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Thrift shopping is a great way to score high-end clothing, shoes, accessories, household items, toys, furniture and more – at well below retail prices. Who doesn’t love a good deal? Beyond just great savings and fun finds, buying used instead of new also helps the environment by reducing the amount of trash we produce and preserving the natural resources that go into manufacturing, packaging, transporting and ultimately disposing of new goods.

Despite the savings to your wallet and the world, some shoppers still hesitate to embrace thrifting. If you’re new to thrift shopping and aren’t quite sure where to start or have questions about the safety of buying secondhand goods, you’ve come to the right place. We break down some frequently asked questions on thrifting and what you need to know to have a safe, smart, and savvy thrift shopping experience.

1. Will I find current fashions at thrift shops

If you’ve put off thrift shopping because you’re worried the stores are filled with outdated clothing, we’re here to tell you that you’ve been missing out. In fact, you can find current fashion trends like big sleeves, loafers, Bermuda shorts and more at your local thrift store.&

Things like thrifting, upcycling, buying local and renting are on the rise in 2020. But for many it’s more than just a “trend”, it’s a way of life. Thrift stores want to sell their clothing and other items, so they’re buying what they know customers want. That means you can expect to see an intriguing mix of current and vintage styles. Not only do thrift stores have some of the latest fashions, they also offer opportunities for creativity, sustainability, and uniqueness that you can’t always find when you buy new.

2. Do thrift stores sell more than clothes?

Yes! Most have a wide selection of goods beyond just clothes and shoes. Thrift stores are a great place to look for household items, furniture and more. Here’s just a sampling of what’s on offer:

• Wooden furniture
• Books
• Baby clothes
• Maternity clothes
• Vinyl records
• Wooden hangers
• Bikes
• Halloween costumes
• Kitchen tools and appliance
• Picture frames
• Tools

3. How do I find what I’m looking for at thrift stores?

Wondering if you’ll be able to find what you’re looking for or will have to search for hours? While going through multiple racks and piles of clothes isn’t exactly for the faint of heart, it doesn’t have to be as complicated as it sounds. To avoid having to look through every single piece to find your gem, we recommend mastering the art of the scan. Depending on what you’re looking for, browse the store and scan each rack for pieces that catch your eye. It’s not something that you’ll master overnight, but as they say, practice makes perfect. So get to shopping!

Thrift Tip: You can benefit from befriending the thrift store staff, once you find a store that fits your budget and style. Staff can help you while shopping and also provide insights into new merchandise and clothing they’re looking at buying for the store.

4. What are the benefits of thrift shopping?

There are numerous benefits to thrift shopping and buying used instead of new. As we mentioned above, when you buy used, you’re not only saving money, you’re helping to save the environment. Donating and buying used items keeps them out of the trash while preserving the resources that go into making new goods. Thrift stores in Panama City Beach, FL also have a constantly changing selection of items for you to choose from. So you don’t have to worry about looking at the same old styles. Moreover, you can score amazing vintage pieces, designer brands and unique items you’d never find at a big box store. We could go on and on about how great thrift shopping is, but we highly recommend checking it out for yourself.

5. Should I wash thrift store clothes?

This one is a resounding YES. Most secondhand stores don’t wash the clothes before selling them. Donations are typically washed before they’re donated, but we still recommend giving them a good cleaning when you get home. Even if the clothes are washed before they hit the thrift store floor, people will have since touched them. The same can be said even if you were buying new. Thrift stores will sort through the clothing before putting it on display and throw out anything that has stains, damage, or a bad odor. Regardless, as a general rule, we still strongly encourage you to wash your clothing purchases, new or used, before you wear.

6. How do I properly wash thrift store finds?

Now that you know to wash your thrifting finds, you might be wondering if there’s anything special you need to do to clean them properly. Given the concern around germs and smells when buying secondhand goods, here’s what we recommend for “new to you” purchases:

• Wash the laundry immediately, using recommended settings and detergent
• Recycle any bags or boxes they came in
• Once the wash is complete, put items in the dryer right way
• If possible, use the recommended dryer settings as heat helps kill germs
• If you have an item that can’t be washed, try placing it in the dryer for a cycle
• For cookware, dishes and silverware, be sure to run them through the dishwasher or wash by hand before using them. Kids toys, electronics, and furniture should also be wiped down before use.

7. Why do thrift stores smell?

Questions about the thrift store “scent” are common. It’s not that thrift stores or the secondhand goods they sell are dirty, it’s a culmination of many household smells converging under one roof. Think about it. Does your house or apartment have a distinct “smell” that makes it unique to you? Or what about going to a friend or family member’s house? Every home has a “scent.” Now imagine taking all those household scents and combining them into one area. That’s exactly what’s happening at thrift stores.

Thrift Tip: While most people wash the items they donate, most thrift stores don’t have the capacity to clean the goods they sell. That’s why we recommend washing your items before donation and after purchase.

8. Will it be safe to thrift during/after COVID-19?

The question on everyone’s mind lately is what’s safe to do during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Thrift shopping will be like any other in-store shopping experience as far as safety is concerned. Many stores, organizations and drop-off sites are in the process of reopening and will have social distancing policies in place. If you want to make sure, we recommend checking the store’s website or social media page for information, [KP9] before visiting to see what precautions they’re taking. We also recommend following some of the precautionary steps of checking items before you purchase and washing them right when you get home, which can reduce the spread of germs. While thrifting, keep your distance from other shoppers, avoid touching things you don’t intend to purchase, refrain from touching your face, wash your hands as soon as you leave, and just try to enjoy your time shopping.

9. Can I return things I buy from thrift stores?

This answer depends entirely on the store. Some do allow exchanges or will issue in-store credit if items are returned within a certain amount of time. But don’t assume you’ll be able to return items if you change your mind. Many thrift stores have a “no returns or exchanges” policy. That’s why we recommend checking with the store before you purchase.

Thrift Tip: While some thrifting pros recommend bringing cash when you shop, many stores are either requiring credit cards or highly suggesting using them right now.

Whether you’re shopping for an outfit, toys for your kids, or a piece of furniture, your first stop should be a secondhand shop. Not only will you save money and find some great pieces, but you’ll reduce pollution and preserve vital resources that go into making new goods. The benefits of thrifting extend far beyond those cute designer shoes you find, and while we can answer all your questions, the best way to see if thrift shopping is right for you is to go out and try it. Happy hunting!

Whether you’re leaving the house to go to work, the mall, a party, or even the club, you probably want to go in style. Good and comfortable clothes enhance one’s self-confidence when dealing with other people. Often, looking good equates to feeling good, the saying “you are what your wear” could never be truer.

However, when you think about shopping for different clothes and outfits, you might also think about the insane amount of money you might have to pay at the cashier, but that’s where you’re wrong! You don’t have to go and spend lots of money on labels like Levi’s, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, or Kate Spade just to get that comfort and style you’ve been looking for. There are thousands of similar but cheap fashion items in thrift shops around the country. These thrift shop outfits offer the same good-looking style and comfort, with some even being pre-loved and branded clothes, at more affordable prices. Look out for some of these new fashion trends for men and women when you start your thrift hauls in 2020.

Best Thrift Store Finds: For the Refined Gentleman

1. Vests

A vest could spell the difference between a simple outfit and one that packs a fashion punch. You can easily put them over any shirt or polo, and they come in different patterns, cuts, and textures. Vests are perfect for men to wear on any occasion. Depending on the style and the material, some vests could be used in casual or semi-formal occasions, while some could be used with a coat and tie. Whatever the case may be, you get the bang for your buck.

2. Suits

Buying suits in a popular retail establishment can be pricey. As such, you probably don’t want to wear these suits every day, even if they make you look and feel more confident. This is because you might hesitate to use that expensive suit you bought, lest it wear out faster. Don’t worry; thrift shops have got you covered. The suiting trend started to pick up last fall and is still going strong. Further, consider yourself to be very lucky if you find a matching three-piece suit while shopping at a thrift shop, and seize that opportunity while it is there. If you don’t find one, it’s easy to integrate separate suit pieces with any everyday outfit, or for a more stylish and vintage look, pair them with coordinating vests from your earlier glance around the thrift shop.

Best Thrift Store Finds: For the Sophisticated Lady

1. Power Blazers

Power blazers from the 80’s are coming back into style. You can put on any blazer to turn your outfit into a work outfit or even a hangout outfit. Also, don’t be afraid to try wearing different sizes. Most women look good in oversized blazers. Plus, wearing oversized clothing feels pretty comfortable.

2. Mini Bags

Are you looking for a bag for all occasions? For parties? For work? For formal events? Look no further. Among the hot trends right now are mini bags. Mini bags are handy and easy to carry, especially when all you need to bring are your essentials like cellphones, wallets, and some makeup. A mini bag is definitely a must-have for your thrift hauls in 2020, because at thrift shop prices, you can afford multiple designs for multiple looks.

3. Midi Boots

Boots are arguably the best shoes for the fall. Not only do they protect your feet, but midi boots also look good on almost anyone. Wearing a pair won’t go unnoticed. Plus, you can pretty much rock any outfit with midi boots. They can be paired with anything from jeans to skirts.

Shopping at thrift shops saves you a lot of money, but you bring more home with you when your money goes further. If any of the items you want do not exactly fit your size, don’t worry. It’s normal and can easily be remedied by your local tailor, or you could fix it yourself if you have the time.

If you feel excited about the cheap fashion items above, come and visit Haven House Thrift Store. We are one of the best thrift stores in Panama City Beach, FL where you can find the best thrift shop outfits that suit your style and preference!

It’s been a while since I’ve done a proper thrift haul, but don’t think I haven’t been stopping through the thrift store, especially on their 50% off holiday sales for Memorial Day and 4th of July!

I haven’t been buying as much furniture because….well….I just don’t have as much space for it anymore! But I love when I’m doing a room makeover because that gives me “permission” to find some awesome stuff for the room! I’ve been working on my sons’ bedroom, which means I’ve been on the prowl for good deals.

It never ceases to amaze me how crowded Value Village and Unique Thrift become on 50% off days. It’s insane, like Black Friday! If you don’t get there early, all the good deals are gone, cleaned out faster than the Grinch Stole Christmas. HA!

THE DIRTIEST THING I HAVE EVER BOUGHT FROM THE THRIFT STORE

One of those 50% off sales days, I saw this dirty desk. Size-wise, it was perfect for what my sons’ room makeover: not too big….not too small. Just right, like Goldilocks and the Three Bears. LOL.

But it was one of those days where I was on the hunt for a dresser, not a desk, and to think of lugging this dirty piece of furniture into the back of my minivan was such a turnoff. I simply walked away and told myself that if it was meant for me, it would be there later for me.

Fast-forward a week later and I’m having lunch with my friend Thrift Store. Pete refinishes thrift store furniture, as well, but he favors mid-century modern pieces, and as of late, he loves refinishing metal! So I was telling him about this “ugly metal table I saw last week at the thrift store.” Pete tells me that the table is still there!

Since he goes to the thrift store every day (yes, literally every day, scouring them for pieces to refinish), he had seen it there just that morning. He urged me to go get it, but since the Haven Conference was the following day, I forgot about the table in all my hustle and bustle to catch my flight the next morning.

A few days later, while lying in bed one morning at the conference, the desk crossed my mind, “Shoot! I forgot to get that desk!” I texted Pete, asking him to grab the desk for me if he sees it, which he thought it was gone. But thankfully, the following morning I got a text from Pete showing me that he had bought the desk for me and that I can pick it up when I return from my conference! Woohoo!

So I lugged that baby home, dirty and all, being careful not to touch it with un-gloved hands. 😉

A HANDMADE STORAGE CHEST FROM THE THRIFT STORE!

I also recently found this amazing storage chest! Last summer I had won a Savers Thrift Store “Reuse and Recycle” content (they loved how I turned my son’s toddler bed into a potting bench!). I won a whopping $200 gift card to Savers, which works at any of the Unique Thrift and Value Village Stores.

Well, one day I stopped in to see what they had and I saw this sturdy, solid oak storage chest sitting there, waiting for me!

At $40, it was a little more pricey than I wanted to pay out of pocket, but with that $200 gift card, I got it for “free”! Apparently, they have just put the storage chest out on the floor. As I carried it to the front, my fellow thrift store admirers kept complimenting me on such a great find. It was in pristine condition on the inside (is that a cedar OSB bottom??). The outside looked like it just needed some sanding down. No paint will touch this gorgeous solid oak!

I didn’t know what I would do with it, but it was too good of a quality piece of handmade furniture to leave it there for the next person. And wouldn’t you know that after lugging this home, I realized that it would be an amazing storage box for my sons’ room!

VINTAGE MEDICINE CABINET FROM THE RESTORE

This was a recent find that I literally couldn’t walk away from! I had stopped into the ReStore to peek around for a dresser for my sons’ room makeover. Finding nothing, I turned to leave and this beauty caught my eye: a vintage medicine cabinet!!

I’m pretty sure I gasped out loud, checked the price tag, and thought, “Ugh, why does it have to be so big??” Storing another piece of furniture in my house that I don’t have space for isn’t idea. But I knew who could use it:

Thrift Store

After a series of texts back and forth about how much I love it, Pete promised to stop by the following morning to check it out to see if it would be worth him buying it. He and I have been wanting to team up on a project together and I thought this would be perfect.

He reported back the following morning that this cabinet would be:

• a lot of work
• is more expensive at $200 than he normally pays (he doesn’t pay over $100 for something like this)
• difficult to strip because it’s baked enamel

But he knew how much I loved it so he bought it! He and I will be refinishing this cabinet together in the next month or so, so be on the look-out for that makeover and video tutorial! I’m so happy that he bought it. I am serious when I say that I literally tried to walk away and kept pivoting back around, “Nooo! I can’t leave yet. I want this cabinet!”

Thanks!

DO YOU BUY SHOES FROM THE THRIFT STORE?

I’ll admit that the thought of buying used shoes from the thrift store is a very icky thought. What about you–do you buy shoes from the thrift store? I’ve never had much luck finding much in the way of shoes at the thrift store, but the recent 50% off holiday sales proved to be a very successful shoe thrift haul for me!

Wearing size 10 shoes means that other Big Foot Amazonian women like myself usually beat me to the shoes, but on this particular day, I made out like a bandit! All of these shoes were name brands and ranged from $60 – $150 retail! I walked away paying $3.00 for sandals!

But you should have seen me when I got back to my car…. After trying on nasty thrift store shoes, I doused my bare feet in water from my cup, scrubbed them down with scattered napkins from a take-out restaurant, and vowed to always carry rubbing alcohol pads in my pocket when shoe-diving at the thrift store. HA!

(These were cute, too, and came home with me on another shopping day!)

A FEW OTHER FUN THINGS AT THE THRIFT STORE!

I’m not a “dog” person, but if I were, especially a pug and chihuahua lover, these fun prints would have had to come home with me. They’re adorable!! I don’t recall how much they were, though. Looking at them now makes me wish I would have bought them. They were a lot of fun and colorful, too.

And I actually tried to Google this Linda Chesnovsky person. I think she might be a 59-year-old woman in Philadelphia. 🙂 It’s not a common name, so I would bet that’s her. She would have been about 17-years-old at the time she drew this. I wonder who Dor was? (Don’t you love thinking about the people who’s things turn up in thrift stores??).

Anyhow, I have missed showing you my thrift hauls! As I have been a lot busier now, I am also more mindful about not lugging home things that (A) are too big and that I have no space or purpose for (B) I can’t hang, wear, or refinish within 30 – 60 days. Walking through my garage without tripping over furniture feels oh-so-wonderful, so I’d like to keep it that way! 🙂

Soooo….have you found anything amazing at your favorite thrift shops in Panama City Beach, FL? Leave a comment below and tell me what you found!

Donating to a thrift store seems pretty straightforward, right? Round up the clothes, books and housewares that no longer spark joy, stick them in boxes or bags and drop them off at your local secondhand retailer.

Thrift shops are always looking for donations, of course, but there are some important do’s and don’ts to keep in mind when giving.

“We have a rule of thumb that we like to share with donors … before they give something to thrift shops, they should ask themselves if the item is something that they would feel comfortable giving to a friend or neighbor,” he told TODAY Style. “If the answer to that question is yes, then it’s highly likely that it’s something that can sell in a Goodwill store. However, if the answer to the question is no, then it’s probably not something that’s likely to sell.”

If an item is completely broken or unusable, a thrift store probably can’t use it either.

What do thrift stores wish people would donate more often?

Different thrift stores have different needs, depending on the region and the demographic they serve. But there is one demographic that’s often underserved.

“Men’s clothing is something that I think probably across the board we always are in need of,” said Tamarind Tidwell, general manager of Boomerangs, a chain of thrift stores in the Boston area run by AIDS Action. “I would say women’s clothing outnumbers men’s probably 3-to-1,” which she attributes to the quicker turnover in women’s fashion trends.

“Men’s clothing is always in need for the stores,” she told TODAY. “It sells well and we don’t always tend to get a lot of it in donations.”

Another surprising need for some stores? Housewares. It can be a “real challenge” to get enough quality housewares donated to thrift shops in Panama City Beach, FL.

“We get plenty of clothes and we welcome them, we want more of them, they’re big sellers. We generate a lot of revenue off of them to fund our job-training programs,” he told TODAY. “Housewares tend to ebb and flow, so we’re always looking for quality housewares to sell. They’re in high demand. We just don’t get enough of them.”

Donation wish lists vary from store to store, so it’s always good to check with your local retailer about the items they need most.