Hello friends!
So it’s no secret, but I absolutely LOVE wicker baskets… and it could be said that I have a slight addiction to thrifting them (I just can’t say no to a really cute, high quality $2 basket).
To help with my addiction, I’ve decided to open a little online Instagram account called Ro’s Boho Thrift Co to sell some of the goodies I thrift!
I don’t have an exact date yet when I’m opening the shop, but it’ll happen sometime mid-March, I think! I’ll be announcing it on both my personal Instagram and Ro’s Boho Thrift Co, so definitely follow there to learn more.
ANYWAYS, I just shared this video on my YouTube channel, about an AMAZING $15 basket haul I recently did at one of my favorite thrift stores… and I figured that I would share a few tips that I’ve learned over the years when thrifting for good baskets (because I get asked about this all the time).
HOME THRIFTING TIPS:
Sharing a few of my top tips for you. If you’re not familiar with thrifting, it can feel overwhelming and thrifting… but it doesn’t need to be! Just follow these easy, simple steps and you’ll soon discover some amazing finds!
1. Find thrift stores in your area by either asking friends or checking on google!
If you aren’t familiar with any “good” thrift stores in your areas, my first recommendation would be to ask a friend that thrifts where they love to go! They’ll probably love talking “thrift” with you, and get excited for you to check it out and treasure hunt for yourself!
AND/OR, check Google! Sounds unerrated, but Google is a great place to find thrift stores – and the reviews can *sometimes* be good at helping you decide where to go…. However, I wouldn’t judge a thrift store based on reviews alone.
People tend to leave negative reviews mostly, and thrift stores always seem to garner really bad reviews. So I would personally go check it out yourself FIRST, before writing it off. I’d ever recommend visiting at least 2 times before writing it off completely.
When in doubt: Goodwill.
Goodwill is kinda like your “guaranteed” thrift store. It will always be decently organized, you kinda have the same price range across the board for all stores, and it will be decently clean (usually).
HOWEVER, I love to find “other” thrift stores that aren’t Goodwill, because that’s where TRUE GEMS can come from. Now I’m not saying you won’t find something good at Goodwill, you’ll just likely pay more for it. Not always, but in my experience, you’re paying a little more for the Goodwill name.
Some favorites that I always love to check out when I’m in a new city are Value Village and St. Vincent De Paul thrift stores!
But again, don’t write off the tiny ones and the “mom and pop” one-offs because again, they can hold real treasures!
2. Once in the thrift store,
TOUCH EVERYTHING.
This isn’t very pandemic friendly advice… But I’m assuming if you’re comfortable going into a thrift store, you’ll be comfortable touching things inside the thrift store (after all, that’s what sanitizer is for, right?).
WHY I give this tip is this: by merely “looking” at things on the shelf, because it is a thrift store and not Target, there will be things stacked within other things, things in front of things, etc. So it would be easy to miss a gem because it wasn’t in obvious view.
For example:
Whenever I’m basket hunting, I always go to the home goods section. Then when I’m there, I pick up and separate all the baskets (and nicely put them all back when I’m done – don’t leave a mess). But I’ve found some of the BEST baskets this way that I would have otherwise missed, because they were “hidden” inside a larger basket.
This practice is *especially* true when thrifting for toys (especially wooden ones… they’re heavier and tend to be in the back/bottom of the crazy toy section) and clothes. The clothes section probably deserves it’s own blog post, but I’ll just say that you need to literally flip through EVERY hanger in the section you’re in because otherwise you’ll miss gold.
So this makes thrifting tedious – and much easier done without kiddos, because it takes time and definitely *can* be dirty (don’t be surprised if your hands are a little black after touching all the hangers. idk why… but the wires just get grimy sometimes).
I know all this might sound gross, and if you’re not an avid thrifter, it’s definitely something that takes getting used to. And not all thrift stores are this grungy – I just find that often the best gems are hidden in the least likely places. But that could just be me.
3. Visit frequently, and don’t give up!
The fun part about thrifting IS the TREASURE HUNT. And the best part about treasure hunting at a thrift store? They’re updating/changing inventory so there’s new items to discover!
Depending on the popularity of your store, the rotations could be as often as a couple times a week or once a month. But whatever it is, I encourage you to keep checking back!
There are times where I’ve scored 0 at my favorite thrift stores. Then I go back the next time, and maybe find like 1-2 things. Then I go back another time and I found ABSOLUTE GOLD!
You just never know. It’s so random, and in my opinion, that’s what makes it fun.
So if you don’t “score big” the first time, don’t let that discourage you! Try again, or try a different place, or a different time/day.
You can also always ask the employees when new items are added, and if it’s a small enough shop, you can ask about specific items you’re looking for. They’re often really friendly and helpful!
That’s all for now!
I hope these tips are helpful for you, and I’d love to hear about your thrifting journey and whatever items you scored!
If you’re comfortable with it, this is also something really fun to do with a friend! You can grab coffee together before/after and go on a scavenger hunt together.
Enjoy! XO
