Tips on Thrift Buying

Summer is the time for thrift buying. Not only are there yard sales every Saturday, but the season comes right after Spring Cleaning which inevitably means an influx of things in Deseret Industries or Goodwill. Yes, some people still do spring cleaning. :)

If you're a skeptic thrift-buyer or too lazy to thrift-buy, I'm here to reassure you that it is TOTALLY worth it. With a lot of looking and some creativity, you can find some really great stuff for A LOT less than you would pay in stores. It's kind of like being on a treasure hunt, except not every man's trash is another man's treasure. Whoever made that saying up has a whole garage full of unused junk.

So whether you fit the hesitant thrift shopper or not, here are some tips on how to be smart in thrift buying:

Frame: $1 at DI, Scrap fabric and ribbon: free

1) Create a list and stick to it. This is hands down where people usually get in trouble when they thrift shop. If you don't know what you really want or need, you end up buying a lot of stuff that you never use that just sits in your basement/closet. That would be a waste of money which is the opposite of the idea of thrift buying! So, figure out what you need/want and write it down, complete with dimensions if it's furniture or wall hangings and sizes if it's clothing. Believe me, just having a list will help you save money.

2) Ignore #1 if you find something absolutely amazing BUT you have to have a place in mind for it. Lists are great, but you can't pass up something that you fall in love with or is an AMAZING deal. That's the golden moments of thrift buying. It makes all the sorting-through-junk worthwhile! HOWEVER, before you buy it make sure you have a place in mind for it or check with yourself that you're really going to use it. No matter how much you love it, it's still a waste of money if it ends up in YOUR next yard sale.

$8 suit for my son in a couple years, found at a yard sale

3) Research. I'm not saying that you necessarily sit down at the computer and google search before you go shopping. I'm talking about two kinds of research: The research you do when you pay attention to how much things that are important to you cost and the research you do when you are surfing Pinterest seeing what other people do with items they find at thrift stores/yard sales. (So I guess that means the next time your hubby asks what you're doing on Pinterest AGAIN you can say "researching")  

These two kinds of research will help you know if the price you're paying is really a good deal and will give you ideas of what you can do with things that are beat up or are generally used for a different purpose. It is simply amazing the creativity that you'll find out there using "junk." And how EASY it is!

4) Haggle if it's too much or you're buying a lot (obviously you can only do this at yard sales, not DI). If you've done your research, you should know if they've marked something too high. Or maybe you just really don't want to pay that much for it. So haggle. See if they're willing to go lower, the worst they can do is say no. (I'm a complete hypocrite in saying this because I have a REALLY hard time haggling, but my sister-in-law is great at it and I've seen it work for her A LOT.) People usually just want to sell as much as they can. HOWEVER, don't insult their intelligence by offering them WAY LESS. It's just plain rude and might tick them off so they don't sell it to you for any price.

Also, if you're buying a lot of things at a particular yard sale, offer them a flat amount for everything. Usually people will cut you a deal that way because they're so glad you're buying so much! But again, make sure it's a reasonable amount.

Almost a complete set of Levels 1-4 Alfred's Basic Piano Library for 25 CENTS each at a yard sale. AMAZING since they're normally $6 each! Yeah I didn't haggle on that one!

5) Map out your yard sales before you go. I learned this from another yard-sale goer in my neighborhood. Nowadays with our technology, a lot of people post their yard sales on craigslist beforehand. It's a good idea to get on and see where they are and what they're selling. Sometimes you can tell that it's just not going to be a good one and it's not worth your time. But mostly, this is a good idea so you're not driving back and forth across town all day. Map out your route to save you some time!

6) Remember that a little TLC can go a long way. Like I said above, if you've looked on Pinterest, you know it's amazing how you can transform something with a little elbow grease and paint/fabric/etc. If you don't believe me, look at some of my own thrift store before and after pictures:

Before: $5 find at DI

After. Simple fabric recover with plastic protection against the outdoors.

Before: $10 find at DI (can you tell I love Deseret Industries?)

After: Simple repaint and knob replacement

Before, bought at DI for $2

After. It's now in my son's room full of pictures.

Before: $80 find at a thrift store where my parents' live

After: I wish I could take credit for this one but it's all my sister. She's amazing at refinishing furniture.

Just a quick word on the dresser above: I spent $130 TOTAL on it. For a large, beautiful piece of furniture like the one above, that is an AMAZING price. And no one would know it was a thrift store find unless I told them (which I usually do because I'm still so pumped on how little it cost!).

So, armed with my tips on thrift buying, get yourself out there and find some great deals! Don't get discouraged if you don't find something the first couple of times. You have to be patient and go a lot, but if you do, you will find some great stuff!