Do you want to get better and thrifting? Maybe even enjoy the process? Great! You can start right now! Thrifting doesn’t start when you enter the thrift store. It starts in your home. It starts with planning.
Planning your thrift trip the right way is just as important as the time you spend in the thrift store. Thrifting is very tiring, so the more prepared you are, the more capable you are of putting in the effort, and the higher the chance you find some good deals.
Planning your second-hand shopping ahead of time might just be the thing that makes the whole process more enjoyable and more successful. Here’s your pre-thrift checklist to make sure you arrive fully prepared at the thrift store, with the right attitude, and the biggest chance to score!
1. Know your why
First of all: not everyone has to shop second-hand. If you find it repulsive, or if you think it doesn’t worth your time, that’s totally fine. Yes, thrifting is getting more and more popular, but that doesn’t mean you must also shop second-hand even if it’s something you hate doing. Maybe you prefer buying new, but sustainable clothes, or swap with your friends.
But we have to admit, thrifting has a lot of benefits. Knowing why you want to thrift in the first place, can help you become more committed to it.
Well, the benefits of thrifting could be a topic of an entire blog post on its own, but here are some of the most popular reasons why people thrift:
- To save money: even though fast fashion keeps getting cheaper, you’ll find a better value for your money second-hand. And some thrift stores have insanely low prices nothing can compete with.
- To help the environment: by giving discarded clothes a second chance, we can reduce textile waste and our eco-footprint in general.
- To support charity: charity shops like Goodwill, Salvation Army, Oxfam, etc. help make money for non-profit organizations that support a cause.
- To find unique clothes: if you shop at the mall, it’s very likely that a lot of other people will wear the same clothes as you do. Clothes from years or even decades ago are guaranteed to be less common, or even one-of-a-kind.
- For fun: it’s a great hobby that does not only save you money but also keeps your closet interesting. And as I said it above: it’s like a treasure hunt.
2. Have the right mindset
If you go to the thrift store thinking “this is too much work”, “I don’t have time for this”, and “I won’t find anything here”, you probably won’t find anything, and you definitely won’t enjoy it.
On the other hand, if you think about it like “it’s so much fun, and I might even find something cool for a bargain” your experience will be completely different.
This might sound stupid, but having the right mindset is actually super important. If you’re thinking negatively about second-hand shopping, don’t even bother going thrifting, because you will probably have a bad experience.
3. Write a wishlist
Having a general idea of what you need or want to buy can help you a lot. Thrift stores can be huge, but with a list, you don’t need to look through everything. You’ll know exactly which sections and colors you need to check to find what you’re looking for.
However, it’s usually not useful to have too specific items on your list. You might find a “floral dress” you like, but finding a “Reformation mid-length floral dress with puff sleeves” might take you multiple months of searching.
Also, if you find something amazing that’s not on your list, but feels like 100% you, go for it! Otherwise, someone else will! And you’ll have to live your remaining days in regret and sorrow…
Okay, it probably won’t be THAT dramatic, but you get the point.
4. Make it a date
Bring a friend along! It’s a nice opportunity to catch up, and you can give each other feedback. You might even make it a monthly ritual and go discover a different location around your city each time.
5. Go on a weekday if you can
This might be difficult if you’re working 9-5, but if you can pop in for 20 minutes before work, in the afternoon, or even during your lunch break, you can usually find much better clothes than on the weekends.
Most thrift stores restock during the week, and the best items are sold quickly. By the time regular people like us get there on the weekends, the stock has been sorted multiple times by full-time professional resellers. Rude.
During the day on weekdays, there’s also less crowd which makes the experience more enjoyable.
6. Ask when is the new inventory coming
It’s even better if you know exactly on which day the store puts out new merchandise. You just have to ask someone who works there and they’ll tell you. Next time you know when to visit that store to find the best items possible.
7. Wear the right clothes
The absolute best thrifting outfit is a pair of leggings with a tank top. Why? Because, first of all, it’s comfortable. Secondly, because you’re able to try a lot of different clothes over it.
It helps a lot when there’s a huge queue to the fitting room that you don’t want to stand through, or if there’s no fitting room at all (at the flea market for example).
The clothes you try on are not necessarily clean either, so it’s better to avoid them touching your skin as much as possible.
8. Don’t go with an empty stomach
This might seem obvious, but I made this mistake so many times. Thrifting takes time, and if you’re anything like me, you’re not your most patient self when you’re hungry. You give up before you find anything, you don’t bother trying on clothes, etc. which will only lead to wasted time or purchases you later regret.
9. Bring your own reusable shopping bag
Some thrift stores don’t offer shopping bags, some charge you extra for them, some give you plastic bags. For the sake of the environment and/or to save money, bring a reusable tote bag or two with you!
10. Bring cash
At smaller thrift stores, at garage sales, or at the flea market you might not be able to pay by card. Don’t forget to bring some cash with you or you won’t be able to pay.
Having a small amount of cash with you can also help to stick to your budget. For example, you’re bringing $50 with you, and you’re not allowed to spend more than that.
Which brings me to my next point…
11. Have a budget
Second-hand clothes are often way cheaper than new ones. That being said, it’s very easy to forget about the prices altogether. But if you go on a splurge, these small numbers can easily add up to a significant amount…
Have at least a general idea about how much you’re able to spend. Thrifting won’t help you save money if you overspend. Just like weight loss foods won’t help you lose weight if you overeat.
A thrift shopping budget can also help you to limit the number of your purchases. So you only buy the items you love the most and don’t end up with a lot of thrifted clothes you never wear.
12. Bring your donate pile/box with you
If you have clothes you don’t wear anymore, why not just bring them with you to the thrift store? You can shop and donate at the same time and ultimately save an extra trip to the store when you decide it’s finally time to get rid of that box full of unwanted clothes that’s been just sitting there for over two years now. You can just bring a small bag of clothes with you to donate every time you go there to shop.
Just make sure the store accepts donations and that your clothes are clean and they’re in a resellable condition.
13. Give yourself enough time
Some people are able to spend 2-3 hours in a big thrift store. I’m not saying you should be like that. But having at least 30 minutes gives you enough time to look through a couple of sections and try on the clothes you like.
Popping in for 5-10 minutes is just not enough time to actually find something, try it on, and think through your purchase.
If you’re planning a trip with multiple stores, and you don’t know how many you can hit, I would say estimating 30-60 minutes per store is a good rule of thumb.
14. Visit often
It’s okay if you don’t find what you’re looking for for the first time. Especially if you’re looking for something very specific. Go to a different location next time, or visit the same store at a different time.
Big charity shops like Goodwill don’t store items for more than 4 weeks. So if you go back again in a month, you’ll see completely new stock.
Good job! Now that you’re done planning, the question is: where to go? Check out this post to learn how can you find the best thrift stores!
