{"id":2220,"date":"2008-12-14T11:00:25","date_gmt":"2008-12-14T19:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/getrichslowly.org\/blog\/?p=2220"},"modified":"2019-08-01T23:13:56","modified_gmt":"2019-08-02T06:13:56","slug":"embracing-the-thrift-store-ethic-18-top-tips-for-buying-used-clothes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/embracing-the-thrift-store-ethic-18-top-tips-for-buying-used-clothes\/","title":{"rendered":"Embracing the thrift-store ethic: 18 top tips for buying used clothes"},"content":{"rendered":"
If the national media is any indication, more people are embracing the notion of buying used clothing from thrift stores and consignment shops. Last week, USA Today<\/i> ran a story describing how secondhand stores are reaping the benefits of recession<\/b><\/a>:<\/p>\n As Americans look for ways to cut spending, they are scooping up bargain clothes, accessories, toys and furniture once owned by someone else.<\/p>\n “We’re sorry about the economic situation, … but it is a good time for our industry,” says Adele Meyer, executive director of the National Association of Resale & Thrift Shops. Three-fourths of resale stores said they had higher sales in September and October, compared with the same period last year, according to the trade group. The average sales increase was about 35%.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n According to the article, 70% of adults surveyed last summer say that buying used is now more socially acceptable<\/b> than it was a decade ago. Buying used has always<\/i> been socially acceptable to me. I got in the habit of shopping at thrift stores during high school. It was the only way I could afford to add to my wardrobe. For the past 20 years, buying used has been a natural part of my shopping routine.<\/p>\n Kris and I are fortunate that Portlanders generally embrace the thrift-store ethic, and that we live near a highway lined with used clothing shops. (It’s actually more convenient for us to buy our clothes from thrift stores than any other source!) Here are some of our best tips for buying second-hand clothes:<\/p>\n Another great thing about buying used is that you’re free to experiment a little bit more. It doesn’t hurt much to purchase a $5 cardigan sweater and then discover you’re not the sort for cardigans. On a recent shopping trip, for example, Kris picked up this garish pair of pants:<\/p>\n Kris thinks the pants are pretty hilarious. I do, too, but not in the same way. But what’s really surprising is the price tags. Check this out: these pants were originally priced at $288, but she picked them up for $8.99.<\/p>\n For many people, thrift stores offer an easy way to delve into frugal fashion. But most shops carry more than just clothes. If your budget is pinched, they’re an excellent place to find furniture, to pick up kitchenware, and even to find inexpensive entertainment. A large part of my personal finance library has been purchased from the local Goodwill (for about $3 per book).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" If the national media is any indication, more people are embracing the notion of buying used clothing from thrift stores and consignment shops. Last week, USA Today<\/i> ran a story describing how secondhand stores are reaping the benefits of recession<\/b><\/a>:<\/p>\n As Americans look for ways to cut spending, they are scooping up bargain clothes, accessories, toys and furniture once owned by someone else.<\/p>\n “We’re sorry about the economic situation, … but it is a good time for our industry,” says Adele Meyer, executive director of the National Association of Resale & Thrift Shops. Three-fourths of resale stores said they had higher sales in September and October, compared with the same period last year, according to the trade group. The average sales increase was about 35%.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3287,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[488,476],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2220"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3287"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2220"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2220\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2220"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2220"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
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