Getting your thrift on

[akgem]

So, my friends and family just can't believe some of the items I have found at my local thrifts.  They say I have incredible luck.  I think that my successful thrifting can be attributed to the frequency of my thrift store shopping.  Our thrifts have high volume and high turn over.  Although I only shop at 4 thrifts regularly, I shop at least 3-4 times a week.  Define your success as a thrifter. Do you feel successful when you get an item you have been looking for for a long time? Do you get excited when you get an item you know will be a Woo Hoo if you resell it? Do you know how to scan and pick out that special something right away without really digging? Do you go often?  Do you shop during the week? Early in the morning?  Inquiring minds want to know...  

[Good Buddy]

Do you feel successful when you get an item you have been looking for for a long time? Do you get excited when you get an item you know will be a Woo Hoo if you resell it? Do you know how to scan and pick out that special something right away without really digging? Do go often?  Do you shop during the week? Early in the morning?  Inquiring minds want to know...  Wink

Yes I feel successful when I find an item that I've been looking for for a long time.
2.) I don't do alot of reselling so I wouldn't base "success" on value for resale.
3.) Yes, I can scan with the best of them, without digging.
4.) I go as often as I can and wish I could go even more often. My best thrift days are when we thrift all day at new to us thrift shops.

When I feel most successful as a thrifter is when I get something that Cookie will LOVE.

[akgem]

I agree the gift of thrift is the most satisfying.  Take for instance this Lakeshore fire house with wooden vehicles.  I picked it up at the Salvation Army for $4.99.  The kids went bananas for it and play with it often.

[valleythriftshopper]

So, my friends and family just can't believe some of the items I have found at my local thrifts.  They say I have incredible luck.  I think that my successful thrifting can be attributed to the frequency of my thrift store shopping.  Our thrifts have high volume and high turn over.  Although I only shop at 4 thrifts regularly, I shop at least 3-4 times a week.  Define your success as a thrifter. Do you feel successful when you get an item you have been looking for for a long time? Do you get excited when you get an item you know will be a Woo Hoo if you resell it? Do you know how to scan and pick out that special something right away without really digging? Do you go often?  Do you shop during the week? Early in the morning?  Inquiring minds want to know...  

I go almost everyday and go whenever it is convenient, I find that stuff gets put out at all times of the day so I don't think there is a magic time of the day.  I have heard there are some people who go back 3 to 4 times a day to catch the new stuff- to them I say, "Get a life!"

I get the most excited when I find awesome antiques for cheap, because I love them but also I like finding household stuff I was going to go out & buy anyways.

Yesterday the Sal Army had big rubbermaid totes with lids for 99 cents each.  I was going to buy them at home depot for my basement cleanout project, but just saved a bunch of money.  I see it as a penny saved a penny earned.

[akgem]

The penny saved idea is big in our house... our camping box is entirely made up of thrift store pots, pans, utensils, plates etc.  There really is no reason to go out and buy brand new when you can pick up a perfectly usable item at a thrift for a fraction of the cost.

[valleythriftshopper]

The only bad thing is that whenever I am in need of something suddenly I won't see them at the thrifts, then when I go out & buy it, one will suddenly appear at a thrift. 

[mccoysnina]

I think luck has only a little to do with it.  Yes you have to be in the right place at the right time to find an item but really you have to BE THERE.  So I ts at least twice a week. But I go at all hours, early morning,  mid-afternoon, evening.  And I've found great stuff at all hours.
I once found a Burberry 100% cashmere scarf, still in it's original packaging, for $1.75, half off it's $3.50 asking price.  That meant it had been in the store at least two weeks and no one had found it or realized what it was.  So you find great stuff that has been there for a while.  I don't really look for anything specific while shopping, going on the I will know it when I see it hypthesis.  And I do.  I have found copper pots for my kitchen for a fraction of what they sell for new. 
Expensive yarns for a couple of bucks. (You should see what my DD is making with the gorgeous  Peruvian wool yarn I paid
about $3 for.  I can't even find any on the internet to compare. )
So luck?  A little.  Hard work and patience?  Priceless.
Jeannie