Different stores restock on different days, so it’s always smart to know when new items will be put out onto the floor.

“Monday is when we take everything out that was the sale color of the previous week. Tuesday is when we start putting things out for Wednesday, so Thursday-Friday is when, like, everything’s coming out,” West High Alumni and Salvation Army employee, Rosellyn Rubio said. 

Rubio has worked at The Salvation Army: Family Store for around two years and prides herself on being a seasoned thrifter. 

Salvation isn’t the only store with a schedule, though. Goodwill restocks Sunday-Monday, so Tuesday is prime time to get digging through the racks. 

Most thrift stores do sales regularly based on tag color, with The Salvation Army and Goodwill cycling through sale colors of the week, Crowded Closet doing both a color of the day and a color of the week and all of them do holiday sales when the time rolls around. Other places like Stuff Etc. do semi-annual half-price sales.  

While thrift store prices are historically cheap, and definitely less expensive than the average retail store, prices are on the rise. Paying attention to what is on sale and when the best sales are can save you some serious cash in the long run. 

Some stores such as Goodwill even have rewards programs now. It’s completely free of charge and allows you to earn points to get money off future purchases. Rewards members receive five cents in store credit for every dollar spent when they present their card at the checkout. 

Almost every secondhand store in town sorts their clothes by size and within the sizes, by color. Most people know their size and don’t bother looking anywhere else. This can be very limiting and prevents you from possibly finding some really cool pieces. 

Size is a very fluid thing, especially in women’s clothing. 

“I have found things in XL that fit me and things size small that fit me,” Gromacki said. Since sizes are so unreliable, taking a look at all racks and guessing what might fit is usually the better bet. 

“It’s less like looking at the tag and more like does this look like the shape of my body,” 

Store employees put out dozens of items everyday and it’s not rare for something to be put in the wrong section. People also choose different sizes based on desired fit. For example, someone might wear a size medium but choose to buy a size XL sweatshirt in order to achieve that oversized fit. 

It’s also a smart move to try clothes on before you buy them. All the local thrift stores have try on rooms for their customers. 

“Trying on is a must for me. I know if I buy something and it doesn’t fit well, I’m not wearing it again,” Rubio said. 

In order to keep thrifting sustainable and not contribute to overconsumption, it’s important to make sure you like the way the clothes look on you in-store. There are generally no returns at thrift stores. They tend to advise you to just redonate the item if you don’t like it.

Though clothing is often the main objective when it comes to secondhand shopping, thrift stores have much more to offer. Some of the best deals and coolest antiques are found outside of the clothes racks. 

Accessories such as jewelry and purses are almost always guaranteed to produce great finds. Expensive brands like Coach, Louis Vuitton and Gucci show up more often than you’d think in the hand bag section. 

“When my dad moved into his new house, we went to the Salvation Army and we got, like, all of his dishes…and they were so cheap and they were like new,” Gromacki said.

From dishes, shoes, wall art, books and sport supplies to furniture, thrift stores have you covered. Next time you’re considering buying a new coffee table or bicycle, check out the thrift and save some serious money. Even with the reputation secondhand stores have of all their items being worn down or outdated, it’s not uncommon to find high quality items in good condition, for amazing prices. You might have to sort through a lot of junk but there’s always a diamond in the rough.