The Value of a Thrift Store | Lexi Cortes
You never know what you might find. It might be an old Polaroid camera, a cozy sweater or two, vintage furniture or that record you’ve been searching for. All at a thrift store like Goodwill, The Salvation Army, Avalon Exchange, Thrifty Threads and the list goes on.
I know people who often get discouraged because they never find anything good when they visit a thrift store. I’ll tell you the secret: You have to dig. Dig through the racks of clothing and you might be surprised. What you thought looked like a pile of junk may actually contain something special. That’s the beauty of a thrift store.
If second-hand clothing or shoes isn’t your thing, there’s something for you at a thrift store too. Goodwill, for example, frequently has clothes with the price-tags from other retailers still on them and shoes still in their boxes –brand new, but much cheaper.
That price-tag will sometimes be three times the price the thrift store is asking, which is another very appealing aspect. I would say 40 percent of my closet is second-hand clothing and I have saved tons of cash because of it. And it’s funny, it seems like I get the most compliments from wearing the clothes I get from Goodwill and Avalon Exchange. I don’t have to sacrifice fashion at all to save money.
Given the state of the economy, people are constantly looking for ways to cut costs, especially college students. We need to save money whenever possible and those ominous student loans breathing down our necks regularly remind us of that. Thrift stores are possibly the greatest way to find discounted merchandise.
Aside from the clothing, thrift stores have a lot to offer from artwork and furniture to DVDs, CDs, cassettes and records. I bet most college students could find something that interests them. Next time you’re driving past one, stop in and take a look around. You won’t be sorry because you never know what you might find.
