People get into thrifting at different times and for different reasons. Both Didi and Sarah shared their stories.
“I grew up with antique-dealing grandparents, so thrift shopping has been a part of my life since I was a child. About 10 years ago I needed to replace my whole wardrobe all at once, and I'd take photos of the weird things I'd see while browsing the racks. It started as a thread on the former Regretsy forums, that evolved into what is now ShiftyThrifting.com,” shared Didi.
For Sarah, the beginning looked a bit different: “I actually first got into thrift shopping during the 2008 recession! Money was tight, we were all worried about our jobs, and I was curious if thrift shopping could help me save money.”
Thrift stores run on donated stuff, and since people accumulate all sorts of possessions during their lives, you can be surprised by truly bizarre and unusual items from time to time.
For Didi, finding weird stuff is almost a hobby, so she probably has seen her fair share of weird. Therefore, we were wondering what was the weirdest item she had ever come across.
“I have found so many legitimately strange items over the years that this question is always hard to answer. Most recently it's a dog-eared copy of a book about the Christian response to Y2K. It's been well-read and has a lot of pages marked for reference. I hope Y2K didn't get the former owner. There have been numerous personal items that never should have been donated or made it to shelves, like cremated remains and sex toys. I personally enjoy finding weird pharmaceutical swag like Viagra ties, Zoloft clocks, and plushies of the Fleet Enema Man,” wrote Didi.
Sarah also shared her shopping experience regarding weird stuff: “I've seen a lot of peculiar items, but also a lot of 'no one will ever buy that' kind of items, too. Like finger paintings made by someone else's child and empty spaghetti sauce jars. I think people donate weird stuff because they don't know what else to do with it, and thrift stores call their bluff and put it on the sales floor!”
Besides bad or super weird finds, thrift stores can also be treasure troves of unexpected discoveries. We wanted to know what particularly memorable or valuable find Didi and Sarah acquired.
“My local Savers store had someone donate all their mint-condition NES and SNES games all at once and I happened to walk in as they were being put out for sale. I only had $40 to spend that day but left with 12 games that were all worth $100+ each,” Didi shared her win.
Sarah also had her fair share of wins and she shared her most valuable find: “Admittedly, there's always something special about finding something at a thrift store that is actually worth quite a bit of money. I found a genuine Overman egg chair (a mid-century modern treasure) at a thrift store for $75 but it's easily worth 10 times that or more. Of course, if you find something that you just love, then it's priceless in a way. But there's just an extra dose of satisfaction when you know it's worth a pretty penny to a collector.”
Didi also shared her advice on how to improve one's thrifting skills: “Go frequently, be polite, and make friends with the staff. I like to chat with the people stocking and find out what days the things I like restock. There are employees at my local shops who know I like weird dolls and will hang onto them for the next time they see me.”
Over the years, the thrifting scene has changed due to multiple cultural and technological factors. Both Didi and Sarah touched on the subject of price changes.
“Thrift store prices have definitely gone up, coast to coast. But I think that has as much to do with the trendiness of thrifting as it does inflation. And that's a double-edged sword because ultimately, it hurts lower-income populations even more, and they may rely on thrift stores for basic necessities. Myself, I've become a much more mindful thrift shopper and purchase less than I used to. It was easy to mindlessly fill a cart when everything was $0.50. But now that small goods are $3, $4, and $5, I really only purchase things I know I'll use - either in my home or on my website,” wrote Sarah.
Didi also explained how Covid had an impact on both thrift stores and her blogging: “Covid forced a lot of thrift stores to change. Many smaller shops went under, while big chains upgraded to self-checkout systems. Prices went way up, especially on clothing which seems to cost almost as much at the thrift store as it does at a chain retailer. It changed how the blog operated, too. I couldn't get out as frequently to take photos, and submissions around the world dwindled to almost nothing. My team and I started encouraging people to find items on online secondhand marketplaces, like eBay, shopgoodwill, Etsy, etc. That gave people a way to thrift and participate in ShiftyThrifting from the comfort and safety of their homes.”
Lastly, Didi added: “If I could say one thing thrifting-related to lots of people, it would be to treat secondhand shops with respect when you shop and when you donate. So many people leave literal garbage for the sorters to deal with and it isn't right. Be kind to one another and shop well!”
Here is our Song which explains our whole mission and our About Us page with a lil' history of the blog and our team members.
