What's Your Thrifting Strategy?

[Good Buddy]

Cookie and I have certain ways that we do thrift stores.
Some of us have talked about it already, but let's all share ours.
We've both done hundreds of thrifts together over the past 6 years and we've settled  into a pattern.
When you first walk into most thrift stores, there's the knick knacks in the front. We do those together.
Then we split off and do our separate little searches, always looking for what the other might like along the way.
Sometimes we both do the glass cases by the register ,books, furniture, small appliances and kitchen junk, but we just as often do them separately.
I mostly do records, mostly, always looking our for bellydance records for Cookie, t-shirts, the mens department and electronics and sometimes sporting goods. (Got a GREAT Bocce ball set at a thrift in Sedona)
Cookie goes for the sewing and craft section looking for some cloth for future projects, old sewing machines, patterns and then the ladies department.
Our system works fairly well, but sometimes I get bored quickly and she knows we should move on....Thanks Ma (As Cartman would say it)
If it's a really great thrift store, we'll look at everything. We went to Leesburg with Lizard Sally last weekend and we could have spent alot more time in some of the stores but time and keeping a schedule don't really go well with thrifting. Especially new thrift stores to you. We will go back and go further north one weekend. I bet we could hit 40 new stores to us in 2 days.
Can't wait!

Let's hear yours..

[tiamatgreen]

I usually start with the knick-knacks as well, as that is what i most often purchase at thrifts. I'll skim through the fabric, browse the books, then furniture. Small appliances, and then the glass cases by the register. I rarely look at clothes, it is hard for me even to buy retail. (I'm 5'11", which means inseams and sleeves are never long enough! Shirts are often too short as well, unless they are 'tunic' style. Also, I wear a size 12 shoe)

[Thrift Shop Romantic]

I almost never see anything of interest in the glass cases for some reason-- I think their idea of important and valuable is not necessarily mine.

So my pattern is:

--Head to the knicknacks and housewares.
--Then hit the furniture department. I like small tables and interesting chairs in particular. Also (no surprise) lamps.
--After that I check out the purses, looking for something good and vintage.
--Then on to the curtains, bedding, table-runners, etc.

Like TiamatGreen, I'm fairly tall so most clothes are too short. I do sometimes peruse shoes and jeans, where I might get lucky. I may also look for vintage dresses, but again, usually there's not a lot of luck there.

I typically do all of this in, oh, 10-20 minutes. Unless I have my one shopping buddy with me who looks at books. That usually takes longer.

[ChrisMiss]

I usually hit the kitchen items and knick knacks first.  Then men's & women's clothing, purses, scarves, curtains, etc.  I hit the books scanning for an author that I like or titles of books I'm looking for.  Last I look at jewelry near the checkout.

I like to look at the pictures they have around the stores.  One thing I don't do is go through all the pictures that might be thrown in a bin or otherwise stored.  Just too much hassle to go through.

[lustrouscoat]

my strategy is based on what i'm currently looking for and the layout of the store. in the store i frequent most, i start with the books and furniture because they're at the front of the store, then go to the tapes/record section, then look at the fabric and linens (which is usually where i spend most of my time), after that i look at the knickknacks and occasionally at the clothes (lately i haven't been that interested in clothing).

[Scott]

Sounds like most of us have very similar patterns, and mine isn't an exception.

1) Housewares (primarily dishes, but I hit all of it rather thoroughly)
2) On to furniture and lamps
3) Linens. I love vintage modern tablecloths!
4) Books, but only if I'm in the mood (When Kate and I were in Seattle we hit one shop and spend probably an hour perusing the books. I think we came home with 12 which we then had to pack in our carry on luggage. Bad decision, but good reading!)
5) Sometimes I'll look for Vera scarves at this point, but not always. Kate has a nice collection of them, and I love looking for more for her.
6) The jewelry, watches, and "antiques" in the cases up front.

Kate does it differently. She totally skips the housewares and dishes, and delegates that as "Scott's zone" ... which I'm perfectly happy with. Occasionally she'll start out there with me, but usually it is only or about thirty seconds before she is off on her own pattern. It consists of:

1) Shoes. She has zillions. She wants more.
2) Books. See #1.
3) Womens clothes, including the aforementioned Vera scarf hunt.
4) Finally she meets me at the jewelry, watches, and "antiques" in the cases up front.

[Jay2TheRescue]

I usually do appliances, kitchenware, & electronics.  Then I scan through the glassware.  Give the furniture a once over, and I'm ready to go.  I rarely look at clothes unless they are on sale, or I'm looking for a particular item, such as when I was looking for a trenchcoat last winter.

If my quick search reveals fantastic items at nice prices I then go into a detailed search mode where I go back over those same departments more slowly and more detailed.  If I am really having a good time I will continue on and look in all departments.

Most often when thrifting I try to hit all thrifts in whatever town I'm in, so using this method I can be in & out in 5 minutes and move on to another store if I don't come up with anything on my first scan.


-Jay

[Good Buddy]

Most often when thrifting I try to hit all thrifts in whatever town I'm in, so using this method I can be in & out in 5 minutes and move on to another store if I don't come up with anything on my first scan.

I could do my scan that quickly also. But as Cookie likes more time, I spend it.
When I'm alone, I do make my "rounds" in 5 minutes. Unless it's a new store to me, then you have to give the search more time..

[Big Daddy Audio]

My route through the store is based on the store.  Some stores are known for better book sections, some for better records and tapes, and some for better electronics.  Generally, here's how it will go for me:

Quick scan of tapes, records, and books - they're usually up front.  This is where my RAS comes in handy - usually less than 5-8 second scan.  If something catches my eye, then I'll look closer, if not, I might come back later.  Then it's back to the electronics (which are almost invariably in the back of the store, except at the SalvArmy at 67th and Indian School, where they're just to the right of the entrance).  Quick scan, second quick scan, 3rd quick scan.  Some things are easy to spot, such as silver-faced gear.  I usually spend some minutes looking, although there's usually a ton of VCRs to weed through and get passed.  I'll find anything of note within 1.5 - 2 minutes, and then decide if it's worth testing further.  If not, then I'll hit housewares and bikes.  I'll usually just give a passing sideways glance at sporting goods, as I don't need anything, but I let the RAS do it's thing.  I'll also look at phones and cameras, which are usually nearby each other.  If nothing, I'll quickly go through toys, looking for vintage stuff and slot car stuff.  Then I'm out - total time - usually 5-7 minutes.  I don't have time to look through stuff.

Of course, the order does change slightly based on store layout.  See, if there's a good electronics piece, I've got to get that early on in the visit, because there probably won't be half a dozen of them, and I won't be the only one who knows it's a good piece.  Tapes and records are different.  Books are different, even bikes and phones and cameras are different. 

That is all.

[secondhandnation]

I feel like an addict saying this, but I only really enjoy thrifting alone.  Unless it's a planned all-out thrift spree with like-minded friends and limitless time, which rarely happens, I prefer to be alone, as some of the places I will go to make other thrifters sneer...That drives me nuts and makes me want to dump them off on the corner!  This is especially true on sale days - I don't want to have anyone with me who's not in it to win it!

The other habit I have only going when I'm on the hunt for a specific thing.  Otherwise, I would bankrupt our family!  True, I often find things that I'm not looking for, but with thrifting and it's one-of-a-kind nature, it's easier not to know about something you might be missing than to see something, realize you love and yet don't need it and then leave it. 

I usually start with housewares and books.  Clothing shopping I often skip, as that can be a total quagmire for me.

[Magpie18]

My thrifting strategy depends on my time frame.

I have several thrift stores within walking distance of my work.  I can do a quick lunchbreak jaunt to one thriftstore.  I have to be fast so I start with the front counter, skim the shoes, check out the belt rack, glance at the purses & then skim the clothing rounders.  With the larger thrifts, I might do the jewelry, belts & shoes one day & then the clothing the next.  This strategy does not allow for time in dressing rooms so the clothing is pretty much jackets & knit tops.

I am pretty fast --- years of retail department store & boutique cashiering & selling experience.

On the weekends I can take my time so that's when I go through the whole store.

[Marion]

Hey, all of you sound like the name of the game is SPEED-THRIFTING.  For me the name of the game is just the opposite; I call it "grazing", meaning taking it nice and slow.  I'd thought that's what ALL thrifters do: I'm learning!

I guess that's why I like "the biggies", like the Salv and our local Village.  I prefer to spend the whole afternoon, or whole day, in one of two thrift stores. (And I HATE to have to spend the time in between getting from the first to the second...)

Also, another name of the game for me is "pretty" or "beautiful".  Yeah, looks matter to me (right or wrong). I do look at books, and I look OVER the appliances, but what I get all-excited about is dishes, vases, bric-a-brac, purses, jewelry, and -- Oh yes, clothes.

Clothes are what I graze among. I start at the dresses, then move on to the skirts.  Then I go through the racks and racks of blouses, sweaters, pants, etc.  I go through ALL the racks, since I shop for my husband, sons, and friends -- of all sizes, ages, and tastes.

After that I don't graze as much, but walk at a rather ordinary pace through the non-clothes sections of the store.

And if I CAN'T graze -- if I have to hurry for whatever reason -- then I CAN rush. My strategy is to RECOGNIZE -- in particular, to recognize the quality of FABRICS. I can usually spot from several yards away whether or not I like the fabric of anything -- in fact, I could probably shop by just walking along in ONE direction, NOT wandering into the aisles, just surveying each entire row as I pass by.  But that wouldn't be as much fun.

Also, I find that, when I'm done grazing,  I have to spend something like half an hour (sometimes more) DECIDING, among the things I've put into the cart, which to actually buy.  If I don't do that, then I wind up buying too many things that I'm sorry about.

I like to thrift both alone and with others (who don't cramp my style).
When I shop with others, I still follow the same strategy, but I also like to check in with the other person, to ask advice or offer something that I've found for her/him.  When I thrift with my husband (not very often...), he goes to the T-shirts (also pants if he needs them) and then the books; if he can, he SITS DOWN among the books and I then go off by myself, returning to the books from time to time to, again, ask advice, offer him something I've found for him, or ask him to please watch the stuff I've already picked out.

Also -- another part of my strategy -- once I've made my decision, I'm nice enough to put back the stuff that I've decided NOT to buy -- and am often rewarded by finding something else on the racks that I hadn't noticed before -- or that somebody else has put back...

Marion

[Good Buddy]

Marion,

Welcome back!

[Mattie]

When I'm alone, I start at the knicknacks, move to fabric, sewing notions, books, records, toys, housewares, clothes, shoes, and back to the display cases at the front.  I take my sweet ol' time.  I spend most of my time looking at fabric and sewing notions (for art projects).

When I'm thrifting with friends I skip the clothes unless something really jumps out at me.  I prefer to do my clothes shopping alone.

[Witness]

My strategy is similar to most here: My husband, Chris, and I split up at the door and he goes to mens clothes while I head straight to cameras. Then I look at the other things in that aisle, then the miscellaneous aisle, then the electronics. After that it's usually the art section, then furniture, then housewares and the fabric/crafts/patterns. Then the toys, though really I'm just scanning for another Nickelodeon Photoblaster, to have as a backup. At this point, if Chris is still occupied, I head to women's coats and then to women's clothing. The only time this tried and true strategy varies is at the change of the seasons, when clothing is my second stop, after cameras. On the way to the checkout I scan the glass cases, but it's very rare that anything there interests me, at least at the thrift stores in my town, and usually when something in the case Does catch my eye, it's priced above what I want to pay.