Thrifting is good for the soul.
If you’re a shopaholic like myself, you never shy away from thrift shopping. It’s one of the best types of shopping because it’s never the same every time you go. It’s always something new.
Here are five tips on how to thrift shop in 2024:
Find a good location
Going to a good thrift location is a big must because it will make or break the trip.
Some areas have more stores that sell more luxury brands, while some locations will have your everyday brands like Target, Walmart and even retro finds.
A few metro Detroit thrift shops:
Value World: 25646 Eight Mild Road, Southfield
Value World: 22130 Coolidge Highway, Oak Park
Sally’s on Fort: 1627 W. Fort St., Detroit
Value World: 35300 Central City Parkway, Westland
Grace Centers of Hope Thrift Store: 43584 Van Dyke, Sterling Heights
Know why you’re at the thrift
When it comes to thrift shopping, you need to ask yourself why are you there.
Are you thrifting to be more sustainable? Develop a personal style? Or are you there just for fun?
It can be all three, but it’s best to have a clear reason to be there. If not, you’re wasting your time and may not have a good time.
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Know what to thrift
Thrifting is not an easy sport for a beginner. You need to know what to thrift and what not. Be mindful to not buy everything at the thrift because it may contain holes or it’s too worn.
Items you can thrift:
- Clothing items
- Handbags (Make sure it’s intact)
- Accessories
Items I don’t thrift:
- Shoes (unless they’re a perfect find)
- Underwear (bras, underwear)
- Games
- Clothing with holes
- Dirty items
- Bakeware
- Kitchen utensils
Pick a good day and time to go
You can expect to find the best when items are freshly put out during the weekdays. During the weekend a lot of the good items are gone.
I typically thrift shop from Tuesday through Friday to find good items.
Make sure you also go early in the day as well.
Remain open-minded
Thrifting takes time and it’s not something that needs to be done quickly. It can take a few hours to search through a thrift store and find good items. It may even require you to go over the same aisle twice to make sure you searched well enough. I found a lot of my best finds on the second or third look.
If you’re not interested in wearing second-hand clothing, you may as well not even attempt to thrift because it’s not for you.
Set a budget
Recently, when I thrift, I set a budget of around $20-30. This keeps me not over shopping and just buying anything.
Bonus: Develop your style
Shopping at the thrift store can help develop your personal style.
Many good thrift stores have a variety of clothing items from different fashion eras so it’s always fun to add those modern and vintage styles into your wardrobe.
Check out my guide on finding your personal style.