Though the thrifting opportunities in Allegany are slim to none, I will go to any distance to be able to walk into a thrift store and start to sift through the whole store. There is an art to thrifting that definitely takes some practice to know what to dive deeper into and maybe not spend as much time on. Here’s a few tips for making the most of your time at the thrift!
1. Don’t skip through sections!
Okay, this one is technically conditional. If you are only looking for shirts or jackets, just look in the tops sections. I always paw my way through everything; men’s, women’s, tops, bottoms, dresses, shoes, etc., even if I am not specifically looking for something in those sections. Some of my very favorite pieces have come from the kids section, the men’s section, and especially the shoe section. You will probably have to block out a chunk of time to really dig into everything, but if you bring a snack and some headphones, you’ll be golden.
2. PAY ATTENTION TO THE DEALS!
Lots of thrift stores have different colored tag deals such as pink tags are 50% off. Though thrift stores are relatively inexpensive for the most part, saving every dollar as a college student can really help. At a Salvation Army I recently went to, all the items marked with blue tags were just one dollar! There are also really great store-wide deals if you keep up with the store through a text app or social media. At the Goodwill that my roommate and I just went to, the whole store was 50% off! THE WHOLE STORE. We were able to get the same amount that we usually get for half the price, it was fantastic.
3. NEVER NEGLECT THE NON-CLOTHING SECTIONS!
Maybe this is just a personal thing but I am a knick-knack girl through and through. I love a trinket! The home section at the Goodwill that I go to is my favorite part of the whole store. They have SUCH unique pieces that are so cheap which is amazing for furnishing townhouses, off-campus houses, or even apartments. Last trip, I came home with two different sets of four matching glasses, a pink lamp, an ice cream scoop and a pig whisk! I have so much roaming around the home section looking for fun board games, weird paintings, and even a perfectly pink wind chime that we found and is now my favorite piece of decor we own. This also is true for all of the bookworms out there: DO NOT SKIP THE BOOK SECTION. It does take a bit of digging but every time I go to the thrift, I come home with multiple books for so cheap because we KNOW how expensive brand-new books are these days.
All of this said, all thrift personalities are different, but I imply just find these tips to be the most useful for me. Good luck and happy thrifting!