Chicago Bankruptcy Lawyer Blog

I used to consider myself a shopper extraordinaire, always looking for the sale, the bargain, the best absolute possible price -- I didn’t pay full price for anything. I loved shopping, and I shopped so often that my car could drive to the outlet shops without me. Then, one day, I passed by the local thrift store (for only about the zillionth time, mind you, since it was half a mile from my house), and decided to pull in, as I had a few hours to kill before picking up the kids from school. And from that moment, my whole outlook on shopping changed. Yup. That day, I got a real education in savings.

Now, before you look down your aristocratic nose (as I did) at the thought of shopping in a thrift store, let me clear up a major misconception – it’s not just the poor who shop here. You will be amazed at the number of high-end cars that park in the lot – Beamers and Benzs parked right next to Hyundais and Kias.

I look at thrift shopping as an adventure, since you never know what you will find and the merchandise on the racks and shelves changes from moment to moment. In a thrift store, you can find everything except the kitchen sink… oh, wait, I have seen a kitchen sink, so let me rephrase that – you can find anything. Most thrift stores accept donations at the back door, and the merchandise is usually out on the selling floor the same day.

Unlike regular store shopping, where you find a style you like and then seek out the size you want, you don’t have that luxury here. What you see is what you get. But what you see might be amazing. Without exaggeration, I have seen designer names such as Gucci, Pucci, Hermès, Versace, Lilly Pulitzer, Yves Saint Lauren, Coogi, Dolce & Gabbana and Manolo Blahnik. And when I saw them, I snatched them up as quick as could be – look, even if no one in my family could wear it, I could do something with it (i.e. ebay it, but that’s another story).

Okay, so while the store is not exactly filled with exclusive, outré designer names like those, you will find high end designer names like Ann Taylor, Gymboree, Gap, Banana Republic, Ralph Lauren, Talbots, Oilily, Abercombie & Fitch, Tommy Bahama, Lands End, L.L. Bean, Hanna Andersson, to name just a few. And, generally, the prices at thrift stores are more akin to Walmart’s offerings. No, I take that back, at prices that are way better than Walmart. I would say, generally, that prices are about 10 to 20% of the retail price, and in some cases, even less.

Before you step into a thrift store for the first time, here’s a list of Dos and Don’ts:

• Do keep an open mind – the stores are not fancy, the lighting is usually poor, employee assistance may be non-existent, and everything appears helter skelter – what you lose in ambiance, you gain in savings.
• Do bring cash; many thrift stores don’t accept credit cards or checks.
• Do bring a large bag to carry your stuff around – the shopping carts go fast.
• Do shop early in the day, and shop often.
• Do watch for sales notices, such as half price items on a specific color ticket, or senior citizens day, if you can take advantage of that.
• Do keep the clothing and shoe sizes of your family members written down on a card that you carry in your wallet; check for the European and UK size conversions online, so that you can take advantage of unfamiliar labels.
• Do scrutinize the merchandise – check for holes, stains, missing components or pieces, or anything wrong with it that you can’t fix yourself.
• Do bear in mind that there are usually no dressing rooms, or if there is one, it’s communal. Most women find it easiest to wear a big loose-fitting dress with a bodysuit beneath it, so that they can try clothes on right in the aisle.
• Do note the return policy; the majority of thrift store do not accept returns, and clearly state that all sales are final.
• Do consider re-donating the items you no longer need, and remember to pick up your receipt for tax purposes.

• Don’t be surprised if an item has still got tags on it; I have found that a good 15% to 20% of the merchandise is brand new.
• Don’t buy mass-merchandiser private label clothes. By that, I mean, Walmart, Target or K-Mart – why buy a used Faded Glory or Basic Edition tee shirt for $2.90, when you can buy a new one at the end of the season for the same price.
• Don’t buy anything electric or electronic without having an employee turn it on for you, to see if it works.
• Don’t bypass out-of-season items (coats and sleds in July), as the best deals are often to be found then.
• Don’t buy an infant or child’s car seat, unless you are certain it is brand new and never used, since you can’t be certain its integrity wasn’t compromised in an accident.
• Don’t think too long or too hard if you see something you like; it likely won’t be there the next time.

There’s no doubt that many people are finding that their discretionary funds are dwindling sharply, as a result of higher gas and food prices. It’s no wonder, then, that the National Association of Resale and Thrift Stores reported that 75% of their respondents in a national survey said that they showed an increase in sales over the period April 2007 to April 2008, with the average increase per store being about 30%. The survey also showed that 80% of the thrift store respondents had an increase in new customers. Shouldn’t you be among them?

-- Debt Diva for DebtStoppers