Kaitlyn Sandvik
Reporter
The neighborhood Goodwill is a place for spending hours sifting through racks of obscure clothing brands and rummaging around a pile of written-in books, each with a different story attached to them. This concept has continued to fascinate me since an early age, as I realized that a water stained copy of The Catcher in the Rye could have been someones most coveted item, but as time went on, it ended up in my hands. I longed to attain more experience in life and find stories that had not been given the chance to be heard. It was through my wild imagination and an access to thrift stores that I became infatuated with those weekly visits. However, among my childish delight and exploration with the world of Goodwills and Savers I realized that thrifting can be a somewhat controversial topic.
Over the years different perspectives regarding the art of thrifting have developed and now when I proudly confess an item I am wearing is from a thrift store, people are intrigued rather than insulting. There are several reasons I go thrift shopping: it is a form of recycling, many thrift stores donate commissions such as the Salvation Army, Goodwill is a nonprofit which advocates for public policy to help the locally unemployed, and prices are affordable. Another aspect to thrifting is the donation process. While it is great to purchase items, donating cleaned clothes or items that are in good shape which you no longer want provides more opportunities for the money made from the selling of those products to go back into the community.
Whenever I donate I like to think about who might buy the item, what their story is. In my life I notice many of the activities I do and enjoy allow me to tap into the mind or gain even the slightest new perspective from another person because as Plath said, “I want to live and feel all the shades, tones and variations of mental and physical experience possible in life. And I am horribly limited.” Thrifting is one small way to temporarily take on a new identity, help your community, experiment with your style, and I think even gain another perspective if you go into it with an open mind.
Aside from reasons why to thrift shop, I thought I might lend some of my tips from years spent rummaging through countless aisles of thrift stores across the United States and even abroad in Norway and Paris (some might even call me an expert).
Kaitlyn’s Tips
1. Go in with an open mind. This means be prepared to make alterations and look in sections for different sizes or genders. Rethink items in, see the full potential and remember, you can easily transform a minor stain on a jean jacket by applying on a patch over it! If you enter with an open mind, you just might find unexpected treasures.
2. Also go in with priorities. Make a list of things you have been wanting or things you need so that you have some sort of focus for the trip.
3. Plan time for thrifting. Don’t assume you will be in and out of any thrift store in under an hour.
4. Do your research. Some thrift stores have certain days of the week that give different percentage discounts which you can find here and on the given stores website. Also, some thrift stores only take cash, so remember to find out and be prepared.
5. Remind yourself that thrift shopping is not consignment shopping and there is a difference. Typically consignment stores are more selective with what they accept to sell which means their prices and quality are higher. A portion of their profit will go to the person who brought in the item whereas Goodwill is all donations.
6. Weekends are busy. If you want to avoid a large crowd while shopping, I highly recommend you go during a weekday otherwise the aisles will be messy and people will be swarming.
7. Do not always expect to find something. Although thrift stores are often times massive, it is perfectly fine to not leave with an item. Do not buy something you don’t think you will actually wear or get around to fixing up.
8. Explore. Do not be afraid to go to the back corners of the stores, someone may have hid something back there!
9. Bring your own bag. Shopping carts are definitely not the easiest option for tight aisles and maneuvering through crowds, plus you want to keep your coveted items nice and close (there are people who will take items from your shopping cart.)
10. Wear something simple to change out of, in or out of a fitting room. Typically thrift store chains have 3+ fitting rooms but when you have a lot of items and it happens to be a busy day, it makes sense to try things like sweaters on outside the fitting room.
11. Do not overlook the details. I would say 90% of my jewelry is from thrift stores and the same goes for my belts, bags, records. This is because I never forget to check all the sections before I leave.
Look out for part two where I will give you my top five thrift stores that are close enough for you to check out!
