Today’s post is a bit of a departure from my usual gardening and recipe posts, but one that I think works nicely with the overall ethos of this site — helping you to be more sustainable in all walks of life… from growing your own food and cooking from scratch to lessening your carbon footprint on the world and being a mindful consumer. And a big part of my mindset when it comes to consuming is buying second-hand. Thrift stores, flea markets, consignment shops, estate sales, Etsy, antique stores, yard sales, Facebook marketplace, you name it, I use it and love it. Today I want to chat a bit about what to look for when thrifting, so you walk away from an excursion with items that will be useful for you!
A small sampling of some of my most memorable secondhand finds:
Why Buy Second-Hand?
Buying used means you’re side-stepping the environmental costs of buying new items: harvesting raw materials, manufacturing, packaging, transportation, etc. It also breathes new life into items otherwise destined for a landfill. And, while this isn’t always true, I tend to find that things made back in the day are of higher quality than they are now. For instance, I still use my mom’s trusty Kitchenaid mixer from 1973 and that thing is an absolute beast!
It’s easy to assess the quality of a secondhand item, too. Do you know how the fast fashion garbage these days seems to break down within one season? It’s not only frustrating and a waste of money, but just crappy for the planet. I love coming across a jacket from the 80s or 90s that is perfectly broken in but still in rock-solid condition. That’s craftsmanship!
You’re also saving a pretty penny when you buy used versus buying new. That adds up, folks! I jokingly refer to myself as CPO of our household — Chief Purchasing Officer. I can sniff out a deal and know how to stretch a dollar.
Another reason I love buying secondhand is that it keeps money in the community. A lot of thrift stores are affiliated with charitable organizations or churches, so you can feel good about where your dollars are going. Likewise, when you buy directly from a local person you’re directly putting money in their pocket. I’ve also had some lively, fun discussions with people I’ve purchased from. A bargain and some congenial socialization — win-win!
What to Look for When Thrifting
Everyone will have different wants and needs when it comes to purchasing secondhand, but here’s a little overview of the types of fun, useful things you can keep your eyes peeled for when thrifting:
Kitchen Goods
- Cast iron anything
- Pyrex bowls
- Ceramic/stoneware bowls
- Pretty small plates (I love these for drain trays for indoor plants)
- Funky coffee mugs – the weirder the better
- Colored glasses
- Fun pitchers
- Enamelware
- Casserole dishes
- Pie plates/tart pants
- Dutch ovens
- Trays for organizing items/being served breakfast in bed
Linens
- Handmade quilts
- Crocheted blankets
- Vintage bedspreads
- Cloth napkins
- Placemats
Home Decor
- Candlestick holders
- Framed artwork
- Vases
- Lamps
- Coasters
- Big mirrors (super expensive to buy new!)
- Ceramic pots for indoor plants
- Tchotchkes that tickle your fancy
Clothing
- Unique sweaters and jackets
- Kids’ clothes (they grow so darn fast)
- Handmade items
- Vintage t-shirts and sweatshirts
- Leather bags/boots
Furniture
- Armchairs
- Dressers
- Tables
- Bedframes
- Sofas
Keep a List
I have a running Trello list of certain items I always look for when thrifting these days. This doesn’t mean you have to stick only to the list (unlike how I try to grocery shop!) but it’s a nice guide. Of course you have to leave room for kismet — the thrill of the hunt is one of the best parts! Currently, some of those items are:
- Magnets – we finally have a stainless steel fridge and lots of photos to put up, but buying new magnets seems like such a waste environmentally speaking. There are bajillions out there! And magnets are not what I care to spend money on. The weirder the better, in my opinion. I’ve found some fun gems and they’re usually free or mere cents.
- Artwork – we have some unframed pieces at our house but the cost of framing is just astronomical sometimes, so I’m happy to find fun pieces here and there to decorate our walls. I can always resell them down the line when we frame the rest of our art.
- Lamps – once you thrift a lamp for $5, you will forever be ruined for retail priced lamps. I was at HomeGoods recently, saw a pretty lamp for our living room and was truly agog that it was $99. It’s a light, for goodness sake! And anything you buy used I can guarantee will be more unique, have some character, and be much, much, much cheaper.
- Linens – cloth napkins, tableclothes, vintage fabric. I love it all!
- Books – I love the serendipitously stumbling upon fabulous used books that light your brain up but you would have never sought out on your own. Some of my favorite friend dates involve heading to a used bookstore.
- Furniture – Furnishing a house is extraordinarily expensive and slightly overwhelming. So instead of trying to buy everything in one go on the cheap from a place like Wayfair or Overstock, I’m like a lion lying in wait to pounce on a gazelle. The gazelle being really unique, affordable, fun pieces of furniture!
- Cast iron cookwear – It lasts forever and is one of my favorite things to cook on.
- Toddler winter gear – Have you seen how expensive winter stuff is for kids? Ay-yi-yi. And they grow so quickly! I keep a mental list of what size our daughter will need and and when, and will happily scoop something up that will come in handy down the road.
Look for Inspiration
You know all of those home design Instagram and Pinterest accounts we all ogle? I’m sure you have oodles of inspiration saved, so scroll back through and pick out what you like about the photo. Is it a beautiful chair? A funky table? A rug? Plates from a tablescape? Add those to your list. I have a folder on my phone of screenshots to refer to when shopping to keep ideas fresh in my mind.
You could even take it one step further and create a Pinterest board or Instagram bookmark thing ( who really knows what it’s called, it was obviously just stolen from Pinterest!) purely dedicated to what to look for when thrifting. A physical list is great for quick reference, but sometimes you need images, ya know?
Let Your Lizard Do The Shopping
I love the concept of shopping with your “lizard brain” — you know when you see an item and something deep down inside of you screams, “I LIKE THAT A LOT!!!” and you have no idea why, but you just do? That, friends, is your lizard brain. Maybe! I’m no neuroscientist, and apparently it’s highly debated whether or not it actually exists but Carl Sagan thought it did so in Carl Sagan I trust. One of my favorite Instagram accounts, @frisky_gatos, writes a lot about shopping with your lizard brain and it’s been so liberating.
There was a time when I thought I “should” wear only neutrals, embrace minimalism because it was en vogue, and wear Very Adult Professional clothes. But then I realized that that’s not my style at all, and I decided to heck with it, I’ll buy and wear what I like!
Where to Shop
When we moved to Massachusetts, I quickly Googled “best thrift stores in Massachusetts” and got to work researching. Here’s a list of places to check out, with the caveat that some of this list is geared more towards New England.
Thrift Stores/Consignment Stores
- Goodwill
- Salvation Army
- Savers
- Buffalo Exchange
- Crossroads Trading
Antique Stores/Flea Markets
- Brimfield Flea – Brimfield, MA
- Canal Street Antique – Lawrence, MA
- Crompton Collective – Worcester, MA
- Cambridge Antique Market– Cambridge, MA
- More New England antique shops here
Estate Sales/Yard Sales/Garage Sales
Online
- Facebook Marketplace
- Ebay
- Etsy
- The Real Real
- Poshmark
- Depop
- Buy Nothing Project
Another great option is a local recycling center — I had no idea this was a thing until we moved to the Worcester, MA area and found out that there is a recycling center that’s open to residents of a handful of nearby towns. It’s where people can go and drop items off for a fee, and then there’s a store section where items are either totally free or sometimes available for a small price. I’ve gotten some incredible finds there! A custom upholstered armchair, giant mirror, gorgeous lamp, miscellaneous children’s books, etc. Look to see if something like that is available near you!
If you’re a thrifter, what’s the best score you’ve found? And if you’re just starting out…what is your white whale? I lost out on a boxset of Lord of the Rings books recently that I’m still forelorn about.
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