Helpful Hints to Shop the Thrift without Regrets

This holiday week has not been conducive to getting any DIY projects completed. We have been putting out new items, attending auctions, and of course getting ready for a holiday B-B-Q. So the cigar boxes are on the back burner for now, (A little summer grilling humor). I have also find another project to occupy my mind at this moment, so stay tuned for a cool school desk redo!

We decided to give you some helpful hints in how to shop a thrift/consignment store like ours. Our place is pretty full and it is easy to feel overwhelmed sometimes when shopping. There are so many deals everywhere you don't know where to look first! So here are just a few hints to help you get the most from your shopping experience.

Pre-planning: Hints while you are still home:

1. Ask yourself, "What is my Style?" Are you a shabby chic? Modern? Minimalist? Rustic and/or primitive? Look around your house and decide what you are drawn to. Decorating magazines are helpful to thumb through for ideas for your home, and they can give you some great DIY tips. Knowing the look you like will help to curb any impulse buys. Nothing is worse than getting an object home only to have it sit in the box or bag because it doesn't "go" with your stuff!

A magazine is a great source of inspiration

2. Know your budget. I could go crazy in a thrift store. So many good buys, but the good deals can add up fast. Keeping an idea of what you are willing and able to spend will help you to keep the "eye on the thrifty prize" and decide what you want to buy and what you can walk away from.

3. Make a list, bring a list, and stick to it (kinda). I have to do this to keep myself from snatching up 16 tiki torches, just because they were a "good deal". My list has my "unicorn" items (those things I am always looking for, but elude me), as well as the items I need to get. But, being flexible is okay too. Sometimes you get lucky and come across an item you didn't even know you needed! (a list just tries to limit those "finds" and their impact on your wallet!)

Just a little list of what I am looking for right now

4. Peruse the Facebook or Store Website. Research is key! We here at Entwined Treasures do our best to update our pictures to entice our repeat customers to return for that item they just have to have! We post almost daily, and sometimes have surprise sales or deals exclusively for our Facebook fans. This is good news for you, and it gives us an idea of who is seeing and reading our posts. With a couple of clicks you can scan pictures for things you like and find out about any deals as well!

Entwined Treasures: the Facebook page

While you are at the shop:

5. Come the first day after the store has been closed. This goes along with #4 too. Once you have researched and found the items you like, speed is the key! We spend our "days off" rearranging the shop, shopping for the shop, or putting out new items for the shop. It is best to come into the store the day after we have been closed to see all the new items and get the first pickings!

Com by the shop the day after it has been closed! get those deals!

6. Take your time, really, we mean it! We have stuff everywhere! Hanging, on the floor, on shelves, pretty much anywhere you can possibly have stuff. Do more than one sweep around the store, and budget your time accordingly. Look high and low and then look again. Remember looking is half the fun!

How many items can you count for sale in just this small area?! Taking your time matters!

7. If you don't see it, just ask! There are a ton of things in the shop, but there just isn't room for everything. We have a ton of things in the back, like A LOT. So, if there is a specific item you are wishing for, ask! We may have just the thing you are looking for and we would be happy for any help to clean out the back room! (If Lorrie will part with it, that is!)

8. Think outside of the box. Pinterest is a great thing! There are so many ideas for redoing old things in unique ways. We have a lot of old things, that's for sure! As you look at a rusty old piece, ask yourself what you could do with it, and what else it could be used for. A little bit of paint, some innovation and the sky is the limit. If you need a little inspiration, check out our other blogs on this page for DIY ideas, and check back with us often here, as we plan many more in the future! 

This may look like junk, but there is something amazing to be made from these old suitcases and a grain cradle!

And lastly:

9. Come by often! Things are always changing here! We never know what a consigner may walk in with, what we may uncover in the back room, or what we may find at an auction. We try to change things around a lot to bring folks in often. We also move items quickly, so the more we move, the more we put out. Check back with us to see what is new. Facebook is the perfect way to keep up with the deals, the new items, and of course store hours (those pesky "real jobs" keep getting in the way of "normal" hours!).

Do you have any suggestions that make your thrift shop trips a success? Leave us a comment or suggestion!

Visit us in person at Entwined Treasures 7504 South State Street Lowville, NY. Here Wednesday through Friday from 12pm until 7pm and Saturdays from 10am until 3pm. Other questions? Contact us at entwinedtreasures.com or on our Facebook page as well.