I am certainly no professional in the art of thrifting… but I would consider myself very skilled in the field. I’ve found some amazing pieces over the years, and I’ve perfected my technique to the point where I almost never leave empty-handed.
These days, I’m usually finding designer items: Dolce & Gabbana tops, Frye boots, and so much more. So I wanted to share my best thrifting techniques with you, and I hope they seriously improve your thrifting experience!
First things first:
Learn When Your Store Restocks (and ONLY Thrift Then)
This is the most important step, in my opinion: figure out when your thrift store restocks the floor and go during that time.
Seriously, I won’t even go unless it’s during restocking hours. For my store, that’s around 11:30 AM on weekdays, when employees start rolling fresh racks of clothes onto the sales floor.
You might feel a little awkward looking through racks while employees are actively moving them, but most of the time it’s completely fine. They usually won’t tell you to stop or move; just be respectful and stay out of their way.
The new racks are where I’ve found my best pieces. Nothing has been picked through yet, so you’re way more likely to find designer or high-quality items than you would on the normal racks. Trust me on this.
Next:
Don’t Look Through Everything, Learn How to “Skip” Efficiently
I’ve been thrifting for over five years, so at this point I have a routine, and I know exactly how to start and finish.
But about a year or two into thrifting, I went through a phase where I wanted to look through every single item one by one. And yes, I found some great things, but it would take hours, and eventually it honestly started to feel unenjoyable.
Now, I’ve found that skipping through racks quickly is the best method. It saves time and helps you spot the good stuff faster.
You do need to get familiar with textures and learn to recognize high-quality items without fully inspecting every piece. But once you get the hang of it, it’s easier than you’d think. I can literally walk down an aisle and stop immediately when I see something amazing, sometimes just from a tiny piece of fabric peeking out on the rack.
Finally:
Have a Routine (and Stop Wasting Time in Sections That Aren’t Worth It)
I always do my thrift runs in the same order, and I don’t look through every section, because honestly… It’s not worth it.
I usually spend about an hour in the store each time I go. And I go multiple times a week (which is probably not rational), but I’ll admit it; I’m obsessed with thrifting.
My favorite sections are:
Pajamas (you can find such good pieces in there)
Out-of-season clothes
For example, in the summer I’ll look through sweaters, and in the winter I’ll look through shorts. Most people are shopping for what they can wear right now, so out-of-season sections often get ignored. That means you’re more likely to find something cute, unique, or high-quality compared to what everyone is fighting over.
There are definitely more tiny tips I could share, but these are the most important ones for now. Have so much fun thrifting—and happy hunting!
