Comments on: Thrift Store Clothing Spending Guide: How to Save Money & Buy Smart When Shopping Thrift Stores

By: Katie

Katie — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 02:14:31 +0000

Quick question!! :) I just bought a faux fur vintage coat, the picture is posted on my blog. ($6!!!!) It has the workers union tag on it, do those tags ever list the dates they were manufactured? I thought I saw one that did but my tag doesnt have the date. Just curious and since you seem to always have useful vintage info, I thought you might be able to help. Thank you, I hope to hear from you soon!

By: Jenn

Jenn — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 02:39:34 +0000

What a great post!!

By: Danielle@freshquince

Danielle@freshquince — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 21:22:48 +0000

As an avid second hand shopper, these are some great tips that I follow regularly. So glad I found your blog…I’m a huge vintage, used, even out of the trash fan!

By: Ellen Skagerberg

Ellen Skagerberg — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 18:41:45 +0000

Thanks for the tips! I follow several of them already, especially the t-shirt and tights to try things on in the aisles, though I often shop opposite. For instance, I don’t usually go into a thrift store with a goal in mind. I shop the whole place, and if I find a great piece the day before a sale, I buy it and don’t agonize over saving $3 the next day. Off-season shopping also works for me (though more for winter-wear than summer clothes).

I also don’t expect to keep things very long. I can wear a crazy blouse three or four times and be done with it. (My friends have high expectations of seeing me in new outfits!)

It’s all about price-per-wear: buy a $4 blouse and wear it four times, it’s $1/wear. On the other hand, buy a $90 purse and carry it every day for two years, and it’s only 12¢/use. The mistake to avoid is buying a $90 purse and using it only on a few special occasions — say, five times, which makes it $18/use before it’s replaced by the next great purse.

In that case, I want to be first at the thrift store when they put out that donated $90 purse for $6! My five carries will cost ME only $1.20 each!