Everyone has had that moment in the mall where they find that shirt they have to have or that one handbag they can’t live without. However, not everyone has the wallet to match. For one-of-a-kind pieces and affordable prices, shoppers are looking no further than thrift stores.
Though thrift stores have not always been the go-to choice for the mainstream shopper, According to www.Narts.org, about 16-18% of Americans will shop at a thrift store in a given year. But what exactly is the attraction? Well for starters: price.
Over the summer, freshman Nutrition and Science major Alyssa Spada learned just how handy thrift-store prices are.
“I usually don’t shop at thrift stores because I used to be creeped out by it but then over the summer I was like I need new pairs of jeans so I bought these jeans and I washed them and everything and then I realized I bought them in the wrong size. But then I went to a thrift store and I got the same exact pair of jeans in my size and they fit perfectly for like twenty dollars cheaper”, Spada said.
Since the jeans incident, Spada says her outlook on thrift stores has changed.
“So now ever since then I always go to thrift stores because I can get the same exact product for a lot less expensive and it’s a lot less room for error”, she said.
Though price is often a key factor in thrift store shopping, sometimes shoppers want to find unique pieces other stores may not have.
Undecided freshman Rachel Grandizio, who is interested in becoming a theater major, turns to her local thrift store for the best find.
“I think it’s very smart. I don’t go there every day but when I need costume pieces it’s a great place to go. It has really, really cute clothes”, Grandizio said.
As far as one-of-a-kind pieces, Grandizio feels shoppers should also turn to thrift store shopping for clothing that comes with a past.
“ I feel that clothing is like people. That every piece has a story and that every piece of clothing has a story to tell and it just accentuates the person and the story they want to have that day”, she said.
While some thrift store pieces may come with their own story, shoppers can have the opportunity to create their own. According to Credit Infocenter, “The creative shopper will be able to see a lot more in an item than someone with less imagination: he or she won’t only see a pair of curtains, but rather a new skirt or set of cushion covers!”
Though thrift stores don’t always have the best reputation (Remember: Spada was creeped out!), shoppers are slowly turning their attention to the perks of being a thrift store shopper-and the story their new pieces might tell!
Photo Credit:
Top: BestOf.LongIslandPress.com (http://bestof.longislandpress.com/li/commerce/thrift)
Bottom: SimpleMom.Net (http://simplemom.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/vintagestore.jpg)