10 Thrift Store Shopping Secrets You Should Know

So, today we're going to talk about my favorite thing: thrift stores. As you know, I consider myself a true patron of the thrift, a master of the bargain bin. I didn't really set out to become such a person, but when I realized that it was going to cost me thousands of dollars to decorate my house, and then realized that I had about fourteen dollars, well, I decided just to make the best of the situation. So, I began thrifting. 

  Over the course of about three years, I've been to a billion thrift stores (rough estimate) and managed to occasionally decorate my house pretty well 
(with the exception of this).

And then of course, I started this blog two years ago, and everything just kinda fell into place.
I could expand that paragraph into a 400 page novel, but I won't.
 Just know that from limitations comes creativity, so don't be discouraged if you find yourself in a similar spot.

Ever since I wrote this post last year that went viral, I've gotten tons of questions about how I find such great stuff at thrift stores. I don't have any magic formulas, but I've definitely learned some tips over the years that have helped me find stuff that I wouldn't have been able to afford or find elsewhere. So, today I thought I would share just 10 of my favorite thrift store shopping secrets, in the hopes that it will help you, too.

Let's get started.

#1. It's all about location

I get asked all the time about how to find good thrift stores, and in my experience, a thrift store in the nice part of town usually has better stuff than the one in the bad part of town, and they are usually less picked over. There are always exceptions, but usually...
 nice area = nice thrift store. 
For example, I went today (to a nice-area-store) and found a bunch of stuff, like this set of end tables originally from Bombay. I think they were $15 for the set. 
I was so tempted to bring them home and either spray paint them high gloss navy or use Rub n Buff to paint them gold, but I left them behind because they were a bit too small for what I needed for the bedroom. My search continues...

I also found a great Bergere chair for $8. Chairs with cushions like this are pretty easy to reupholster and I thought this one would look really great in just about any updated fabric, maybe even something like the fabric I used here. The wood was in really great condition, but could easily be painted, too.

I also found this piece, which was almost perfect the perfect height for what I've been looking for (for our tv in this room), but it had a broken leg that was beyond the point of my woodworking-skill-level-of-zero.
Sidenote: That elephant planter totally mesmerized me. I stared at it for 5 minutes wondering if it was absolutely amazing or absolutely hideous. I kinda just wanted to buy it to put random stuff in it....like socks or catfood or remotes.
Jesse: 'Where is the remote?'
Virginia: 'Look in the elephant.' 

#2. Harness the internet.

Let me introduce you to an awesome website. Next time you want to find a new thrift store in your area, or anywhere else, just enter the zip code on thethriftshopper.com. It tells you all of the stores listed in that area, complete with their hours, location, how to sign up for their mailing lists, and even reviews from other shoppers. It's kinda awesome.

#3. Venture outside your comfort zone.

  It may sound crazy, but I love to thrift on vacation. I have no idea why, but I tend to find really cool stuff every time I do. I've never purchased anything big, but if we have our car with us, I might score a few small items that I love. We went thrifting while we were in Florida (as I mentioned in my vacation post), and I definitely found a few great items that I've never come across at home.

 I brought home a ginger jar, two milk glass vases, a silver champagne bucket, and three bronze wine glasses.

I scored the bronze glasses for a dollar each. And they were a great little addition to my colorful kitchen cabinets.
Btw, thank you guys for all your for amazing coffee suggestions on Facebook. It took me 85 years to get a fancy coffee machine, but it was worth the wait. 
Whoever recommended Chocolate Covered Donut gets a gold star. :)

 The silver champagne bucket was my favorite Florida find. I've been looking for one to use as a planter for awhile now, and was so excited to find one for just $10. And it totally inspired me to get my first Orchid, which currently resides in the office, and which I'm sure will be dead in a week's time. 

 I swore to him that if he came to live with me, I would keep him alive. But, I'm already getting nervous after the situation with Vern's friend. Any tips?

#4. The Change of Seasons Rule
As a rule, I find the best stuff when the seasons change.
It's the time when people clean out their house and give stuff away. Just after the first of the year is a great time, too. Not only is it the deadline for making donations that you can write off on your taxes, but it's also right after the holiday season when people have bought tons of new stuff and are shedding the old stuff to make room. Hint: If you are in the mood to clean out your house, it's probably a great time to thrift store shop because everyone else is cleaning out their house, too.

I found most of the stuff on my mantle in the first couple months of Fall, and the thrift stores were absolutely packed with stuff around that time. The ginger jar, gold frame, and mirror were all found there.
That's a fake orchid. And no, I don't feel any more equipped to raise a real orchid after living with the fake one for a bit.

Here are a couple more items I saw when I checked out a few stores right after New Years.

I thought that frame was a great find. You could have a piece of mirror cut to fit it, or you could use it to frame a great piece of art. 

I actually ended up buying this little green flower painting that I found for a dollar. It was framed in a simple wood frame that I painted gold. 

But, sidenote...can we just take a moment to appreciate the pineapple? 

He seems like he has a great personality.

My little painting is really thriving in the kitchen these days.

Although, there are still days when I think of The Pineapple. And what could have been...

#5. Find out the best days of the week to shop
 Some days are definitely better than others when it comes to finding great stuff in a thrift store, and I find out by talking to the store employees. They are a total wealth of information.
In our area, most stores tend to get their new donations on the weekends, and then they take 24-36 hours to process it. 
This usually results in Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday being the best days.  
The exception to this rule (locally) is Goodwill. I go to Goodwill on Sunday because that's when they announce the color of the tag that's going to be discounted for the week, and that's when all the good sale stuff first becomes available. Usually by Monday morning, most of the good stuff that was discounted is already gone and it's just junky stuff left on sale. Our Goodwill also runs sales for 50% everything on the first Saturday of every month. 
Basically, just ask the employees when new deliveries arrive so that you can have a chance at the best stuff. 

Here are just a few of my finds that I've been able to score because I knew which days were best to shop. All of these I was able to get the minute they were brought out onto the floor.

I got this mirror for just $10. Total fave.

And this really great navy vase for $8 that I sneak peeked on Instagram.

And then this really great mirror (that ended up in the post about the dresser I painted back in December). 

Also, just yesterday I found this little guy for $4.

He'll likely make an appearance on the silver leafed vanity in an upcoming post about the bedroom updates.

#6. Frequency is key.

Great merchandise moves fast in thrift stores. Sometimes it's sold the minute the staff sets it out on the floor. So, the more you go, the more you find good stuff. I do a quick 'pop in' a couple times a week at key times, which means I quickly dart around the store for about 5 minutes to see if there's anything there. For example, I went to my favorite store on Friday and didn't find a thing. Then yesterday, I went in and found this little gem for about $5. I've been wanting a garden stool for ages, but could never find one under $100 even at discount stores. 
Which is pure insanity.
I'm thinking of spray painting it to look like this, but I'm taking a minute to ponder it.
Thoughts?

#7. Sign up for the email mailing list

Not all stores have an email mailing list, but if they do, it's a great way to find out about sales or special promotions. For example, one of the local stores has a 50% Off sale every couple of months, and they usually send out an email announcing it. There's also a couple small thrift stores in our area that actually send out a weekly email with photos of their stuff, like this chair.

Or these really great lamps. Either would be amazing with a modern shade. 

#8. Shop online.

Did you know that you can shop Goodwill online?

They list tons of their best stuff on their site, and all at great prices. My favorites categories are the art, home, and tableware sections. Goodwill also has a totally separate site just for books. I've mentioned several times on this blog how I always look at the book section every time I go to the thrift store. I'm constantly using pages from books as cheap art (like the horse situation), and you can really find some great stuff. 

You can visit the main Goodwill site here and the Goodwill Books site here.

#9. Get a discount

 This may not exist in your area, but if it does, get excited. Our local schools issue school coupon books once a school year. They cost about $10 each and have a crazy amount of coupons inside. I usually buy one or two every year, for the sole reason that there is usually 2-3 coupons inside for thrift stores. And some of the coupons you can even re-use once a month. For example, our book has a re-useable coupon for 20% off your purchase at KARM (one of my local faves), and one for 25% off at Goodwill. 
Basically, it's saves me tons of money when I thrift, and there are also tons of coupons for free burgers and milkshakes. 
I do it for the children.

And last but not least...

#10. Don't take it too seriously.
 Thrift store shopping should be fun. And you shouldn't be spending tons of money or turning into a famous A&E hoarder. If you're doing either, you should probably sit down and nibble on your thoughts for a minute. And if something you bought breaks or doesn't work or turns out to be a terrible lapse in judgement (been there, girl), just high five yourself and shrug it off. You paid 99 cents. It's okay.

For me, the goal is simple. I love finding things that have seen better days (but have tons of potential) and thinking about how to make them amazing again or how to reuse them in a different way. And then I do it, and save tons of money. Because rather than spending thousands of dollars on all new stuff, I've been able to repurpose a lot of old stuff that's ended up being pretty cool in the end.
And my hope is that this blog shows you that you can do it, too.  


That's all for today, ya'll.
Thanks for visiting my blog today. Ya know I mean it. 
 You can check out my other thrift store posts
 here, here, and (the best one) here.

And I'll be back soon to share my 10 spray paint tips, my favorite project yet, the bedroom reveal, and the craziest thing that's ever happened on this blog. Ever.
'Til next time!

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