As hitting the thrift shop for some funky preloved gear isn’t always a pleasant experience I thought I’d ask my fellow thrifty divas for their thoughts on what’s acceptable (or not) while sifting through the racks for some new-to-you secondhand style:

I am absolutely loving my thrifty query series and it’s awesomely interesting to read and share the diverse responses I receive to each question posed to my groovy gone thrifting group. Grab the Top 5 Thrifting Do’s & Don’ts and enjoy those secondhand shopping trips even more!

DO:

1. Take along a list of items you want/need and try to stick to it. (It’s too easy to fill your cart with great deals and quirky, one of a kind items you’ll never use or wear) 

2. Treat the staff & other customers as you would want to be treated. If something falls on the floor, pick it up.

3. Be diligent and open-minded. Try to see the “possibility” in everything. Only buy what you love.

4. Wear layers so you can try on some things outside of the fitting room. Always try on footwear with socks on until you can clean them.

5. Thoroughly clean and launder all of your groovy scores before using and wearing. Grab all of my thrifty cleaning & laundry tips right here.

DON’T:

1. Don’t leave all of your rejects in the dressing room or simply discard unwanted shoes on the floor.

2. Don’t buy something just because it seems like a good deal, ask yourself if you really need it and will use it.

3. Don’t take items out of another customer’s cart (or worse, their hands!).

4. Don’t loudly criticize the quality or price of items. Thrift shop staff have little or nothing to do with the pricing system(s) and cannot be expected to keep track of the thousands of items put on the shop floor every day. Should you discover a damaged item politely let an employee know. If you have a complaint, contact the management/head office directly.

5. Don’t get discouraged. Not every thrifting trip will result in amazing finds but the hunt is always fun even if you don’t end up opening your wallet!

What are your thrifting do’s and don’ts?

Head on over and take part in an upcoming thrifty query with the Gone Thrifting group!