Thursday 21 May 2015

Random Thought Thursday | May 21, 2015

Thrift Shopping


There is not many things that I love more than finding a major bargain on an item I really need/want. Thrift shopping has become something I really enjoy over this past year. I love thrift shopping because everything is cheap, you can find good quality items from top brands for a fraction of the price, you can find everything and anything, you can find new things to DIY and make your own, and, as the Duggars say, "buy used and save the difference". For me, thrift shopping just makes sense. Sure I could afford to buy everything new but why would I? If I can find things I love for a lot less money then I'm definitely not going to pay full price somewhere else. 


The first place most people think of when they think thrift shopping is Value Village or something like it. Value Village is great because they have everything, from shoes to clothes to books to home decor to furniture, you can find it at VV boutique. They also have a donation centre which is how they receive all their stock. Whenever I have donations for VV, I always have to take a look inside (and I usually find a great little treasure).


I know Phat Closet is only around my city as it's a private business, but I have seen other stores like it in other cities. Basically, they only take a used item if it is a brand name. They get a lot of Lululemon, Pink, TNA, Coach, Guess, etc. What's unique about this store is that you get paid if you bring in clothes for them to sell. The store will buy your old clothes off of you and give you an in store credit or cold hard cash and then sell those clothes to make a profit for the store. The prices are a little bit higher than traditional thrift shops, but getting a Lululemon sweater for $24.99 is nothing to shake a fist at!


Another place that has amazing thrifting opportunities is an antique shop. What I love most about antique shops is that every item has a story (and if you're lucky the shop owner will know it!) The antique shop pictured above is one down the highway from my city. The building seemingly goes on forever. The main entry way is the locked counter with all the very valuable things. The first room is home decor things and small bits of furniture. The second room is jewelry, watches, scarves, purses, sunglasses etc. The third room is all books. The fourth and final room is wall to wall, floor to ceiling, vintage clothing. Everything is so reasonably priced (usually under $10). My only advice when going to an antique store is don't be in a rush, there are things hiding in every nook and cranny, and if you have the opportunity to hear the old shop owners stories, do stick around.


I do love me a good church sale! Not only is there used items, but there is usually some handmade things by the folks of the church congregation (and more likely than not, some delicious baking by a cute little old lady). Church sales seem to have an amazing fellowship around them. Everyone is finding things that they need/want all while feeling great about spending the money as it goes toward the betterment of the church or a charity organization of the church's choosing.


Lastly, I couldn't not mention garage sales. Some people get excited for the summer because it's wedding season, I get excited because it's garage sale season. You never know what you'll find at a garage sale! It always seems to be the things people don't want anymore but don't have the heart to just throw away, which usually means cameras, electronics, good quality clothes etc. When I see the words 'garage sale' I basically see 'we can't use this stuff anymore but it's still so great that we can't donate it or throw it away so we would prefer that someone bought it from us for a good price' and I definitely don't mind being that someone ha ha ha!

I hope that you like this post! If you are a thrift shopper please let me know if there are places I am missing as I'd love to check them out!

Thanks for reading, xo, Katelyn

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