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!