Ending with a Secondhand Bang

     It has been such a privilege to share all my advice, thoughts and passion about the thrifting lifestyle. I hope you found all my posts to be somewhat thought-provoking, intriguing and worthwhile to read, listen to or view.
     I may continue to post on this blog, but for now I'll be saying a simple "See You Later." So for this final post I decided to include something creative and fun. I researched a list of the most unique names for thrift stores throughout the United States. From that list I selected ten names that I thought were the best. Check it out.

1. Angels Attic (Website)

2. Out of the Closet (Website)

3. Rag O Rama (Website)

4. Finders Keepers (Website)

5. reTagit (Website)

6. Second Image (Website)

7. Twice New (Website)

8. Way We Wore (Website)

9. What's Upstairs (Website)

And finally... (drum roll please)

10. From Our Home to Yours (Website)

     Thank you for reading my blog or any of the specific posts included. And now I'll end with a cheesy thrift store joke...
"An old pirate walks into a Salvation Army thrift store and goes up to the guy at the counter. He says, "well, I looked around the store, and there's no replacement right hands!" So the man at the counter says, "Well, I'm quite sorry, sir. This is a second hand shop, not a shop for second hands."

Thrift Store Name List 
Thrift Store Joke Link

Listening to a Thrifting Fashionista

Be sure to check out my podcast below. I worked hard to condense all my endless advice about shopping at thrift stores into ten easy pointers. So if and when you too decide to take up the thrifting lifestyle you'll be prepared as ever!
Image Link

LISTEN HERE!
Download this episode (right click and save)

A Thrifting Interview

As you all know I took up my thrifting lifestyle when I started high school. I was raised to believe that money shouldn’t be splurged on material goods. Saving was the name of the game in my house growing up. My mother was the biggest influence on my decision to save and if I did have to spend, to spend wisely. She spent most of her time shopping at garage sales and thrift stores. However, when she did shop at department stores she would surf the clearance racks and always be armed with coupons. I decided to sit down with my mom and ask her about her reasons behind her saving and budgeting lifestyle. 

Photo taken by Amy Reinhardt

Q: What life experiences did you have that led you to wanting to save money on material items like clothing?

 
A: "I worked at a department store (Jones Store) in high school and part of college. While I worked there I noticed how quickly items were marked down from their original price. Having an employee discount of 25 percent I was able to purchase clothing at very reasonable prices. This caused me to never want to pay full price for anything ever again. I also grew up in a house with four sisters. Once we got jobs at the age of sixteen it was an expectation from our parents that we buy our own clothes, so locating the inexpensive options was essential." 

Q: What are your favorite methods for stretching your dollar?

A: "I like to go to thrift stores to check out what’s available first especially when they’re having a 50 percent off special. I am constantly pulling relevant coupons from advertisements that are for items I know I’ll need whether it’s for clothing stores like Kohl’s or grocery stores like Price Chopper or Hy-Vee. I keep an eye out when I’m driving for neighborhood garage sales or estate sales in the area."    

Q: What’s the best find you’ve ever had at a thrift store?

A: "I was shopping in a thrift store called Savers and I saw the exact model of a yellow vacuum cleaner that I had purchased from Kohl’s and owned for five years before it broke. This thrift store vacuum cleaner was only 15 dollars plus an additional 30 percent off coupon I had. I’ve now owned the Savers edition of this vacuum cleaner for a couple years and it’s still going strong!"   

Q: If you had to choose, what is your favorite thrift store?

A: "My favorite thrift store is Savers. I enjoy the organization and layout of the store as well as the variety of items including clothing, shoes, books, household goods and other miscellaneous accessories. This thrift store also constantly hosts sales and discounts on their already inexpensive merchandise." 

Q: If you could give people advice about thrift shopping what would you say?

A: "I would save to give it a try and treat it like a huge garage sale. You may strike gold and find an item with its original tag that has never been used or worn. With as much luck as I’ve had inside these secondhand stores I would definitely encourage everyone to at least give it a shot!"

The Thrifting Fad is Back

     The recent Great Recession that plagued the US caused most Americans to flock to methods of saving money. Some of the most popular methods of preserving income were auto repair shops, dollar stores and of course, thrift shops. Not surprisingly the quantity of resale stores (thrift, consignment and other secondhand establishments) has increased by seven percent within the past year.
     A very well-known secondhand store, Goodwill has over 2,700 establishments in 15 different countries since it's opening in 1902. Savers is another up and coming thrifting source that is expanding its presence by adding 20 new stores annually to its already existing 270 stores. 

Britt Beemer, founder and chairman of America's Research Group, says that "About 20% of people shop in thrift stores regularly, compared with about 14% in 2008."

     It's an obvious truth that people, especially teenagers, love to create their own trends. They want a style that's unique and all their own. They want to wear items that will receive compliments because a million other people in the world won't be wearing the same thing. Vintage is definitely a style that has resurfaced in a variety of social circles, particularly college campuses and high schools.
     Thrift shopping is an activity and/or lifestyle that will only rise in approval rates because of people's desire to reduce their spending in rough economic times. Soon there will be no embarrassment or shame associated with being a customer at these resale outlets. Instead people will feel proud and excited about buying these distinct, sturdy items at much lower prices.

For more information about this topic visit the link below:
The Thrift Store: Not Just for Penny-Pinching Grandmas Anymore 

    

UUMC Spring Thrift Sale Results

     This morning I went to the Spring Thrift Sale at the University United Methodist Church across the street from Washburn University. I advertised this sale in my blog a while ago. The sale was yesterday on the 27th and ended today on the 28th at noon. The sale items were categorized and divided between different rooms. For example, there was a room for clothing and shoes, a room for holiday items and an area for books, movies and music. 
     I spent the majority of my time sifting through clothing and shoe racks. Today the rule was filling up a bag and paying only four dollars for it! I struck gold with several items as evident from the photos. I purchased nine shirts, two pairs of shoes, a makeup bag, a silver necklace and two belts; and all 15 items only cost me $4.50! All my experience has taught me that church thrift sales and garage sales generally have lower prices than higher quality stores like Plato's Closet. Most items at this thrift sale were less than five dollars which made it hard not to splurge.

Amy's Spring Break Thrifting Adventure

During spring break I had some time to get to my favorite thrift store and do a little shopping. I snagged some great deals like always and am excited for you to take a look! 

Thrift Store Dress Up

     Whether you're designing a costume for Halloween or need a crazy outfit for a party, you'll be able to create a unique look and save a few bucks if you go to a thrift store. I know so many people that buy the ready-made Halloween costumes and shell out an excessive amount of money in the process. Keep in mind that this is usually for an outfit they'll only be wearing for one night! 
     Thrift stores have a variety of apparel and accessories that span through several decades. Due to the wide variety you'll be able to find random items that can form the perfect costume. After all, most winners of costume contests are the ones who've spent the time creating do-it-yourself outfits from scratch rather than the ones who took the easy way out and bought the $80 costume-in-a-bag. 
     A couple of examples of costumes that could be easily assembled in a thrift store would be a cowboy, pirate, gypsy, zombie, hippie, princess and many more. Three pieces of thrift store clothing that you could easily build a costume around would be a prom or wedding dress (bride of Frankenstein, princess, beauty or prom queen or an ex-wife), overalls/coveralls (scarecrow, Super Mario Brothers, redneck or a farmer) and vintage uniforms (military personnel, cheerleader, nurse or stewardess). You could also design an outfit based on a decade like a flapper from the 1920's or a greaser from the 1950's. 

Photo credit to Amy Reinhardt

     Last Halloween I dressed up with a couple friends as the "sexy" three blind mice. My friend Kasey and I visited a thrift store to buy our black outfits and sunglasses. We made the ears ourselves with headbands and black felt material and spray painted some wooden canes. By the end we had stellar costumes that received a ton of compliments! The dress I had bought for less than $10 at Plato's Closet is now my go-to party dress.
     So before you spend a ridiculous amount of money on a costume for Halloween or dress-up party I would recommend that you exercise your creative juices and give your wallet a break by hitting up your local thrift store first. 
Website Link 

Thrift Stores Aren't Alone

     As a bargain shopper I've always stuck to surfing the racks at thrift stores. However, there are three other types of second-hand stores including consignment, classified and pawn. These are all places where you can save money while still getting stellar deals! The main difference between these four shops is the moment you surrender ownership of your items, when you get paid and whether or not someone else helps you sell your items.
     Consignment Shops: These shops will sell goods for the owner; the owner will retain ownership until the goods are sold. An example: If you consigned a stereo for $30 then the shop would take 50 percent ($15) and as the owner you'd receive the remainder of the money. Items are usually in place for 30, 60 to 90-day cycles. If the item fails to sell then it'll be discounted. Consignment stores are loved more by the buyers than the sellers. 
     Pawn Shops: Most people wouldn't believe that pawn shops are considered second-hand but they actually do meet the qualifications! As a seller you will surrender ownership of your items immediately when you receive payment for their worth. Two well-known chains that use pawn shop standards would be Plato's Closet and Half Price Books. The payment you receive from the store won't be affected if the store isn't able to sell your items; all the risk is now on the store itself. 
     Classifieds: This is a way to advertise for your goods by placing an ad in a newspaper or online source. Classified ads are popular because the fees that are required are significantly less than the ones charged by pawn and consignment shops. Craigslist is, hands down, the most popular option because it's free and gives the seller more control. E-Bay and Amazon are also examples of classifieds.
     Thrift Shops: Most of these stores are run by non-profit organizations and are donation-based. The donator will receive a tax-deductible receipt for the estimated cost of the items they give the shop. Most people enjoy donating their items because they know its for a good cause. The thrift store giants are Goodwill and the Salvation Army.
Website Link

Fashion Mission: Thrift Store Edition

     I came across a video recently called "How To Shop At a Thrift Store." The video was an episode from Cosmopolitan's show called Fashion Mission. The show stars two fashion bloggers named Lindsey Calla, who has been in another video I've posted, and Karen Blanchard. The episodes involve different fashion challenges that Blanchard and Calla are assigned to take on. 
     In this specific episode their assignment is to design an outfit for a blind date. The challenge is that they're only allowed to spend $50 at a Goodwill. The video does an excellent job showing the process and strategy they use while surfing the racks and selecting what items to purchase. 
     The one thing they mentioned that stuck with me was that when you're shopping at a thrift store you shouldn't be paying attention to the sizes. The reason for this is because the racks are filled with a mix of items from different years so size really doesn't mean much. Plus you can always use the money you'll be saving and spend it on tailoring the clothes if they're a little too big. Overall, this video was very upbeat, enjoyable and definitely incorporated some good lessons about thrift shops! 

 CLICK HERE to Watch Episode

Local Thrifting Opportunity

     Whether you're an experienced thrift shopper like me or are just starting out, I have a very exciting local opportunity for all of you to get your feet wet. The University United Methodist Church located at 17th Street and College Avenue is hosting its annual Spring Thrift Sale. This fundraising event will be held at the end of March following Washburn University's spring break. This event will run from 8:30 AM to 2 PM on the 27th and 8:30 AM to 12 PM on the 28th. This annual sale will consist of gently used items and feature a sale of baked goods/fudge for those with a sweet tooth! 

If you have any questions regarding this event please call Mary Winans, Thrift Sale Chairperson, at 785-235-2331

Quick Details
Where: University United Methodist Church at 17th St. and College Ave.
When: March 27th (8:30am-2pm) and 28th (8:30am-12pm)
What: Annual Spring Thrift Sale

Link: University United Methodist Church Spring Thrift Sale

What NOT to Buy at Thrift Stores!

     As I've mentioned before in earlier posts thrift stores encompass a little bit of everything including clothing, accessories, jewelry, toys, books, music, housewares items, etc. Most of the time the purchases you make at thrift stores are items that are in fairly good condition which is an indication that the item is rather sturdy, withstood the first user and passed the thrift store's standards. However even though an item passed the store's standards doesn't mean you should purchase it. 
     According to plain common sense and an article on BuzzFeed there are a few specific items that one should not ever buy from a thrift store. Most of these items have been intimately handled by previous owners and are therefore items that you should shell out money for and buy in mint condition. 
     In my opinion, the key items that shouldn't be bought in a second-hand store are the following:

1. Undergarments: bras, underwear and socks
2. Bathing suits
3. Mattresses, Pillows and Used Bedding
4. Makeup
5. Wigs
6. Stuffed Animals
7. Games with Missing Pieces
8. Bowling Shoes

Link: Thrift Shop Items You Should Never Buy

Shrink Your Carbon Footprint by Thrifting

     In addition to costing less and being a unique shopping experience, buying items at thrift stores is beneficial in preserving the environment. 
     By purchasing and wearing second-hand items you will be helping decrease the amount of pollution and waste that adversely affect the environment. If more people bought second-hand items then there would be far less new items being produced which would drastically reduce of amount of energy, toxic chemicals and petroleum being released into the environment. 

     Ninety-eight percent of the clothing that is bought in the United States is from foreign countries (ABC News). This means that brand new items travel a HUGE distance to reach the racks of the department stores. By purchasing second-hand, reused clothing the travel time (transportation pollution) that newly produced items take after being manufactured would be eliminated. 
     Second-hand items are very durable and hardy because they lasted through the first user in a good enough condition to be accepted by a thrift store. These items weren't thrown away and added to the growing population of landfills. Thrift store items also lack the unessential packaging. New items from department stores often consist of extra plastic, tissue and tags that just end up in the trashcan after being purchased. 
     Overall, not only will you be saving a great deal of money by shopping at thrift stores but you will also be doing your share in preserving the Earth's well-being. 

Visit:
Link to Article
Link to Photo 

Celebrities Can Thrift Too!

Thrift shopping is an easy way to save money while still finding and creating a style that is all your own. Due to the "saving money" factor celebrities are probably the last people you'd expect to bump into while you're surfing the racks in a second-hand shop. Nonetheless before and even after they became famous several well-known celebrities were and are proud thrift shoppers! 

The "New Girl" actress, Zooey Deschanel loves thrift 

stores because they're a great place to shop for 

vintage looks. "I didn't have a lot of money, so 

I got things for, like $2, $3, and made myself 

look as good as I could. Limitations make you 

more creative." 

Photo Credit 

The "Runaway Bride" star, Julia Roberts said, in 2012, that she loves shopping at thrift store 

for her children. She reportedly purchases 

"gently used" clothing for herself.

Photo Credit 

 

The environmental campaigner, Daryl Hannah loves to shop at thrift stores because she doesn't like to buy brand new clothes. "There are so many 

magazines featuring pictures of celebrities in a 

different outfit every time that it 

fuels discontentment in the rest of us, making us 

crave new clothes, new make-up, new hairstyles, 

which isn’t good for us or the environment."

Photo Credit 

Debbie Harry, lead singer of the punk rock 

band Blondie, loves thrift shopping. 

"You have to go in and hunt and it 

can be very entertaining."

Photo Credit 

Ryan Tedder, the frontman for OneRepublic, has been thrift store shopping almost his entire life. "I've thrift shopped since I was 13 and half of my wardrobe to this day are still the same shirts 
I had when I was 17, 18."
Photo Credit 

R&B singer-songwriter, 

Janelle Monae 

likes to find original clothing at thrift 

stores. "I like one-of-a-kind pieces. I 

don't like everybody walking around 

in stuff that I have on."

Photo Credit 

Website Link

Thrift Shops are 100% Unique

I could go on about my personal attachment to thrift shopping but let's be honest here, statistics are what people really trust. I could say "Hey, shopping at thrift stores is full of benefits and is a really fun experience!" You may appreciate my enthusiasm but you probably would consider this more of an opinion than a fact. However, if I said "More than a third of Americans report they are shopping in thrift stores more often than they did three years ago." You'd admire the validity of that statement even more.

The four statistics featured above display the upward growth of the thrift shopping trend in the United States. The optimal goal regarding shopping would be to save money while still looking stylish. Shopping at second-hand stores achieves both parts of that goal. My favorite statistic is "40 percent said they'd rather purchase a unique item that no one else has over one that's sold in popular retail stores." This is the best thing about thrift stores. They supply a look that is absolutely 100 percent unique because these stores don't feature racks upon racks of the same blouse or dress. In addition, the inexpensive prices will reassure every thrift shopper that they received good value for the purchases they made which is what 79 percent of the United States population believe to be important.

Thrift Statistic & Photo Credit  

Thrifting Hot Spots

Thrift stores are everywhere! Seriously, there's no way you can visit any city that doesn't have at least one second-hand store in existence. After some research I've been able to pinpoint the five best thrift stores in the Topeka area. Every thrift store is a little different from the next, but the one important thing that they all share is the incredible treasures that are just waiting to be discovered!

1. Plato's Closet
Located at 1580 SW Wanamaker Rd. Topeka, KS 66604
(785) 783-3370
Link to Website

2. MAJ-R Thrift
Located at 2020 Northwest Topeka Blvd. Topeka, KS 66608
(785) 234-3101
Link to Website 

3. The Merchant
Located at 913 S Kansas Ave. Topeka, KS 66603
(785) 357-1444
Link to Website 

4. Fashion Exchange
Located at 5648 SW 29th St. Topeka, KS 66614
(785) 271-8500
Link to Website 

5. God's Storehouse
Located at 2111 SW Chelsea Dr. Topeka, KS 66614
(785) 608-6743
Link to Website  

Secret Treasures

I recently discovered this YouTube video entitled "Thrift Store Shopping Secrets". This video was actually aired on a television show and included an interview with fashion expert, Lindsey Calla. She spoke highly about the recent trend of shopping at thrift stores. This video boldly stated that the typical woman spends over $140,000 on clothes during her adult lifetime. During the video you will see three outfits that Lindsey assembled herself from thrift stores that she visited in New York City. She swears that each entire outfit cost less than fifty dollars, which as a fellow thrift shopper is completely believable! Lindsey's passion in the video was contagious and made me proud that I'm saving money and helping the community by shopping at second-hand stores. The greatest thing that Lindsey said during her interview was that thrift shopping is like a treasure hunt because when you find something that is your size it's like it was put there specifically for you! Hopefully you all to get something different and useful from this video. 

Thrift Store Shopping Secrets      

Bargaining Benefits

     As I have mentioned, there is a plethora of benefits associated with thrift shopping. The article attached below, written by Katherine Martinko, lists ten of the greatest advantages that second-hand shopping has to offer. There were a few items that not even I had ever thought of! This really says something considering the fact that I've been surfing the racks at thrift shops for several years now. The most interesting thing I found from the article was that Martinko and I both acquired our thrift shopping lifestyle and bargaining skills from our mothers. What are the odds of that?

My favorite benefits that Martinko listed in her article are the following:

*Thrift store items are typically higher quality simply by virtue of being there.
     I've purchased items in the past that almost looked brand new; almost like they'd never been worn before! Many people imagine thrift store clothing to be grungy and dirty, but that's hardly ever the case. I have received numerous compliments on the clothes that I've bought from second-hand stores. It's always funny to see the look on people's faces when I reveal to them where I shop. 

*Thrift stores are an opportunity to develop your own unique sense of style.
     By shopping in thrift stores, you will be opening yourself up to a variety of possible styles to choose from. Regular stores tend to specialize in only a few styles and advertise to only a fraction of the public. For example, Hot Topic is geared towards the punk-rock, Goth type crowd whereas Victoria Secret serves only the female population. This is why thrift stores are so special. They incorporate every kind of style into one place. Their target customer base includes everyone.

*There are really fabulous finds on all the racks at a thrift store.
     It does take a great deal of patience to shop in thrift stores. This is mostly because of how much merchandise is physically crammed onto the racks. This is due to the significant amount of donations thrift shops receive from the public. However, if you encompass the virtue of patience and have a good idea for style then you will have the opportunity to discover some truly awesome treasures!

*There are no hovering salespeople waiting to make a commission off your purchase.
     Martinko made me laugh when she included this in her list. The one thing I've always disliked about department stores is being approached and questioned by salespeople. I know it's their job and that they make commission off of our potential purchases but, in my opinion, they tend to be annoying and bothersome most of the time. However when you shop at a thrift store you're on your own and you don't have to feel like you're constantly "being watched."


Link to Article

Trendy Jammin'

     It has become evident within the last couple years that shopping at thrift stores and wearing vintage clothes has become a much more popular option than what it used to be. When the smash hit "Thrift Shop", by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, was released in summer 2012 I knew thrift stores were coming back in style! With it's hilarious lyrics, the song portrays all the benefits and truths behind shopping at second-hand stores. 
     After doing a bit of research regarding this hip hop tune, I discovered that Macklemore and I share a mutual interest in saving money by purchasing secondhand clothing and accessories and we also share a mutual disdain for over-priced designer labels. This song is a revelation about the amount of money you can save while still having a style that's all your own. By shopping at thrift stores you will never have to be paranoid about running into someone who is wearing the same outfit as you. You will be completely unique! 

Below is a YouTube lyric video of "Thrift Shop" -- Don't worry, it's the clean version. As a fellow thrift shopper the lyrics that stuck out the most were the following:

"I'm gonna pop some tags, only got twenty dollars in my pocket."

"They be like Oh that Gucci, that's hella tight. I'm like yo, that's fifty dollars for a t-shirt. Limited edition, let's do some simple addition. Fifty dollars for a t-shirt, that's some ignorant ___ ___. I call that getting swindled and pimped, ___. I call that gettin' tricked by a business, that shirts hella dough and having the same one as six other people in the club is a hella don't." 

 "I wear your granddad's clothes, I look incredible. I'm in that big ___ coat from that thrift shop down the road." 

Overall, this song is a suitable representation of the complete concept of thrift shopping and all the benefits related to it. Enjoy rockin' out!   

Link: "Thrift Shop" by Macklemore

A Plato's Paradise

     To most people, thrift stores have become known as the place to find the cheapest clothes. The stores themselves are depicted as being unsanitary and disorganized. In addition, the people that choose to shop at thrift stores are often stereotyped as being stingy and tacky. However, while most thrift stores are not the equivalent to a five-star hotel, they are still relatively clean, functional places of business. While there are several different chains of thrift stores in existence, the one that wins the award for having the most stylish and contemporary items would be Plato’s Closet. 

     This high-end thrift store channels its business towards high school and college students. This is primarily because they understand how important it is for these individuals, particularly college students, to save money while keeping up with the latest trends. Plato’s Closet is unique from other thrift stores because they will actually buy clothes from their customers. This is their strategy in maintaining their stylish selection of attire and accessories. All you have to do is bring in currently trendy attire and you’ll receive cash on the spot! Here is a quick and easy article regarding the rundown of how to sell your clothes to Plato’s. Plato's Closet Website Link

Photo Credit

     Aside from the distinctive factor of receiving money for selling your brand name clothing and accessories, Plato’s Closet has one of the most laid back environments I’ve ever shopped in. The picture to the right demonstrates the relaxed and inviting atmosphere that Plato’s Closet has to offer. The options are endless at Plato’s with so many attractive items to pick and choose from. One of my greatest purchases from Plato’s was a form-fitting leather jacket that I bought for a bargain of only 10 dollars! There are items that could fit almost any type of style whether you’re shooting for goth, preppy, chic, sporty, vintage, hipster, etc. I would definitely recommend that you take some time, save some bucks and check out Plato’s Closet!    

The Art of Thrifting: An Introduction

     My name is Amy Reinhardt and I am a thrifter. I am currently attending Washburn University as a junior studying Mass Media. Outside of school I am a girl who loves her shopping. At this moment you're all probably imagining me walking out of a huge department store carrying tons of bags and having maxed out credit cards, right? Well, that isn't exactly the kind of shopping I do.
     In high school I made the remarkable discovery of second-hand thrift stores. I realized very quickly that I could find and buy the same kinds of clothing and accessories for more than half the price that department stores and boutiques charge for them. To most people, thrift stores have acquired a horrible reputation for being unsanitary, cheap and even dangerous. My goal for this blog is to restore their reputation by expelling all those erroneous, adverse rumors. 
     By shopping at thrift stores I have had the incredible opportunity to save a substantial amount of money while creating a unique sense of style for myself. Both of those factors are certainly elements that college students can relate to. After all, who wouldn’t want to stretch their dollars a little bit further these days? I am extremely overjoyed to be able to blog about a topic that has been a part of my life for so many years and I look forward to sharing all of my experiences and advice with each of you.