If you are on a small budget to shop, or you don’t hesitate to spend on good deals you find, or just you want to buy stuff that you can’t find in big stores or mainstream brands
Especially clothing and you just want to differentiate yourself from the crowd
Or build a wardrobe that suits your style with unique pieces, you should try vintage shopping. I know it is very daunting for some of you, but trust me with this guide you will find out that it is super easy to do and with some experience, you can become a pro at it.
And you could have fun doing it especially if you are the kind of person who enjoys a good treasure hunt and finding items for fraction of what they worth.
With years worth of experience in this guide you can come up with your own thrift shopping strategy.
1-know what you are looking for:
Before you go shopping search for inspirations on google or Pinterest for stuff that you might like, then when you go to a thrift shop you have an idea of what you want, whether it’s a 90s jacket or a scarf, some vintage home decors,
For example, if you are looking for vintage clothing try googling what men/women
Wore in the 70s or 60s if you are into indie fashion try to look up inspirations for the 80s the early 2000s style
2-visite multiple thrift stores and compare prices:
When you visit multiple stores you have a chance to find items that are not in the first store, or if you find similar items you’ll have then a chance to compare prices
So that you can get the best deal for your money
.3-shop early and often:
One of the most important rules of thrift shopping is to go shopping early as often as possible because thrift stores tend to restock almost every day, if you don’t like to always go to thrift shops then you can ask one of the employees when do they stock their merchandise, and make sure to go early so that you can find the best items
Before they go.
4-become friends with the employees:
This is very important to do, because when you befriend the workers you might get some info on the day they restock or when they put discounts, and you don’t have to be best friends or anything, just be kind to them and remember their names.
Yes, it is that simple because psychology says that when you remember someone else's name he will appreciate that.
5-try to avoid big vintage stores or franchised ones and go for independent stores:
Because if you go to the big stores you won’t get a chance to find items that are not expensive, and you won’t have that treasure hunt feel, however, if you go to independent store owners then you have a high chance to find good deals
And even, you can negotiate at some stores, in addition to that you are helping small businesses, that is simply awesome.
6-have a good feel of the fabric:
You may love the clothing items whether it’s the colors or the prints on it, however, you must take a minute to check the condition of the fabric because nobody wants to spend money on something that has no life anymore no matter how beautiful it is
Also, try to inspect clothing carefully for stains and rips
And it is not about clothing only if you are going to buy any item you have to check if it is still solid or not
7-beware of plastic usage:
One of the most damaging things to your clothes especially the vintage ones is to store them in those pesky plastic bags because if you think about it, plastic doesn’t let your garment breathe so if moisture happens to exist in the air it will accumulate and as a result, your clothes will deteriorate
8-clothes can be tailored:
This needs some imagination to remember when I said that you should know what you are looking for well this is where it can help for example if you are looking for a dress that has a specific pattern or color but it is too... big at the waists, just give it to a tailor and the rest is history, or if it’s too small he can adjust the seams to make it bigger
Also, you should not overestimate the tailor, make sure to bring clothes that are 1-2 sizes
Too large or too small other than that it can be really expensive for your pocket because it took the tailor a lot of labor (that rhymed well hehe).
9- look for items with the retail tag still attached to it :
When you find items that still have the retail tags attached to them, that is a very good, thing because chances are that they haven't been used at all, or they didn’t sell so they have been liquidated to the thrift shop..
10-know when to walk away:
It’s okay when you walk away from a store empty-handed if you don’t find what you are looking for, or you just found some items but you just wondering if you should buy it or not, just ask yourself do you really need that item or would you even buy it if you find it at a normal store.
11-try shopping online:
Places like Thredup or shop goodwill or other online thrift stores, you can also look for a coupon by joining their email newsletter, or just look for them in the local sales flyers that come in the mail because they often contain coupons, or just a simple search online will do the trick
And these are some tips that can get you going into thrift and vintage shopping for more tips on how to find good deals on thrift shopping make sure to the website: makinglemonadblog.com
Thanks for reading.
Comments