If you’ve ever traveled on the North Susquehanna Trail here in Selinsgrove, you have definitely laid eyes on Community Aid. It is one of the largest thrift stores on the east coast that boasts of aisles and aisles of color coordinated clothes, shoes, home goods and more. It’s a thrift shopper’s paradise if you ask me. Although it sells already affordable items, once a year Community Aid has a huge promotion for three days only. Every clothing item priced $5.99 or less is $1.00, and all clothing items marked $6.00 and up are 50% off. Thrift shoppers rejoice! The only thing better than cheap one-of-a-kind clothes is even cheaper one-of-a-kind clothes. Although Community Aid is organized in the way that would make your mother proud, shopping there or in any thrift store can be a daunting task for even the most seasoned thrift shopper. However, it no longer has to be. I thought I’d offer some thrift shopping tips I’ve picked up over the years that could help make your next trip a successful one.
1. Keep an open mind.
Don’t look for anything specific. If you go to the thrift store with the intent of buying a pair of size 8 snake print booties by Steve Madden, chances are you are not going to find them. Instead, be broad in thinking about what you want to get. For example, you could say “It’s winter. I need things that will keep me warm during the colds months here at Susquehanna.” It will be much easier to go from there.
2. Make sure you have time on your hands.
Community Aid is massive. There are many aisles and racks of clothing that require some time to look through. If you have only 15 minutes to spare in the store, be prepared to miss out on many awesome pieces you’d find if you had, say, an hour to shop.
3. Do not leave out any section.
Check the men’s section, the children’s section and even the home goods section. You’d be surprised by what gems you are able to find when you look through a section you normally wouldn’t. When I go to the men’s section in any thrift store, I often find the best flannel shirts and oversized sweaters, which are perfect for combatting the cold. So make sure you don’t skip any aisle.
4. Try things on.
You pick up a clothing item, and it looks nice on the hanger, so you buy it without trying it on first. You then get home and put the item on, but find that it does not flatter your body in the least. You can’t return it, so you’ve pretty much wasted your money on something you can’t wear. In order to avoid this situation, I highly recommend trying the items on in the fitting room before making your purchase. Doing so will save you a lot of money and disappointment.
5. If it’s not perfect, leave it.
Here is another scenario for you all. You find a shirt, but you are unsure of how you feel about it because it has a stain or a tear that you know you can’t sew up. You stand in the aisle holding up the shirt, contemplating whether or not you should buy it. My advice to you is to put it back and move on. If you have to keep mulling over the defect on a piece of clothing, then the item is simply not worth it.