10 Pro Tips from a Newly Mindful Thrift Store Addict

Do you find yourself passing the hours during your soul crushing job daydreaming about doing a Goodwill Crawl? You know, driving from Goodwill to Goodwill to see if they have that one thing you just have to have. If you’re one of us, you know that that desire can become irresistible. There are a few things I’ve learned in my close to 30 years of thrifting that will help to keep the impulsiveness at bay, as well as directing you towards mindful acquisition of second hand treasures.

Way back in the olden days, around 2008, I wrote a lengthy blog post for a website I used to create content for. I pulled a ton of furniture and items out the garage of my former house and just began taking pictures. It was one of the easiest posts to write because it was simply expressing in words the life I was living at that time. Since then, I’ve gone through a very lengthy NO THRIFTING stretch. My garage was filling up, I ended up getting divorced, had to sell the house, didn’t want to clutter up my shop and had no room in my rented home to keep accumulating the gobs of great finds I bought pre-vintage mania.

Fun fact: recently, as I’m pulling out some pieces that I did keep, it turns out they’ve got pretty decent resale value. With the handy Google Lens app a friend told me about, I’ve been snapping pics and doing a reverse search on all kinds of furniture I’ve had smashed under my gigantic cutting table. Granted, not everything could bring those inflated list prices, but the mere fact that they’re worth over $35.00 makes me giddy. A pair of faux bamboo chairs I picked up over ten years ago turn out to be worth upwards of $450 each and more if you have a pair. JACKPOT. See Tip # 1.

Here’s the absolute briefest of brief tip guides for you if you’re addicted to the hunt, like I am. I have another, much longer guide coming out that will help even more.

1. Buy two if you you can.

2. Open armed side chairs provide extra seating–always in demand.

3. Low, simple coffee tables can be spruced up, transformed, or even turned into a hall bench. If it’s unique, get it. If it’s solid, has really simple lines, get it.

4. Unusual, vintage lamps. Again, a pair is better than one. Make sure the shades are clean and in good shape, or plan on buying new shades. Don’t be tempted by average lamps. Buyers can find them anywhere. Obviously, the harder to find, the better.

5. Harvest leather. Just today, I hit a Goodwill store I’ve not been to for over two years. They had this very decent leather loveseat for $34.99. Not all leather is good leather, but this seemed pretty darn good. The style is outdated, thus the low price. I could have harvested the leather, but I’m focused on other goals right now and the process of getting it hauled to my shop would just have been too much.

6. Footstools and ottomans are always in high demand and they’re easy to flip. Vintage vanity stools are hot.

7. Take a pass on the big, bulky, heavy furniture. It’s hard to transport or sell.

8. Anything oval has value. For some reason, ovals are difficult shapes to create, so not that many things come in OVAL. Mirrors, side tables, or ottomans–if oval, it may be worth a second look.

9. Rolling side carts, tea carts, whatever you want to call them. They can be turned into a trendy and high value bar cart. Make sure the wheels are all in good working order. One more thing. You can convert tallish side tables into a rolling bar cart with the right wheel or caster set up.

10. Rolling into the another Fall and Winter of the pandemic has brought about any number of working hybrids. Since many of us are still working remotely–task chairs, desk chairs, home office chairs are coveted and no easy to come by, especially some very stylish vintage designs. I’ve known people who’ve created an entire flipping business out of buying, flipping and reselling home office chairs. Again, some comfy side chairs can be turned into fancy pants home office desk chairs with girly fabric and a nice set of wheels.

And, of course, if you come across unique, one of a kind pieces that you’ll never find in a retail store, scoop them up. Teak bowls, vases, unusual art pieces, rugs and pillows. Well, you might want to buy new pillows, or make your own snazzy throw pillows.

Thrifting is addicting. I have this addiction and I’ll address the difference between this and hoarding in another post. For the moment, in its’ defense- it’s fun, it’s inexpensive, it can be profitable, and it satisfies a creative need lots of us have. It’s called Hunting and Gathering. #prehistoricnomads

And the biggest piece of advice I can give you: Have a plan when you go out thrifting. If you have no plan, things can get out of hand very quickly. You’ll begin bringing home bags of stuff you’ll end up keeping for 4 years, then returning to the drop off door at Goodwill. Keep your focus so that doesn’t happen to you.