Everything I Know About Thrifting - What and How?

What to buy? What is "worth it?"

What will I find?

How do you find great items?
How do I find great items!!?!

All good questions.

 So the series continues...

(And be sure to catch up on the first two parts of this series here and here.)

I know thrifters who look for very specific items 

and others who just look to see what catches their eye.

 Some buy for resale and some buy for their own use. 

Some look for hours, some take quick looks and are content knowing they may miss something but that's all the time they have.

I'm right there in the middle. 

(Mollie on a particularly good thrifting day!!)

I think I have a fairly specific look in my house, have favorite items that I like to use to decorate with and I have a "wish list" in my mind as well.

Sure,  occasionally I do find something kind of  'different' from my norm

 that I like it or it has potential - but rarely do I stray from my look.
That makes looking for what I thrift easy to narrow down.

So you have to decide if you just want to thrift for, say,

 dishes or blue and white Chinoiserie pieces. 

Then you simply take a spin through the thrift store looking at those items. 

If you are just looking for something to inspire you or you are starting from scratch

then you are going to need to go row by row.

As I said, I fall somewhere in the middle.

So, generally speaking, this is what I do:

1.I walk in and get a cart. Do NOT be the person who misses something because they had to run get a cart. Not everywhere has 2 part tags or allows you to remove tags. Sometimes possession of the item is it!

2. I take a quick "overview" of the store. I like to scan the top of the shelves and the lamps up high. (I'm now on a self-imposed lamp purchasing moratorium but this is how I spot great lamps!) When I was searching for globes I found 90% of them on my first quick scan at GW.

3. Then I often go to the furniture section first to see if there is big item I'm interested in. 

I have found so many pieces in my home sitting in the big blue tape square at Goodwill. 

But remember when I said I don't always find something? 

This is what greeted me this week ... not a single furniture item in the entire store! 

4. Next I start down the rows. I take a quick glance and see if the things I'm looking for catch my eye. If I think I'm interested I put it in my cart. If I find something else a few rows later then I return my item to the shelf/area it came from so someone else will enjoy finding a treasure. I feel like this is good thrifter etiquette. 

5. And if I have time I do this - It's kind of my "secret technique" and I've found some great stuff this way -  I simply turn a round and run back through the aisles in the opposite direction. I am amazed at what catches my eye when I'm looking from the opposite direction! (And people sometimes set things down while they are looking - see #4!)

6. That's it. I basically can do this and buy something in 10 minutes if I'm pushed for time. Sure, I probably miss a thing or two with this quick approach but knowing I can do this in 10 to 15 minutes tops allows me to stop by my favorite thrift stores more often. And as I said last week - I think frequency is key to successful thrifting!

I also check out the art and mirrors. I'm specifically looking for original paintings (seascapes), bamboo frames and bamboo or Chinoiserie mirrors. I'll take a quick glance at the area but I know I'm really only looking for those 3 things.

If you are less specific then you may need more time to look at all of the art and mirrors.

I actually passed on this piece and then thought about it all night!

I sent my husband back to see and it was still there! 

(And it was a better deal than before! That story here.)

The cushions were faded but it was such a high quality piece that the inserts were still firm and super comfortable.

I made drop cloth slip covers for it. That's often my go to for thrifted finds. 

If I were more secure in my sewing skills I might attempt using nicer fabric! 

But I do like the neutral backdrop this gives me and they wash and bleach so easily.

See the coral chair below?

 We were on a mission trip doing house repair and painting for Senior Citizens who could not accomplish these things on their own. The sweet lady who lived here told me while we were chatting that she didn't sit on her porch anymore because she didn't have a chair out there. I pulled up google and searched for the nearest Goodwill. I ran over there and found this chair for $5.00 along with a small table and a couple of accessories. I ran by the hardware store and grabbed spray paint in this gorgeous coral color and the girls on the trip went to work painting and decorating the porch as a surprise! This homeowner did the sweetest thing too- she told the kids they could choose her front door color! They had the best time discussing the pros and cons of the door color and agreeing on one!

At the thrift store:

On my porch:

(with drop cloth slip covers)

(older view of my porch - see what it looks like now!)

I do not generally buy anything that requires much DIY-ing or 'work' on it.

 I will paint though! I love to paint!

For me DIY-ing = spraypainting :)

At first glance the condition seems a bit rough. However the vintage vinyl seats were in absolutely perfect condition and the color was good.

They swiveled and the mechanism was working perfectly as well.

Super inexpensive and a pair which is always a bonus!

They came home with me and got a coat of white paint. They looked great!

I forgot to get a good "after" photo and I sold them almost right away! 

And back to the first line of this post... "What is worth it?"

That is a good question!

What's worth it to me is different from your answer
 and that's different from "what is it worth?"

So you have to decide how much you are willing to do - polish, paint, slipcover, etc. before you decide to take home a thrifted item. 

And as far as he value of what you are buying? 
That's two-fold.
If I like something but think it needs paint to work for me then its value is strictly about my use of it. I'm not concerned about resale value or its historical value.
Some people have strong feelings about altering the state of a vintage item with value. For me, the value is in making it work for my home. 
I have found a few amazing finds but really only one has affected my paint/don't paint because of value decision.
And it was this Gampel Stoll mirror I found: 

I posted a quick picture on IG and someone immediately offered me hundreds of dollars! 
I did a little research and decided to clean the mirror well, embrace the slight places in the finish (it is vintage after all), and not altar the original finish. I have zero plans to sell it. I love it and where it hangs but, you never know, so preserving the value made sense.

If I think something is priced too high, I'll take a pass unless I really want it. 
If you want to look for items that have intrinsic value then you will need to learn about that type of item and research the resale value or its potential to increase in value. You can look at sights like Chairish to learn about the "value" of vintage items. 
Chairish is a fun place to see "how much" one of your great finds is "actually worth." 
It can also help you to decide if its "worth" paying the asking price. 
There are also some great sellers on IG and Etsy and following them is a good way to see what the going prices are. 

(Everything in this image was thrifted!)

Have any good thrifting tips you want to share??
Next time I'm going to take an area or room or two in my house so you can see how I pull my thrifted and vintage pieces in to my rooms and make them work and I'm going to share what I've paid for many of them along the way!!
Sort of  proof that great function and style does not have to cost a lot or begin with new items!! 
#morecreativitythancash

Bamboo Baker's Rack plus Herbs.

I haven't had a Bamboo Friday post in ages. 

This was supposed to be ready on Wednesday but here you go - let's call it Bamboo Friday.

(It's been a Summer for the books and this is about all I've accomplished but I am really enjoying it!)

(You can see The Bucket in the background!)

I found this bamboo baker's rack a couple of years ago for less than $20.00 at Goodwill. It had 2 glass shelves and I managed to break one along the way :(  It happens. 

It was temporarily housed in my work area and so I just had wooden shelves cut for it. 

I recently decided to relocate it to my screened in porch as a home for potted herbs. 

Since I'm going to put plants on the shelves and I would be worried about the weight (especially when they were wet) 

I decided to keep the wooden shelves and not have glass ones cut. 

I also wanted to give it a coat of paint. This particular piece had some pretty rough, porous looking areas and I think it needs the protection the paint will offer.

I put this thing on saw horses and turned it every which way to paint it.

 It has so many nooks and crannies and curves.

 You just have to give it a lot of light coats from multiple directions.

I use this dark green spray paint for my porch and yard furniture. 

It is as close to the dark, Charleston green as I can get in a can.

And, 1. I don't know why there are drips on that can. I never have any trouble with this paint. It's the best coverage I've found. #notsponsored but boy, do I wish someone would send me free spray paint :)  2. That table is obviously on the 'need to paint' list! Ha!

Then I slid it in it's new spot and started filling it up with plants,

 blue and white (of course) and some other thrifted finds. 

I think that this spot will get enough morning sun and afternoon light to keep some potted herbs happy and give us great access for cooking. 

I think it will be a great spot to bring the herbs in to from their Summer spots out in the yard and winter them over. I'll keep you posted on Instagram.

And guess what popped up on my FB marketplace this week?

The exact same baker's rack with all the glass shelves.

 Not a bad price at all!!

I'm headed to the garden center for a few more herbs and some potting soil!

Do you have favorite herbs that you grow?

Everything I Know About Thrifting - Where?

This is probably the most common question I get.

It usually goes like this:

"Where do you find all of your great stuff? I never find anything when I go thrifting!"

(A good day but I visited two thrift stores on my way home from an appointment)

First I would like to say this:

I do not find amazing things every time I go thrifting. 

I often post when I do,
 but

 I obviously don't post pictures on my IG of the many trips
 I make without finding one single thing!

I think the where question is more about frequency and diligence than the actual where!

(I'm willing to have a glass shelf or two cut if the price is pretty low to begin with.

 You just have to decide if the effort is worth it to you)

I have found things in well organized thrift shops and in total dumpy, smelly spots. 

It's all in what you are willing to do.

(Here is my huge "Golden Girls" couch in a corner at a non-profit thrift store. 
Quick phone call home for someone to measure the spot on the porch!)

(Here it is in it's new home on our porch.
  Mollie actually sent me a screenshot of this exact couch in an old episode of  
Hawaii Five-O!! It really is vintage!)

I hit the "regulars" often.

Goodwill is my most visited spot where I live

 but I don't always find them to be that great in towns I visit. 

Location. Location. Location.

)

(Here are those chairs, refreshed and in our Library. BUT that zebra rug is the thrifting find of all time if you want to "score" it by price paid vs. actual value. Read this crazy story here!)

Now here's a great trio. 
I found these at a GW that had not been a very "lucky" spot for about 4 months. 
But I decided to pop in and here these beauties sat!! I grabbed all 3 tickets - one is missing the glass but it's an easy fix and they priced the one with broken glass under $15.00 so no problem! I'll get the glass cut!

These are in my family room now. 

I haven't had a chance to share how they look in their new home yet but I will soon!

Church affiliated thrift stores are often the best spots to thrift in smaller towns. 

I also check out "non-profit" type thrift stores. These are the ones that support homeless shelters, drug rehab centers, women's shelters, humane societies, etc. 

( I don't love the design on the doors. If I had purchased this it would have gotten a coat of paint!) 

If I'm in a different part of town or on a trip and have 10 minutes to spare I just google "thrift stores near me" and pop in the closest one or two.
My first ever Brighton Pavilion bamboo chair was found in a Restore in a pretty rough section of Atlanta. I was over there for an appointment and popped in. There was the chair in the middle of a ton of plumbing parts for... $15.00!

(This piece lives in my kitchen now. I painted it and it's a ton of good storage. 

This particular non-profit has been the source of quite a few great finds!

I always pop in when I pass by.)

I also hit up the occasional yard sale or estate sale but not on a regular basis.
That is too time consuming for me. I live in an area with a lot of traffic 
(Atlanta area traffic is legendary)
and I rarely have time on a Saturday anyway. I see people on IG who do the estate and yard sale circuit and have great success. Just doesn't work for me. 
That is the "success" part of this. You have to decide what works for you that doesn't feel like "too much time/not enough yield" to you. 

I stopped by this yard sale/estate sale on a whim on a rainy Saturday and that elephant now lives in my entryway. And since the weather wasn't great and they only had a half day on Sunday to finish selling a house full of stuff they made a great deal on a huge pile of vintage finds! It never hurts to ask prices. I asked how much two things were and the lady said "We are ready to deal. The more you buy the better the prices!"
 Done. I grabbed a bunch of vintage goodies that day.

I like to thrift and I'm happy when I find something I can use!
So, I guess I'm easily pleased in this process :)

I do like to browse Facebook Marketplace.
 It's great if you are looking for something specific. 
It's a very time efficient way to "thrift shop."

(This would have been a bit of a drive but if I had been searching for something and the price was great then I would make the drive. It has to be a really wanted/needed piece for me to drive far but I have made some road trips for great finds!)

I bought this vintage Pier One settee on FB Marketplace, 
used it for a year and found something I liked better 
and then sold it on FBM!

You can enter bamboo coffee tables for instance, put in a radius from your home you are willing to drive and all the possibilities pop up. 
I have had great luck shopping and selling on FB Marketplace. 
I also look at it when I am travelling.
 Just put in your location and see what's around. 
You never know!

And check those sites often. Amazing deals do happen!
 I saw this moments after it posted, messaged her, arranged to meet her in a grocery parking lot on the other side of town (near her) in about an hour, I was leaving on a mission trip the next day and had a zillion things to pack up for the trip but hopped in the car to go grab the set and by the time I met her she said she had had over 100 messages about it! I'm sure!! Look at that price!! For all three pieces. And to be honest I didn't even try to bargain - I just told her to consider them sold!!

Of course this amazing purchase sparked another One Room Challenge.

So go as often as you can.
And keep an open mind.
 You never know what you might find. I found my kitchen table and chairs when I was thrifting for my Master Bathroom One Room Challenge (which has an amazing thrifted find of its own!)  I ran in a Goodwill after a trip to Home Depot for supplies and literally had 5 minutes to give to the outing. And there it was. And I found two green Chinoiserie lamps for my entryway. Grabbed all the tags, paid and was out of there in about 10 minutes. It doesn't have to be an all day outing. Just stop as you pass by! 

 (That footbath was huge - literally 2 feet across. This was in a vintage shop so kind of the next step up from thrifting it but the prices were really good in this particular shop. It never hurts to look!)


These were "online finds" - either Craigslist or FB Marketplace. I really can't remember. Such a nice lady! We arranged a meeting spot and I was going to get the garden stool. When I arrived the buyer for the gorgeous planter had been a no-show. She offered me the planter as well. We had chatted back and forth while making arrangements to meet and she knew I loved blue and white. I didn't have her total asking price in cash on me (only planning to buy the stool!) and she ended up "throwing in" the amazing planter for the cash I had on me because we had enjoyed messaging back and forth and I had been friendly and she knew I would enjoy it! It was about 1/3 the asking price! It pays to be nice. 
And I do love that planter. It's here right now.

Do you have a go to thrift store or thrift shopping tip?
Please share!

In the third part of this series on Thrifting I'll talk about HOW I thrift and WHAT I look for. 

Everything I Know About Thrifting - Why?

I receive a lot of comments on my Instagram account about my thrifted finds.

I'm the co-founder of a hashtag #thriftwithus 
because I love to see what everyone is finding on their thrifting outings!

People want to know where I go, how I find great stuff, 

how am I so "lucky" to find so many things and more.

details here 

So, I thought I would do a little series about my thrifting "habit" so to speak.

I'm starting with "why" which is different for everyone 

and my own motivation to thrift has been varied over the years.

1. I am genetically predisposed to go antiquing, thrift shopping and to take those finds and refinish, paint, recover, repair whatever "re-" they need. My mother was the queen of repurpose, reclaim, reuse before it was a "thing."  I grew up in a house full of family antiques and treasures my mother found and used in our home when I was growing up. 

I was born in Charleston SC where buying something new is unheard of when there is a family piece or hand me down that could be used, recovered, painted whatever.

So basically what I'm saying is the "why" is that I had no choice :)

details here

2. There have been times when a yard sale or thrifted piece was all that was in the budget. Period. 

Plus, I just think it makes financial sense. 

A lot of vintage pieces are, in fact, higher quality pieces than I could afford to buy new. 

And there are other things I want/need to spend money on.

details here 

3. I think thrifting is good for the environment and it's certainly good for my community.
 I thrift in some private stores that support local causes like drug rehab
 and in organizations like Goodwill that put people to work.

That's a win in my book.

porch details here

4. I enjoy it. I do not thrift for clothes because I do not have the patience for it but I have friends who find outrageous bargains in the clothing areas of thrift stores. I think certain areas are better than others for finding high quality or designer items but people find gems in the craziest places. 

details here and  here

5. We have a big dog - 80 pound puppy right now - and we always have had and will have dogs. They are family members and I worry less about losing something I thrifted if something happens (running, chewing, accident) than if I paid a fortune for it. I also want them in the house with me and sitting by me in the evening, etc. We are those people. 

6. We also have always had a lot of people in and out of our house and I want everyone to be relaxed and have a good time. I don't want anyone to feel like they can't put their feet up or get comfy on a throw pillow. I don't want to be an uptight hostess.

7. I like that I can feel guilt-free about "trading" something in if I find something I like better. #fickle  
If I paid top dollar for a decorating item or piece of furniture 
I would need to live with it for a loooong time. 

Not so if I've thrifted something for a good price. I can change it up guilt free.

details here 

I'll be sharing my thrifting tips, thoughts and more in the next few posts!
 Stay tuned!