Thrifting Tips & Tricks!

Hi ya'all! I haven't been active for a while. I keep doing that. My apologies.
I've been super busy at work, moving, working through life's little obstacles one at a time.
I've been wanting to make this post for a while, and since it's a rainy day (love it!) and I don't have any outfit posts at the ready, here it is!

1. If you like it, grab it. Put it in your cart, hold it, whatever you need to do. If you decide you don't want it, you can always put it back. I have seen way too many disappointed women because they went back to grab something and someone else had already taken it. The beauty of thrift stores is also the downside: many things are one-of-a-kind, and you will likely never find the same thing twice. 
2. Don't trust the size that's on the label! The sizing for women's clothing is anything but consistent, and this is even more true of vintage clothing. If you can't try it on, keep in mind that clothing that is too big can be taken in by yourself or a tailor--it's much harder to work with too-small clothing. 
3. See the potential in things. That vase is kinda ugly now, but what about with a fresh coat of paint, or even just a good cleaning? Love the pattern on that dress but the shoulder pads and calf-length skirt are throwing you off? Shoulder pads are easily dealt with, and all you need to know in order to shorten a skirt is how to sew a decent hem! Up-cycling is all the rage these days, and it's fun to create new purpose for pre-loved items. 
4. That being said, avoid buying things that you don't absolutely love. If you're anything like me, you may never find time to hem that dress or paint that vase, and it will just become useless clutter around your home. Commit to making the project work, or leave it for someone else to find and love!
5. Always, always, always wash clothing before you wear it. Same goes for dishes, bedding, etc etc etc. Even if you have to hand-wash and line-dry that sucker, DO IT. Seriously. You do not want other people's germs all up on you. 
6. If you don't like the price on something, ask. Many small thrift stores are more than willing to entertain reasonable offers on their merchandise. Obviously at places like Goodwill and Value Village, this won't work, but if those are the only places you go, consider looking around your town for smaller, locally-owned places! 

These are things I've picked up after almost a year of working at a thrift store! If you have any tips of your own, feel free to leave them in the comments below! Thanks for reading.

xoxo,
Corinne