Best Places to Thrift (Midwest Edition)
Have you ever wanted to go thrifting but weren't sure where to go? I know I have! Today you are going to learn about my favorite places to thrift, living in the Midwest. Hopefully with this list, you are able to find some of these stores near you, and if not don't fret! I also have some places for you to visit that don't require you to leave the comfort of your home.
Where to go Thrifting
One of the biggest questions I get asked is, “Where do you go thrifting?” At first it was always just Goodwill, and even though Goodwill is still my go to today, I have found so many other amazing places to go thrifting. It’s important to always keep an open mind when considering where to shop because often times you find some of the coolest things where you least expect. I would love to eventual travel the country stopping at various thrift stores along the way but for now, here are my top 6 favorites places to go thrifting (Midwest edition) with some extra pointers along the way!
1. Goodwill
Goodwill is my number one place to go thrifting, convenience is a huge factor. Here in the Midwest, especially if you live in a larger city you can find several Goodwill's all around with minimal effort. Goodwill always has weekly sales based off of the color tag of the week, which you can find on their website and in store. The color of the week is 50% off, and then on Sundays before the new week begins, that color tag is only 99 cents. One of my favorite sales was the first Saturday of every month, the entire store was 50% off, sadly since Covid-19 that sale has "suspended infidelity." But don't worry their are still other ways to get those awesome deals. By being a rewards member, you can still earn other discounts through a point system, as well as random special rewards through out the year. It's free to become a rewards member so I highly suggest you go to your closest Goodwill today and get signed up!
Goodwill outlets are also very effective, and are known for their unique experience. Often referred to as “the bins”, clothes are rolled out every hour in large bins. In some cases the bins are sorted as clothes and not clothes (furniture and such) but other than that there is no organization and you must sort through and dig in the pile of donations to find the goodies. Clothing is sold by the pound instead of set prices, usually ranging around 99 cents per pound. I highly recommend at least trying it out once for the experience, but if you end up enjoying it, it is a great way to get things for dirt cheap. I will be writing a post in the near future on how to prepare and shop at goodwill outlets.
Salvation Army is one of personal favorites because they are normally less busy than Goodwill but still a very large non profit organization that receives a lot of donations. Lots of donations and less crowds means more opportunities to find something awesome. Salvation army also makes it very easy to find what you are looking for by organizing their clothes not only by type, but color as well! You know you are looking for a pink sweater? Perfect, go straight to that section, it makes thrifting a breeze. Salvation Army also has a section for second hand jewelry, so I love going there to look for vintage rings, earrings, and necklaces!
4. Local Consignment Shops
Local consignment shops are a great place to visit if you are looking for some of those awesome vintage apparel or furniture finds. What I love about the small town thrift stores and local consignment shops is often times you can find items that may have been sitting around for a while. According to this vogue article, Fashion cycles and recycles, “fashion always repeats itself.” This why thrifting can be so fun because even if you are shopping for today's trends, you can always find something old that fits the new. It's seriously just like a treasure hunt!
5. Online
Recently a new form of shopping second hand has presented itself, just like everything else in this world, its gone digital! That's right, you can literally go thrifting online, sit on your bed, in your pajamas and go thrifting. Now here me out though, you aren't going to get the same experience you would if you went to an actual store but its a perfect way to still find crazy discounts, support shopping secondhand, and you don't even have leave your house. I could write a whole post about online thrift shopping and I probably will but for now here is a list of some of my favorites places to shop second hand online:
6. Instagram
This one kind of goes with the online thrifting but I thought I would make it a separate section because their is such a huge market for second hand shopping on Instagram. Many people, including myself, have created social media pages, utilizing Instagram's platform to resell our second hand finds to others who are looking to buy second hand but don't want the hassle of going out and looking themselves. I can't speak for every business but on my page, Mries Closet, I use a bidding process so that essentially my costumers get to choose their prices. Because of bidding, items are sold for what my followers think that item is worth. Often times you can get crazy cute clothes for half the retail price or less! If something is vintage it might sell for more but it's still a great way to reduce material waste that comes with the fashion industry.
This is some great information, especially post-pandemic (I, too, have been mourning the loss of the first Saturday of the month sale). Also, wow! I had no idea one could buy clothes on Instagram in such a streamlined process. Your page looks very professional and accessible!