Thrifting 101

Thrifting 101 A Beginners Guide

BY SAMANTHA KEYES

Copyright © 2022 Samantha Keyes.

All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retreival systems, without permission in writing from the author.

Thank you to Mercantile Antiques, Deseret Industries, St George Catholic Thrift Shop, and Urban Renewal for photos of store fronts and indoors ISBN: ISBN: Book design by Samantha Keyes.

Images by Samantha Keyes.

Printed in the United States of America.

First Printing Edition 2022.

THRIFTING 101

Thrifting 101 A Beginners Guide

BY SAMANTHA KEYES

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SO YOU’RE INTERESTED IN THRIFTING Maybe you need to revamp your closet. Maybe you need to find something specific for cheap. Maybe you don’t like the idea of spending $30 on a singular shirt. And maybe it’s just something you see your friends doing and you want a share of the hype.

Whatever reason it is, you may need some help. Thrifting is not for the faint of heart.

In this handy guide, I, your host Samantha, will walk you through many aspects of thrifting includingWHY THRIFT? CHOOSING YOUR LOCATION FLIPPING THROUGH THE DRESSING ROOM FINDING YOU

So come along with me on your thrift journey ;)

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WHY THRIFT? Oh you’re not convinced? “What is the point?” you say. It’s a time consuming process in a location filled with clothes that are either old and nasty or made in the year you were born. well here’s an incomplete list of reasons to thrift shop: ITS CHEAP

Department stores are flashy and exciting but in the end, you fall in love with two shirts and now you’re broke. For the same money you can walk into a thrift store and walk out with a drawer full of clothing IT’S SUSTAINABLE

I don’t want to rant, but the fashion industry of today makes cheap clothes that fall apart fast and then creates new clothing and designs faster than ever to market to us.

This model gets us used to throwing out clothes sooner and buying new clothes more often which leaves the industry richer, us broker and without quality garments, and the landfills higher with all the cloth waste. As opposed to SHEIN which lists 1000 new items every day, you can thrift and for the same price keep clothes from becoming waste.

IT’S EXCITING

On a less bleak note, Thrifting feels so fulfilling. It’s a great activity to do with friends or on a date or even alone for

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a little self-care. It can become a hobby for some and if you really want to get into it you can try upcycling and put new life into the pieces that you find. By creatively looking at clothes that don’t fit exactly into what’s trending you can realize what your true interests are clothing-wize and develop your own personal style and identity. Also vintage clothes are just plain cute.

YOU’LL LIKE WHAT YOU FIND MORE

The more effort you put into the creation process of something, the more attached you are to it. The time and effort you put into searching and experimenting and revisiting in thrifting makes the clothing you find mean so much more to you. It’s something to be proud of and you will be proud. I do love the clothes I get from Target, but it does not match the love I have for my best thrift finds.

Now where do you start! It can be overwhelming, so let’s start at the very beginning. Carve out an hour of time and hop in your preferred vehicle of transport cause we’re going shopping.

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CHOOSING YOUR LOCATION Whether you live in a city or a small town, you most likely have one of the following flavors of thrift place.

THE BIG THRIFT

CORNER STORE CHRISTIAN

I AM WEALTH

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The Big Thrift stores are going to be mid range in price although prices are sadly rising (I had to pay $7 for a dress last time I went and I cried right in the middle of the store).

They are big, regularly stocked, maybe questionable in cleanliness and good vibes, but they consistently deliver. If you are looking for a specific item they are the best places to visit and I personally check them regularly.

Your Corner Store Christian stores are much smaller and often sponsored by a local church. Their price range varies but they often have the best finds. Be aware though, some of these small stores are only open Thursday-Saturday, so you should check up on business hours beforehand.

I Am Wealth thrift stores are your high-end thrift product, which comes across as ironic because one of the draws of thrifting is the price. These stores are much more selective about what they sell which means that every piece is a gem and every price is above $15. It’s still technically a deal though because most of the clothes are vintage and high quality. These stores require a different mindset to shop at.

I mostly go to window shop or to buy one thing on a special occasion. They are a vibe to spend time at though.

Once you have your location, head there and walk in!

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FLIPPING THROUGH Those who have never thrifted before may want to cry at the absolute perceived unorganization of thrift stores. I can say that there is a marginal method to the madness though. Typically, clothes are sorted into mens, womens, and children sections and then defined by clothing type whether that be button ups, cotton tees, dress pants, skirts, or others. Often it’s sorted by size from there.

Choose a rack and start flipping through. Look through things outside of your size range too because it’s not all consistent. Don’t be frustrated if you aren’t seeing anything good, sometimes it takes a few racks before you find a gem. But on the flip side, be open minded about the clothes you’re looking through. Think about layering potential or how you could repurpose items. Be experimental with what you’re willing to try on.

Most importantly though, grab that really ugly thing. You’ll know it when you see it. It has an atrocious pattern or wacky colors, or it’s something you don’t know how it’s supposed to be worn. If it looks like it’s going through its own identity crisis, it’s a gem. If it catches your eye for more than 3 seconds, even if you’re just spending that time trying to figure out what the heck it is, then grab it. Your style is now irony and you are gonna rock that grandma sweater.

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THE DRESSING ROOM Once you have a healthy heap that you can barely hold onto, go to a fitting room and try them on. Worried about if they are dirty? Don’t worry, thrift stores wash their clothes (probably hopefully).

Of all the things you grabbed you will probably only like 15% of them once you try them on. Now you could run off with your 3 cute shirts and be happy. Remember though, if you factor in layering and adjustment possibilities you can get use out of a lot more clothes, even if they didn’t seem to fit quite right on first try on.

When you have your finds, buy them, wash them (or don’t), and then you’re free to rock your new fits!!

FINDING YOU One lovely impact of thrifting a lot is that you become more conscious of your personal style. Now when I go to the thrift stores I just look out specifically for turtle and crew necks. I look for gentle blues and red and yellows. I look for thick fabrics and vintage button ups and for chunky sweaters from the 80s. My thrifting experience is more efficient than a beginners because I go in with parameters set. It’s nothing to stress about in the beginning but it’s a nice goal to work towards.

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SIDE NOTE

having a good “to go thrift shopping” outfit is a very smart way to go. I always wear easy to get off-and-on shoes, simple jeans and a comfy T-shirt that I don’t have to retuck in.

You just want to wear something that makes it easy to try on a lot of clothes ;)

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CONCLUSION You’ve made it through! And now you get to walk away with new and vital wisdom about thrifting. We’ve covered why in the world you’d want to thrift, the different types of thrifts stores and which ones match your needs the most, how to look for clothes in the racks, making your final purchase descisions, and finding your unique style. You now have all the tools you could ask for!

I have loved being your host today and I do hope this guide was both effective in convincing you to thrift and also comprehensive enough to answer your questions. Hopefully it was good enough to sooth your woes and push you to begin you thrift shopping journey.

Thank you for joining Thrifting 101 and have wonderful thrifting experiences from here on out!

See ya!

From your thrifty host, Samantha

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