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All it takes is finding one treasure at a thrift store and you will be hooked.
Aug. 17 is National Thrift Store Day — a day to celebrate all those little treasures you have found over the years for a steal of a deal.
Kelly Gehl of Stratford, P.E.I. was not always a fan of thrift stores.
“I remember going to thrift stores with my mom when I was younger. I hated the smell and remember thinking everything was gross.”
Read more Thrill of the find: Hobby or obsession, finding unexpected thrift shop treasures or snagging a great deal can be euphoric 'It’s an answer to our prayers': Digby thrift shop with community ties gets new life and new opportunities
Thrill of the find: Hobby or obsession, finding unexpected thrift shop treasures or snagging a great deal can be euphoric
'It’s an answer to our prayers': Digby thrift shop with community ties gets new life and new opportunities
When Gehl was on maternity leave with her first baby when that outlook began to change.
“I liked to get out with him as much as possible,” she recalled. “If I browsed around the mall I would end up spending too much money so I started browsing at Value Village.
“I began purchasing all of my son’s clothes there and most of my own clothes. Since then, I’ve branched out into clothes for our whole family, home decor, books, furniture — basically whatever I thought was a good deal.”
Gehl started buying her kid’s clothes with the intention to resell them when they outgrew it, but then found herself buying items primarily to resell.
While on maternity leave, she found reselling was a way to make extra cash while simultaneously spending less on everyday goods and clothing.
Thrift store shopping has since become one of Gehl’s favourite pastimes.
“Now I have an Instagram account where I share my reselling tips and finds and educate people on thrifting and buying second-hand,” she said.
Gehl has made some significant finds thrifting. The best return she has had was on a newborn baby onesie that she discovered was a very sought-after brand/pattern.
“I bought it for about 25 cents and sold it for $80 to a woman who had been looking for that particular pattern,” she said. “I also thrifted one of my bridesmaids’ dresses for my wedding for $8.”
As a seasoned thrifter, Gehl has some tips and tricks.
Gehl noted that most thrift stores have a system that are usually in the form of coloured tags. Once you find out the system, she explained, you can figure out which tags are the newest inventory.
“I go so often that I only look at the new tag items because I know I’ve already looked over the older stuff,” she said.
“I’ve also learned what times are the best time to go when staff are putting out the newest stock, which is usually about an hour or two after the store opens,” she said. “It’s prime time because they’ve had some time to get inventory out, but it hasn’t been picked over too much by other customers.”
Gehl’s reselling business is more of a hobby than a business.
“I find thrifting very therapeutic and I pride myself on being able to find almost everything I need second hand,” she said. “I’ve realized other people like buying second-hand, but don’t have the time or patience to thrift for themselves. I try to buy quality and name-brand items while thrifting and then resell, so I make a little money and the person buying also feels like they got something they wanted at a great price. A lot of people who buy from me say they trust that they are getting quality items and are happy that they can buy at a low price point without doing the leg work themselves.”
For Helen Deagle of St. Peters Bay, P.E.I., thrift store shopping is her life.
She said every item she gets thrifting is her best find.
“I very rarely ever go to major stores,” said Deagle. “My first stop when I go to Charlottetown is to the thrift shops because there are never two items the same in the store. Everything is original.”
Deagle also likes that thrifting helps the environment because everything is recycled.
“I often think, when I get items, about the history behind them and how happy a person would be to know that it is in the hands of somebody that cares for it,” she said.
Deagle questioned why anyone would buy something new if they can get it second-hand and it's in as good a shape as from a department store and costs less money.
“Approximately 80 per cent of my wardrobe is used,” she said. “Take it home, give it a good wash and away you go.”
Sandra Hynes from Wabush, Newfoundland and Labrador also likes to thrift shop and find great bargains.
Mission Kitty Thrift Store Plus opened last month and Faiths Discount Boutique is another local thrift store which will be opening soon. They both raise money for the care of cats and dogs locally and out of province, with the monies raised helping with surgeries, food, litter, and medications.
“It’s such a great cause,” Hynes said of knowing her purchases help animals in need.
She is always on the lookout for whatever goodies she can find.
“Books and magazines are on my list as well as silicone molds and decor for my garden,” she said. “Some items that I have purchased for my garden just needs a little TLC to bring them back to life.”
One of Hynes’ favourite thrift finds is a chandelier she acquired in an online auction of second-hand items.
“It was a black chandelier and I so wanted it,” she said. “I won the chandelier with highest bid.”
The next step was making it her own. She removed all the wires and lights, spray painted it white, used some sandpaper for an antique effect, replaced the lights with solar, and hung it in her backyard.
“It turned out beautiful,” she said.
Hynes’ suggestion for great finds is to “visit the thrift stores a couple times a week, as new items arrive every day and you may find that one item you have been looking for.”
Like Deagle, she also noted that “thrift shopping helps the environment with the motto reduce, recycle and reuse!”
She says it is like the saying goes “another man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”
Lisa Rose of Kentville, N.S. is the creator of the Annapolis Valley Frugal Moms Society.
Ever since she was a little girl, Rose’s nan took her to Bag Days at local Frenchy’s stores where she said you could fill a bag for $5.
“She taught me to roll them up tight and shove them down in the bag to get your money’s worth,” she said of her lessons in frugality.
Rose is a collector of Rae Dunn pottery.
“I've found some many wonderful pieces for less than half the regular price, some of which are worth a high value amongst the Dunn community,” she said.
Some of her best thrift store finds have been, believe it or not, canning supplies.
She explained that the pandemic brought with it shortages of many things, including jars and preserving supplies.
“I was beyond excited to find all the tools I need to preserve my summer and fall garden.”
Rose has been able to get two Aero Gardens to grow herbs on her countertop and a sprouting machine valued at $300 for $30 to make fresh greens during the winter months.
Another thrift find was a $200 wok for $15.
Seasonal décor is usually affordable at thrift stores, she noted, which in turn makes it easy to switch out decorating themes on a small budget.
Recently, Rose’s three-year-old has become obsessed with the computer-animated comedy film Toy Story.
“I call it putting it out to the universe,” she said. “While shopping four days in a row, I managed to find all the characters in the bags hanging at Value Village getting all of them for the price of one on Amazon.”
Rose’s best tip with respect to thrifting is to know your prices. Sometimes, she explained, items that were or are at dollar stores surface at thrift stores and end up being marked higher than the original store.
Bottom line: do your research and ensure you know the costs of items brand new.
Rose said you also need to be okay with digging through bins.
She recommended bringing a friend along as “it makes the thrift hunt way more fun and gives you a second set of eyes.”
As with anything in life, Rose stressed the importance of setting your budget and knowing what you are willing to spend on an item for the condition it is in.
“Also never be afraid to bring to a cashier and show there is more damage as this sometimes allows more of a discount and you get the item you wanted at a bigger discount,” she said.
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