How do you thrift shop?

[Thevail]

Do you shop only for things that already fit well and are reasonably in style?

Will you alter things from the thrift store? Or are you only willing to alter if they're expensive items?

Do you buy things in order to re-purpose them?

Do you mostly buy household thing?

Do you shop for occasional gifts at the thrift store?

Do you have a price limit for things you buy in thrift stores?

What do you feel is the biggest upside to thrift store shopping?

What do you feel is the biggest downside?

[Judi Dial]

Do you shop only for things that already fit well and are reasonably in style?

Fit well yes, well made yes. Reasonably in style? I don't consider it as part of this, I don't think.

Will you alter things from the thrift store? Or are you only willing to alter if they're expensive items?

I'll alter stuff from a thrift shop

Do you buy things in order to re-purpose them?

Frequently

Do you mostly buy household thing?

Yes

Do you shop for occasional gifts at the thrift store?

No

Do you have a price limit for things you buy in thrift stores?

Only what I think is reasonable, no cheap. If it isn't, and I have to have it, I'd rather buy new or look at yard sales, etc.

What do you feel is the biggest upside to thrift store shopping?

Potential bargains

What do you feel is the biggest downside?

The smell, for some reason almost all thrift shops smell like old stale sweat or urine to me.

Judi

[zakity]

Do you shop only for things that already fit well and are reasonably in style?
Sort of... We don't buy many clothes, usually just clothes for the boys.

Will you alter things from the thrift store? Or are you only willing to alter if they're expensive items?
No. The clothes we buy are usually just jeans or shorts for the boys.

Do you buy things in order to re-purpose them?
Yep. I am always doing that. I just bought a "Skeletor" cup (like from He-man) for one of my guys to store his combs in in the bathroom.

Do you mostly buy household thing?
Yep. Well, usually clothes or cast iron. I am always looking for this or that.

Do you shop for occasional gifts at the thrift store?
Not really unless someone has requested something from there.

Do you have a price limit for things you buy in thrift stores?
Yep. If it is too close to the cost of something in a store, I just go buy new. Some of our "thrift" stores are more expensive than buying new. Sad, eh...

What do you feel is the biggest upside to thrift store shopping?
It's cheap. It's recycling.

What do you feel is the biggest downside?
All the stuff that is just crap that you have to sort through.

[Palooka]

Do you shop only for things that already fit well and are reasonably in style?

Yes.

Will you alter things from the thrift store? Or are you only willing to alter if they're expensive items?

Heck no.

Do you buy things in order to re-purpose them?

Yes.

Do you mostly buy household thing?

sometimes

Do you shop for occasional gifts at the thrift store?

No, but I plan to.

Do you have a price limit for things you buy in thrift stores?

Yes, because sometimes the prices are crazy and I rather buy new if that's the case.

What do you feel is the biggest upside to thrift store shopping?

Price and green living

What do you feel is the biggest downside?

I can't always find what I need.

[nuisance26]

Do you shop only for things that already fit well and are reasonably in style?

I have my own style that isn't subject to the whims of fashion trends so I pick up basics(wardrobe builders)for the most part.

Will you alter things from the thrift store? Or are you only willing to alter if they're expensive items?

I've tried altering thrift shop finds and it's worked less than 10% of the time. And then I feel like I wasted the $.

Do you buy things in order to re-purpose them?

Yes! Just during 75% off and Bag sales. If I can't get it for less than $1, I won't buy it just as a refashion item. My reason is that I can get items at yard sales for refashioning for less.

Do you mostly buy household thing?

Yes again! I have a vintage kitchen and I can still find great prices on vintage kitchen items at thrift shops.
I get fantastic deals on other things I need around the house too, like linens, baskets, storage containers, decorative items, gadgets and tools.

Do you shop for occasional gifts at the thrift store?

No. I occasionally pick up something I think my mom can use but it's not a 'gift'.

Do you have a price limit for things you buy in thrift stores?

Yep. Maximum of: $1 fabric per yard/kid's tops/any size t-shirt/baby clothes/books, $2 purses/jeans/pants/tops in adult sizes, $4 dresses/skirts/kid's pants & sweaters/kids shoes, $5 adult shoes/clip earrings costume quality/outerwear, $15 clip earrings real/any fabulous vintage find that I really really want.

What do you feel is the biggest upside to thrift store shopping?

Ability to shop in inclement weather in an ac/heated building. Bathroom. You can generally find something that is close to what you wanted if not exactly what you wanted because the selection is fairly large. Element of surprise. You just never know what treasure you may find!

What do you feel is the biggest downside?

Prices. They're so high here that you can only buy during a 75% off sale. If I wanted to pay $8 for a dress I would buy it new at Walmart.

[shoiji]

Do you shop only for things that already fit well and are reasonably in style?

Yes.

Will you alter things from the thrift store? Or are you only willing to alter if they're expensive items?

I alter pants alot since I am very short. As long as the pants are in really good condition then I will buy them and alter them.

Do you buy things in order to re-purpose them?

Usually no. Since I am usually purchasing something to replace something I already have. If it is something I need and do not already have then I might do that.

Do you mostly buy household thing?

I depends on what I might need. Years ago it was mostly household items. Now it tends to be more clothing or yarn for knitting.

Do you shop for occasional gifts at the thrift store?

Normally no. Unless an item is in the original box or still has tags on it I might consider it. Or it is a craft or basket for items. It would really depend on the items quality.

Do you have a price limit for things you buy in thrift stores?

In a sense yes. It does really depend on what it is. If it is an item that I think is worth the price then I will buy it. If I think I should wait til it is marked down or an item I really do not need then I will wait.

What do you feel is the biggest upside to thrift store shopping?

I have been able to get really nice clothes, kitchen gadgets, and craft items at really inexpensive prices, that I normally would have to wait for a great clearance sale at a store.

What do you feel is the biggest downside?

You really need to be patient to find things to purchase. Sometimes could mean waiting months to buy that perfect item. You also have to bring a clear mindset so you don't start buying stuff just because it is inexpensive.


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[Ali Lee]

I like the idea of shopping @ thrift stores--I'm helping someone to keep a job. Dislike/they're not sorting clothes by sizes anymore-all sizes are put together and by color. All red clothing are put together, white etc. The rising cost....$7 for jeans....
I walk into the store with a set limit of $-usually 10.00. I usually go to the linens 1st. I'm looking for tablecloths, napkins & aprons. Then I look @ the plastics..like pink melamine. Then @ the mixed up aisles. Maybe clothes next. Seldom do I ever "redo" any clothes.
Takes me about 2hrs just to look ......!

[JanieD]

Do you shop only for things that already fit well and are reasonably in style? Yes

Will you alter things from the thrift store? Or are you only willing to alter if they're expensive items? I'll alter decorative items, but not clothing. I'd have to pay for clothing alterations & most times I could just buy new for less.

Do you buy things in order to re-purpose them? Yes. Use many items for craft project supplies or for decorative purposes.

Do you mostly buy household thing? Not really. Sometimes, I find clothes, other times its books or decorative/seasonal items.

Do you shop for occasional gifts at the thrift store? No, but I do buy things that my mom or sis would like & give it to them.

Do you have a price limit for things you buy in thrift stores? It really depends on the item: books under $2, jeans under $4, shirts/sweaters under $3, small decorative items under $3. These are sort of guidelines, not carved in stone.

What do you feel is the biggest upside to thrift store shopping? Really nice things for very little money.

What do you feel is the biggest downside? The shops with the best deals have odd hours & I can't shop there as often. Could be a good thing though.

[Michelle68]

Do you shop only for things that already fit well and are reasonably in style? Pretty much, yes. I don't sew well, so I don't look for things that need to be altered. Also, I like being "in style".

Will you alter things from the thrift store? Or are you only willing to alter if they're expensive items? See answer above. I'm terrible at sewing, so no altering on my part.

Do you buy things in order to re-purpose them? Occasionally, especially things for the home.

Do you mostly buy household thing?When I find a good deal on something.

Do you shop for occasional gifts at the thrift store? Not as much as for personal use.

Do you have a price limit for things you buy in thrift stores?
It depends on what I'm looking for at the time. When I go in looking for something, I do usually put a price limit on what I buy.

What do you feel is the biggest upside to thrift store shopping?Price and variety.Oh, and you never know what you'll find. Kind of like a treasure hunt.

What do you feel is the biggest downside? Having to sort through all the clothing to find the right size. I don't generally like shopping, and shopping at thrift stores require quite a bit of time to properly search for items.

[mombottoo]

Do you shop only for things that already fit well and are reasonably in style? Yes

Will you alter things from the thrift store? Or are you only willing to alter if they're expensive items? Not willing to alter at all.

Do you buy things in order to re-purpose them? Sometimes

Do you mostly buy household thing? Mainly clothing

Do you shop for occasional gifts at the thrift store? Yes

Do you have a price limit for things you buy in thrift stores? Yes

What do you feel is the biggest upside to thrift store shopping? Savings

What do you feel is the biggest downside? Having to really look through the racks...many thrift stores don't do a very good job of sizing their items and you have to be careful to check for stains, broken zippers and what not.

[Thevail]

Do you shop only for things that already fit well and are reasonably in style?

I get the best fit possible since I can alter a hemline, or length on a pair of pants easily, but fitting garments is just not my thing. Besides, I haven't figured out how to pin things on myself yet. As far as style goes, I look for details to the work and excellent fabrics. A well made, flattering garment in a nice fabric is ALWAYS in style!

Will you alter things from the thrift store? Or are you only willing to alter if they're expensive items?

I worded this this way because I'll have a go at a simple repair or hem job myself, but I'll only pay to have something truly fabulous altered by a professional. (Mind you, I once got a gorgeous Donegal tweed 3 piece suit for $7, then paid the full $56 to have it fitted beautifully. $63 for a pefectly fitted timeless suit is still pretty reasonable)

Do you buy things in order to re-purpose them?
I do this with linens, but very little else.

Do you mostly buy household thing?
I rarely buy household stuff at our thrift stores, but I live in a college town so the furniture you find there usually smells funky.

Do you shop for occasional gifts at the thrift store?
If it's new in the box and not something with a size, I sure do!

Do you have a price limit for things you buy in thrift stores?
I actually just have a limit on the amount I'm going to spend before I even go in the door.

What do you feel is the biggest upside to thrift store shopping?
I like the variety of styles be it furniture or clothing or out of print books. It always bothers me that in a regular store, you're going to buy what THEY think is in style, not what you think looks nice.

What do you feel is the biggest downside?

Poor lighting, honestly I cannot tell you how many "black" sweaters turned out to be navy blue in the parking lot! Idiots who staple a tag to the front collar of a silk shirt thus ruining it. When the "inspector people" in the back let something really nasty smelling or just plain filthy and busted get through.