Thrift Shopping. Discovering Bargains and Hidden Treasures

68 Pages·2014·17.804 MB·English

by  Sandy Donovan

t h r i t
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D i s c o ve r i ng
B a rgai ns
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Tre as ure s
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Looking for just the right outfit for a
big party? Or maybe you want to build
some funky shelves for your bedroom.
Instead of heading for the mall, consider
checking out a thrift store. It’s a great
way to grab some awesome bargains.
Thrift shopping started out as a way for
charitable organizations to earn money for
their missions by selling a variety of items
at reasonable prices. Over the decades,
it’s become a hot recreational activity for
all kinds of people, including celebrities!
Thrifting opportunities range from traditional
thrift stores, consignment shops, vintage and
antique stores, flea markets and garage
sales, to auctions, estate sales, and online
sites such as eBay, Etsy, and Poshmark.
You can find just about anything: clothing,
jewelry, accessories, sporting goods, vinyl
records, CDs, DVDs, furniture, home goods,
books, artwork, toys, gift ideas, even cars.
The sky’s the limit!
Check out Thrift Shopping to discover
how to thrift and where to thrift. Learn how
to judge quality, when and where to shop
for bargains, and how to organize your own
yard sale. Get tips for upcycling your thrift-
shopping finds for your own personal use or
to resell them. With a little imagination and
not a whole lot of money, you can find—or
make—unique treasures while going green
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REINFORCED BINDING
t hri t
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D i s c o v e r i n g
B a rg a i ns a n d
H i d d e n
Tr e a s u r es
SANDY DONOVAN
TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY BOOKS / MINNEAPOLIS
Acknowledgments:
The publisher wishes to thank Kris Vetter for
making the crafts on pages 45, 47, and 49.
Copyright © 2015 by Lerner Publishing Group, Inc.

All rights reserved. International copyright secured. No part of this book may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the prior written permission of Lerner Publishing
Group, Inc., except for the inclusion of brief quotations in an acknowledged review.

Twenty-First Century Books
A division of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc.
241 First Avenue North
Minneapolis, MN 55401 USA

For updated reading levels and more information, look up this title at www.lernerbooks.com.

Main body text set in Adobe Garamond Pro Regular 11/16.
Typeface provided by Adobe Systems.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Donovan, Sandra, 1967–
Thrift shopping : discovering bargains and hidden treasures / by Sandy Donovan.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-4677-5783-6 (lib. bdg. : alk. paper)
ISBN 978-1-4677-6310-3 (EB pdf)
1. Shopping—Juvenile literature. 2. Thrift shops—Juvenile literature. 3. Purchasing—Juvenile
literature. I. Title.
TX335.5.D66 2015
381’.19—dc23 2014020885

Manufactured in the United States of America
1 – BP – 12/31/14
Contents
Introduction
What Is Thrift Shopping? 4
Chapter 1
Why Thrift? 6
Chapter 2
Where to Thrift 12
Chapter 3
What to Thrift 24
Chapter 4
Tips for Better Thrifting 34
Chapter 5
Upcycling Thrift-Shop Treasures 42
Chapter 6
Selling Your Thrift-Shop and
Upcycled Goods 50
Bibliography 58
For Further Information 59
Index 62
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INTRODUCTION
What Is
Thrift Shopping?
Thrifting is hot. It’s a trend with teens, adults, and even superrich c elebs.
Rappers Macklemore and Ryan Lewis made some serious dough when their
megahit “Thrift Shop” went to the top of the pop charts in 2013. Even as a
wealthy star, Macklemore continues to make fashion statements with thrift-
shop finds. Style-conscious actress and singer J ada Pinkett Smith and her
fashion-forward daughter, Willow, are often spotted hitting the thrift shops
in Santa Monica, California. Singer-songwriters J anelle Monáe and Zooey
Deschanel love thrifting too.
4 thrift shopping: Discovering Bargains and Hidden Treasures
S Soo wwhhaatt’’ss tthhee ssccoooopp oonn tthhrriiffttiinngg?? YYoouu pprroobbaabbllyy
have a pretty good idea of what it is. Thrifting
is shopping for clothing, jewelry, accessories,
furniture, gifts, collectibles, and other goods that have been donated new
or already owned and used by someone else. At a wide range of outlets—
including thrift shops, consignment stores, vintage boutiques, garage sales,
flea markets, and online sites—thrift shoppers pay a lot less than if they
were buying the items brand new. But any veteran thrift shopper will tell
you that there’s much more to thrifting than simply finding an awesome
bargain. There’s the sense of adventure, the exhilaration of scoring just what
you were hunting for, and often the fun of a surprise find.
Read on to find out why so many people are enthusiastic
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ssoommee ttiippss oonn hhooww ttoo mmaakkee tthhee mmoosstt ooff yyoouurr oowwnn
thrift-shop expeditions.

Garage sales and flea markets offer
amazing thrift-shopping opportunities for
everything from clothing and housewares
to furniture and sporting goods.
5
Well-organized thrift stores sort their
offerings by size, color, and the
type of item. Other shops are more
jumbled, so shoppers may have to
work harder to find things.
CHAPTER 1
Why Thrift?
Thrifting was originally a way for people to buy basic necessities that they
might not otherwise have been able to afford. Thrift stores were generally
run by charitable organizations that wanted to help people in need and to
raise money for good causes through thrift-store sales. For example, one
of the earliest thrift shops was started in the late 1800s by a society for the
blind in London, England. By the late twentieth century, thrifting had gone
mainstream, and in the twenty-first century, thrift sales are rising every year.
In fact, thrifting is the subject of reality shows, fashion magazine spreads,
and more than one hit pop song. Shopping for bargains has become a
favorite pastime of teens, adults, and even major fashionistas. Many people
like thrifting as a way to support an organization whose mission they
believe in. Others like the idea of going green through thrifting. Purchasing
secondhand items is a great way to recycle and reduce waste.
So what exactly is the big deal about thrifting? Why are so many
6 thrift shopping: Discovering Bargains and Hidden Treasures
people hooked? Thrifters give five reasons for

getting addicted to this pastime.
Reason to Thrift #1:
Save Money
No doubt about it. It’s cheaper—way cheaper—to buy used than new.
Thrift-shop goods are usually priced anywhere from 50 percent to 95
percent less than their new counterparts. A pair of jeans that costs one
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ttoo ffoorrttyy ddoollllaarrss sseeccoonnddhhaanndd.. SSoommeettiimmeess tthheeyy mmaayy ggoo ffoorr eevveenn
less, depending on their condition, what kind of store is
selling them, and other factors. Buying used can save lots
of $$$.
If the thought of saving money makes you yawn,
here’s another way to think about the value of thrifting:
more bling for your buck. Saving money through thrift
shopping allows buyers to purchase a few more must-
haves. Rather than spending a chunk of change on only
one pair of new shoes, you could go home with two
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off the look. How’s that for thrifty shopping?

Reason to Thrift #2:
Find Unique Clothes or
Satisfy a Creative Urge
Many thrifters love the chance to score vv iinnttaaggee,, uunnuussuuaall,, oorr
one-of-a kind items. Be honest, when someone shows up at school in a
new shirt, jacket, or pair of shoes, they’re often similar to what other people
7
Thrifting with a friend or family member is
a good way to get a second opinion on
something you’re not sure about. And it can
be a fun way to spend time together.
are wearing, right? It’s even pretty obvious where the person purchased the
item too. Buying from thrift stores, on the other hand, offers the
opportunity to find something truly unique or even to uncover a designer-
label bargain. It’s one way to land an item that no one at school has ever
seen before. Now that’s trendsetting!
For shoppers who like to apply creative talents to the way they dress,
decorate a room, or assemble handcrafted gifts and other items, a thrift store
can be the go-to spot for standout treasures. Do you like the styles of the
1950s, the 1960s, or the 1970s? A secondhand or vintage store, a garage
sale, and online sites are great places to look. Obsessed with do-it-yourself
projects? You’ll find the raw materials you need—at a price you’ll like—for
gifts, accessories, household decorations, and more.
Reason to Thrift #3: Save the World
Okay, maybe thrift-shop purchases aren’t going to save the world, but
they can help lessen the footprint we humans leave behind. These days,
manufacturing new items is a global affair. Many goods available for sale in
the United States are produced in sweatshops in poor nations of the world,
where people—even children—work for long hours in unsafe, unhealthy
conditions for very little pay. Factories that produce the goods may be using
8 thrift shopping: Discovering Bargains and Hidden Treasures