The Thrill of Thrifting

Thrifting:

Bargain shopping for the 21st century

Written by CAROLINE NICHOLSON | Photographed by JACKIE KENNEDY

The COVID-19 pandemic and responses to it thrust the world into a parallel universe, so separate and strange from what life once looked like. Beyond the self-isolation mandates and medical masks, millions of Americans lost their jobs and the economy suffered.

Todd and MaryLynn Farthing say Goodwill is an excellent place to shop for Christmas gifts for their three young children, ages 4, 3 and 1. “We bought a kitchen playset that would’ve been $200, and we got it for 20 bucks,” says MaryLynn.

One factor in this difficult economic situation is inflation, which has placed a strain on consumers in the form of higher prices with shoppers forced to look for better deals when buying clothes, food and everything in between.

Due to the combo of household incomes decreasing as prices for everyday items increase, thrifting and bargain shopping have boomed in the past two years, although shopping for bargains has been around for centuries.

Since the 1600s, lower-income consumers have turned to bargain shopping as a cost-effective option; in fact, second hand shops thrived in Elizabethan England, according to Erin Blakemore of JSTOR Daily digital library.

The 1900s saw a boom in thrift shopping due to significant world events like the Great Depression and World Wars I and II. As the end of World War II brought economic prosperity, more people donated their items and searched for new things and a fresh start.

In recent years, due to economic uncertainty as well as changing styles and increasing environmental awareness, thrifting has been on the rise with the stigma associated with bargain hunting slowly but surely decreasing.

Thrifting locally

Newnan Realtor Joy Brown Barnes admits that thrifting is as much for fun as it is for practicality. Her love of fashion goes back to her teenage years when she worked at Cato’s clothing store, coordinating outfits for customers and giving fashion advice.

“Thrifting is more or less a scavenger hunt for me,” she says, noting that the fact that you never know what you’ll find while thrifting establishes a level of excitement that shopping in typical box stores can’t.

In her many years as a thrifter, Barnes shares that her favorite find is an Anne Klein suit that still had the original tags attached, a perfect find for her career as a real estate agent. Most of her finds come from the local Goodwill stores that she sometimes visits between clients as a fun break. Barnes says she loves the variety offered at thrift stores.

No stereotypes

As thrifting shifts into a hobby for some, there’s no longer a stereotypical thrifter. People of all ages, ethnicities and economic levels shop for furniture, clothes and household items at places like Goodwill and local thrift stores. Thrifting has become an ideal hobby for many due to its accessibility, no matter your income level.

Julie Bennett is director of Marketing and Communications at Goodwill Industries of the Southern Rivers, which serves more than 50 counties in central and south Georgia. She attributes the recent expansion of thrifting to many things but says one unique cause for the growth is social media.

“Goodwill noticed social media influencers putting out YouTube content from one of their stores showing what they found and how they fashioned it,” says Bennett. “That’s been another big trend that we’ve seen since the pandemic.”

One-of-a-kind finds

Also contributing to the growth of thrifting is the unique assortment of items one can only find in second hand stores.

Lalla McGee, a zealous thrifter who lives in Newnan, describes her favorite thrift find: an abstract painting discovered back in the 1980s that sparks conversation anytime she hosts guests at her home.

“It has caused more conversation than any other piece of art I’ve ever had,” says McGee. “It’s just a wonderful, wonderful conversation piece.”

McGee admits she never hesitates to share that a particular item of clothing or art or furniture that she owns was discovered in a thrift store because she is proud to have found these items at such discounted prices.

Whatever your style or income, thrift and bargain shopping can save you hundreds to thousands of dollars a year, keep clothes out of landfills, and add a bit of adventure to your life. NCM

Hayley Bishop, a student at the University of West Georgia in Newnan, says she’s discovered that if she has a need for a particular item, she can almost always stop by her local Goodwill and locate it. This time, she was looking for bowls – and found them!

Local Thrift and Bargain Shopping

CLOTHES

One Roof Thrift Store, Newnan, oneroofoutreach.org ReNew Thrift Store, Newnan, facebook.com/ReNewThriftStore/ Underground Runway, Newnan, facebook.com/groups/UndergroundRunway

FURNITURE

Habitat For Humanity ReStore, Newnan, nchfh.org/restore Highway 29 Bargain Shop, Newnan, facebook.com/hwy29bargainshop The Shack, Senoia, facebook.com/TheShackWholesale

A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING

Goodwill Newnan, 228 Bullsboro Drive, goodwillsr.org/newnan Goodwill Newnan, 3121 Highway 34 East, goodwillsr.org/thomascrossroads Salvation Army, Newnan, facebook.com/TSANewnan/