Thrifting: It takes Time, Patience and a Fun Attitude

As you all know, my favourite place to thrift is Value Village, so much so that they should hire me as their spokesperson for all the free advertising I do for them :P….haha…Everything is neatly organized (except on sale days, its a ZOO!) by size and colour and I find that it is generally a "cleaner” atmosphere than Goodwill or Salvation Army for example, (I do occasionally go to those thrift shops too…just not as often) .

I usually start off in the purse/shoe section because I'm always paranoid that someone else might get there 2 minutes before and snag the perfect dream shoe or bag that might have otherwise been mine..had I been there 2 minutes earlier….

I always dress in clothes that will allow me to easily try items on. I prefer tights because its easy for me to put on shoes and boots without exposing my bare skin before I clean them. I always wear nylons or tights or bring a pair in my bag when I plan on thrifting.

When searching for items I keep in mind:

1. is it my size? If not, do I love it so much that I would go so far as to alter it? Will it be worth it cost wise?

2. Is the fabric quality good? Is it stained or damaged. I usually leave these items BUT if it is a simple stain that would come out in the wash or could be bleached I do not mind. I always ask for a discount though, they will usually give it to you!

3. Shop on Wednesdays (Students get 20% off..at least here in Canada) or spend some time with Grams and go on Tuesday which is the seniors discount. My gram loves searching through old treasures and its a great way to bond.

4. Do I need it is the ultimate question. Technically i don't really need anything so the real question should be is it unique to anything I own? Sure, it might only be $5 but trust me, it adds up at the cash and you also need to think of storage and closet space.

5. If you are small, check out the kids section! You would not believe how many cute things I have found there…actually the dress I am wearing in this post is from the Kids section.

6. This does not have to do with thrifting in a store per say …but guys, its summer time! Check out Garage Sales! What better way to spend a day looking for cute pieces than out in this beautiful summer weather with a nice coffee and maybe a loved one…walking around and searching for some sweet deals…

I will be doing a post on my fave shops on Queen here in Toronto soon however, that is AFTER I have been there a few more times this summer, so I can actually write down the names of the places :P ….

XOX

P.s. I had to take a shot in the wedding section….you know, some love from your “bride-to-be”" ….