Step 1.
Know your mea-
surements. Some
second hand
stores do not
provide a fitting
room for shop-
pers so you won’t
know for sure if it
fits well until you
get home. Avoid
this beginner
mistake by taking
down your mea-
surements before
you go. Now that
doesn’t mean to
leave your tape
measure at home
you’ll need to
take it with you
to measure the
clothing you’re
interested in pur-
chasing.
Step 2.
Decide what
you’re shopping
for. These stores
are full of mer-
chandise of all
colors, sizes, and
textures thrown
together so you
will need a plan
to keep you from
being over-
whelmed. Choose
what season
you’re buying for,
what colors, and
what styles. The
more detailed the
list the less pan-
icked you’ll feel
when rummaging
through random
pieces.
Step 3.
Figure out what
your budget is.
Are you shopping
for one or two
pieces or for an
entire season’s
wardrobe? Are
you willing to
spend more on
certain items
or do you want
to spend only a
certain amount
per item? These
things may not
seem like they
matter but trust
me when you are
surrounded by
so many “deals”
sometimes it’s
easy to go astray.
So decide what
you want to
spend and keep
to it.
Step 4.
Choose what
stores you want
to shop. Yes,
just like other
retail shops,
thrift stores can
vary greatly in
selection and
in price range.
Once you figure
out what stores
have a good
selection and an
agreeable price
point for your
budget speak
with employees
about what sales
they run and
when merchan-
dise markdowns
are done. These
stores work like
a regular retail
store in this
aspect. Some
stores even have a
discount card you
can purchase that
helps you save
each time you
shop.
you in learning
about upcoming
special events
such as Midnight
Madness sales
and other store
details you would
not otherwise be
privy too.
Follow these five
steps and you will
have a fun and
fruitful shopping
trip. One last tip
and I’ll get on to
the details of my
finds! Don’t be
afraid to ask for a
lower price if you
think something
is marked too
high. Now I don’t
recommend this
on reasonably
Step 5. priced items but
if you feel some-
thing is over-
Take your time
shopping and get- priced then go for
it! All they can
ting to know the
say is no and it’s
employees. You
will need to learn definitely worth it
if they say yes. So
the layout of the
without further
store. For exam-
ado here are my
ple some stores
outfits!
place cheaper
merchandise at
the end of the
aisles so it’s easier
for them to do
markdowns.
Becoming ac-
quainted with the
stores employees
will also help
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