift store for a steal of a price. If your lucky it may even be designer brand. Depending on your area, the item most likely will not be new, but a vintage leather bag is just as good. Many people may overlook shoes given that they are previously worn, but there are some condition shoes at thrift stores. Some shoes show barely any signs of wear. If the material allows, you can always wash the shoes before you wear them. There are lots of shoes for women, many are classic styles. In the men's shoe collection you can discover some great shoes for guys. There are lots of random dishes in the home goods section of thrift stores. If you are like me than you may not be comfortable with using other people's dishes, but the tea cups and decorative bowls/plates can be used a a jewelry holder. Or used to hold other things on your dresser. Denim finds are also great. There is usually a large denim supply in thrift stores. You can find brands from Levis - Guess for a great deal. Finding the right size may be a challenge, but if you own a sewing machine or can hand alter, finding denim will be much easier for you.

Once you get into this type of shopping it can become addicting to many. You can easily walk out of a thrift store with a trash bag full of stuff and spend a miraculously minimal amount of money. Mothers can shop for there family's clothes here and use the creativity to mix thrifty items with retail items. Trendy woman can shop here for the latest vintage finds. Entrepreneurs can even make money off of secondhand clothes by selling them for more than what they bought them for. There are many Ebay stores that focus solely of selling thrift store items. Do not get discouraged when you walk out of a thrift the first time with barely anything in your bag. It can take a couple tries to obtain these tips and tricks I have shared with you today. Do not give up, the receipt is very satisfying. Happy Shopping!