I never used to understand thrift shopping. The way that I looked at it was why would I want to root around in peoples old stuff? I don’t know where it’s been or who it’s been on. It gave me the heebie jeebies. Then I woke up and realized that it’s an amazing experience. I love anything from the seventies. Well it’s very hard to find clothing with a 1970 vibe when it’s new, and if you do find it, chances are it’s made by Gucci and it will cost you six thousand dollars. Not very doable for me. So I learned some tricks of the vintage shopping trade…

Know When To Go

When it comes to the time of day, try to go in the morning. There will be more stuff for browsing because less people will have picked it over. Also, make nice with the people working and ask when they get new shipments in. Sometimes they receive different things like furniture on different days of the week than clothing. Depending on what you’re after, try to get there early on those days. You can even go so far as to tell the people working what you’re after and to ask if they come across it to give you a call. Leave your name and number with a smile, chances are they will help you with finding what you want.

Go Prepared

Take a bag with you. Try to carry a notebook with what you’re looking for and why. That way you will cut down on ridiculous purchases that you’ll never use and just end up putting in your garage like a hoarder. Also, take a camera with you. When it comes to larger purchases like furniture or items for your home, you can reference if it will actually go with the rest of your stuff. Most places will take a five or ten dollar deposit to hold it for you until you return with the news if you’re going to buy it or not. Remember to also carry cash. Most thrift shops and flea markets aren’t equipped with debit. So try to decide what you’ll be looking for before hand and take enough money for if you find that special piece.

Test, Test, Test

When it comes to clothing. Look for stains or frays. What’s the point in buying something that you can’t wear even if it is only two dollars. Pull on all the seams to make sure that it isn’t going to unravel while you’re wearing it. Check under the arms for any holes or super worn material. Beaded or sequined pieces are very delicate and can lose their beading or sequins very easily. Give them a good checking over and a slight shake to see if anything comes off. Usually if one bead comes off a thousand more are going to follow suit. Try to skip any antique leather or belts, unless you are using them for some form of decoration. Old leather tends to dry out or split.

Keep An Open Mind

The key to thrift shop and flea market shopping is to look at the shape. If you find old frames that are ugly in color but you love the shape, remember that you can do a lot with some paint. When it comes to furniture, if it’s sturdy and the right shape for your home, you can easily purchase some new material and cover it so it’s the color or pattern that you want. If you really like it, usually it can be made to look better or can be made to blend with what you already own. It just takes a little work and a little imagination.

Know When To Walk Away

If something is cracked or broken, don’t tell yourself that you can fix it with glue and make it better than ever. You won’t. If something is stained and it’s from 1975, you’re really not going to be able to get the stain out. Sure, there are certain small problems you can overlook. You can easily repair a seam, fix buttons and take the beads off of a broken necklace to make a new one. But if you are thinking you can repair a rip in a delicate lace dress, chances are you won’t be able to. You can however see if a tailor can make that dress into a lace shirt. It’s all how you look at things. A lamp with a broken shade can easily be given a new look with some paint and a new shade. However, if that’s not the amount of work you’re willing to put in, then leave it. Only you will know how much effort you going to put into refurbishing something.

Vintage shopping is now one of my favorite ways to spend an afternoon. Go on a day when you have a lot of time to kill. That way you can take your time and know that the purchases you’ve made weren’t just on a whim. Give it a try and let me know if you find any vintage treasures!

xo Stephanie