Why you should shop at thrift stores if you don't already

YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE NEW CLOTHES HAVE BEEN EITHER. eVER HEARD OF PEOPLE WEARING THE CLOTHES AND BRINGING THEM BACK TO THE STORE? IT HAPPENS MORE OFTEN THEN NOT. THAT'S WHY YOU SHOULD WASH YOUR CLOTHES BEFORE YOU WEAR THEM.

this is off topic, but is your caps lock broken? S:

I donate to thrift shops frequently, but I can't bring myself to shop there. I don't want "pre worn" clothes. Ya just never know where they've been.

Umm you don't know where your clothes have been either that you purchase from a regular clothing store. And this is coming from a person who worked in retail!

i love thrift stores..still decent clothes at less than half the price of brand new clothes..plus, im a tight-wad:laugh:

No, I'm not poor.

I'm not poor either. Largely because I spend my money wisely, such as purchasing perfectly good second hand merchandise.

Yes I love to thrift shop and have been doing it since middle school. Its great for when you are losing weight because you can keep picking up your current size for cheap. The best deals Ive gotten have been $20.00 for a Ralph lauren Leather mini skirt, $20.00 black leather Jacket ,Juicewoman juicer for $15.00 that I saw online for $200.00 and a Tanita Digital scale for $12.00 that measures body fat! The scale was brand new but donated by Target because the box was torn!!

No, I'm not poor.

Just ignorant! ha

Thrift stores are definately worth checking out. Especially when losing weight. Who wants to spend a ton of money on clothes you won't be in for too long.

I found a bunch of great underwear a few times. Only like 1 or 2 holes in most of them

I don't shop secondhand, but I do donate a lot of clothes to charity. I'm a killer bargain shopper though. I have coupons galore in my inbox. The best deal I ever got was a pair of khaki's from Macy's for $4 and a black sweater for $2. But when I 'm losing weight I just don't shop at all. I have clothes that range from size 14 to my coveted size 10. So if I ever (God forbid) go back up to a size 14 I'm covered. Right now I'm back into my size 12 clothes on my way back into my favorite size 10 skinny jeans.

No, I'm not poor.

^^^This is a ridiculous, closed-minded statement. Don't be an a

Great minds think alike

I often shop at thrift stores. I have even found brand new, brand name (Nike, Adidas, etc) running gear like dri-fit shirts, jackets, and running skirts that I could not afford to buy new, and happily pick up for $2-$10.

1) I've actually had more compliments on the outfits I've purchased at the Goodwill/ARC, without telling people where those clothes came from, than ANYTHING new I've ever worn. You can look like a million bucks without SPENDING a million bucks. I would rather save my money for good running shoes (that IS something I wouldn't buy used).

2) It takes patience and time, as one person mentioned that sizes are not always organized well (especially on weekends when they're super busy and don't have enough help to clean things up).

3) When I initially dropped 40 pounds in 5 months, I did not have the money to buy brand new clothes in each size so I got a couple things very cheap to last through those times. The thrift shops were really helpful so that I didn't have to wear oversized clothes.

4) Just wash your clothes before you wear them; many items of clothing actually RECOMMEND this on the label. This does not just apply to "used" clothes.

5) Goodwill and the ARC support labor forces of disabled, elderly, and other folks who might otherwise have difficulty finding employment. They also use volunteers, so if you're ever looking for an opportunity to volunteer in your community it's a great way to give back.

Happy shopping!

Was at Goodwill yesterday -- got 1 shirt for me and 6 shirts for my hubby to be.
Getting 50% off certain tag colors and military discount, we paid $17.62.

Here's my BEST Goodwill snag.
My wedding dress for $3.50 -- brand new - still with the original David's Bridal's tags on the dress. And the dress was in my size.
My wedding shoes for $2.00 -- brand new - still with original packaging materials and tags.

I am not joking..... my wedding day outfit (dress & shoes) cost me $5.50.


Last week, got a brand new fleece coat (still with original tags) for $4.50.

I am a big fan of thrift/second hand stores from any organization.

Wow, you've done even better than me! Nice!

Although I do shop at thrift stores, I won't step foot inside Goodwill. The Goodwill stores in my area are disgusting and disorganized. I mainly go to thrift stores to find items for resale, but have nothing against buying used clothes if I needed them.

That is unfortunate. Goodwill stores in Illinois are large, clean, and staffed by friendly people who may or may not have disabilities. Even if I've been discouraged at not finding what I wanted, I've never had a bad experience there in terms of the condition of the store.

It is unfortunate because I have been to Goodwill stores in other states that were not like that.

The 3 Goodwill stores I've been to in my area were actually really clean, although the clothing racks and the toy section (which I frequented when I was a preschool special education teacher) were pretty messy. The one I go to regularly has a couple women who've worked there forever and they are amazingly nice, helpful and FAST.

Once I run out of saved clothes (yep I have tons that I told myself I would wear again one day) - I will be hitting Goodwill,
Once I hit my goal weight, I will buy some new just for me stuff as a present to myself

Altho, I always feel better when I shop the clearance racks and dont blow a paycheck.

Love to shop at thrift stores. Not for everything thou.

I love thrift shopping. Been a fan of it for decades, and I'm unapologetic. Someone compliments an item, and I'll tell 'em where I got it. Of course I like to save money, but even more I like that I can find really interesting, unique items and create looks that are my own. My daughters love it too. The little one because she loves foofy, frilly party dreses and she knows that if I only paid a few bucks for it, I'll let her wear it any old day she wants instead of saving it for special occasions, and the older one because I've started letting her decide how she spends her portion of the clothing budget and she'd rather have 5 pairs of jeans than 1 pair for the same money. Smart kid.

Some of my best thrift shop finds:

4 stunningly gorgeous, very high quality girls wool dress coats (in different sizes) $8-15 each. No idea how old they are but I've never seen anything like them in stores. When the little one gets all dressed up, she looks like she stepped out of a Di ck ens novel (though I know they aren't THAT old!). And when she outgrows one, the next one is waiting in the closet.

Record album (yes, vinyl) made by a local high school's jazz band back in the 70's. $1.50. Being an alum and a band geek, that was cool enough, but even better, when I took a closer look at the album cover, I recognized my uncle in the band

Bright green miniskirt, probably from the late 60's or early 70's, under $5. My office appropriate St Paddy's Day attire! Love that thing!


Seriously, you can't find this kind of stuff at department stores!

Edited because apparently we aren't allowed to type out the last name name of a popular 19th century English author. Hahahaha!

As soon as I saw this thread today, I decided I was going to stop at my favorite thrift store after work. As I was pulling into the parking lot, the thrift store song came on the radio. Of course I didn't listen to it. I didn't want to risk missing out on something.