Editor’s Note: Dina Younis is a local lifestyle blogger. You can follow her on Dina’s Days.
50 cent vintage brass pineapple (Photo courtesy of Dina’s Days)
There are six core reasons why I thrift and I cover these in great lengths in my Thrift Night Out classes and workshops, so I’m introducing a new short series on Dina’s Days this year to share some insight as to why and when I started thrifting. Due to a severe lack of creative juices this week, I’m calling this new series, wait for it… Why I Thrift.
$7 Kate Spade boots (Photo courtesy of Dina’s Days)
One of the reasons why I thrift is obvious: you find incredible deals. Some thrifters are on a mission to find the labels. I’m open to it all and am more of an ‘everything’ thirfter because shopping beyond the labels helps to diversify your wardrobe. Needless to say, finding brand name items is always a score. If you’re new to thrifting, shopping for labels is a great place to start. Designer items are usually higher quality, have a great resell value, and are typically in excellent condition, despite having been pre-loved. These items will usually jump out at you for those very reasons at the thrift store.
Favorite brand name finds:
Let’s start with a few of my favorite brand name items! These include Kate Spade rain boots for $7, a vintage brass ice bucket pineapple for 50 cents, $5 J.Crew jeans, $5 cashmere sweater, and an $18 Tracy Reese coat.
$5 cashmere sweater (Photo courtesy of Dina’s Days)
How to spot designer items:
In most cases, they will jump out at you.
In the case of the Kate Spade boots, they jumped out at me from a pile of shoes. They looked new and in good shape, compared to the rest of the rain boots there. I flipped them over and saw the Kate Spade tag. I had no idea the brass pineapple was such a huge treasure. These resell for $150 to $300 a piece on etsy. I just knew by looking it that it seemed unique and cool. It wasn’t until I shared it on Snapchat that my cousin texted me frantically saying that was an incredible find. I got it for 50 cents. Same thing happened with my Tracy Reese coat. It just looked expensive and the wool was thick and warm. The cut was flattering like nothing I had ever seen before.
$5 J.Crew jeans (Photo courtesy of Dina’s Days)
Touch
If designer items don’t juimp out at you the way the pineapple and Kate Spade boots did, one way to identify higher-end pieces is by touching things. I found the J.Crew jeans for $5 without knowing they were J.Crew, but I knew within seconds that they were quality jeans just by touching them on the rack. Same thing happened with the cashmere sweater, I was touching the sweaters and instantly knew this soft material had to be cashmere.
Look for items with tags.
You’ll often find department store items with tags still attached. Browse the rack quickly for tags hanging off the clothes.
Shopping High-end locations – myth or fact?
In some cities, certain stores will have a number brand name labels because of their donation base. However, this isn’t a rule you should follow religiously. Many thrift stores in Ohio, for example distribute their clothes among their terority. Some thrift stores have drop-off trucks, so these donations get spread out among a number of locations. So in other words, a thrift store in an unsuspecting neighborhood could carry some seriously high end names. Keep your options open. If you’re curious, ask someone at your local thrift store how they sort their clothes. It’s not a big secret.
$18 Tracy Reese coat (Photo courtesy of Dina Younis)
How to check if something is brand name and worth anything:
I do a quick Google, eBay, etsy, and Pinterest search when I’m at the thrift store if I’m unsure of a brand or value. That’s exactly what I did with the Tracy Reese coat; I could just tell it was expensive so I googled it and saw that it retailed for $400.
Editor’s Note: To read more from Dina’s Days, click here.
