Sustainable Fashion on a Budget
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​https://open.spotify.com/show/3ql6L7L6VV2IyadiwxrFdK
https://open.spreaker.com/16d5hbrzBLuUrMkH8
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Specfics of the thrift store
Blog 5
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Going into the thrift store can be overwhelming, especially if you have never been to one. Most people do not have a plan going into it. It's very important to have an idea of what you can find. Nothing is guaranteed at the thrift store, but I'm going to tell you about the common brands I see when shopping. Also, i'm going to be describing some of the specific things you will see at the thrift store to try and make it easier for you. Starting off in the men's section of the store, you will see alot of football or sports team jerseys and sweatshirts. Most of the time, the sizes range from L-XXL. You will also see alot of tee shirts with local businesses on them. The men's section is almost always the smallest section in the store. The top brands I've seen have been CAT and Gilden. The women's section, on the other hand, is usually alot fuller and has more options. The sections are usually divided by garments. Some examples may include crop tops, long sleeve, athletic tops, bathing suits, jeans, shorts and pajamas. Some commen brands may be Old Navy, GAP and American Eagle. In the thrift stores you can find anything. I have found Jeans that were 200 for super cheap and looked like they were barely warn. Depending on the location you are more likely to find different brands. Closer to the towns and city’s you find find more athletic tops and leggings but when you go out into the more rural area you will find more jeans and boots. The childrens section has all types of clothing and shoes. The sizes are usually all over the place because the childrens section includes baby, toddlers and young teens. As for the more home stuff there will most likly be books. The books with be separated by genre. Paper back, hard copy and magazines are almost a guarantee. Some genres include mystery, romance, teen fiction, fiction and non-fiction. Lots of people like to take their time and browse this section. Lastly, the shoe section. The shoe section is separated by size. Some brands may include ugg, skethcres, hey dudes and walmart brand. Alot of people dont know but some thrift stores sell candy or food. The thrift stores near me like 2nd ave thrift and American Family thrift usually sell candy near the check out line like gummy bears, gummy worms and differnt types of chocolate and guess what, the candy is cheap! Personally I have never bought the candy but my dad has and he says its really good. Like I have said multiple times every single thrift store is different and you can find different brands in different stores. Sometimes you can get lucky and sometimes you will leave with nothing, thats the fun of it. Stay tuned for my Blog number 6 and my vlog, where I go into some local thrift stores and see what I can find!
Beat Project Recap
Blog 6
As my blogs come to an end, I hope you all at least learned one thing about thrifting or got inspired to go thrifting. On your next day off or whenever you're free, you should google thrift stores around you and make the drive. It is definitely funner with friends because thrifting can take quite a while to search the whole store and if you have friends, they can help you look. I always go with my sister, and we find clothes for each other, some stuff I would have never thought looked good on the rack but when she tells me her vision, I usually buy it. For my vlog which will be up on my website tomorrow afternoon, I went to Salvation Army for half of Wednesday or “family day” is what they call it. I bought a sweatshirt for only $2.99, which was originally around 6 dollars. I also went to Liberty Thrift, which is right down the road from the Salvation Army. I have not been in Liberty Thrift in so long as stated in my other blogs. I was very surprised to see how organized it was. As soon as you walk in, the clothes are separated by “designer” brands like Lululemon and Pretty Little Thing. The Pretty Little Thing jeans still had the original tags on them and they were only 15 dollars. I just got a TV for my room and was looking for an older chestnut TV stand and there were so many options. I didn't end up getting anything but there were some pretty cool pieces. Then at the end of my vlog, I went home and showed some of the pieces ive got from the thrift stores in the past. I have been talking about all these pieces in my blogs so now you guys can get a visual of the clothing. Just a few things to remember: thrifting is very hit-and-miss, sometimes you will find good pieces of clothing and sometimes you won’t. Don’t give up if you don't find anything, try going to a different store or try te same store on a different day. Thrift stores are constantly rotating clothes in and out and plus there are so many clothes in there that it is not possible to search through the whole store in one day. As ive said before if you have never been thrfting, you need to go at least once in your life. Many people think the clothes are stained and dirty. Occasionally, you will find clothes with a stain or a rip but almost all of the clothes are in good condition and the thrift store washes all the clothes before putting them out. You just have to go and see for yourself. You will be surprised to see how many stores there are around you. Stay tuned to watch my vlog coming out later today on my website under the podcast tab. I hope you learned a thing or two reading my blogs and listening to my podcasts.
Antique Shop vs Thrift Store
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In my podcast number one I mentioned going to the local Antique shop. This shop is called The Factory Antique in Silverdale, PA. Antique shops and thrift stores are two completely different things, although they are similar. Antique shops specialize in selling antiques or older items, and thrift stores sell anything that people donate. As soon as you walk into The Factory Antiques, you are greeted with things from toy cars, magazines,n and everything you can imagine. This specific store has three floors filled from floor to ceiling with stuff and the best part is the snack bar upstairs. The shop provides cookies and apple cider while you shop. You can sit down and play one of the records they have to offer and enjoy a snack. Everything is just kind of thrown into the store; nothing is organized. Some people like that and some people don't, that's one of the main differences between a thrift and an antique store. Thrift stores have newer items and are usually organized to some extent. The prices at the antique store can vary because, most of the time its a small business. Expect the prices to be higher because the items are usually rare or one of a kind. Personally, I got a couple of license plates from there and hung them in my room. The antique shop takes cash or card, and the cashier is very friendly. Every time ive gone in there, its been the same man, He is very helpful and is willing to answer any questions you have.Most thrift stores do not have snacks and beverages for you as you shop and have multiple employees. Most thrift stores are chain locations like The Salvation Army and 2nd Ave. Thrift stores accept used and new items. Thrift stores nowadays are mostly clothes and shoes. At The Factory Antique, there was only one article of clothing in the whole store. There was a bunch of cool things. On the top floor were mainly bottles, records, and cars. Each room in the store is a new adventure. I have been there multiple times, and I discover new stuff every time. Another similarity is that they both accept donations. You can go to any thrift store website and it will tell you what they do and do not accept and where to drop it off, could not get any easier. The Factory Antique website says nothing about donations, but the last time I was in there a man brought a whole box of stuff in and just dropped it on the counter and left. Antique shops attract an older generation while thrfting has become a trend on social media for mainly younger people. Walking into the thrift store you will mainly see teenagers and family with young kids. Not saying you won't see older people but it's rare. Antique shops and thrift stores are very similar, and I think you should check out both at least once. Again it's very sustainable and can be cheap and you get to check out a new place! Stay tuned for podcast #2, which will be out on Wednesday!
How to get the most bang for your buck
One of the best parts of thrifting is the price. The price is already discounted, but what if I told you that at most places, the price you see on the tag is not always final. Thrifting has become more expensive over the years due to the high demand.
Number One: Location matters when it comes to thrifting. Try to shop in smaller towns instead of big cities. Like everything, its more expensive to shop in the city, and there is also more people, meaning higher demand.
Number Two: You should check the thrift stores websites so see what deals they have going on. For example, the Salvation Army has half off on Wednesdays. Half-off Wednesdays are a day when every single thing is half-off. Another good thing about the Salvation Army is its rewards program. Most of the time, when you check out, they will ask for your phone number or email address. This could just be for an e-recept, but in some thrift stores the more you shop, you get rewards points. This is true for Worthwhile Thrift in Plumbstedville, PA. I am a part of their rewards program. You get one point for every dollar you spend. 50 points gets you 5 dollars off your next purchase. It doesn't seem like alot, but it adds up over time. Another great thing about Worthwhile Thrift is that you can enter your email on their website, and they will send you an email twice a month reminding you of their special offers or upcoming sales. This is another great way to stay connected with the thrift stores and know about deals before anyone else.
Number Three: Shop off-season. Let's say you're looking for summer clothes, so try to go at the end of summer because this is prime time clearance. Many stores just want to get rid of as much stuff as they can, so they will mark it at a really low price.
Number four: Shop around, and don't just look at one store. Thrift stores make up their own prices so the one down the street could be so much cheaper; you just have to look. In the store, make sure to take a good lap around the store because sometimes there is a rack in the back that has clothes at a discounted price. Many times, people miss this because they stay to their specific sections.
Number Five: Donate your old clothes in exchange for new ones. Most stores will pay you a certain amount when you donate clothes. I think everyone should clean out their closet at least once or twice a year, so mine as well get new ones while you are at it. You could donate the old clothes and get new ones to fill their place with the money you got.
Thrifting is always a great way to save money and shop sustainably. The next time you are at a thrift store, definitely revisit these tips to make sure you save the most money possible!
Top 7 Thrift Stores in Bucks County
Top 7 Thrift Stores In Bucks County:
#1- Salvation Army- Salvation Army is my favorite thrift store because it has a large variety of items, from clothing to jewelry to home goods. Every Wednesday, they have a sale where everything is half off. In my opinion, everything is nicely organized and reasonably priced. Every single time you go in, there will be new items for sale.
#2 American Family Thrift- American Family Thrift is number 2 on my list because it’s family-operated and has a nice variety of clothing. When you walk to the right, they have a library with tons of books to pick from. They have a nice selection of home
goods as well, including lamps, tables, and mirrors. In my opinion, the pricing is a little expensive, but they have good quality items.
#3 Second Ave- Second Ave is third on my list because I always walk out of the store with something in my hand. This thrift store is targeted towards a younger generation with clothing items like athletic and crop tops, dresses and cute sweaters. Everything is neatly organized by garment and size. The store is very clean, and the staff is friendly. The pricing has gotten more expensive over the years.
#4 Goodwill- Goodwill is number four on my list because I don’t always walk away with something. From experience, Goodwill doesn’t always have the nicest clothes. I’ve picked up shirts that are very obviously stained or ripped. Other than that, I think they have a nice clothing and shoe section and a really big home section. Another thing I like about Goodwill is they have the bin option. The bins are usually next to the main store. You can go in and dig through blue bins for even cheaper than the already discounted prices. The clothing is usually sold in pounds.
#5 Pink City- Pink City is number 5 on my list because the money goes to breast cancer research, and it’s a non-profit. The store is located in Sellersville, PA. The staff is friendly and very helpful. Downstairs is all of the home stuff, including vintage pieces that i’ve never seen before. Upstairs is the clothing, it’s definitely a smaller selection from other stores but the clothes are high quality and nicely organized.
#6 Liberty Ministries Thrift- Liberty Ministries Thrift is sixth on my list because i’ve only been there once. I like that they have specific sections for everything, and everything is stated clearly on the overhead. In the front of the store they have a section where they use the home goods and stage it to look like a house in the front window. There was not a large selection of clothing, and the employees were not very friendly. I do think if your in the area, it’s at least worth it to check it out.
#7 Nova Thrift- Nova Thrift is seventh on my list because I have been there multiple times and have had no luck. I do think the prices are fair, but it’s mainly targeted towards the older generation, and there are a lot of things in the case behind glass. It does have a large selection of miscellaneous items for a fair price.
Overall, if you are in the area of any of these stores, I would definitely recommend that you stop and check them out. Most of the time, thrift stores rotate their items pretty frequently so my experience could be different from yours!
Thrifting Overview
Let's begin by explaining what thrifting is. Thrifting is a good way to help the environment while shopping on a budget. A thrift store's pricing is determined by various factors, including brand, demand, condition, and how much the item originally cost. Once a price is listed, they wash the clothes and put them on the rack to sell. The thrift store is not an ordinary store; the clothes are usually organized by garment type and size. It can get overwhelming at first. The thrift store can carry clothing, shoes, books, and other random items. Some thrift stores have a "bin" section. This is where you have to dig for the clothes in a bin, but the items are even more discounted. Most of the time the clothing will be sold by the pound. The clothes are the same in the store but have yet to be hung up.
Fast fashion can be cheap and marketed well, but the clothes are made with thinner material, and some fast fashion like shein use child labor to make their products. Buying from the thrift store cuts down on buying from places like Shein. Thrift stores take clothes that people donate and sell them for a low price. According to captialoneshopping.com, "Thrifting clothes reduces carbon emissions by an average of 25% compared to buying new." Not only does thrifting help reduce carbon emissions, "85% of shoppers view thrifting as good for the environment." I know it feels good to go home knowing that I could wear someone else's clothes instead of going to the landfill and contributing to a bigger problem. According to businessdasher "On average thrift store shoppers save nearly 150 dollars per month." For example, I had this pair of 7's jeans in my cart for a long time; the market price was $218. One day, I was in the Salvation Army looking through the racks and saw that exact same pair of jeans for only $20; you could barely tell they were used. I just saved myself $198 just by going to the thrift store. I believe I got lucky there, but there were so many other jeans as well. There will be new items every time you go into the thrift store. Most stores put out new items every day as they get sold. You never know what you will find. That's my favorite part about thrifting: you never know what you will get. Most thrift stores have a day where a specific collar tag will be half off. When you walk in, most stores will have a board right with all the details. For some thrift stores, it's a specific day of the week, others it's just one day. Either way, you can't beat some of the deals. On Wednesdays, at Salvation Army, everything is half-priced. Next time you see a Thrift Store, I recommend you stop and check it out yourself!