Tips for 2010

We all know that times are tough… the economy isn’t the best. So, what better time than the present to go thrifting and find some great clothes without breaking your budget. Here are 5 tips as you begin your thrift and consignment shopping adventures for 2010:

1. Look more at the general sizing of clothing than at the size on the tags and never give up an opportunity to try things on. This is for two reasons. First, sizing by brand varies greatly and also has changed vastly over time. Over the last few decades, many brands have gradually made their women’s sizes larger to flatter the consumer. Therefore, a vintage 1970s style skirt in a size 8 may really be more like a size 4 in today’s sizing. Sorry ladies – just swallow your pride. No one will see that tag but you, anyways (and maybe your dry cleaner, but he won’t tell, right?).

Also, many articles of clothing in consignment and thrift stores have been altered. Therefore, you cannot trust the labeling to indicate the true sizing. Sometimes pants have been shortened (or lengthened!) and generally they can be readjusted. And very commonly with dresses, people will make “hack” alterations because they only need to wear it for a few hours, but need to bring it in an inch on the sides or bring the hem up, etc. Beware of this as, sometimes it is just tacked and can be taken out without harm (depending on the material) and sometimes there is serious damage to the garment (so sad!).

2. Always remember this – you will (generally) most love something in the store. So, if you are unsure about it, either because of fit or because you just aren’t sure you truly like it, then just don’t buy it. Yes, it may only be $3. Yes, it may be the buy of a lifetime! But, if you will never wear it, what is the point of having it? And doesn’t that garment deserve to go on to a second (or third or fourth) life where it is loved and worn – and not just shoved in the back of your closet but talked about as “such a steal!”.

When you are about to buy something, ask yourself “do I really like/love this?”, “what will I wear this with?”, and (and maybe most important) “do I see myself choosing to wear this out of my closet?”. If you can be sure about these questions, then, buy away!

3. Avoid Monday shopping. Why? Often thrift and consignment stores have been picked over during the weekend, leaving very little valuable merchandise for early week shopping. Most stores will restock on Monday though, so, on Tuesday there should be a whole new selection of things to choose from!

4. Know what you cannot fix and what you can and also the cost of doing so. If you find something fabulous with a broken zipper, this is an easy fix, either if you can sew, or if you are willing to shell out $10 or so to a tailor to have them replace it. Buttons are also easily replaced – although remember, if one button is missing on something, you will generally have to replace every button on the garment so that they all match.

Avoid buying anything with rips or tears, unless they can be hemmed off. Patching holes, by definition, just isn’t classy! Stains sometimes can be a tough call. My general rule is, if something is a great find and really cheap, I will tackle it. To me, it’s worth the risk. Here are a few of my favorite tricks of the trade I have learned to use. Credit to my mother for teaching me about some of these “secrets”. As far as I’m concerned, if these things can’t get it out, nothing will.

Aerosol hairspray –  Will take ink out of cloth. Only aerosol hairspray works though (sorry ozone layer!), so don’t use the pump hairspray because it will not work!

Greased lightning – Will take out makeup, grease, food, grass and red dirt stains (and a million other things!). This stuff really is amazing. I keep a spray bottle of it (diluted with water) in the house all the time – you can use it on almost anything! The amazing thing is that it doesn’t take the color out of things but still will remove the stain!

Octagon soap – Is good for really set-in stains. You will have to really scrub and scrub, but, Octagon has a higher concentration of lye than other soap, so, somehow, it gets stains out!

Mr. Clean Magic Eraser – Is good for getting out the weirdest stuff. It’s hard to explain, but, basically, if I think there is a chance this thing MIGHT work on it, I will try it and it generally does. I don’t understand how in the world that thing works, but, it does and I am so glad I discovered it! It’s fantastic!

5. Lastly, don’t be afraid to bargain. Most chain stores (Goodwill, Salvation Army) have set prices and cannot negotiate. However, you can sometimes have success negotiating prices at smaller stores that are often managed by their actual owner. Never be afraid to offer a lower price for something, especially if the item needs repair or significant alteration. The worst thing they can do is decline your offer!

Happy bargain hunting in 2010 everyone!

Great PostSecret

Saw this on PostSecret today and thought it was so fitting! Love it!

Craigslist is a beautiful thing

Craigslist is a beautiful thing, friends. And let me tell you why. Craigslist allows people in different areas, all across the country, to buy and sell things from one another. Anything can be found on this site – from things as small as a paperback book to items as substantial as a car. And not only does this site help us all to save a little money when looking for something we need (or want) or make a little money off of something we no longer need (or want), but, in the age of “going green”, I think we can all agree that we should definitely embrace anything that helps us reduce our impact on the earth – and through reusing and recycling items, we’re doing just that!

I have had tremendous success with finding some beautiful furniture on Craigslist. And I am the first to encourage friends to look there if they are looking for something specific but are on a tight budget. However, Craigslist is not for the birds. While sometimes you may happen on something totally amazing right away, often, it may take you some time to really find what your heart truly desires. Nevertheless, in my experience, it is worth every bit of the wait and the anticipation to find something really great – and at an unbeatable price!

I bought a house in the summer of 2007. And, like most young homeowners, have experienced the continuing feeling that I have too many projects I want to tackle and not nearly enough resources to do so. But, luckily, with the help of some great finds on Craigslist, over a period of several months, I have been able to make a substantial dent in making my house much more of what I envision – and not just a commingling of random (yet functional) junk. I must stop here and give a great deal of credit to my mother, whom, without her dedicated daily searching, I would never have found any of these things. And also, of course, a special “thanks” to several guy friends who, have willingly gone along with me on these “adventures” to be my muscles! 

Last fall, I realized that I was quite limited in the way of storage space in my kitchen. I have an ever-growing collection of Fiestaware and a large assortment of other kitchen stuff that, quite frankly, was just not finding a suitable home in my kitchen. And the clutter of it all was really starting to get on my nerves. So, I began to look for a china cabinet, and perhaps some other kind of tall, small cabinet to fill the small (but potentially useful!) space at the bottom of my stairs. It did not take long at all before we stumbled on this gem. Some very dear people in Lexington were parting with it because they needed the space. And well, I was willing to take it off their hands for $225. Ha! I’m sure it cost several thousand. What a steal! They even helped load it and drove it over (some 30 miles!) to my house. Talk about luck!

I also, eventually, set out to find a new bedroom set. The pieces I had were cobbled together from several different places and while that may be okay for a graduate student (which I was when I acquired all of them), it no longer seemed acceptable or the least bit desirable for me as a young professional. I was looking for something with a lot of pieces as, well, I have a lot of clothes! In June, we were lucky enough to stumble upon a lady selling a Wesley Allen wrought iron bed. These beds are supposed to be the best and they are known for their structural quality and design. Once I saw the bed, I knew I wanted it. Plain, but beautiful. It had barely been used, according to the owner (had been sitting in a guest room). She had paid well over $1000 for it. And I got it for $250. Couldn’t be happier! (See picture below of bed with other furniture)

Also from the same lady, I acquired two new Pottery Barn night stands that I have been able to utilize in my guest room. $100 for both. Not too shabby.

After finding the bed, I was on a full out mission to complete my new bedroom. Daily my mom and I scoured Craigslist looking for people listing bedroom suites. I did a lot of emailing, asking for more information, and looking at furniture. Finally, my mom sent me an ad for a suite that I immediately liked from the photos. And, very quickly, I was at the couple’s home looking at it. I loved it. I had been looking at bedroom furniture for at least 6 months – in stores, online, everywhere! And I can honestly say that I liked this suite (5 pieces, total) as much as any I’d seen. I acquired it for a steal - $550. I appreciated very much knowing that these pieces were part of a collection still being sold currently. And, if I’d gone and bought it all new, it would have set me back well over $3,000. So, a pretty good deal overall!

And I also finally found a cabinet for my kitchen (and a twin that I'm using upstairs).  They are from Ikea! Another great find from Craigslist!

 
Some thoughts when considering a purchase via an online avenue:

* Ask the seller as much information as you can prior to going to view the item(s). If it is furniture, ask about how long ago it was purchased, if they are the original owner, how much they paid for it, the composition and manufacturer of the item(s), etc. Also do not be afraid to ask for additional photos that give you greater detail. Doing these things has saved me many trips to see things that would have inevitably been worthless (to me). 

* If the seller is able to provide you information on the manufacturer of the item(s), visit their website. See if the item(s) or a similar one is still being sold by the manufacturer. This can help you ascertain a current approximate cost for a new item of this type, which should help you determine how much it may be worth. Also, if you do not know anything about the manufacturer, consider reading information about the company and the products they sell.

* Negotiate! Negotiate! Negotiate! Remember, the worst thing someone can tell you is "no" and, rarely does someone actually expect to get what they list an item for. And also keep in mind any extra costs that you may incur - repairs or alterations to items, excessive mileage to view/pickup, or rental of a truck for moving items. This can always be used in your negotiations. Very often people are wanting to get rid of something and just get something for it, so, they are happy to bend in their asking price! Use that to your benefit! 


Happy Craigslisting everyone! :)

I'm not your typical "thrifter"

When people think about "thrift shopping" some very specific images often come to mind. The college student looking for a hilarious costume item for an 80s party or an "ugly Christmas sweater" event. The mother with a lot of kids, who, buys secondhand clothing, toys, and shoes for family members (while all her little rugrats run around the store wreaking havoc on other shoppers!). The older adult who enjoys looking for various "valuables" and trinkets that they then pass onto their loved ones. The youngster who enjoys looking for vintage and retro-type clothing. 

 I do not really fall into any of these categories.  But still, I love thrift stores. And I shop in them not for one particular type of thing, but just in general, as an overall part of my lifestyle. And, just like all shoppers are not created equally, not all consignment and thrift stores are either. More weeks than not, I at least take one trip to Goodwill. Do I generally fit in there in my “I just came from working for the Legislature” professional clothes? Generally not. Do I often get strange looks from other shoppers, who, inevitably must be thinking “what is SHE doing shopping here?”. Oh, most definitely.


But, you see, some of my best staples have come from some real hole-in-the-wall type places. A long time ago, I had to become comfortable with the idea of occasionally being uncomfortable. And with thrift and consignment store shopping, sometimes, you are uncomfortable. Sometimes you are surrounded by people totally different from yourself. Sometimes you are in places that are much different from your normal environment. But remember, your ultimate goal is to find something spectacular. And, you never know what Trina Turk skirt or YSL jacket is lurking in the next bin… so, start digging!

Thriftiness is next to Godliness? Maybe?

Even from an early age, I’ve always been thrifty. Excessively so, even. You’d never know it by looking at me, or at least that’s what I’ve been told, but, I do NOT like to spend money. At all. I was that little girl that got money for her birthday and, instead of spending it, I put it into my Tootsie Roll bank in my room and saved it. And never spent it. Not one dime.

This may seem like somewhat of a contradiction if you know me, because honey, I LOVE to shop! But, through the marriage of these two things in my life – thriftiness and a love for shopping - the perfect love child was born, the love for consignment and thrift shopping.

It is not for the faint of heart, I will quickly admit. I have, on many days, taken a friend along with me to a consignment boutique or, (gasp) the ever-dreaded neighborhood Goodwill, and looked up at them 15 or 20 minutes into our shopping adventure to see them totally overwhelmed and frustrated, asking “when can we go?” or “how do you EVER find anything in here?”

The answer to the ladder is simple: patience and the understanding of delayed gratification. And while sometimes I struggle with having patience in other aspects of my everyday life, I have the patience of Job when it comes to finding an amazing bargain. And the sense of gratification I receive from buying a $4 pair of Coach shoes or a $1 J. Crew coat – well, it’s enough to keep me going back.

This blog will be a place for me to share my consigning experiences, tips and tricks of the trade, exciting finds, and just overall thoughts. Consignment shopping is not for everyone, but, it is for me and, I hope you will enjoy reading about my journey through life – one secondhand purchase at a time.