My Top 30 Thrifting Tips - 30 Thrift Shopping Tips You Probably Haven't Heard Before

Oct 24, 2019

I started thrifting last year when we were in Georgia as a way to add new pieces to my wardrobe on our newlywed, one-income budget. My thrifting obsession since moving to Alaska has now become a great way for me to make some spending money here and there, dress myself and our rapidly growing baby, and get out of the house frequently which is a feat for any new mom. I started sharing my thrifting hauls awhile back and ever since then I have been getting so many questions on what my tips for thrifting are. So I've compiled my best thrifting tips to create this amazing list of 30 thrifting tips.

Whether you're looking for more specific thrifting tips and tricks like thrifting tips for jeans, fall thrifting tips, or you just want some basic tips on thrifting, my thrifting list has all of the good thrifting tips you'll need to be successful on your next thrift shopping trip! Whatever you're looking for, I hope this list will help you remember these tips when thrifting! Let's get on into it:

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30 Thrift Shopping Tips You Probably Haven't Heard Before

Thrift Store Tips

1. Shop frequently

I go to my local thrift stores at least twice a week, most of the time I’m there every other day. Value Village is constantly putting out new items and you never know what you’re going to find. I try to avoid weekends unless I can get a baby-free trip in so I load my shopping trips throughout the week depending on what kind of sales they have going on, what I’m looking for, etc.

2. Sign up for emails/rewards programs

Value Village has a rewards program where you get a 20% off coupon for every $100 you spend. They also have certain days where discounts are only valid for rewards members. While you can sign up anytime, if you’re looking to make thrifting a hobby you should just go ahead and sign up for whatever lists your local thrift stores have. These reward programs/lists are a great way to keep on top of the various sales your local thrift stores are having.

3. Give yourself plenty of time to shop

It generally takes me two good hours at least to get through our local thrift stores if I’m looking at everything. If I’m just browsing to see what’s new it could obviously take me a lot less time to get through the store but I like to take my time and really look at the brands and clothing, especially if I’m sourcing to resell.

4. Keep a list of items you want to thrift

I have a running list on my phone of items I would ideally like to find while thrifting. I give this note a quick glance before I head inside as a refresher. It’s also great to have when I think of things I want to look for in the future while watching other people’s thrifting videos.

5. Prioritize sections you want to look through first

My strategy when it comes to how I shop my local thrift stores changes based on what I’m looking for and if I know there is a certain sale on a particular section. For example, if I receive an email stating that dresses are going to be 40% off on a particular day, I’m going to head to the dresses first. If there aren’t any particular sales going on I tend to start on the left side of the store and work my way around. Sometimes I start with shoes and handbags.

6. Shop by color

Both Value Village and Goodwill have tag colors that are 50% off depending on the week. The first thing I do when I get to a thrift store is to check the tag color while I’m grabbing a cart. This is especially great if you’re shopping on a Monday morning when the tag color changes and new inventory is out.

7. BYOB - Bring your own bags

I always forget mine which means I’m spending extra money at the registers. I’ve stocked up on enough brown paper bags to last through Christmas at this point. I try to have at least one reusable bag in my car though which comes in handy for thrifting trips.

8. BYOH - Bring your own hand sanitizer

Thrifting can be pretty gross. I keep a little bottle of hand sanitizer in my glove box for post thrifting trips. Some thrift stores will even have it available at the registers for you to use.

9. Know the return policy

Value Village has a 30-day return policy which is great if you realize an item isn’t going to work out like you hoped it would while you were in the store. I haven’t had to utilize a return policy yet for thrifting but it’s nice to know that they exist.

10. Donate your own items regularly

I always have a bag or box around the house that is designated as the “thift store box”. Throughout the month I’ll toss items into the box that we want to donate. Some thrift stores will even give you a coupon for donating your items!

11. Visit thrift stores when you are out of town

I had so much fun thrifting when we were in Anchorage a few weekends ago that it now has become A THING I want to do on any subsequent trips we go on. There are so many different reasons to thrift shop outside of your own town. The selection can be wildly different depending on the type of area each thrift store is in.

Tips for Thrifting Clothes

12. Don’t pay much attention to sizes

There are a ton of great vintage brands you can find at the thrift store and since clothing sizes have changed drastically throught the decads and vary from brand to brand, do yourself a favor and don’t only shop in your size section! When I go to the thrift store I am sure to browse through all of the sizes because you truly never know what’s going to fit you.

13. Try on everything

Piggybacking off of the last tip, you’re going to want to try on everything when you’re thrift shopping. Only on rare occasions do I skip the fitting room. Don’t want to spend a lot of time in the fitting room? A bonus tip for you is to dress in layers that make it easy to try clothing items on in the aisle or in front of a mirror so you can skip the fitting rooms.

14. Take inventory of items you already own (styles, colors, etc.)

I need to pay more attention to this thrifting tip before I end up with a closet that’s filled with only cream shirts from the 90s. But a good rule of thumb when you’re thrifting is to browse your closet ahead of time or familiarize yourself with style, silhouettes, and pieces you already have. This will help you identify gaps in your wardrobe that you can fill with thrifting and keep you from buying a bunch of stuff you don’t need.

15. Pay attention to labels

There are a few different reasons to pay attention to labels when you’re thrifting. If you’re on the hunt for specific brands you love then obviously you’ll want to pay attention to the labels but this is also a great way to find new brands. I’ve recently found a vintage brand that I love and since I know the label I can look online for more of that brand and keep an eye out for it at my local thrift stores.

16. Check fitting room racks

I always swing by the fitting room racks when I’m making my rounds at the thrift store just to see if there is anything there worth trying or buying. I’m always curious as to what other people have found so this helps curb that curiosity and can also be pretty productive, especially if you notice people shopping who have a similar style to you.

17. Shop offseason

Buy coats in the summer and dresses in the winter. Yes, that really is a thrift shopping tip. The reason is that those items are more likely to be marked down in the offseason and have higher inventory since people aren’t looking for those items. For example, my local Value Village has dress racks that are packed to the brim and just recently ran a 40% off sale for them.

Tips for Thrifting to Resell

18. Look over every item carefully

When I first started thrifting to resell I made this mistake more than a few times. You want to make sure the items that you’re buying to resell aren’t damaged in any major way because that could hurt your ability to resell them. I had to pass on a gorgeous FP One dress the other day because it had a huge hole in the arm. You also want to make sure there aren’t any stains that won’t be easy to remove.

19. Familiarize yourself with different brands

Knowing what brands are popular, what labels are offshoots of different brands (like Anthropologie brands), and just having a vast brand knowledge, in general, will help you succeed when you’re thrifting to resell.

20. Look up trending items ahead of time

Follow other resellers online! What brands are they buying? What brands are selling quickly? Is there any hot ticket item that you can find in your area (sometimes reusable Starbucks cups are a total hit). Doing “market research” when you’re thrifting to resell is a great way to ensure that you’re buying brands that will actually sell.

21. Don’t skip shoes and handbags

Remember that time I found two pairs of Jimmy Choo shoes at Value Village? If I had just not browsed the shoe section that day I would have totally missed out! Don’t forget to check the locked cases too.

22. Research authentic vs knockoffs thoroughly

Knowledge is power when you’re thrifting to resell. The last thing you want to do is buy something thinking it’s designer and then it turns out to be a fake. Look at photos of labels, research ways to tell if something is a fake, and all that jazz before you buy something designer!

23. Research items you’re pulling before you buy

Are you sensing a theme for reselling? Before I buy anything to resell I look at the places I’m potentially going to sell like Poshmark and eBay to see if other people are selling it. I take note of how long it’s been listed, how much interest it’s gotten, what they’re selling it for, etc. This helps me make sure I’m only spending money buying items that are actually going to sell for a profit.

Tips for Thrifting Furniture

24. Thoroughly check the condition of the item

Check to make sure furniture pieces are actually worth what you’re paying for them. Make sure they’re not wobbly or in too poor of a condition. I had to pass on a gorgeous rack for the bathroom that was just too wobbly for $10, especially with a soon-to-be mobile baby in the house and pets.

25. Make sure to look all over the store for furniture

I know our local thrift store keeps furniture all over the place, pretty much anywhere they can find room. Sometimes there’s stuff by the fitting rooms and they will even keep large items up in the front of the store near the cash registers so don’t forget to take a quick peek if you’re looking for furniture pieces.

26. Don’t be afraid to haggle with the store on price

I’ve never tried this specific tip but I’ve heard of a few people doing it. You could also try this out with clothes as well. This is a great tip esepcially if you think that they may have mispriced an item because of the damage you’ve found.

27. Look for stuff that can be repurposed

Our entertainment center is actually an old dresser. It’s had a few different looks over the years but it just goes to show you that a random piece like a dresser at the thrift store could be a great piece of furniture for your house. If you’re looking for something specific, make sure to keep an eye out for items that can be used or updated to serve your purposes.

Tips for Thrifting Home Decor

28. Don’t skip the book section!

Thrifting books is such an easy and affordable way to add some character to your home. Whether you want to use them for DIY projects like stamping or just put them on shelves for color-coded decor, do yourself a favor and browse through the book section every once in a while.

29. Dig deep on the shelves

Thrifting can be cutthroat. I’ve heard of people (and witnessed it) hiding things on shelves whether it’s something they want to come back and buy or grouping together certain tag colors so that they can scoop them up at a steep discount. Do your due diligence and look at the top and bottom shelves and behind tall or large items as well.

30. Ask yourself “will this serve a purpose in my home” before buying

It can be extremely easy to get carried away by all of the good deals at the thrift store. One thing I always ask myself before buying home decor at the thrift store is if I have a place to put it. If I can’t think of anything I might also ask if there’s something it can replace. Occasionally I buy something just because I love it too much to pass up but I would have a house full of crap if I did that with everything.