I'm a pro!

[spiderallis]

Howdy, nice to meet y'all.  I'm a 25 year old college student from the metro Detroit area, psychology major, and I'm a professional thrifter.  Yep, I'm the one that buys all the good vintage clothes and doodads and takes them to the vintage shops, sorry to the other hunters but this girl needs gas money.  I call it junque alchemy, turning nifty things into cash.  I used to work in a thrift, been hooked on since I was kid, and now I'm just addicted to the thrill of the rummage.  Lately I've only been dealing with one shop as they buy anything and everything I take in, and I'm seeing the owner about a job tomorrow, so wish me luck in the polyester mines, it might keep out of the thrifts and give someone else a chance at a good find.  

Favorite finds are my Gunne Sax dresses and vintage barbies, but there aren't many dollies I don't like.  I also scour around for vintage fabrics, sewing and crochet patterns, as I'm an avid crafter as well.  My fiancee loves the stuff I bring him, he gets compliments all the time but doesn't like to shop with me.

Hope everyone finds something really fabulous in their next thrift adventures,
Allison

[Josie Rosy Posy]

Howdy, nice to meet y'all.  I'm a 25 year old college student from the metro Detroit area, psychology major, and I'm a professional thrifter.  Yep, I'm the one that buys all the good vintage clothes and doodads and takes them to the vintage shops, sorry to the other hunters but this girl needs gas money.  I call it junque alchemy, turning nifty things into cash.  

Allison-
I don't really see a problem with this, becasue I am not one to go to those vintage shops. I just walk in and think, "Well, I could just go to a thrift store and find stuff like this myself." But I want to know where do you go for selling? What's the store like? How do you know you'll get back what you paid? How do you choose your items? Do you ever deal with Buffalo Exchange? I have thought about doing this, but I am always so afraid of buying something that doesn't fit me and trying to re-sell it only to be turned down! And then I'd be stuck with it! Got any tips?
-Josie

[Marion]

I'm a professional thrifter, too!  By night I'm a mathematician and poet; by day (MANY days, anyway -- say, two or three a week...) I'm a thrifter, big-time.

I used to buy from thrift stores and sell to vintage stores; that was in the days of Rosebud on South St. (Philly); that was my main "customer".  I remember in particular a long yellow gown (which didn't fit me...) that I bought for 40 cents and sold for $40 (They sold it for $80 and gave me half.).  I also remember that, while a lot of their other stuff hung on their racks for a while, that dress sold right away.

I also used to teach thrifting WORKSHOPS -- at various "adult schools", one at Temple U.  That workshop was very popular so I earned a fair amount of money (several times a year...).   I'd give them a half-hour lecture (on things like how to try on without a dressing room, and how to tell a bargain from a blooper -- e.g., the quilt with twelve-inch squares...) and then we'd all go thrifting.  In particular, at one of these "teaching expeditions", my "students" found me an amazing black velvet shawl decorated with lots and lots of beads and baubles).

I've been sort of known, from time to time, as the local expert on thrifting, and sometimes NOT so local, and I get contacted by various newspapers and newsletters when they need something about thrifting.  Of course, I've written a book about thrifting, but so far that hasn't been published, and might not be since I think someone's done it before -- meaning a book about THRIFT, not consignment, stores.  (Besides, I've written several OTHER un-published books (besides the ones that are published) and they take priority (since the world needs them more...?...!  See my website:  marioncohen.com, for the entire manuscripts of these books...))

And to answer the question posted:  Probably the way to approach the problem of what to buy when you're buying to sell, is (A) buy only if CHEAP, meaning under a dollar, and (B) figure the Law of Averages.  If you buy enough, then some will sell; some won't, but it'll average out great! and (C)  If it does NOT sell, maybe you can GIVE it away -- as a present to a friend, or just out in the trash where SOMEBODY will give it a home...

Anyway, it sure is fun to be a thrifting pro, isn't it?  And I also love Gunne Sax.

Marion (Cohen)

[eclectic-girl]

Hi Spiderallis.   Nice to meet you! (I thought I better say hi to you since I'll be hijacking your thread as well. )

I'd add that when buying stuff to resale...buy what you love.  For one thing if it doesn't sell and you're stuck with it you're not stuck with something you hate (but this can also lead to you owning too much stuff).  I've heard many times of people who end up buying things because they "know" that it's collectible and they think someone will buy it for lots of money and they end up getting stuck with it (think Beanie Babies for a recent example).  There are exceptions to this rule though.
Also, you have a better feel for the things that you love and are more likely to pick things that will sell (which sometimes can be sad because you almost hate to see it go).

Marion, that's so cool that you taught thrifting.  I love that...so cool.  By the way, have you heard about self-publishing at www.lulu.com?  I have to admit to not knowing a whole lot about it, although I have heard of others doing it.  It's a print on demand set up (so if you only sell one book they only print one book) and it's free.

[Marion]

Thanks, eclectic girl, for your comments and suggestion about lulu.  I went to their
site and it actually looks pretty interesting.  I haven’t heard about it from other
writers or seen it anywhere, though.  Also, I tend to not want to self-publish,
b/ c self-publish means self-DISTRIBUTE, which isn’t a great position to be in.
When somebody else has published you, and you do self-promotion (as I
have, a lot)...  well, you phone or visit the venue (newspaper, bookstore for a
bookstore reading) and you tell them that you have a book our from So-and-So
Press and that automatically tells them that you’re “real”, a “real writer”, etc.  With
self-publishing, they have to make the effort to check you and your book out.  
Besides, I’m spoiled; I have BEEN published and it’s feels great!  However,
I WILL keep lulu in mind.

And yes, running the thrifting workshops was fun.  I’d often get 15 or more
”students”, which was great b/ c adult schools often pay their teachers according
to how many students in the workshop.  I’d walk in and give a half-hour “lecture”
on various thrifting tips -- such as how to try-on without a try-on room -- then
we’d all go thrifting; I’d be on the premises to offer advice if needed (on
 how to tell a bargain from a blooper -- in particular, I’d warn them against the
quilt with twelve inch squares...).  It was fun (and I still have this
great black velvet shawl with lots of decor that my “students” found for me),
BUT it ran its (so to speak) course.  For one thing, the “students” didn’t , naturally,
have very much thrifting savvy; they were “newies”, with a sort of suburban
middle-class mentality (and tastes) -- the type who’d prefer consignment
shops.  They bought things like Liz Claibourne blouses, sometimes ONLY
because it was Liz Claibourne -- this despite the fact that I’d told them in the
lecture that Liz Claibourne blouses in thrift stores are a dime a dozen (sometimes
literally...).  And also... well, usually, on the evaluation forms, I’d get great ratings
and comments, but sometimes not;  sometimes someone would complain
b/ c they didn’t like, e.g., “kids and babies crying in the stores” -- as though that
were MY fault, and as though kids and babies don’t cry in OTHER kinds of
stores.  (Once I brought my OWN baby with me; the school had mistakenly
listed my workshop in their catalogue, even though I’d told them that I was
having a baby and wouldn’t be teaching for them that term; I had decided to
“help them out” and teach the workshop anyway, but with baby in tow.  The
workshop went great, and the baby (now 20-years-old...) was great, NO
trouble at all, but when the workshop evaluation forms got back to me, they
had ALL complained about my bringing the baby.  That felt like a big betrayal,
and it hurt.)  

I get evaluated in my MATH-teaching, and there’s all the emotional stuff that goes
with it (The very few negative comments that I get echo in my head more than the
very many positive comments...).  I don’t NEED more evaluations.  Life
-- in particular, the THRIFTING life -- is too short for that!   So, at least for now,
teaching-wise, I’m sticking to
math (It pays better, anyway...) and not thrifting.  I’m saving the thrifting for
my very own life -- no students (only friends...) bothering me as I shop... I’m
free to graze...

[spiderallis]

hmm, a thrifting class, that's a nifty-keen-o idea, I've tried helping out a few 'apprentice' thrifters, but they didn't get hooked and trailed off.  Mostly, my thrifting for resale is just gathering up things I really like, check em all for damages, double check zippers, armpit areas, buttons, etc, and try to keep it under about $3 an item on average as that's generally about the cut-off for when it's no longer profitable for most things.  Leisure suits and nice formal dresses I can go a bit higher, as that's in demand around here at the moment.  If it's something I really love and looks close to my size, I'll go a bit higher on those things too, like the other day I found a gunne sax dress in great shape AND my size for $8, and I was giddy about it.  

Generally, I try to deal with one shop on a regular basis, get a feel for what their clientele like and what the shop will pay for things, I've switched shops a few times, but the one I'm now working in has been my main outlet for a while now, just love the feel of the place.  Out here we don't have buffalo exchange stores, but that's the idea the shop I work at is loosely based on, never been to one but I heard there's one around Vegas, going there in June for my honeymoon so I'll stop off and see.

[Marion]

Thrifting on your honeymoon -- now, that's a nifty idea, too!  I did on mine, a year and a half ago  (and yes, hubby joined me, though stuck mostly to the book section...).  It was in San Fran, which has cool Goodwill's (unlike Phila.).  Good luck to Spideralis in Vegas, and congrats, too!