How To: Shop Frugal Femme Style

I’m fabulous, but my wallet really isn’t right now.

Can you relate? The current economy is causing me to curb my spending habits in a way that would make the incredibly hot and smart Suze Orman happy. Overall, I am a pretty thrifty shopper. As a kid, I remember my mother teaching me to shop at the grocery store by looking at the “price per unit” instead of the overall price. And, as such, this frugal spending thing is something that has prevailed well into my adulthood.

I am sure, that you are one savvy spender too, but let me explain the lengths of my thriftiness. Over ninety percent of the furniture in my home, at least half of my clothing, and nearly all of my jewelry I purchase myself is thrifted. I own a hatchback car for the simple reason that I can get loads more thrifted junk in the back than I can in a sedan (and I didn’t want an SUV/Van because of gas mileage). In fact, some of my friends will deliberately avoid roads that have decent junk shops because they know I *will* make them stop. So, I know of what I speak (and am a bit obsessed).

And, I thought to myself, why not share this knowledge?

Frame of Mind

First of all, when you decide to go thrifting you need to make sure you are in the right frame of mind: Open. Rookie thrifters often go in with an idea of what they are looking for and miss out on some fabulous stuff. At the same time, do not purchase something simply because it looks neat, you know someone it would fit, or because you think it might be worth a lot of money. That is the fast track to wasting money. Ask yourself the following questions: “Do I really love this? Do I have a use for this? Is it in decent condition, is the cost of fixing this item worth the item cost?” and “Is this a fair price?” The “fair price” question is often tricky as we can fall in love with something and overpay. I avoid this by deciding what an item is worth before I look at the tag. If the tag is lower than my worth price, then (after asking myself the other questions) I would purchase it. If the tag price is over but close to my worth price then I would haggle. Obviously, if the tag price is much higher than my worth price then I would pass on the item.

Budget

Go shopping with a budget in mind. If you shop with a friend, tell the friend your budget and ask that they help you keep to it. Whether you plan on thrifting at one shop or many, decide how much you can afford to spend and don’t go over.

Where to Shop

In my experience, the best deals in thrift shops often aren’t in a city. City thrift shops are either picked-over, or overpriced. The shop owners in the city are usually savvy to current trends and popular items, and will price those items accordingly. And, as such, often the people who shop in the stores are either willing to pay these prices (making haggling nearly impossible), or have already purchased the items. So, shopping in the suburbs, rural areas, or dare I say hinterland is often your best bet. It can be tricky to find these shops because the names don’t always feature the word “thrift,” so below is my guide to finding, and shopping at, great stores.

1. Goodwill, Salvation Army, Potter’s House, ValuVillage No doubt, you’ve heard of most of these stores (and most likely shopped a few). Find a wealthy suburban area with any one of these (and usually you’ll find them grouped together) and be prepared to fall into bliss. The wealthy discard all kinds of cool stuff. Usually, when you first enter the store there will be a sign letting you know what items are on “sale” or what the “special” is for the day. Sales aren’t marked anywhere else in the store, so be sure to remember what the special is for the day. The prices at these shops are firm, and you can’t do too much haggling. And, be careful if you fall in love with an item that doesn’t have a price; because that item will have to be “reprocessed” (wherein it is given to a manager who decides what the price will be) which usually takes 24 hours.

1. Anything called “Antique Mall” An “antique mall” usually means a large store with tons of small vendors set up in booths. Most “antique malls” require that at least 90% of the items be vintage. But, here’s a great catch, vintage only means that an item is 20 years old, and that is hardly antique. These malls are among my favorite places to thrift. The vendors have already sorted through tons of junk to bring you items that are already in the best condition and of interest while maintaining low cost. These malls are usually well organized, and often booths have themes, so you can skip/pay attention to different booths accordingly. Plus, unlike many thrift stores, you don’t have to hold on to what you find. Take your item to the front register area, and the employees are happy to hold it for you until check-out. While many of the vendors aren’t actually on-site to haggle with, you can still talk yourself into a better price. Ask a store employee if you think the vendor would offer a better deal. In most cases, the store employee will call the vendor and ask if a deal is possible. In my experience, a vendor is typically willing to offer at least a 10% discount. However, if an item price is marked “firm,” then do not attempt to haggle because you won’t get anywhere.

1. Anything called “A Flea An’Tique” Pronounced: “A flea and tick.” I’ve only seen shops like this in the south, so I can’t really attest to their existence everywhere, but I’m sure there are regional equivalents. They are, essentially, one step down from the “antique mall.” These shops still feature booths with different vendors, but often there aren’t as many restrictions on condition, age, or cleanliness. Often, the items in these shops will require some level of “fixing.” You can makes some great finds in these shops, but you should be prepared to rummage (and carry lots of hand sanitizer).

1. Flea Markets and anything with the word “Junk, Rummage, Thrift, or Value” These are the obvious places to thrift. Usually owned by Ma or Pop, these stores and/or flea market booths are a hot mess of stuff. And, when I mean hot mess, I mean there is stuff in there from 1950 that hasn’t seen the light of day. Typically, there is no rhyme nor reason to the placement of goods, and you have to work hard to find your treasures. Often, Ma or Pop is concerned that you will pocket items and will follow you around the store. Don’t be offended, just make friends. Be prepared to have them tell you the value of every item you pick up. These guys are seriously experienced hagglers, so be sure to bring your “A” game if you’re going to talk cost. And, under no circumstances, act as if you are truly in love with anything in the store; you’ll be fleeced before you know what hit you.

1. Southern Living, Country Living etc. magazines This sounds a little out there, but often large antique malls, thrift shops, and flea markets advertise in the back of these types of home goods magazines. Next time you’re waiting in line at the grocery store, give them a peek and seek if any local shops are listed

Thrifting Tips

-Thrifting is all about finding and haggling. And, since everyone wants a find you have to be careful because you don’t want everyone interested in your find. If you see an item of interest don’t get excited; feign a slight interest. Give the item a good lookdown, and if you even *think* you might want it, then, get it in your hands. And, don’t discuss it with anyone. Act nonchalant. See, people notice you noticing something and that makes them think you may have found something that they want, and they will circle like sharks. But, once an item is in your hands, then it is yours to purchase. In the same vein, if after picking up an item, you realize you don’t want it, then, put it back down.

-Pay attention to your basket and/or shopping cart. Any item left unattended, whether it be on the ground, table, or even in a basket and/or cart is free game to any other thrifters. My advice would be to ask a friend to watch your basket and/or cart if you have to leave it.

-If you decide to purchase a piece of furniture, then stop all other thrifting and pay for the item immediately. That way, it can be marked as “sold” and you don’t have to worry about anyone buying it out from under you. Everyone I know has heard the story of my vintage dental cabinet which I put my hand on just before another thrifter. He was so intent on purchasing the cabinet that he offered to pay me to let go of it, tried to convince me that I was being unfair, told me it was ugly, and tried to distract me away from it. I literally sat astride the thing side-saddle style and rode it to the cash register with the other interested thrifter following me the whole way.

-Haggle. Ask if a seller can give you a better price. Tell them what you think that fair price should be. Don’t be afraid to do this; sellers aren’t offended, and often enjoy a good haggle. However, be realistic and polite in your dealings. Making friends with good sellers means better deals for you in the long run.

-Bring cash as appropriate. Goodwill and Antique Malls will accept debit cards, however, most other stores will require cash. And, don’t expect a seller to hold an item for you while you visit the ATM.

-Make friends with sellers you purchase from often. These sellers will sometimes contact you when items of special interest come in, letting you have the first look. And, sometimes they will clue you in to other amazing thrift sites.

-Some people claim hitting the stores early is best, but I have a more laid back attitude. I figure that if something I truly need is at the store, then it will be there when I get there.

This past weekend, one of my best buds from the city asked me to take her thrifting to some of my favorite haunts. And, oh wow, we made some finds like I have never seen before (usually I’m lucky to find one thing I like). So, after one gorgeous, fun femme day of thrifting, I thought I’d share with you my haul just to show you how amazing the finds can be.

We visited two different antique malls and a local Goodwill where I found these items:

$11.00

Tiny beaded purse. Imagine my delight when I realized the previous owner had left a delicate handkerchief behind.

$5.00

Another tiny beaded purse. This time in black.

$9.00

A mint condition, silk-lined, fur collar.

$5.00

This is a femme octopus complete with beret, earrings, lashes, and red lipstick. That bit of pink that she is holding onto is her panties. This had to be mine.

$7.77

Pink suede leather mary-jane heels –never before worn- in my size (put on after liberal application of Lysol). Hot Holy Femme!

Total Spent: $37.77

I hope that this gives some insight into how to “tear-up” the thrift shops (and wasn’t too over-obvious). If you live-in, or plan on being in the Georgia area anytime soon leave a comment or send me an email and I’ll clue you in to some of my absolute favorite stores.

Other posts by MsHinterland

• How To: Wear Red Lipstick - February 7th, 2009
• Down and Dirty, Super Cheap, Easy and Fast to Make, Holiday Office Party Gift - December 17th, 2008
• Gifting Giving and Wonderful Handmade Goodness - December 4th, 2008
• How To: Make A Cupcake Pincushion From A Bottlecap - November 26th, 2008
• How To: Make Your Unearned Femme Privilege Work For You At The Hardware Store - November 24th, 2008

Technorati Tags: femme clothing, shopping

Tags: femme clothing, shopping