Anyone who knows me, knows I love a good deal. Recently, I found some great stuff at Goodwill and Jade suggested I post some of my strategies for shopping at the thrift stores. I hope you find these helpful.
First of all you've got to have some time to dig through stuff. Just like going to Marshall's, Ross or TJ Maxx, it takes time. I look for brands, when my kids were little I would look for stuff like Carriage Boutique, Gymboree, Osh Kosh & Little Me....high quality and pricier stuff. I wouldn't typically buy things like Carter's at a garage sale or thrift store because I know you get them at the outlets, Costco and Ross for not much more than at a thrift store and lots of times baby clothes are stained.
Now I usually head to the denim section first, it takes a while to go through lots of jeans but it's worth it. I found Mackenzie a pair of J Brand jeans for $7.99, they retail for $158+. I also found 4 pair of 7 For All Mankind and a pair of AG's, sadly none of them were in any of our sizes. Other brands I look for are Joe's Jeans, Citizens of Humanity, True Religion, Paige Denim and Hudson.
As far as dresses, blouses, sweaters etc, I look for designers, or things that are exclusive to Nordstrom for example, like Caslon. Some other brands I look for are Ella Moss, Banana Republic, Free People, Kate Spade, J Crew, Zara, Carlos Santana, White House Black Market, Steve Madden, Christian Louboutin, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Prada and Douney and Bourke. (Hey you never know....once I found a green and tan D & B purse for $10!).
I prefer Goodwill over Salvation Army because they usually have fitting rooms. Consignment stores are great too, but usually you'll spend a bit more. Lots of times thrift stores will have a 50% day on Fridays or a colored tag special of the week that's 25-50% off. That's how I got my new Carlos Santana's for $7.50, they were $15 with 50% off.
Lastly, I look for things with the tags still on them. A few months ago I found two brand new sweaters with the tags still on them from Nordstrom. Both were over $100 and I paid about $5 each, Jade took one and my mom took the other.
Oh, and one more thing, thrift stores in wealthier zip codes are more likely to have designers, so next time you head to the beach, leave a little earlier and stop by the local thrift store.
Until next time,
Ciao.
