A guide to thrift store shopping. (And why you should thrift)

I love thrift stores. Not everyone has the patience to sort through bins of dusty clothing. But I do! I love the thrill of finding a vintage band shirt, a Tripp brand item, or the perfect worn in combat boots. Almost eighty percent of my clothing comes from thrift stores. I also love the feel of already worn in clothing. I have converted some of my friends to thrift stores because of the great pieces I have found. But here is my personal guide to thrifting! Enjoy!

:Look in odd places:
I find my vintage band shirts (or sometimes worn only once) in the male section of stores. I find cute vests in the kid's section. I once found an amazing pair of boots hidden under scarves. 

:Do not rush yourself:
Take a day where you have free time. You need time to search if you are new to thrifting. I can go through a store and find at least five different things in less than twenty minutes. But that comes from the experience of knowing where to look.

:Wear comfy clothing:
Some thrift stores do not have dressing rooms or the rooms are dusty. Wear something you can easily slip another item over if there is no dressing room. And also wear something you do not mind getting slightly dirty.

:If you like something but not love it..do not get it!:
 I have wasted money on items I like and end up never wearing. Can you see yourself wearing this more than once? If you do not like this will a friend love it? Can you wear this with more than one outfit and for different occasions?

:See a big baggy shirt you like? DIY it!:
I get big baggy Halloween shirts and cut them up for summer. Or take a giant stripped shirt and turn it into a scarf. If you have not deconstructed a shirt before there are plenty of tutorials on Youtube showing you how. And there are plenty of no sew designs. Or see a pair of pants you like the look of but not the way the fit is on the legs? Cut them into shorts! Distress them and add patches or studs.

:Do not just get clothing!:
Nothing is off limits. Shoes,jewelry, home decorations,material,vintage patterns for clothing, and even furniture. I found a brand new goat skull at a thrift store for two bucks. This is also a great place to look for odd shaped bottles for decoration or oddity collections.

:Go on the weekends or the first of the month:
Most stores get new things on the weekends or the first of the month. Also look for Halloween things during September. And look for school clothes during August.

Here is a directory of thrift stores in the USA Here.
For those not in the United States..google is your friend!

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