I’ll be honest here I don’t like buying from garage sales they just aren’t organized enough for me. Plus its normally kids clothes and since I don’t have any of those….yeah.
However I do like thrift stores, consignment shops and the like. Recently I got a great pair of Express jeans at Goodwill on a 50% off sale. They didn’t have tags on them but I’m guessing they were pretty new.
The key to shopping for ‘used’ clothes is to be picky, don’t just buy it because its cheap if you don’t wear it its still a waste of money. Also check each item over carefully, what condition is it in? Are there any holes or stains?Remember to check the zippers to make sure they all work.
Watch for tag sales, and such most second hand shops have different color tags 1/2 price through out the week.
Watch out for the “it just needs syndrome” will you really ever add that button, change the hem or replace the zipper? Or will it just stay in your closet forever waiting?
It takes time and patience to look through the rack, know what you need and look for those but do keep an eye out for that steal of a deal, you just never know. Keep a list of what you need. You can easily end up spending to much on things you don’t need.
Don’t forget that many stores have deals with local companies for overstock and such look for those new items and don’t be afraid to ask about when they get shipments.
Oooh! I am also a lover of Thrift store shopping (though I haven’t been in awhile). We will have to go together one of these days!
I love checking out Thrift stores too! You can find a bit of these stores in Tokyo. They call them “recycle shops” here. Unfortunately, I can never find any clothes here that fit me since Japanese people are petite… BUT the foreign women community here hold events here that are essentially clothing swaps. At these events, you bring in all the clothes you don’t wear anymore or can’t fit into anymore and in return you can check out what other women brought in that they don’t want anymore and you can just take them if you like it. These events are normally admission base, usually a $25 entrance fee that includes a drink and dessert since they hold them at a bar or restaurant. You can take as many clothing you want and donate as much as you want. Plus, since it’s a social event, you can meet new people and be among friends. Any clothing that’s leftover after the event is done is donated to either the Salvation army or sent to charities. It’s a great way to recycle clothes and help charities, don’t you think?