5 Essential Tips For Successful Thrift Hauls

Whether you're new to the hunt or consider yourself to be a seasoned thrifter, one notion rings true for all- you can find some AMAZING things secondhand but it is not guaranteed that you will. When you go thrifting, you never know what you're going to find, and that's the wonderful thing about it! But sometimes, when all we can find are items we're just not interested in, we get discouraged from going at all. Influencers across the internet are constantly posting their thrift hauls full of goodies you're yearning to score yourself, and you wonder when you'll have that same kind of luck.

If you want to know how you too can find gorgeous, vintage, one-of-a-kind pieces at a much higher frequency than you currently are, these tips just might be what you need to level up your thrifting game and come home with bags FULL of things you're excited about!

Here's our advice...

 

Don't Skip That One Section

For many of us, taking the time to go through every section at the thrift store feels like a drag, but the truth is, if you have time, you should do it! Some of the most commonly overlooked departments include the library (books, CDs, DVDs, VHS tapes,) electronics, bags and purses, wall hangings/frames, accessories, and shoes. If these are items you aren't interested in owning or have enough of already, it makes sense why you would skip them, but often, these sections hold the holy grail thrift items you've been searching for like:

Old Barbie movies, Britney Spears CDs, cute vintage books for staging, digital cameras, CD players, vintage clocks and lamps, Coach purses, Vera Bradley duffel bags, vintage belts, Y2K kitten heels, small gold frames, vintage art...

And these are just a handful of examples! Moral of the story- give these sections a browse before heading out the door the next time you thrift.

 

Shop Different Sizes

Along the same sentiment as the prior tip, we suggest looking in the places you normally wouldn't, including sizes other than your usual. There's a couple reasons for this:

1) Overtime, clothes shrink in the wash, so while a thrifted shirt might say that it's a large, it ends up fitting like a medium or even a small. Additionally, vintage clothing sizes run smaller than today's sizes.

2) Items get put in the wrong size all the time to no one's fault- it just happens!

3) Looking in bigger sizes means finding cute, oversized items! This usually works best for tops.

Besides looking in different sizes, we also suggest browsing clothing of the opposite gender (ex: if you're a woman, look in the men's section.) I've even known people to score cool finds in the kids' section! 

 

Look at What People Left Behind

 

 

Go Often

THIS is the tip I would recommend to everyone who wants to be successful at the thrift. Thrifting is all about luck and timing; the more often you go, the more likely you are to find the good stuff before it's gone! Not all of the trips you make require that you comb through every section of the thrift store; as long as you're going fairly often, a quick peruse can do the trick.

 

Don't Expect to Find Something Every Time

In tandem with the prior tip, if you go to the thrift often, do not expect to come away with something every time. Once you start shopping secondhand frequently, your chances of finding good stuff increases, but so do your chances of not finding anything or seeing the same things over and over again. If you expect to find something before you go in the store and end up with nothing, you'll only disappoint and discourage yourself from wanting to go again. Set your expectations low and go to the thrift store for the joy of it. Take pleasure in all the cooky, odd things you find even if you don't take them home with you. 

 

An Additional Tip From Us...

Have fun!! Thrifting is truly magical and the items that we as thrift store employees see every week amaze us. We want you to have the same experience, and we hope these tips help you to do so.

If you're in the Ames, Iowa area, come visit us at any of our three Overflow Thrift Store locations. We'll be happy to see you!

 

Mari Russo, Marketing Coordinator, Overflow Thrift Store