5 Thrifting Tips: Avoid Being Duped and Disappointed

When I tell people about my thrifty adventures, I quite often get stories in response. Stories of various thrifting misadventures; of a dress someone brought home once that brought awful moths with it, of someone thinking they were purchasing a unique designer piece and discovering upon closer examination that it was a complete phoney.  For anyone who hasn't much thrifting experience, there's a lot of unnecessary fear floating around it.

I thought I'd share my 5 tips that make the experience less daunting and the disappointment less imminent!

1. Check the tags. This is the big one. What brand is it? Is the item over priced considering? I see that all the time, cheap clothes priced more expensively than they would be in the original store. That and H&M or other similar clothing being passed off as vintage. Under certain definitions I suppose it could be, but, that's not usually what I'm looking for at vintage shops. What material does it say on the tag? Is it a material that looks like silk and is being priced as silk, but isn't actually? On a less scheme-y note, it's also good to check the tags to see if the item can be easily washed or if it will need regular dry cleaning.

2. INSPECT CLOSELY. And I mean closely. Check all the seams and lining for rips, buttons and bits for missing closures, for moth holes and armpit stains. Also be sure there are no pests! Most thrift stores are pretty good about bed bug and moth issues, but you can never be too sure.

3. Don't be fooled by language. Beware of words like "authentic" or "unique" and of other terms used to catch your attention and sell the item for more than it's worth. They can be plastered on so easily, even if they're not

4. Smell it. Yea, seriously. Make sure it's not got a stink you will never get out.

5. Try it on! And be realistic about whether or not you'll actually 'take it in' or 'switch the buttons', or if it'll just sit in your closet untouched for a few months before you donate it back again.

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I'm curious - do you have any thrifting horror stories? My worst was a little vest that I thought was so cool and unique! Until I saw it on three other girls in the next week, and found out it was from Zara, currently! AH!

xo