Thrift Shopping Hacks You Need

I have a new found love for thrift shopping and it has lead to many long nights watching thrift shop find videos on YouTube. I recently went to a thrift shop in Atlanta and found some GREAT pieces and learned a few tips and tricks. Here are my hacks for going thrift shopping that I hope you’ll find helpful on your next trip to the thrift store!

1. BYOB (BRING YOUR OWN BAG)

Certain thrift stores are going eco-friendly and require their customers to bring their own bags to carry their thrift shop finds. The money used towards a plastic bag (usually 5-10 cents) is donated to a charity of your choice. Buffalo Exchange in Atlanta does a great job at furthering this initiative.

2. GO TO THE MEN’S SECTION

For some reason, the men’s section has much cuter and softer clothing. It’s really unfair. I went to the men’s section and I found a few oversized graphic tees that could be DIY’ed so easily! I pictured cropping one shirt and knotting the other. Put on some cute shorts and sandals or sneakers and you’re good to go. Very trendy and chic and best of all – SO SIMPLE. Boom. You’re done.

3. IT’S ALL ABOUT LUCK. DON’T GIVE UP AFTER YOUR FIRST VISIT!

The first time I went thrift shopping, I had no luck. Nada. I found nothing! Sometimes, you don’t always find what you’re looking for but the great thing about thrift stores is that the inventory is constantly being updated. Wait a few days and try again. The second time I went thrift shopping, I found more clothes than I could carry. It’s all about luck, my friends.

4. DONATE CLOTHES AND GET STORE CREDIT OR CASH

Certain stores offer an exchange program. You could donate your clothes and receive either cash or store credit. This is a great way to recycle your closet clean out while helping the environment in the process. If you feel guilty about spending your own money, selling clothes before buying is a win-win situation for you. Who knows, maybe your old clothing could be another person’s treasure!

5. FIND YOUR LOBSTER

Thrifting is very obsessive because all the clothes are crazy cheap. You might feel like purchasing everything and anything in the store just because of how affordable everything is. This defeats the whole point of thrifting. You need to make sure you plan ahead of time, carry a certain amount of money, and only purchase the things your truly love and plan on wearing often. All the other items you don’t LOVE, you can admire from a distance or take a picture with them but do not bring them home unless they’re your lobster.

6. INSPECT YOUR THRIFTED FINDS

Secondhand clothing could have potential defects and need to be inspected closely. Make sure before you purchase anything, you examine your items because most thrift store purchases are final sales. It’s very easy to miss a hole in a shirt or loose thread so make sure to investigate closely or you’ll be upset. Don’t skip this step!

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Giving secondhand clothing a chance is great way to be sustainable and fashionable – all your pieces will be super unique. Let me know if you have any tips for me the next time you visit a thrift store!