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Love to visit your local thrift store? If so, you’ve come to the right place. There are several thrift store secrets that can help you make the most of your thrift shopping experience. In fact, experienced thrifters use certain strategies to find high-quality items for crazy low prices. So, whether you’re a seasoned pro or brand new to thrift shopping, these tips and tricks will help you uncover hidden gems - and get them for the best possible price!
If you’re ready to take your thrifting to the next level, here are 7 tips to help you make the most of your thrift shopping experience.
Before you visit your local thrift store, it’s a good idea to have a plan in place. What do we mean by a “plan”? By plan we mean - have a clear goal in mind. It’s important to have an idea about what you’re looking for, how much you want to spend, etc.
Here are a few important questions to ask yourself before visiting your local thrift store:
Once you’ve asked yourself these questions, there are a few extra steps you can take to make your thrift shopping seamless.
If possible, visit your local thrift store on a weekday. Weekdays are often much quieter. As a result, you’ll have more time and space to do your shopping. Plus, you’ll have a better chance of finding rare gems!
Want to make sure you’ll be thrift shopping at the best possible time? Give your local thrift store a call to see when they recommend you visit.
We all love to save money! And one of the best things about thrift shopping is all the money you can save. But, what if we told you you could save even more!
Like other stores, shrift stores have sales days. Goodwill, for example, offers numerous promotions and sales throughout the year. Be sure to find out when these sales days are and visit your local thrift store during this time to save even more money.
Here are some promotions to keep an eye out for at your local Goodwill.
Goodwill Tag Sales
Every Sunday morning, Goodwill announces (on their website and social media) which colour tags will be on sale. For the rest of the week, anything marked with that colour is 50% off.
When are Tag Sales offered?
Goodwill’s Tag Sales last all week long. That is, seven days a week you can visit your local Goodwill and find items for 50% off!
Seniors Day
Seniors Day is a special sale day at Goodwill. During this time, thrift shoppers who are 60+ receive 15% off regular price items.
When is Goodwill’s Seniors Day?
Goodwill offers Seniors Day savings every Wednesday - all day long!
Knowing which days the shelves at your local thrift store are restocked will help you find quality items. Thrift store shopping is popular on the weekends, and quality items go quickly! So, if you’re looking for a gem, be sure to find out when the shelves are stocked so you can check out new items before anybody else.
The friendly staff at your local Goodwill will be happy to tell you when the shelves are restocked, and the best days to visit.
Did you know - what you wear when you go thrift shopping can affect your experience? You’re probably wondering, how? Well, it depends on what you’re buying!
If you’re on the hunt for clothing, consider wearing items from home that you intend to match. For example, the undershirt, pants or jacket you intend to wear as part of your new outfit. In addition, some thrift stores don’t offer fitting rooms. In this case, you may want to wear something that you can slip new items over to try on.
If you’re on the hunt for the perfect furniture or home decor item, be sure to wear something comfy. It’s easy to spend hours thrift shopping and being comfortable will make your experience a thousand times better!
Thrift stores are a great place to buy quality clothing and items, including brand names. However, to find the best deals, you’ll need to know what to look for.
If you know your brand names, this will be easy. Just take a peek at the item’s tag to see if it’s a quality brand. However, for other items, discerning quality isn’t always easy.
Here are some tricks you can use to find high-quality items:
When you’re thrift shopping for clothing, keep an eye out for these tell-tale signs of quality.
Shopping for some quality second-hand furniture? Here’s what to look for:
The neighbourhood surrounding a particular thrift store will determine what is donated. Therefore, if you’re looking for something specific, consider researching a thrift store’s surrounding location and what type of residents live there.
Here’s what you’re likely to find based on the neighbourhood:
Not sure how to determine what type of neighbourhood surrounds a certain thrift store location? Check on the home prices in that area. The higher the price of the average house, the more upscale the neighbourhood is.
For maximum thrifting satisfaction, check out your local thrift shop’s online store before you head down!
Checking out items online before you visit will give you a better idea of what you can expect when you get there. Better yet, Goodwill’s online thrift store allows you to purchase items online and pick them up later. Thrift shopping has never been so easy!
If you’re ready to put these thrift shopping tips to the test, head down to your local Goodwill. You’re sure to find some treasures when you stop by!
For those near Calgary, our huge Goodwill Plaza location at 9655 Macleod Trail SW is stocked full of quality items.
To find a thrift store location near you, check out our store directory - Goodwill locations in Alberta.
We look forward to seeing you soon!
A brand new program that provides support and coaching to employers who would like to hire people with disabilities.
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