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There's an art to shopping at thrift stores. Unlike when you're shopping at traditional stores, you can't depend on the products you want being there every time you visit. It's good to check thrift stores' selections frequently, as new merchandise is added throughout each day.
Buying secondhand can easily save you 70% to 90% off retail prices, and if you shop at stores like Goodwill, you'll also get the satisfaction of supporting a charity. Since most thrift stores make their money by moving lots of inexpensive merchandise, they often run sales where you can take an additional 20% to 50% off the already steeply discounted prices.
So when we head to the thrift store, we like to keep our eyes open for certain types of merchandise that we know can offer like-new quality at secondhand prices.
Housewares. Are you furnishing your first apartment or dorm room? The thrift store is a great place to start. Heck, we've owned our house for seven years and are still furnishing it with various and assorted household goods from our local thrift stores. For example, we bought a Cuisinart coffee maker which retails for over fifty dollars for a measly eight bucks. You can routinely save sixty to eighty percent off retail prices on small appliances like toasters, blenders, bread makers, and crock pots; all of which can be frequently found there. Thrift stores are also great places to pick up dishes, glassware, pots, pans, bottles, and the like, which can mean great bang-for-the-buck for those who are just starting off on their own.
Jeans and clothes. Much of what the thrift stores carry in terms of clothing shows more wear than what we're willing to shell out money for. That said, however, we usually do a quick browse for newer items or brands that we like. We've found a $60 Abercrombie & Fitch sweater for $7, a $60 pair of DKNY jeans for $6, and a $65 Adidas warmup jacket for $15. By keeping our eyes and minds open, we've styled our wardrobes with name brands while keeping our bank balance sound.
Books. We just can't visit the thrift store without hitting up the book aisle. My 4-year-old son's entire library is from the thrift store. And why not? Retail store prices for children's books can range anywhere from $10 to $15. At the thrift store, I pay between 50 cents and $3, and we've found plenty of favorites like The Velveteen Rabbit, Goodnight Moon, and a whole library of Dr. Seuss books. I've filled my own library with books for 80% or 90% off the cover price, as well; some of my selections are less than a year old and seemingly have never been opened before.
Collectibles. My husband really started our shopping in thrift stores because he wanted to rebuild his family's collection of Fostoria American glassware. Well, we've done that, and we've started collections of Waterford crystal, Lenox china, and Orrefors glass, as well. It's hard to believe that you can find high-ticket items like these for pennies on the dollar, but we find one or two pieces of these a month. Keep your eyes open for pieces that might be dirty or in need of a little love. For example, we found a huge $4 cut-crystal vase that was covered with water and dirt stains, but after a night's soak in a vinegar bath, it sparkled like brand new.
Furniture. Like the clothing, the furniture at the thrift stores often shows far more wear than what we're willing to furnish our house with. That said, we've had our share of thrift store finds that saved us hundreds of dollars off the furniture stores' prices. Our best deal was a glass-top table with four chairs for our deck; the set cost us less than $50. We also purchased two display tables by the Bombay Company; they would have cost us $175 retail, but we picked them up for less than $20.
Overall, shopping at thrift stores can deliver great value in a number of different areas. Not only will your bank balance appreciate the savings, but you'll feel good that you helped support charitable organizations with your shopping dollars.
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