8 Ways to Find Great Thrift Store Deals
Do you love a deal? Use these 8 tips from Domestic CEO to find what you are looking for – and score some killer steal – at second hand stores.
I am a pretty frugal person, so for me to commit to spending money on something, I have to find a great deal of value in it. That being said, it often takes a pretty discounted price before I find value in things!
Historically, though, I never liked shopping at thrift stores. I remember my mom trying to convince me as a teenager that the jeans at the thrift store were the exact same as the jeans in retail stores – but somehow, I felt like the other kids would know that they were only $1, not $50.
Now, as an adult, I would much rather spend $1 on jeans than $50 or more! I have the same philosophy for most items in my home: the least amount I can spend on them, the better. So over the last few years, I have started to venture into thrift stores to look for deals.
Along the way, I’ve also collected a few friends who pride themselves on being expert thrift store shoppers. I’ve asked a few of them to help me come up with tips for shopping the second hand stores. Whether you are looking for furniture for your home, or clothes for your family, these 8 tips will help find the best items – and the best prices.
Make a List
There’s a commercial that runs on some local TV stations that shows a woman going in to a Goodwill to look for one item, then ending up with a cart full of stuff she didn’t realize she would find. This can so easily happen when you wander through a second hand store: you are suddenly surrounded by lightly-used items that your brain is telling you should cost 5-10 times as much as they are tagged for – so instantly, you want to buy everything in sight.
But take a deep breath and slow down. Buying too many items will not only cause clutter, but it may turn you (or your spouse) off from shopping at thrift stores in the future. My friends and I agree that a thrift store deal is only as good as how much use you get out of the item. And if you don’t find actual value in the items you purchase, you will start to feel like you only find junk at second hand stores.
To help you maintain focus and make sure that you are only purchasing items that are of actual value to you, keep an ongoing list of items that you are searching for. A few years ago I started baking, but only had old hand-me-down baking pans. I kept a list of the pans that I wanted to replace, and one by one, I found them for cheap at thrift stores.
The best part was that I even found brand new baking pans at the thrift stores! I’m guessing someone finally realized that the baking set they had put on their wedding registry was never actually going to get used, so I scored some great pieces for just a couple bucks.
Keep Your Expectations Low
It’s very easy to get caught up in the idea of finding amazing items at super low prices, so this may seem like a strange tip. Heck, I’m even promising to help you find your dream items for a few bucks, so why would I tell you to keep your expectations low?
Because all of my thrift store shopping friends and I agree that you have to go in expecting to leave with nothing, but always hoping to find something. If you walk in with the plan to just do a quick circle and walk right back out, you will be pleasantly surprised if find something that is on your list.
Having this mentality will keep you going in, and help you to eventually find your dream items – rather than being consistently disappointed, and giving up too soon.
Window Shop Frequently
The key to finding steals at second hand and thrift stores is to visit them frequently. Most of the inventory in thrift stores turns over quickly, so you may only have a window of a few days to find your dream items.
By popping in on a regular basis – say, a couple times a month – you are greatly increasing your chances of finding one of the items on your list. Remember that great items will get swooped up quickly, so timing is everything in finding deals.
Be Ready to Commit
Because great deals get swooped up fast, if you walk in and spot just the item you’re looking for, buy it immediately. If you don’t have the right car to transport an item to your home, most thrift stores will hold items for 24-48 hours, so you can make arrangements (or convince a friend to help you haul.)
So if you are keeping your list updated and spot one of your “must-have” items in the store, be ready to put your money down and secure a great find for your own.
Divide and Conquer
You can’t possibly make it to all the thrift stores in your area, but if you have friends who also frequent stores on their side of town, you can benefit from their shopping trips.
Recently, one of my friends told me she was looking for 2 more wooden dining chairs for her kitchen table. She’d already found and repainted a couple, but needed another 2 to complete her set. She gave me a general idea of what she was looking for, and about a week later, I found these 2 adorable chairs on my side of town. I sent her a picture via text, told her the price of $6 per chair, and within minutes, I had a text saying, “BUY THEM!!!”
Share your list of desired items among your thrift store shopping friends, and you’ll increase the odds of everyone getting things crossed off their lists.
Go Before Sale Days, Not After
Most thrift stores have sale days, when they try to clear out their inventory to be able to move new items into the store. Goodwill offers 50% off every other Saturday, which is a great way to find even better deals. But what I like to do is visit the stores the Thursday or Friday before the sale days, and take pictures or notes of the items I see that match my list.
Then, I get to the store first thing on Saturday morning and purchase any that are still there. If you follow this advice, remember that you are taking a chance that someone else will purchase the items before you get back to the store – so evaluate if saving a few bucks is more important than securing the purchase. If having the item is more important to you, buck up the extra bucks and take it home the day you see it.
The other great thing about shopping before the sales is that the stores tend to move a lot of inventory into the shopping area before the event, which means you will see a larger selection of items. The few days after a big sale can feel like a bit of a shopping hangover; a few new pieces of inventory may have been restocked, but for the most part, the shelves are going to be a little barer.
Inventory will continue to increase through the weeks until the next sale, too, so it’s good to check back as more items are added to the floor. But in the days immediately after a big sale, you’ll probably only see items that no one would even buy at half off!
Shop in Different Neighborhoods
It may seem most convenient to shop in the thrift stores in your neighborhood, but you may want to consider going to different parts of town. While some larger organizations like Goodwill redistribute items so each store has a good variety, most locally-owned stores have items that are donated by people who live within about 5 miles of the store.
So if you visit a second hand shop in a fancy area of town, you are more likely to find nicer pieces that people have donated after they redecorated or cleaned out their closets. If you visit a store in an area that is heavily populated by retirees, you might be more likely to find cool retro items that were purchased in the 60s and 70s, which older people might be donating when they downsize. Visiting stores in different areas of your city will help you get an idea of the “speciality” items available in those specific areas.
Frequent the Same Stores
The last tip I have on this topic is to pick your favorite stores, and visit them often. Be friendly and get to know the managers and staff at these stores. Talk with them about what you are looking for, too.
If you are looking for a specific list of items, sometimes the staff and managers will be willing to contact you as soon as one of the pieces comes through their door. It’s an easy sale for them, and you can get your dream items without a lot of searching. It’s a win-win for you both.
Now that you have a few tips, it’s time to start making some trips to the thrift stores. Remember to go in with a list of items you’d like to find, but see it as a treasure hunt rather than a shopping trip. Celebrate by posting your treasure finds all over social media! And don’t give up if you don’t find things on your first trip – eventually, you’ll snag just what you’re looking for.
Until next time, I’m the Domestic CEO, helping you love your home! Share your thrift store stories with me on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
Images of cash and calculator and thrift store items courtesy of Shutterstock.