How To Find Your Thrift Store Honey Hole
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I have been shopping in thrift stores my entire life.
When I was a kid, we frequented all of the local thrift store honey holes on a regular basis with my Mom.
However, it was not always because we wanted to, rather it was out of necessity. We were a family of five and though we never went without, my parents struggled hard at times to make ends meet.
Starting in my senior year of high school, I began flipping thrift store items for spending money.
I got started selling on eBay and became HOOKED.
Not much has changed! Thrift stores are still just as magical and I know where all of the good ones are.
I am now in my thirties and still sell on eBay (on a smaller scale and only if the ROI is large enough).
I prefer selling on Poshmark these days.
Whenever I am headed out of town, whether it’s cross country or an hour away, I intentionally plan my day so that I can hit up all of the good thrift stores.
It doesn’t hurt that my husband shares the same love of thrift shopping. 14 years later and a great date night for us is dinner and a shopping spree at the Goodwill (or Savers, depending on where we are going that night!)
My niche is definitely clothing, shoes & accessories and I am a top-rated seller on Poshmark, my favorite reselling platform.
I frequent the thrift stores in my area several times a week but of course, I do have one “honey hole”. It is my sweet spot with amazing deals from great brands, sometimes even designer! ALL clothing is $1 (unless it’s brand new with the tag or they recognize a high-end brand) but believe me, they miss a lot of the best finds on the sales floor.
Poshmark is by far my favorite app for reselling fashion. If you don’t yet have an account, you can sign up here using code “MOMMYHUSTLES” for a free $10 credit to shop with!
Here are some of my tips for finding your own “honey hole”. I believe that every good thrifter needs at least one!
Start With Church/Charity/Community Thrift Stores
If you live a small town, check to see if you have any charity thrift stores (sometimes run by a church or community program) in your area. It’s a win-win when you can support a local cause and find items to flip!
Smaller thrift stores will often get items shipped in from larger cities since they don’t receive high volume donations as much as they do in the cities.
This just might become your thrift store honey hole sweet spot!
Think Outside The Box
Get familiar with the areas outside of your city or town. I am willing to travel within a good 30-mile radius outside of my smLL town for a good thrift store and try to do so on a regular basis.
If you live in a big city, maybe venture out to the smaller communities around you.
Also, look for communities that are known to be wealthier as you may be able to find higher end items in those spots.
Shop Mid-Week (Thursday is my fave!)
Everyone shops at thrift stores during the weekend. By Monday, the stores are often wiped out and need a couple of days to recuperate.
My absolute favorite thrift shopping day is Thursday because they are often stocking up for the weekend.
Pay Attention to Thrift Store Sale Days
Thrift stores will often run promotions on certain days of the week, such as “Military Monday” or “Senior Tuesday”.
Often times they have a discount for college students as well. It is all relative to the community it is located in, of course.
Thrift stores will typically share these on their social media accounts, specifically Facebook or Instagram.
Look for the Thrift Stores’ Coupons
Our local Goodwill runs a coupon in the regional newspaper once a month. They also have an email list.
It’s usually 20% off one item or something along those lines, and will be good for most of the month. Sometimes they even come in the junk mail at home.
Look up their social media accounts and websites as well. My thrift store honey hole has an Instagram that is updated daily with “deals of the day” and new items.
My Goodwill will often post an exclusive coupon for 50% furniture or something similar. Savers has some amazing discounts if you are part of their Super Savers Club.
Go Back Often
I am at my thrift store “honey hole” at least twice a week. I usually split it up so the days aren’t consecutive.
Usually by the second time in a week, you can skim much quicker since you’ve seen a good chunk of everything once already. But my honey hole re-stocks all day, everyday.
I’m telling you, this place is PURE GOLD.
Make Friends
You’ll notice if you thrift often enough at the same place, that you’ll see the same people out thrifting as well.
Make friends with the other “regulars”, find out their niche, and don’t be afraid to share yours. You can look out for each other.
Make friends with the staff as well – they will tip you off and will also be less apt to yell “price check” when you find something un-marked.
PS: Do you sell across multiple platforms? Vendoo is an excellent tool and game changer in the world of cross-listing. With this listing app, you can post listings on Poshmark, eBay, Mercari, Etsy, Grailed, Depop, Tradesy and Kidizen.
Let’s face it, posting across more than one platform is very time consuming. But with Vendoo, you can list on ALL of them at once!
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