Who doesn’t love a good treasure-hunt? There is no greater feeling than wearing an outfit that I feel confident and comfortable in, helping me put my best self forward. It is icing on top when I am complimented and I am in a thrift-store find…WIN-WIN!! The value inevitably goes up even further. This is the bonus of thrifting and while fun, is only one reason to explore this practical way of shopping.
With 92 million tons of garments ending up in landfills (Earth.org) it is so important to start to do something to bring about a positive change. Thrifting is a great way to do your small part and have fun doing it. Keep the mindset that your action makes a direct impact for today and the future.
I enjoy physically shopping in one of the many thrift stores in my area. If I am looking for glassware, a good book, or home décor I will stop by any Goodwill. I have found not only replacement items for everyday things for my kitchen especially, but also have been lucky finding specific items. I wanted a large ceramic bowl to fit in my bathroom sink and armed with a tape measure found an ivory bowl that not only fits perfectly but looks nice sitting on the counter when not in use. The going rate for a hard cover book these days is around 25-30 dollars but you can pay just a few dollars at your local Goodwill. Also check out used online book stores like thriftbooks.com and bookscouter.com. Of course, there is no better way to spend a couple of hours than flipping through books, touching pages and breathing them in at a used book store.
When it comes to garments the sky is the limit – it is just knowing where to go for the best chance in finding what you seek. Because jeans wear well and sometimes it is a comfortable worn look you want, this is the easiest score in my opinion. I find that most physical thrift stores have plenty of jeans in stock and all you need is the time to try them on. Other than jeans, when shopping in a physical thrift store, I tend to let the treasure find me. With specifics in mind, I usually start online. There is a plethora of online stores that offer consignment items like SWAP and Vinted. Another great online thrift store is Thred-Up. They have a wide range of clothes and accessories for everyone in the family. I have been a member of Thred-Up for over 10 years now. Their customer service is very good. I have returned items and asked about the condition of items and have been satisfied with resolutions. They rank their items from new with tags to flawed gems and in my opinion, these rankings are mostly accurate. They show more than one picture of each item. They have over 40,000 items in their Work Dress category alone so chances are you will find items to love. It is very easy to send your items in as well and the website is easy to understand and navigate. Of course, there are high-end and luxury used items available as well through sites like The Real Real and Luxury Garage Sale.
Do not forget places like Etsy and E-bay when hunting for a specific item. Need some furniture, handbags, or electronics? There are online places to thrift all of these.
Save some money, have some fun, save the planet, waste less, and find a treasure. Try thrifting! You too will love getting a compliment on an item you saved and re-found for yourself!