A Guide to Thrift Store Shopping

Now, I know what you're thinking. If you've read any of my other articles you'll know that I advocate things like independent music and wearing suits, so you might think of me as the guy who always wears those really lame tweed or corduroy blazers. Technically, you're right. But there's more to thrift store shopping than it seems. Articles will always tell you how much money you can save and how fashionable items are in there, and how it's hip to wear thrift store clothing, but there's a darker side. Not a "thrift store clothes are being made of the skin and tendons of children" darker side, but there is one nonetheless.

I started shopping in thrift stores for the "cool" factor at first, but gradually I became aware of how much money you can actually save there. "Hmm," I thought to myself, "I bet I can find some great deals here." Around here, one of the larger thrift stores is called Valley Thrift. At Valley Thrift, even though the prices are ridiculously cheap, they have sales. Which brings me to the first section to address. Thrift store sales. On Labor Day, Valley ran a half off the entire store sale. Needless to say, things there rarely reached over $10, so everyone was scrambling to get a piece of the action. Good, sweet Lord was it pandemonium. First off, the parking was hell. Well, close to it at least. A lot of older people were driving around in their Mercuries and some of them had less than what could considered as passable depth perception. Although it was minutely tragic, seeing the guy motioning for the older woman to keep backing up until he realized her bumper was lodged into his was pretty damn funny.