Thrift Like The Makerista: How You Should Thrift

*This series is sponsored by CommunityAmerica Credit Union.  CommunityAmerica believes a big aspect of financial security is living within your means to fund your dreams, and I was thrilled when they wanted to partner up to share my love of thrifting.  All thoughts and opinions in this series are my own.  

Just seeing the series?  Start here.

Last week we looked at where you should thrift, and this week I’m going to tell you how you should thrift.  This post will not be the prettiest one I’ve every shared, but that’s thrifting.  It’s important that you see that the things in my home come from dingy, messy stores and the back of people’s trunks.  Thrifting is all about finding diamonds in the rough!  How you thrift will vary from place to place, so let’s break down my tips and tricks for each one, shall we?

No matter where you’re going, I recommend always bringing hand sanitizer.  Ha.  Seriously, though.  I’m not a germaphobe, but I do know that most of these things haven’t been cleaned in a long time, so I always have sanitizer in my car and/or purse.  I used to be really grossed out by secondhand things that you couldn’t throw in the washer on high heat, but you do get used to the smell and dinge of a thrift store.  But I still don’t forget to sanitize after.  Sidenote: There are some bargain thrift stores that just have everything in big bins.  I recommend bringing gloves for that kind of organized, dumpster diving.

You also want to compile a list and keep a tape measure on you.  I don’t typically go thrifting with something specific in mind to get that often leads to disappointment but I have a note on my phone filled with things I would like to have for our house and measurements for areas where I’m needing something specific.  If you find a beautiful rug that you think could be just wonderful in your living room, you need to know that it will fit.  Most forms of second hand shopping don’t allow returns, so committing to something big and it not working out is always a bummer.  A list can help you focus while you hunt important for people who get overwhelmed and also help you make wise purchases.

CHECK FOR SALES

THRIFT STORES:  First off, because we know many of these stores are now overpriced, learn the sales and sign up for the applicable programs.  Most thrift stores have sales on a different color every week this is usually the oldest product in the store and some stores have big sales every month or so.  Red Racks has a program you can sign up for with you phone number that will text you when they are having sales.  You can enter your phone number at the register every time you shop to earn additional discounts as well.  Take advantage of your stores programs and sales, and if you’re not sure what they are just ask.  I’ve found most employees aren’t quick to tell you how you can save, but happy to inform you if you ask.

I ALWAYS START IN THE FURNITURE.

When it comes to shopping thrift stores there is definitely a method to how I go about it.  I always start at the furniture.  Why?  Because the idea of seeing someone at the register with a piece of furniture I wish I would have gotten to first is an unpleasant one.  It’s rare I leave with a good piece of furniture, but common for me to leave with a great small item, so I always check the furniture first because the odds are small, but the risk is great.  If time is not an issue, there are two things I will take my time scouring: art and books.

HOW I LIKE A THRIFT STORE’S ART SECTION TO LOOK…

HOW THEY USUALLY LOOK.

If you want your home to feel personal to you, the fastest way to do it is by adding art and books.  Both of these things can be very expensive new.  Buying them at a thrift store is going to save you a ton of money and also bring your home a lot of style.  These are the two areas in thrift stores that tend to be the most messy, the most overrun, and searching through every single item can be a time suck.  If I’m in a hurry I’ll just scan over quickly, it’s painful because I hate the idea of missing something good underneath but a must to keep moving.  When I’m glancing through books, if I see a title that’s of interest I always try to take the time to keep digging.  Thrift store books are often cast offs from relatives who didn’t see the value in them.  If Mike and Sarah got rid of Grandma’s The Dawn of Italian Painting book, you can venture to guess there are going to be some other really wonderful art books in there as well.  Keep digging!

After searching those areas I move onto tableware.  My biggest tip here: if you find something you love and there isn’t enough for your table, pick it up anyways.  The odds of you finding more down the line are good, and if you’re impatient you can almost always find more of it on eBay!  I then scan the aisles of tchotchkes, home decor, and if I have extra time I’ll search through the linens.  I’ve found some really wonderful tablecloths!

ANTIQUE MALLS: I love a good antique mall, but the idea of walking through 40,000 square feet of stuff can be downright overwhelming.  Don’t feel like you have to get through the whole thing the first time you go.  Over time you’ll have more and more patience and stamina.  You definitely want a list or something specific to look for when you go to one.  If it’s busy, I always try to work against traffic.  I start on the right most people shop like they read, left to right and work my way left.  Or I go to the very back of the store and work my way forward.  You’ll also find that working backwards puts you at the cheapest booths first.  The booths at the front get the most traffic and rental is at a premium, so prices are usually higher.  Give yourself some grace to take breaks.  If you need to step outside to clear your head, do it.  It’s very easy to get a headache in a huge building, between the gobs of stuff and the fluorescent lights.  Water is good too!  I make it sound like a sporting event, if it was I might actually be athletic!  

PIECES FOUND IN THE BASEMENT OF AN ESTATE SALE.

ESTATE SALES:  As I mentioned in my last post, Estate Sales are something I don’t get to spend as much time at, but I think they’re a great source for secondhand items and would love to shop them more.  With that said, there are some tips for shopping them.  The obvious might be that certain areas of your city might have more items you’re interested in.  If you are looking for midcentury pieces, sales in neighborhoods built in the 50s and 60s are more likely to have what you’re looking for.  Century old neighborhoods are likely to have more antiques.  This is just a guide, but a great way to know exactly what a sale is going to look like is to search EstateSales.NET.  This site allows you to put in your zip code and find almost any and all sales going on around you.  With pictures of many of the items available, this makes knowing what estate sales you’re really interested in easy, and take a lot of the guess work out of picking which ones to hit up.

When it comes to shopping the house, the approach for me varies depending on the home.  If the people had wonderful, timeless style and the sale is full of great pieces, I don’t have a strategy other than taking my time and enjoying the experience.  If you find the sale online and see a specific piece you like, as about that piece first thing for your best chance of scoring it for yourself.  If I’ve just walked into a pretty typical, suburban home I often start in the basement.  The reality is, much of the items I love are things the average person finds outdated.  What does someone do with “old” things they spent a lot of money on e.g. silver, crystal, old paintings, beautiful curtains and furniture?  They put them in the basement.  They have their Nebraska Furniture Mart recliner in their living room, and the antique rocker in the storage room.

Estate Sales usually run for 2-4 days and often slash prices as the days go by.  It’s pretty typical to see full price the first day, 25% off the second day, and 50% off the last day.  If you have the slightest thought you might want to buy some furniture, make sure you have a vehicle that can accommodate it.  Some estate sales do not allow children.  It’s rare but can happen.  I honestly don’t advice taking kids if you can avoid it.  The houses are often crowded, and breakable things are usually at low levels because kids don’t typically live in these homes.

Just like getting to know your thrift stores and how they effect your community, I think it’s great to do the same with Estate Sales.  I’ve learned along the way that many of them are out to make the most money they can off of you and in turn, give the least to the families they’re working for.  Many estate sale companies have thrift stores, so if they don’t sell everything at the home in those few days it’s not a big deal to them.  This is part of the reason the prices have increased greatly.  Have you gone to an estate sale and they have a bunch of random things set up on shelves in the garage?  Oftentimes those are items they have brought in from other sales, not part of the homeowners personal items.  If you’re in Kansas City, I recommend My Personal Estate Sale, Primetime, and Green Frog for companies that have fair prices and treat families well.  If you’re looking for the sales that are consistently at homes with high-end, quality pieces, Brown Button is a must to follow.

THE MOST INCREDIBLE ESTATE SALE I HAVE EVER BEEN TO WAS AN OLD COSTUME DESIGNER’S HOME JUST WEST OF DOWNTOWN KANSAS CITY. 

GARAGE SALES: As I said in the last post, I really don’t search these out at this time, but if you want to there are some great apps and websites to do so.  You can check sites like www.yardsales.net or even Craigslist for individual and neighborhood sales.  Other than running into a garage sale, I prefer to stick to neighborhood sales.  Find a neighborhood who’s houses you admire and the chances of you finding something you like is much higher.  For me that means hitting up older neighborhoods, or communities that have a lot of older people.

CRAIGSLIST + FACEBOOK MARKETPLACE: If you’re looking for furniture, these are the best place to start.  Especially if you’re not able to get out and about much.  My biggest tip with both of these avenues is to use alerts when looking for something specific.  Wanting a mid century modern buffet for your dining room?  You can set an alert on CL and FB and be notified when people post one.  I showed you how to set a Craigslist alert here.  Once you’ve entered a search on Facebook it will as you if you want to get notified when new items are posted.  Simply swipe the bar to start the notifications.  I love that Facebook also allows you to set filters like price and you can chance the scope of your search from 1 mile away from your location up to 100 miles away.  It’s nice narrowing things down when I don’t have the capacity to travel far, or widening it when I really need something specific.  Use your head and follow your instincts when meeting up with others.

I LOVE SHOPPING CONSIGNMENT FURNITURE STORES, AND THE PIECES WITH A BIT OF WEAR HAVE SO MUCH MORE CHARACTER AT A FRACTION OF THE PRICE. 

CONSIGNMENT STORES: These are usually pretty straight forward, but pieces tend to go on sale after they’ve been there a month, and there is often no negotiating outside of that.  This is another place where I like to start in the back.  The pieces may have a dent or ding, but are much cheaper and often more my style.

EBAY, CHAIRISH : eBay is a great place to find exactly what you’re looking for.  Whether you’re needing to complete your set of dishes you just scored at the thrift store or find an obscurely sized, antique rug, this is the fastest place to do it.  They have very advanced search settings you can save and be notified immediately when someone lists what you’re looking for.  Chairish is like an online antique mall.  Sellers post their own finds and can ship to you, but one of my favorite features is that you can search by city.  That way you can meet up and save on shipping.  You’re also able to make offers, so don’t let the prices scare you too much.

I DON’T TYPICALLY PAY MORE THAN $20 FOR A SMALLER PIECE OF ART WHILE THRIFTING.  I LOVED THIS PIECE, SO IT WAS TIME TO HAGGLE. 

Let’s also talk about haggling and when and where to do that.  Commercialized estate sales and national thrift stores like Red Racks and Salvation Army don’t really leave room for haggling.  I think you can sometimes try if there’s a price marking that’s a bit questionable, but I haven’t had much luck because these are bigger organizations with rules and people higher up to answer to.  Unless I know the piece is a complete steal for the price, I haggle above $20 or if I’m buying multiple items from the same person.  It’s sounds scary, and it definitely was until I learned the right way to ask.  The phrase I use over and over again is “Could you do any better on the price?”  That’s a simple yes or no question that I’ve never found offended anyone.  Usually they come back with a lower number and if I’m satisfied I say “deal.”  If it’s still more than I’d like I say “I was kind of hoping you could do around $__.  I really love it, but that’s what I can afford.”  When it comes to low-balling, I’ve done my fair share of that on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace.  I usually make the person aware that I love the piece and would be so happy to have it in my home, but that I just don’t have much budget right now, but could bring $___ cash and meet them that day.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.  But the answer is no if you never ask.

Holy cow, that was a lot of info, ha.  And I feel like I could have kept expounding, this 5 part series could probably have been 10!  But now that I’ve given away some of the secrets to shopping these places, next week we’ll talk about what to look for.  In the meantime, I want to hear what tips or tricks I didn’t mention above I know I’m missing some things or if you’re new to this, what tip or trick you hope to try out soon!  This week’s giveaway includes a few treasure’s I’ve been holding onto for a long time that cute little buffalo is a piggy bank! and some things I just picked up you all went bananas for the Vogue print on Instagram stories, so here it is!  Comment below to be entered for you chance to win!  Must be 18-years-old and a U.S. or Canadian resident to enter.  Contest ends Wednesday September 5 at noon CST.  Good luck!

Missed the first two posts?  Catch up here and here.  Here is part four.

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A big thanks, again, to CommunityAmerica Credit Union for sponsoring the Thrift Like The Makerista series…

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