I don’t know if you know this but Consumer Reports doesn’t just give us the down low on goods for the home and garden. They also run a company called ShopSmart. These experts have found Prada for pennies and want to show you how too.
Smart Secondhand Shopping Tips from ShopSmart
1. Look up shops in fancy ZIP codes. Use narts.org (National Association of Resale and Thrift Shops) to locate shops or venues in your neighborhood.
2. Surf the Web. ebay, ShopGoodwill.com, DesignerApparel.com, ShopHousingWorks.com, or SomeLikeItVintage.com are all fantastic places to check.
3. Support a cause. Help the cause closest to your heart by shopping at the cause’s local thrift store.
4. Check by phone. Call and find out their delivery dates for new goods. If you really want to be sneaky, make friends with the owners and have them call you when your size comes in!
5. Shop for evening gowns and cashmere. Once worn gowns like prom dresses and bridesmaid gowns are fantastic deals. Also older cashmere is usually stronger and thicker than the current trends allow. Sexy, warm, and soft… a trifecta of thrify spending!
6. Know what to fix and what to forget. If the item in your hand is too long, big, or long-waisted then it can be easily tailored. Those are a grab. Skip the finds that are too short, short-waisted, or small because even if there’s enough fabric to lengthen a hem, a telltale hemline will rat you out.
7. Ask when new shipments are available. January, and February are good months to thrift store shop. People clean out closets and donate clothes to get a tax break and designers and manufacturers often donate unsold items from spring lines in March and April, and from fall lines in October and November. Most families move in July, so you’re going to find a lot of children’s items then and new shipments tend to be put out on Saturday mornings to lure weekend shoppers.
8. If you’re in Florida, shop for winter clothes. People move to warmer locations and don’t need overcoats.
9. Bargain, bargain, bargain (but not at charity shops). Prices are often negotiable.
Find more hints and tips at ShopSmart.
