10 Thrift Store Shopping Secrets Y'all Should Know

So, today we're going to utter most my favorite thing: thrift stores. As you lot know, I consider myself a truthful patron of the thrift, a master copy of the create out bin. I didn't genuinely laid out to acquire such a person, but when I realized that it was going to damage me thousands of dollars to decorate my house, as well as thence realized that I had most 14 dollars, well, I decided merely to brand the best of the situation. So, I began thrifting. 

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

And thence of course, I started this weblog 2 years ago, as well as everything merely kinda roughshod into place.
I could expand that paragraph into a 400 page novel, but I won't.
 Just know that from limitations comes creativity, thence don't live discouraged if you lot honour yourself inward a similar spot.

Ever since I wrote this post last yr that went viral, I've gotten tons of questions most how I honour such slap-up materials at thrift stores. I don't receive got whatever magic formulas, but I've definitely learned some tips over the years that receive got helped me honour materials that I wouldn't receive got been able to afford or honour elsewhere. So, today I thought I would portion merely 10 of my favorite thrift store shopping secrets, inward the hopes that it volition assist you, too.

Let's acquire started.

#1. It's all most location

I acquire asked all the fourth dimension most how to honour practiced thrift stores, as well as in my experience, a thrift store inward the prissy constituent of town unremarkably has improve materials than the i inward the bad constituent of town, as well as they are unremarkably less picked over. There are e'er exceptions, but usually...
 nice surface area = prissy thrift store. 
For example, I went today (to a nice-area-store) as well as industrial plant life a bunch of stuff, similar this laid of destination tables originally from Bombay. I recall they were $15 for the set. 
I was thence tempted to convey them abode as well as either spray pigment them high gloss navy or utilization Rub n Buff to pigment them gold, but I left them behind because they were a flake likewise minor for what I needed for the bedroom. My search continues...

I also industrial plant life a slap-up Bergere chair for $8. Chairs alongside cushions similar this are pretty tardily to reupholster as well as I thought this i would await genuinely slap-up inward merely most whatever updated fabric, mayhap fifty-fifty something similar the textile I used here. The woods was inward genuinely slap-up condition, but could easily live painted, too.

I also industrial plant life this piece, which was almost perfect the perfect meridian for what I've been looking for (for our tv set in this room), but it had a broken leg that was beyond the betoken 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 merely wanted to purchase it to set random materials inward it....like socks or catfood or remotes.
Jesse: 'Where is the remote?'
Virginia: 'Look inward the elephant.' 

#2. Harness the internet.

Let me innovate you lot to an awesome website. Next fourth dimension you lot desire to honour a novel thrift store inward your area, or anywhere else, merely acquire inward the zip code on thethriftshopper.com. It tells you lot all of the stores listed inward that area, consummate alongside their hours, location, how to sign upwards for their mailing lists, as well as fifty-fifty reviews from other shoppers. It's kinda awesome.

#3. Venture exterior your comfort zone.

  It may audio crazy, but I honey to thrift on vacation. I receive got no thought why, but I tend to honour genuinely cool materials every fourth dimension I do. I've never purchased anything big, but if nosotros receive got our car alongside us, I mightiness marker a few minor items that I love. We went thrifting spell nosotros were inward Florida (as I mentioned inward my vacation post), as well as I definitely industrial plant life a few slap-up items that I've never come upwards across at home.

 I brought abode a ginger jar, 2 milk drinking glass vases, a argent champagne bucket, as well as 3 bronze vino glasses.

I scored the bronze spectacles for a dollar each. And they were a slap-up lilliputian add-on to my colorful kitchen cabinets.
Btw, give thank you lot you guys for all your for amazing java suggestions on Facebook. It took me 85 years to acquire a fancy java machine, but it was worth the wait. 
Whoever recommended Chocolate Covered Donut gets a gilt star. :)

 The argent champagne bucket was my favorite Florida find. I've been looking for i to utilization equally a planter for awhile now, as well as was thence excited to honour i for merely $10. And it totally inspired me to acquire my commencement Orchid, which currently resides inward the office, as well as which I'm certain volition live dead inward a week's time. 

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

#4. The Change of Seasons Rule
As a rule, I honour the best materials when the seasons change.
It's the fourth dimension when people construct clean out their trouble solid as well as give materials away. Just afterwards the commencement of the yr is a slap-up time, too. Not solely is it the deadline for making donations that you lot tin write off on your taxes, but it's also correct afterwards the opor-garai flavor when people receive got bought tons of novel materials as well as are shedding the quondam materials to brand room. Hint: If you lot are inward the mood to construct clean out your house, it's likely a slap-up fourth dimension to thrift store store because everyone else is cleaning out their house, too.

I industrial plant life most of the materials on my mantle inward the commencement duet months of Fall, as well as the thrift stores were absolutely packed alongside materials around that time. The ginger jar, gilt frame, as well as mirror were all industrial plant life there.
That's a mistaken orchid. And no, I don't experience whatever to a greater extent than equipped to enhance a existent orchid afterwards living alongside the mistaken i for a bit.

Here are a duet to a greater extent than items I saw when I checked out a few stores correct afterwards New Years.

I thought that frame was a slap-up find. You could receive got a slice of mirror cutting to agree it, or you lot could utilization it to frame a slap-up slice of art. 

I genuinely ended upwards buying this lilliputian greenish blossom epitome that I industrial plant life for a dollar. It was framed inward a uncomplicated woods frame that I painted gold. 

But, sidenote...can nosotros merely accept a minute to appreciate the pineapple? 

He seems similar he has a slap-up personality.

My lilliputian epitome is genuinely thriving inward the kitchen these days.

Although, at that topographic point are even thence days when I recall of The Pineapple. And what could receive got been...

#5. Find out the best days of the calendar week to shop
 Some days are definitely improve than others when it comes to finding slap-up materials inward a thrift store, as well as I honour out past times talking to the store employees. They are a full wealth of information.
In our area, most stores tend to acquire their novel donations on the weekends, as well as thence they accept 24-36 hours to procedure it. 
This unremarkably results inward Monday, Tuesday, as well as Wed beingness the best days.  
The exception to this dominion (locally) is Goodwill. I croak to Goodwill on Lord's Day because that's when they denote the color of the tag that's going to live discounted for the week, as well as that's when all the practiced sale materials commencement becomes available. Usually past times Mon morning, most of the practiced materials that was discounted is already gone as well as it's merely junky materials left on sale. Our Goodwill also runs sales for 50% everything on the commencement Sabbatum of every month. 
Basically, merely enquire the employees when novel deliveries brand it thence that you lot tin receive got a lead chances at the best stuff. 

Here are merely a few of my finds that I've been able to marker because I knew which days were best to shop. All of these I was able to acquire the infinitesimal they were brought out onto the floor.

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

And this genuinely slap-up navy vase for $8 that I sneak peeked on Instagram.

And thence this genuinely slap-up mirror (that ended upwards inward the post most the dresser I painted dorsum inward December). 

Also, merely yesterday I industrial plant life this lilliputian guy for $4.

He'll probable brand an appearance on the argent leafed vanity inward an upcoming post most the bedchamber updates.

#6. Frequency is key.

Great trade moves fast inward thrift stores. Sometimes it's sold the infinitesimal the staff sets it out on the floor. So, the to a greater extent than you lot go, the to a greater extent than you lot honour practiced stuff. I do a quick 'pop in' a duet times a calendar week at fundamental times, which agency I speedily dart around the store for most 5 minutes to encounter if there's anything there. For example, I went to my favorite store on Fri as well as didn't honour a thing. Then yesterday, I went inward as well as industrial plant life this lilliputian precious rock for most $5. I've been wanting a garden stool for ages, but could never honour i nether $100 fifty-fifty at discount stores. 
Which is pure insanity.
I'm thinking of spray epitome it to await similar situation), as well as you lot tin genuinely honour some slap-up stuff. 

You tin see the primary Goodwill site here as well as the Goodwill Books site here.

#9. Get a discount

 This may non be inward your area, but if it does, acquire excited. Our local schools number schoolhouse coupon books in i lawsuit a schoolhouse year. They damage most $10 each as well as receive got a crazy amount of coupons inside. I unremarkably purchase i or 2 every year, for the sole argue that at that topographic point is unremarkably 2-3 coupons within for thrift stores. And some of the coupons you lot tin fifty-fifty re-use in i lawsuit a month. For example, our majority has a re-useable coupon for 20% off your purchase at KARM (one of my local faves), as well as i for 25% off at Goodwill. 
Basically, it's saves me tons of coin when I thrift, as well as at that topographic point are also tons of coupons for gratis burgers as well as milkshakes. 
I do it for the children.

And terminal but non least...

#10. Don't accept it likewise seriously.
 Thrift store shopping should live fun. And you lot shouldn't live spending tons of coin or turning into a famous A&E hoarder. If you're doing either, you lot should likely sit down downwards as well as nibble on your thoughts for a minute. And if something you lot bought breaks or doesn't move or turns out to live a terrible lapse inward sentence (been there, girl), merely high 5 yourself as well as shrug it off. You paid 99 cents. It's okay.

For me, the goal is simple. I honey finding things that receive got seen improve days (but receive got tons of potential) as well as thinking most how to brand them amazing in i lawsuit to a greater extent than or how to reuse them inward a dissimilar way. And thence I do it, as well as salve tons of money. Because rather than spending thousands of dollars on all novel stuff, I've been able to repurpose a lot of quondam materials that's ended upwards beingness pretty cool inward the end.
And my promise is that this weblog shows you lot that you lot tin do it, too.  


That's all for today, ya'll.
Thanks for visiting my weblog today. Ya know I hateful it. 
 You tin banking corporation check out my other thrift store posts
 here, here, as well as (the best one) here.

And I'll live dorsum presently to portion my 10 spray pigment tips, my favorite project yet, the bedchamber reveal, as well as the craziest affair that's ever happened on this blog. Ever.
'Til adjacent time!

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