I do almost all of my clothes shopping at thrift stores and I have found some of the best items that look almost new for only a few dollars. I've been able to put together entire outfits for under $20. The trick to thrift store shopping is to look closely at the racks. Sometimes a great item will be hiding between lots of boring things so you have to really flip through each item to see what it is. Also, it helps to shop fairly frequently if you are on the hunt for a specific type of garment. I have saved probably hundreds of dollars by shopping thrift stores rather than for brand new clothes.
My mom had to do community service recently and since it was an infraction, the court sent her to work in a non-profit donation center. Anyway, she said that some of the things were really nice but others had armpit stains. She brought me a shirt from the attached thrift store and though it was nice, it had a strong body aroma. It wasn't offensive but just a little stinky. Washed it in Gain and now there's no scent.
It's great to hear that I'm not the only one buying clothes almost exclusively from thrift shops You're right, by going often and by looking around with a keen eye you can score some really good looking items at a fraction of the original price. Me, I like searching for well known brands, brands that are known for their quality and looks so if you peek in my wardrobe now you'd think I spend like crazy on expensive clothes hehe.
Another way to get only the best when shopping at thrift stores is to shop only when they restock. By making friends with one of the clerks you get inside info about when that is done either daily or weekly. Armed with that information, you should be able to sift through what's on offer to get only the highest quality clothes that look almost new. I also get my clothes mostly from thrift stores and looking at them, you wouldn't guess where I got them.
Great tip Denis, I haven't been shopping super regularly lately since I don't currently need anything, but I will definitely keep that in mind and see if I can find out when restocking is done. I certainly have noticed there are times when there is a lot of great stuff and times when there seems to be nothing I'm interested in at all.
You really can get some amazing bargains if you're just willing to put the effort in and look around. This is something that I have found myself in recent years, because I have had to cut back on my spending due to the fact that we're currently trying to buy a new house and save enough for new furniture as well. I once found a pair of jeans that still had the label on that were on sale for £1, and were being sold for £40 further up the highstreet. It's just amazing, but you definitely have to have enough patience to go through all the racks and have a look. Obviously not everything will be in your size so it can take a bit of time, but the patience will almost certainly pay off in the end.
Most of my clothes come from thrift stores, too. It's so much cheaper and you can find some amazing deals. So long as the clothes are in good condition and fit, I see no reason to buy them from thrift stores!
Same here! There's a thrift store about 10 miles from me and another one 5 miles after the nearest one. My favorite thrift store is at least 20 miles from my home. Oh my goodness, I have found the best items inside of this store. I have never had a taste for expensive items, even as a child. Don't get me wrong because I do shop at Walmart or Target from time to time. And if I had the money, I would shop at Macy's in a second, but I found equally great pieces at thrift stores. My boyfriend's sister got me into going to thrift stores late last year and I have been hooked every since.
I've also found a good amount of items in thrift shops that I was able to save a lot on. The best purchase I ever got was a solo sofa that only costs about $50 and it was very comfortable. I had it cleaned by a professional first of course because I'm very paranoid about these types of items and just most second hand items in general, but it was nice enough for me to want to risk it.
Isn't it the truth? I LOVE going to the thrift store for clothes shopping because I like to save money. Why spend 15 bucks or more on a shirt when I can get it for $5 or less? And a nearly new looking one at that? I cringe when I on occasion go into a regular department store and see the ridiculous prices, I honestly wouldn't want to spend that kind of money even if I could afford it lol.
My sister in law had a fit when she found out that I always go to thrift stores. She took me to another store and bought me a outfit that cost like 50 dollars. It stays in my closet most of the time as I think I have to be going somewhere special to wear something that expensive. I would rather spend my time looking and finding a outfit fir 20 dollars or less. I also love going to thrift stores for my children's clothing. They out grow them so fast I don't see the point in paying a lot of money for them.
Excellent tips everyone! The best thrift store score I found was a white sweater. It not only fit me perfectly, but complemented my fall and winter attire. I tend to shop for clothing all over the place. The best thrift stores are located in higher end neighborhoods. People with extra cash definitely recycle better quality items.
I don't see that much thrift stores in the area where I live, so I just shop for clothes when the mall goes on sale. But during the rare times that I shopped on thrift stores, most clothes sell for around $1 to $2 for ladies clothes, and they look decent enough to be worn outside, while some clothes look old already.
I always dig through thrift stores before looking into buying nearly anything non-food related. I was able to find a full-sized, large wooden dresser for $15 at Goodwill. I could've gotten the same at Wal-mart for $75+ according to my research. Nearly all of my clothes are from Goodwill. It's always a steal to get an entire wardrobe for the price of one shirt at JC-Penny's or other clothing stores.
