Thrift Tips

I've never met a thrift store I didn't like. Same with antique malls and estate sales. (Well, I like most estate sales. Your fake plants might be overpriced if they're all $50, m'kay?) But yes, bargains are my jam. And I'm on a bit of a hot streak lately when it comes to finding extra special items in secondhand stores.

cocktail ring: $6

Buying secondhand takes a little more time and effort than going to a "regular" store, but the cool things you find make it all worthwhile. Some people get overwhelmed by the idea, and I hate to see that, so I've put together some tips to make things easy when you start poppin' tags.

>> If you don't love it, skip it. Another way to do this is to ask yourself, "Would I pay full price for that?" It's easy to find things that are an AMAZING deal, but if you're mostly getting it because it's cheap, that's money better spent on something else. Like that killer midcentury chair giving you the come-hither eyes from the corner.

teapot: $2  \\  snack tray: $2

>> Try not to go on the weekend. Everybody goes on the weekend, and it will be hard to get through the crowd to look at stuff. I recommend going after work one day instead, but if the weekends are your only time to shop, then go as early as possible.

>> Have some items in mind. I'm a fan of lists, so I always write down what I want and stick to it. Not only does this help me stay organized, but I save time by not wandering through the entire store. Thrifting is slower than regular shopping, so it's smart to only look at a handful of categories each trip.

table: $84  \\  chairs: $60 for the set

>> Watch for sales. Did you know thrift shops and antique stores have sales? They totally do, and you should find out when they are. In fact, those chairs I got for the kitchen had just been marked down twice. I pounced.

>> If you have to think about it too hard, it doesn't work. If you end up asking yourself a bunch of questions like, "Where would I wear a sequined fedora?" then it's not the item for you. Let someone else give it a good home. Aim for items that grab you immediately.

Are you a secondhand sister, too? Any tips of your own you'd like to share? Did everybody have a good holiday weekend? I'm back a day later than planned because whenever we go out of town there's always a period of catch-up. And that was yesterday. We went to Indy to see my sister play in her new band (they were good!) and then saw Hubsey's side of the family. It's weird to be cooking our own food again. What have you been up to?