5 Thrift Tips For the New Thrifter

Are you new to thrifting? If so, yay! You’re gonna LOVE IT. But if you’re not sure where to start, check out these 5 tips for a successful plunge into the wonderful world of thrifting.

If you’re not new to thrifting, I’m sure you’ll enjoy this list anyways- and feel free to leave your tips for new thrifters in the comments below!

1. Start at a consignment shop.

I wouldn’t typically recommend that a first time thrifter go to the goodwill bins, but rather start at a consignment shop. Consignment shops are much more like boutiques with curated pieces that are brand new or like-new.

At consignment shops, consigners bring their gently used items in and the boutique picks which items will go out on the floor and once they sell are given a percentage of the sale price. This is a good place to start if you are new to secondhand shopping because it’s a bit less overwhelming and not as much “digging” is needed to find a gem.

The other thing I LOVE about consignment shops is that usually they are locally owned and you can really interact with the owner and workers. The environment is super fun and you can ask for style advice from them and other shoppers. It’s like having a bunch of personal stylists in the dressing room with you!

(Pictures of The Queen BEES Closet in Medina, Ohio)

2. Wear a solid basic tee to try things on with.

This is kind of a good rule of thumb for anyone shopping. When you wear a basic tee to try things on, your perspective isn’t skewed as much when trying on new things or things out of your comfort zone.

3. Don’t be afraid to check the racks in a size above and below your normal size! With so many brands to choose from, sizing will differ- especially vintage sizing!

When shopping secondhand, you aren’t going to wear the same size in everything, it’s just a fact. I always check a size up atleast, when thrifting and sometimes the size below! The skirt above is a vintage size 8 and fit me perfect. I found it in the Medium’s when normally I am a small.

4. Go in with a positive mindset.

When you start anything new, a positive mindset towards it gives you a much higher chance of success. Same goes for thrifting! Take your most smiley, fun friend with you and hit up starbucks and the consignment boutique this weekend!

5. Have a goal of 1-3 things you want to find.

This one goes along with the last tip, because going in with a positive mindset and a goal usually ends really well. And in this case, you won’t buy things you don’t need, if you have some pieces in mind you’d like to add to your closet. Make a quick list in your phone, or have a screenshot of your favorite blogger’s latest outfit and be on the lookout for those key items. If you find something along the way you can’t live without, BONUS! 😉

I use the stylebook app (blog post about it here) to track the items in my closet and how many times I wear them. This is really helpful too to check and make sure I don’t already have something similar, before making a purchase. You can also put outfit inspiration pictures in the app for looks you’d like to recreate.

I hope you found this list helpful and I wish you the luck in your thrifting endeavors 🙂

XOXO – Taylor