Ten Tips for Thrift Store Shopping
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 ส.ค. 2024
- We've been thrift store shopping for over 40 years! Watch this video to learn our best tips, hacks, and strategies. Get the best quality items! Find discounts. Score the best deals! Pay the lowest prices! Know how, when, and where to shop!
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I completely furnished an entire 2 bedroom home on $250 from thrift stores. I was given extra discounts for asking and explaining what I was doing. I was completely starting over again. It was so much fun. I had a nice cozy home.
My best thrift store find was a lace dress for $7. I tried it on in the store with my hair in braids and wearing tennis shoes. I knew this was my Cinderella dress. I wore it the first time to the ballet with a pretend diamond necklace, bracelet and earrings. I got so many admiring looks and compliments that night. One of my students, a lovely international student from Asia, told me I was beautiful. I have worn the dress to formal teas -- even had my picture in the paper, have worn it to opening night at the Shakespeare Festival in Stratford Ontario, won a prize of 2 free tickets to a play from a local community theatre costume contest at Death Takes A Holiday and have worn it to the opera. When people compliment me I like to tell them my unmentionables cost more than the dress! My $7 magic dress goes into the washing machine on delicate and line dries with no wrinkles.
Now I want to see that dress!
GREAT comment!
A couple years ago while wedding dress shopping with my friend who was getting married. We found one that was discounted at the bridal shop for $800 regular $1400 but we walked out of the store empty handed. Later I went to a second hand shop a few days later and the EXACT same wedding dress was there in the costume section for $25. I picked it up and she wore it for her wedding.
I love this story!!!
The wedding dress situation was a blessing !
Did they stay married? Is it a bad omen to wear a second hand dress? 🤔
@@Petapan33 , your question reminded me of a story. About three months before Larry and I married, we introduced his good friend, Pat, to my roommate, Janet. They went out a few times and decided that they were destined to be friends. When we got back from our honeymoon we were surprised to see Pat's car in the apartment complex parking lot. It turns out that Pat was picking her up for a date. I guess they saw each other at our wedding and reconsidered their "friend zone" decision. They were married six months later. Oh! And Janet found her gown used - They have been married for 31 years. So, I guess there is no "used dress" curse.
@@Petapan33 I think it's a good omen to start a marriage with a thrifty tone. Think what you could do with all the money you save!
I have been sewing for over 40 years, and fabric prices can be quite steep. One way to find less costly fabric yardage is to shop for large clothing on the $ racks. I bought a size X-LARGE skirt made of micro suede for $2, and it had over 2 yards of fabric in it after disassembly.
I get sheets for .99. Lots of yardage, 100% cotton, cute prints. They make great aprons, skirts and pajamas.
Years back I bought a dark long Cashmere Coat from Good Will for $15.00. I saw similar Regular Priced $3,495.00 for Ralph Lauren for $1,745.00. I still have this sharp top coat to show I'm not always a bum
I consider myself a pretty frugal veteran---but I learn and gleam SO MUCH useful information from each of your videos that I'd never thought of or knew. I never thought about thrift store sales, I thought it was a kept secret! Holycow, game changer. You guys inspire me.
I don't like buying clothes new, except underwear. New clothes are going to *look* used after three washes anyway, and no one knows I didn't wear in these jeans myself. ;) And the sheer variety you can find in a thrift store way outdoes the shopping mall. It's like buying a new car: it depreciates the moment you take it off the lot lol.
I found a cute pair of grey suede pumps with bows at Salvation Army. I looked up the brand when I got home and learned they were made by an Italian bespoke shoe company that makes shoes starting at $500! I got them for $2.50.
I LOVE this story!! I hope that they are comfortable and you love how you feel when you wear them.
Tip #11 bring a tape measure for like pant sizes or see if that furniture item will fit for you.
Used to work at a thrift store & honestly got *super* tired of people asking for extra discounts on stuff that was already cheap. People would try to switch price tags or just steal stuff outright, or would pick up receipts in the parking lot & "return" any random item for store credit. The employees aren't paid super well & they put up with a lot already, just saying. I agree with most everything else you said & I still do a lot of shopping at St Vinny's.
Customer service can be a nightmare, my daughter works in a coffee shop and is tired of people stealing and constantly cheating , they have even stolen their tips jar 🙄
You get Thrift Stores in your blood...your hooked!! Make a list of things your looking for and TRY to stick to it. Lol. Once in a s while you will find something that you know is a good deal. One time I found a set of 91 domino’s in a cherry wood case with 4 domino holders. I called hubby (he plays them), when I sent him photos of it he was all excited. After my senior discount I payed $9.72 for a set that was worth over $120. Know your prices.
There's a thrift shop in the next town over, they have a certain section of shelves, chock full of cds, dvds and books. You can fill a whole paper bag or two with these items, and pay only 75 cents per bag! I have built quite a home library from those shelves, as well as bought several books on plants, flowers and trees, for my Botany Major daughter! I and my husband also shop for clothing strictly at thrift shops. The only things we buy at Walmart regular price, is socks and underthings. I buy most of my makeup at Dollar Tree, on clearance, or I buy less expensive brands at places like Walmart, Family Dollar, and Dollar General. Additionally, we purchase kitchen items like flatware, drinking cups, plates, and utensils second hand. I collect soft toys, and have found many unique types in the 50 cent bin at the Goodwill in our city. All they need is a 30 minute spin on high heat in the dryer, with a softener sheet, to sterilize and freshen them. I hope these ideas help. Happy hunting!🙂🙂💖💖💖💖💯💯
I buy bedsheets & curtains in good condition to use for sewing fabric. I'll also buy clothing items simply for the buttons. New buttons are expensive.
Brilliant idea! I have my mother-in-law's button box, where she kept buttons from worn out clothing for reuse. I was able to use a set of her bakelite buttons from the 1950s for my vintage winter coat that I picked up at a church rummage sale for $2.00.
That's a great idea 😊
I love sewing, too. But if you don't pay attention, you spend a huge amount of money for sewing stuff...
@@UndertheMedian I love fancy buttons!
Oh my gosh....Popcorn by Hot Butter! We used to play that for the kids when the weather kept them inside. They would bounce around the house and off the furniture.
I always carry a small tape measure in my bag. Amazing how helpful that has been over the years. Also as a sewist I don’t necessarily pass over a good quality item that needs a little love. It’s amazing what people will discard that could be fixed with a very minor repair. Good video!
Carrying a tape measure is a great idea. I love that you know how to do those repairs. I'm pretty lost unless it's a seam or a button. Thanks for your comment.
Same here to both things you said. :)
I built a 'classical' home library of over 400 books from mostly thrift store purchases, i.e. Dante's Divine Comedy, the Iliad/Odyssey, a dozen books on Shakespeare, all Jane Austen books, all Bronte books (Anne, Charlotte and Emily) all Charles Dickens' novels, Thomas Hardy, Tolstoy, Fall of the Roman Empire, etc. I'm now at the age where I wish to share my reading legacy w/ others. After recently talking w/ my township supervisor; he's agreed to accept my gift of 400 books (w/ their three bookcases) for our township's very first library! I'm over the moon, knowing my books will now be read by many others.
I love thrifting!! I thrift everything I wear! I thrift for furniture! It’s so much fun because you never know what you will find!!! My local Salvation Army has discounts for veterans and seniors!! Hugs from Michigan! Tomorrow at Salvation Army all clothing is 50% off for Black Friday!! ❤
A man who enjoys shopping....I love that
I appreciate your tips. Thank you. I don't carry a magnifying glass with me - never thought about carrying a flashlight & may start. I use my phone and take a picture. I can then look at the picture and enlarge it.
I have found that if you are looking for a specific size, check the other size sections as well. Sometimes an item gets put in the wrong size section. Also check the actual size on the clothing's tag. I have found that sometimes the item either has the wrong size on the store tag, or it is in the wrong size section on the rack.
We are lucky we have a second hand store that has a little bit of everything.i love that store i do crafts with my grandkids sometimes they even have craft supplies
I will sometimes take an occasional Saturday and use it as my "thrift store" day and go around to all of the ones located in our area, and it definitely A LOT of fun!
We used to do that a lot more than we do now. You're right, though. Definitely fun to do occasionally, though!
Just discovered you guys this morning! You are full of good advice and just so darn cute! Thanks!
Thanks, April, for your kind words.
Great analysis! I’ll look at my Thrift stores more closely now. I didn’t realize there were sales cycles. I hadn’t paid attention to this.
Thank you for this great information!
A Colorado Viewer
You are very welcome. Thanks for watching.
I’ve also found that some stores overprice one category and underprice others. One store near me has great prices on books and children’s clothes but are overpriced for women’s wear. Another thrift is overpriced for toys but great for board games. The same store is overpriced for men & women’s shoes but great for women & kids clothes.
For the best prices I love yard/garage sales. I’ve bought designer kids & baby clothes, tags on for 25 cents. I don’t have little ones anymore but they make great gifts 🎁. We lived in a water front community and in the fall and spring we picked up kayaks with paddles and life vests for $100-200. The $200 was a 2 seater. After years of extensive use we sold them for more then we paid.
You are absolutely right. I think garage sales often offer the best prices. You got a GREAT deal on the kayaks!
@19:32, taking me back to the 70s with 'Popcorn'. Had that as a 45 lolz
A wonderful store near us called Faith at Work has an annual purse sale of donated used purses with proceeds going to charity. I love it! One year, I got a beautiful Jenna Cator (spelling?) purse! I love that the proceeds go to charity!
Buying 2nd hand clothes is better. They are usually already shrunk in the wash. Take them home wash them really good. Great way to save money
Especially for kids' clothes, if they still look good on the thrift rack, they will likely be sturdy for another round. You never know with retail purchases if they will pill, fade, shrink... Also, some brands like Stride Rite and Oshkosh will stand behind items that don't wear well.
Wow! You two are really good at this stuff. Haha, love the bloopers.
The store near me has a wheel you spin. I got 85% off.
That is awesome! That's like hitting the jackpot, isn't it? Love it!
That sounds like so much fun!
The stores that I've been to most recently only do the percentage off certain color tags on certain days which I miss out on often because of my work schedule. I like the idea of maybe getting a deal any day of the week.
❤Fantastic tips and I think the 'bloopers,' at the end were my favourite😊
We also look at pawn shops for certain items. My husband does side work, carpentry, and twice he was able to find new in the box and saved $300 on one and about $189 on the other.
Great tips, always take list to grocery store or I’ll forget. Yes, always show Store clerk what your bringing in the store ( goodwills) and also if you should need to return, they will only give you store Credit.
I just found you guys tonight! Great tips and adore your energies.
I have to say though, your oh boy and rambles are so good! It's enjoyable to listen to versus your scripted text. First I found you two. God bless♡♡
Thank you, Nicole! That just made my day.
Amazing tips for sure. I love thrift stores. Thank you for sharing. Was going to give you the cell phone tip about taking a photo and enlarging it to see fine print but someone beat me to it.
In addition to a baby flashlight and a magnifying glass, a baby tape measure is handy. Too a pocket screwdriver and a small adjustable wrench are sometimes handy. I always carry a 4" pair of good quality "Vice Gips" or simular pliers in my pocket.
Most things in my home is second hand, the best thing that I got is my 3 seater sofa with 2 recliner s and its leather they were going to put in the hard rubbish pick up! I just covered a friend's fuel and it is all mine!
We (mum and me) have picked up good quality crystal, fun jewellery and glassware! I do like a good op shop (its what we call them) I've also donated a lot to them in the past and have even worked/volunteer in one lots of fun! For silver look for 925 can be really difficult to see if its not stamped with 925 its probably not silver.
Absolute best video and tips you guys ever made! Using your frugal moneysaving methods in a thrift store is saving double. Moneysaving 2.0
I love you both. Love learning from you!
We moved cross country during the covid lockdowns, so we didn't rent a truck because public restrooms and hotels were sparsely available. When we found a home, we thrifted almost an entire household to replace all of the things we left behind. Saved thousands! However, the businesses that advertise $19.99 pickup truck rentals are lying. Time, gas, mileage, taxes always added up to about $70 for the afternoon.
I have been known to simply look at the clothing racks in thrift stores and know my specific brands without even looking at the tag!
That's an awesome skill to have!
Our local thrift store is ran by the community church women (all volunteers).. for over thirty years they’ve donated their profits back to the community. While shopping “bag day” I received an emergency call.. my daughter was in premature labor.. these beautiful souls stopped and prayed.. love these women! (Adorable Healthy two year old, now!) We donated (with their permission) lilac baby bushes (off our beautiful old fashioned white) to them.. it was a hit!
We couldn't love this story more! Love it! Two of our four sons have worked for a local thrift store. The proceeds go to support programs for homeless and poor women and children. They have both found it very satisfying to work for an organization where the proceeds stay local and actually help people in our community.
I really like the idea of taking a flashlight. The lighting is often poor and I would bring something home to find is was not the colour I thought, and did not match with the clothing piece I had in mind.
Also, electronics are often checked, but I have purchased several things that don't work.
I sell jewelry at an antique store. Long story when I go into certain thrift stores and buy bulk jewelry by telling them before throwing jewelry away I'll buy it at a fare market price to help them and I still make money on the back end
I love your blooper reel! You both look like you're having fun! Thanks for all the great tips!
When I met Larry 38 years ago I was first stuck by how kind was and secondly, his sense of humor. We have always laughed a lot together. I still laugh at his puns and I still think he's the nicest guy I've ever met.
Another great video. I love thrifting. I thrift almost every week and I learned something new.
If you have an IPhone, you may try turning on the flashlight on the phone, then open the camera and use the zoom feature that you would usually use for picture taking. This way you don’t have to carry a bulky flashlight or magnifying glass. Just an idea :)
I love going to the weigh and pay thrift store in my area. I'm a reseller and I find homco figurines along with the occasional video game. I do like buying merchandise for home use. 19 pounds and less is a dollar per pound 20 lbs to 39 lbs us 75 cents per lb 40 lbs and more is 50 cents per lb.
I bring a tape measure with me. I know my clothing measurements. I check each piece I plan to buy. In the past,I've bought the clothing that is the right size but is shrunk from over drying. I don't like trying on clothes at thrift stores. I can also measure furniture and things to make sure they will fit my space before buying it.
That is a fantastic tip!
The bloopers were hysterical! Loved them!
I’m good at window shopping.
I love this radio show!
Excellent tips. Thank you
Awesome! Thanks for sharing!😊
You're very welcome. Thanks for watching.
I found good Stuffs at Unique Thrift Store some Tiffany&Co Vase $2.99 ,and Silver Bracelet $5.99
Great bargains! I love it when that happens.
These are helpful tips. I should thrift more often.
I just found your channel tonight while putting our youngest to bed... you remind me so much of my parents and how our family lived growing up. I find myself gravitating towards the same lifestyle now with kids of my own and being a stay at home mom like my mom was. We had a great childhood and I wouldn’t have changed anything!
Awww... thanks, Jill. Your kind words warm our hearts. Thank you!
Great tips! I also shop with a measuring tape. It's annoying to buy an item and it doesn't really fit. I use one of those sewing measuring tapes that retract from the Dollartree. They're almost like ones from the hardware stores, but so much smaller and lighter
Great tip! I love Dollar Tree.
Great ideas!!
Very good advice and tips.
If there is a button missing near the top, remove the button from the bottom, it will be less noticeable and if its a shirt, you can replace the bottom one, or tuck it in,
Good tip!
I also ask for discounts on items where a button is loose or missing, or there is a small stain or tear (Things that I feel that I could probably fix.). Often thrift stores and even goodwill will discount the items by 50% or more, because once those things are pointed out they would have to throw the item away anyway.
From watching the 'bloopers', you two are having way too much fun. LOLOLOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We truly do have fun together. Thanks!
I also carry a tape measure in purse.
Military veterans and their spouses get a discount at the D.A.V stores every Tuesday. I know because my husband is retired military. :)
thank you both, for being a military family.
Great tips! Plus, I love the take-outs at the end, LOL. Y'all crack me up!
Thanks, Autumn! We had a great time doing the video. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Out takes?😳
You speak very clearly. Your husband is amused by your talks :)) I like you laugh at what you say ! It is great you both have same goals ... but i m sure if Larry was the saver it couldn’t work out ...
I do shop for my clothing and shoes at thrifts stores. I have my favorite shops as well. I bought a Sunbeam mixette and at the cash register the lady left it to me for 3$ only. Bought a pair of MERRELL hiking winter boots. I did not know that brand but i saw it was of an excellent quality and bought them for about 15$ and i checked at home on Google and they were worth 210$. I made a pretty good deal there and LOVE THE BOOTS AND THEY ARE EVER SO COMFORTABLE.
Great buys!! I love deals like that.
Same here with Keen hiking boots😁
Yes same here I have 8 kiddos and I love keen and merrell and we have found many great pairs for under a dollar and the soles last forever.
@@jessicabulloch5302 i dont know that brand Keen. But it's a great find. Espiacelly with 8 youngsters at home. But in Canada things are a bit more expensive. But still, i still have my Merrell boots. Wore them today when i went shopping. We had some more snow. Here in Canada we have about six months of winter.🤪🤪🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Hot buttered popcorn on the reel to reel, I haven't hear that song in years!
Started keeping list of random things I need on phone. Missing game pieces. A curtain. Whatever. And I have a little tape measure in my purse. If an item isn't perfect, nope.
I love these tips. Keeping a tape measure in your purse is a terrific idea!
I also keep one each of AA & AAA batteries. Love clocks!🙏❤🙏
Great tips
Thanks for the tips and the outtakes were hysterical 😂
Thanks. We haven't added them to recent videos. Maybe we should go back to putting them on. Larry wants to. He really enjoyed editing the blooper reel.
@@UndertheMedian
YES on Bloopers!!! Fun!
Yah are so stinking cute!!
I carry a tape measure with me for any large or bulky items. I also keep a list with me of things that I’m looking for clothing wise. I have specific brands that I like for work clothes and I know how those brands fit me and the sizes are fairly consistent. I don’t usually look for the sales at thrift stores because I feel like if I find what I’m looking for it’s a win! Any extra savings is a bonus.
Goodwill‘s in our area (Central PA) offer 10% off everyday for veterans. You just have to show proof and the discount is permanently added to your Goodwill store card.
Thanks for that reminder! We always look for senior citizen discounts, too.
Goodwill is also the best place to buy used electronics as they are one of the few thrift stores that will refund or replace a nonworking item. Many thrift stores sell on an as is basis
I’m a sharp dressing man and a frugal one at that haha so I love thrift store I learn a little bit of working the sewing machine back in high school very easy to hem your own clothing and make everything look pricier since it’s well fitted to you plus it’s all cheap and as a guy you don’t have to have 1000 of articles of clothing haha keep it simple and classic and you always look good to the opposite sex haha
Great video
We thrift but I often find really good clearance at Kohls. I just picked up sweaters for myself for .80 cents.
Love the bloopers!!!
Glad you like them! We haven't been adding them to our recent videos and Larry wants to bring them back again.
Oh boy! 😆
People knowledgeable about jewelry can find some wonderful items for resale. Thrift store managers tell us their staff and their volunteer jewelers don't have time to carefully check all of the donated jewelry.
Another good thing to take is a small tape measure, if you're looking for something in a specific size, such as furniture, pillows....
I lost 65 pounds and my size went from 20 to 10. Thrift stores are my saving grace. I have had surgeries and bought walkers, crutches and many other items. 2020 has changed many try on and return policies.
Congratulations.....it's a lot of weight you lost. I find many good things at thrifts stores. I just love going to those places.
Congratulations on the weight loss!! That's amazing!
Take a picture instead of things you want to match.
Love these tips.
I like how at Savers they have a line of surge protectors ready in the tech area. I brought my ipod touch to find out which iHome it would fit and made sure it worked. We tested out a laptop, monitors.
With furniture, I'm very particular about size and cost after the losses of furniture from childhood (described below). I waited years for a new dresser and desk (my childhood nightstand, dresser, desk and handmade bookshelf were destroyed in a flood in college). I also need to be able to heft them on my own. Sadly i had come across my grandmother's desk at a second hand store once but i couldn't afford it nor move it and my brother didn't seem to have money either so i didnt mention it. I regret not finding a way to get it back into my life (my dad- divorced from my mom for many years- sold a bunch of our mom's side of heirloom furniture after she died and we had to move in with him or stuff was left in outside storage because they said there wasn't room and my brother and i didn't have money for inside storage).
I don't like clothes shopping so i know what i need when im out.
A friend of mine took bed bugs home in a bag of yarn from the bag wall. Be vigilant.
I bring a measuring tape to be sure some clothes fit. Also batteries to test out electronics or aCD to test out aCDPlayer.
I use a key chain light to find stains on second hand items!
Our good will had 50 percent off the colored tag. and Friday and Saturday 75 percent off of the colored tag of the week
I love that. Our Salvation Army used to do that. Now our local location closed. I don't know if it was because of a loss of business through COVID or if it was because they kept raising their prices and people quit shopping there. Pretty sad for us, though. We still have lots of Goodwills and some local faith-based marts.
One of our favourite second hand shops for furniture and any kind of home objects has discounts every time the owner comes back from Holland, where she finds all those things. The rest of the time, her mother is the seller, and she is much less willing to negotiate and lower the price, so our group of friends are always in contact and let each other know when the owner is back home!
I have 4 girls and the number one thing I did with cloth was passing the one item of clothing from the oldest down to the next one.... And nop the oldest was not getting all the new thing because I always ! always got second hand cloth... If it was not from the second hand shop... Been Salvation Army or Sant Vincent the Paul (just to mention some) it was from my own sister's kids. And that is how we survived and yes absolutely making my own meals and NEVER waiting good food.
Thank you for your videos very interesting.
I was the younger sister so as much as possible I got my sister's hand me downs. Mom boxed things up, labeled them and put it in the attic. Unfortunately several of those boxes never made it out of the attic in time for me to wear them.
Thanks! ツ
I wont buy socks shoes or undies from charity/ thrift but otherwise anything goes. Here in uk a lot of charity shops sell the good book records etc online now. They sell the books, records and more valuable stuff in their specialist shops which are in main cities . This inflates the price considerably
so they mainly end up with toot (not very good stuff/ rubbish). But you can pick up some really nice items.
Bloopers…oh boy! 💀🤣🤣🤣🤣
We have a thrill store that has 50% off 4 colors of tags if you're 55 or older. Saturdays they have 50% off of 4 colors for everybody. It's a madhouse that day, so I will go on Tuesday, thank you very much.
I forgot to mention that Tuesday is senior day.
Take your mobile phone with camera, take a picture and you can enlarge it for labels and jewellery. Most have a flash light on also
Whaaaaat! What a great idea. It's always the simple and obvious things you never think of! My phone has a great camera, and I bet I could enlarge it a lot without losing detail!
I go to Goodwill, Salvation Army, Pregency Center, Retail shops all the time.
My sister had a reel to reel tape player until a few years after her husband died and she redid her living room.
I do shop thrift stores for small appliances but not comfortable buying clothes or furniture unless it's wood
Bag sales are the best
For a long time, one of our local thrift stores had a $5 clothing bag sale on Fridays. I could fit an average of 15 items in that bag! Great fun!
Your hair is beautiful, what do you do to care for it?
Hi Hope & Larry, thank you for the fun tips on savings ! Is that picture on your bookshelf of you guys?
It's actually a photo of me and my sister. We were in our early 20's and had our photo taken together. We dressed in matching sweaters. I love the photo!
@@UndertheMedian Very nice 😍😊
Don't gender. By the boys stuff only. A girl doesn't die if she doesn't wear pink. We have a girl and a boy. When I have to buy something for her I buy it gender-neutral or in the boys-version, so her little brother can use it, too.