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HOW TO THRIFT (from a professional thrifter!) find the BEST STUFF at the thrift store 👀

Kathleen Illustrated

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Share YOUR thrifting tips down below & I'll add them to the thrift bible! Thanks for watching, my stinky babies!
Check out part 1 if you missed it: HOW TO THRIFT (from a professional thrifte...
Link to THRIFT TIPS (still a work in progress): https://bit.ly/THRIFTOMNIBUS
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Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
00:33 - Secret tip # 1 - Road trip hack
01:31 - # 2 Treasure Map
02:25 - # 3 Hidden Thrift Stores
02:47 - # 4 Cleaning Hacks
04:32 - # 5 Gifting tips
05:16 - # 6 Shoe Survey
05:39 - # 7 Community Submissions!

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tag-a-roonis:
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20 Comments

@renbdesigns 3 years ago

we thrift, we gift, and we uplift (amen)

@annethomas6905 3 years ago

Carry a couple of AA batteries with you to test clocks etc while in store.

@ianmacdonald8075 3 years ago (edited)

This might sound obvious but PLEASE inspect your items closely before buying. The worst feeling is getting home with a super cute top only to find a rip, a missing button or an awful stain (and especially if you’re not willing to fix it)

@REnos811 3 years ago

One time me and a pal have found divorce paperwork inside a purse at the thrift . . . so theres that

@disco_kitchen 3 years ago (edited)

Another tip for cleaning dry clean only items! I got this one from a Hollywood costume designer. Spray them with a clear alcohol (like a high proof vodka) to neutralize odors / kill bacteria. I especially like to do this on the lining of vintage winter coats or blazers. I flip them inside out, spray them, and let them dry out in the sun. Works like a charm! The alcohol scent doesn’t linger. Especially if you let them dry out in the open air.

@gbjockey7 2 years ago

Guy sections are also a great place to find "nerdy" graphic tees because for some reason no one makes "nerdy" tees for women :')

@cosmic_chaos_inc 3 years ago

I've got one golden thrifting tip. it's super specific but has saved my sanity. So I had been searching for large planters for ages, found dozens of cute smaller ones but none that would fit my larger plants. Then I discovered that vintage cooking pots are the perfect substitute. They are often times left behind in the cooking section, because they are less practical than modern cookware and may even have rusty spots, but you can find the cutest enamel pots with super decorative motifs that have a good size and can get a second lease on life as planters.

@karisap 3 years ago

My thrift tip (and general shopping lesson) is, if you're hesitant on whether or not you want it, you don't. Too many items I was on the fence about and then bought because I was afraid to let it go... and now I regret it! Get to know your style and what you're looking for, and get ready to be patient until you find just what that is. Now that I have all my essential items built up, I try to only commit to buying the items that I'm really passionate about.

@Lottie-Latte 3 years ago

A tip for if you’re looking to unravel things for yarn, make sure the inside seams are sewn together and not surged! You can tell sewn seams because they’re a little bulky.
Surged seams mean the yarn is cut every row and it won’t unravel well, you’ll end up with lots of lengths of yarn. Seamed items will unravel more easily in a continuous thread :)

@disco_kitchen 3 years ago

Oh and one more tip: decals and paint can be shaved off glass with the edge of a razor blade. I recently found a sweet glass water bottle that was merch for some company I’d never heard of. The logo came right off!

@meganc16 3 years ago

Not thrift specific, but if you find that your clothes take too long to air dry, a dehumidifier is life changing !! I live in a cold & damp climate where it often takes days for clothes to air dry, but our clothes almost always dry in 24hrs with it - even jeans & heavy jumpers. Lighter items usually dry overnight. Plus it's waaaay cheaper than running a dryer !!

@fashionfortier1786 3 years ago

Tip for getting sticker tags off of shoes/home goods is to use a hair dryer to warm up the adhesive. Usually peels off in one solid piece👌🏻, doesn’t leave residue, and doesn’t pull off finishes/paint/rip paper

@britcee 3 years ago

More Laundry tips!

Cold -
If you live somewhere cold, put your hard-to-wash items outside for a few hours or overnight, this works great for woolies and dry-clean-only items; it's naturally anti-bacterial, can help remove some smells and just generally refreshes everything. (this also works if you have a deep freeze). My Gran grew up on a trapline (Indigenous Canadian) and her tip was always to put your fur or fur-trimmed items outside when it is SUPER cold (below -20 c) and all of the hair will naturally stand back up.

Warm -
Never underestimate the power of sunshine and fresh air. When my Gran owned her antique store she always washed linens in cold with a vinegar rinse and then line-dried everything. Sometimes you can fade certain stains with sunlight and it also helps get rid of musty smells as well.

@stephaniem1107 3 years ago

I know I'm super late to this party but for anyone who is going through the comments at a later date like me, my tip is to actually avoid shops that state they are 'Vintage' or 'Antique' shops. I've found that they hike the prices right up because it's trendy. I've even found some vintage stores where a lot of the clothes are really damaged or need a lot of work done to be wearable so a total waste of money.

Also when going to little thift shops I recommend carrying cash with you as some independent stores are cash only!

@Starspiration 3 years ago

My favorite thrift tip is...go in with a top budget and refuse to go over it. I usually give myself say $30 on a once-monthly thrift-day outing with my friends. If we're going to 5 stores, I will have to try to stay around $6 each to keep under budget. I'm super strict about that budget, so it helps me put back things I don't really want. As a craft goblin, it's hard to turn down craft supplies, but if I don't have a project in mind, or it's not an item I would always use, I don't necessarily need it right now. I can't remember anything I put back last time I went thrifting. That's a good thing.

@no1pinkjellybean 3 years ago

my favorite, is jeans for women placed in the men's section. some times I'll see men wearing women's jeans, and I think "you must have bought those at a thrift store"

@deerincities 3 years ago

In addition to the advice on thrifting in tourist-y areas, some of the best thrift stores are around colleges! Especially around dorm move-out time. Lots of unique and cool things can be found around in thrifts near colleges.

@sarahmalecki7804 3 years ago

I try to bring stuff to donate whenever I go thrifting, even if it’s just a few items, so that I can keep clutter in check

@cinemaocd1752 3 years ago

More on avoiding dry cleaning: the only thing I would dry clean is a blazer or jacket that is tailored with interfacing/lining. These things will shift in the wash and get ruined. I do spot cleaning first and then if that doesn't work submerge just the effected area, first in a weak soap solution and then in cold water. I will gently squeeze the water out. Hanging clothes outside in the sun helps get rid of odors and stains on white fabric. The big trick every person who does cloth diapers learns: there is no stain that won't come out in the sun...

@MissNurseNoir 2 years ago (edited)

Regarding cigarette smoke: I packed a very cig saturated, mostly cotton ralph lauren top in baking soda and sealed it in a big Tupperware container for a month or so, then washed it (after shaking off the baking soda) on a cold water cycle with regular unscented detergent and a cup of vinegar, then I let it air dry. The smoke smell is gone. This might get different results on detergent fabrics but it hasn't let me down yet 🎉

I've just discovered your channel and I love it!
I've been thrifting since I was 15 and one thing i know for sure as that there's always new tips to learn.