Thrifter from Kansas

[thrifted sister emily]

Hi there--I've used this site before but never posted on the forum. I live and thrift in Wichita, Kansas, which (as far as I'm concerned) is one of the best thrift spots in the country.

I also run a thrifting blog with two girlfriends of mine. It's called Thrifted Sisters.

Looking forward to learning from the forum. It's good to be here.

[valleythriftshopper]

I will have to check out your blog, I am very curious to see what mid-west thrifting is like! 

[thrifted sister emily]

Hi valleythriftshopper--I'm often surprised at how different thrifting is in various parts of the country. Often when I see thrifting how-to's on blogs I think, "hmm...that wouldn't work here/that's not the case here." I absolutely love Kansas thrifting, but I also enjoy exploring how thrifting plays out in other parts of the country.

[Firekinghunt]

I agree that thrifting is not the same everywhere!! When I go on vacation I always include thrifting. I have found that even here in the midwest there are "hot" and "cold" places. For instance when I visit family in Madison, Wisconsin I can't find ANYTHING. Indianapolis is the same way - very sparse when I go down there. But then the Chicago area/Indiana/Michigan is AMAZING almost ALL THE TIME.

Florida was another spot that was not the best for old stuff or antiques. I don't remember being able to find much of anything. I was just in Cleveland and found several really good *cheap* stuff. It really depends on where you go but overall I think the Midwest has the best stuff. What do you find in Kansas? Lots of collectibles/antiques? Are prices cheap?

[thrifted sister emily]

In my experience, college towns like Madison aren't as great for thrifting because there are too many darned college students buying up all the good stuff!

My parents live in Florida and I've never found anything particularly great there. Maybe because everything gets donated or sold BEFORE folks retire and move down there?

Wichita is good for ceramics, dishes, glassware, and crafts. I don't really look at clothes much, but many friends of mine find amazing things. So far my next-favorite state to thrift in is New Mexico--no sales tax and awfully cheap (at least in the smaller towns).