Even More Thrifting Tips!

Meghan McAndrews of High Plains Thrifter fame (a blog I follow) wrote an article for the U.S.A. Salvation Army's publication Scope on the 10 Secrets to Shopping Success at the Salvation Army.

She had a few points on there that I didn't include in my lists, and they were strategies that I myself already use, so I thought I'd better make sure they were on my blog!

You can read her article here in full. I've summarized her points below:

Meghan's 10 points, in brief:

1. Make a List.
2. Go Often.
3. Allow yourself time to Browse.
4. Scan your way to Success.
5. Look Up (and Down).
6. Inspect to avoid Regret
7. Use your Imagination (repurposing objects).
8. Get familiar with your store's Sale Cycles.
9. Accept that every trip may not be successful.
10. Practice Thrift-store kindness

Sound familiar? :) Some of these tips really are universal!

I'd like to expand on her points #4, 5 and 7, because I haven't said much about them in this blog yet.

SCANNING the racks rather than examining every single item:

I agree with this to some degree, and I do it on occasion, but if you have the time and energy and patience to flip through each of the items, it really will work to your favour. You'll miss some finds if you just scan. However, this is a fast way to browse somewhere like Brockiland where there are just TOO MANY articles to examine fully. I use this technique for clothing at Brockiland only (everywhere else it's worth my time to speed-flip), and here's what I look for:

1. Quality fabric and construction. "Drape" is important - the really nice garments tend to hang nicely even on the hangers.
2. Details - shoulder flashes, spangles, decorative stitching. These are more commonly found on higher-quality, well-tailored pieces (though not always!). 
3. Textures - silk, woven fabrics, leather, suede, woolens, cashmere, etc.
4. Colour. I personally skip anything in the pink-purple spectrum (fuchsia, magenta, mauve, hot pink, lilac, violet, periwinkle...not for me!), and I have no regrets! Okay, occasionally royal purple or a plum or berry-hue for fall. Maybe a winey-red. Maybe.

I should say that I ALWAYS scan the shelves for plates and tableware and vases, etc. It's much easier to just cast your eye along a shelf and see if any of the teapots stand out than to handle every single one (that gets tiring, and grubby, and I don't have a ton of patience after I've looked through all the clothing!).

Looking Up and Down:

I really wish I had thought to include this on my list, because it is a habit I have and I've scored some of my favourite finds this way! I once went out looking for a western-style shirt for a country-western themed party. I was about to come up empty handed when I looked up on the wall (very high up in this case!) and saw THE perfect shirt! And it fit! And I wear it to this day, on a regular basis (it is rather cute!).
Remember that the employees of the store see these wares every day, and they've got practiced and sharp eyes for finding the best items. So they're likely to put these finds on the display mannequins, and if there are no mannequins, perhaps hanging from a hook somewhere ('cheap' CARITAS always has a few flashy things in the window or on display, so it even applies to the lower-end stores!).
Looking down I sort of covered - if it's crumpled on the floor, pick it up. Not only is it an act of kindness to rehang something you didn't drop, but it really could be that you're picking up something you would be interested in!
At the Heilsarmee, make sure you check all the little cubby holes of the shoe and bag area - if something was replaced on a low shelf, you might not see it if you're taller.
So, when you go into a store, make sure to glance around the place - do the walls and ceilings first, then the individual racks/shelves, and make sure you look down while you do it. ;)

Repurposing Objects:

I think the best way to stir your imagination and to get you thinking of how something can be used in another context, is to direct you to Apartment Therapy, the greatest website ever. They even have their own "Thrift Store Shopping Tips" (not as good as mine or Meghan's, though!). ;)

• Apartment Therapy - Reusing
• Apartment Therapy - Before & After

Here's an article from Apartment Therapy on "What to Look for at the Flea Market (or how to repurpose anything)"... how perfect is that?! :) You're welcome! ;) Oh no - now I need rake heads, old door knobs, shoe forms...! So awesome! How about "10 Common Thrift Store Finds That Work Great for DIY Projects"? Oh yeah!
There's also Design*Sponge, another really inspiring website that you really should check out!

Inspired? :) I think the biggest tip I can give on the 'repurposing objects' front is this - did it catch your eye? Is there something unbearably cool or lovely about it? Can you incorporate it into your home in some way? What do you need? A wine rack? A new bedside table? A hallway table? Maybe a storage unit? Can it function as any of these? What about as a plant stand? A towel rack? A shoe rack? Can you hang your jewelry from it? Would it work as a desk organizer? Spice rack?

See how it goes? 

Step 1 - See something cool for a good price
Step 2 - Think of a place or use for it in your home
Step 3 - Buy it and bring it home
Step 4 - Modify it to fit its new role!

Also, remember that reupholstering a chair is one of the hardest (and most expensive) things to do, and even more costly when you get a professional to do it. You have to be really committed to purchase an armchair or sofa that needs new duds.

BUT, sewing a simple slip cover or replacing a simple draping cover is cheaper and easier. So if you see a padded ottoman that would be great if it wasn't lime green, for example, maybe there's an easy solution.

And of course, you can always paint (spray or otherwise) wood or metal furniture to a colour or finish of your choice. This can be a lot of work, but if it's something small like a wire basket or a magazine rack, it can be very quick and satisfying.

Which reminds me - the Heilsarmee Zürich also has a feature on refinishing thrift finds on BrockiChic.

So keep a sharp eye for something inherently funky that could be really awesome used as a ______ and with a new coat of paint!

You can totally do that. :) 

You can also keep a list on your smartphone of things you could use (a hallway bench, wine rack, and a way to hang my necklaces are on mine!) and see if anything fits the bill. ;)

Best of luck out there, dear thrifty folk of Zürich!
TiZ