Should YOU be thrifting?

I know thrifts aren't for everyone. Trust me, I am definitely a girl who appreciates the sparkly tissue paper, sleek shopping bags with rope and cloth handles, and a luxury shopping experience. I have spent MANY a two-show day break in Holts, The Room and other pricey shops. The problem?

I'M PO, BITCH. 

So what is a painfully fashionable girl to do? Go buy your W, V, or Vogue. Then find the same things for less than the price of your Teriyaki Experience at Goodwill, Salvation Army, Talize or of course, Value Village (That's Savers to you american readers!) So here's a little breakdown of the different shops you can visit here in Canada (Namely Ontario, since that's where I call home) There are also a few not mentioned here, like independant shops and the bibles for missions. Google "Thrift Stores" and they will pop up in your area.

Goodwill: This is a charity shop that takes your donated items and sells them at a profit. This profit goes to training disabled and struggling local citizens so that they can work and gain independence. Think "Teach a man to fish". *I accidentally typed "fist" instead of fish first time round. And was tempted to leave it.*

Salvation Army: Similarly, takes donated items and sells them to benefit charitable efforts. It is important to note that they are a christian based oraganization, and recently had some coverage here with an employee voicing his unfavorable opinion on homosexuality. Salvation Army has stated these comments do not reflect company motto. 

Talize & Value Village: These are both privately owned FOR PROFIT companies. They take donated items and aside from the government required 6% donation to charity they make pure profit. They also own all the donation bins outside of apartment buildings and in parking lots, paying charities to put their names on the side of bins. Value Village is the second most profitable company in North America after Wal Mart (Which it is owned by)

So how can you be a responsible donator? Well, I'm not telling you where to shop, but i'm telling you to shop smart *SHOP S MART! (April 5th, am I right?)* Donate your items where they will benefit people like you and me, and when you do shop at V.V. or Talize, think twice when an item is priced high. Remember, what you are buying is USED and you aren't getting the experience someone paid full price to have in the mall or boutique. 

BORING STUFF OVER!   


SO WHAT MAKES A GOOD THRIFTER? Well, You have to be willing to browse. Shopping at the thrifts is kinda like the clearance rack of Winners, there will be moments of near-heartbreak over "I just need ONE SIZE BIGGER!" and moments of awesome rush "THIS IS STILL IN THE STORES!" but an ideal thrifter might only have a vague idea of what they are looking for. Do you specifically need a white shirt? Jeans? a denim coat? You might be in luck. I recommend making sure the shop you are in sorts by size, then you can hit more white shirts than running from store to store in a mall (But you will have to eye the quality and condition a little closer).

SO WHAT CAN I BUY? Now, I sell clothing for a large portion of my living. I can't post these things all the time because I list items to sell, and it would feel pretty sucky if you were a customer of WILDTHING and found that I'd paid only $2 for something I sold for $75. And that happens sometimes. My shoppers are paying for the luxury of shopping from home and not having to do the searching that I do. BUT THAT'S THE PART I LOVE!

I HAVE $20.00. MAKE MAGIC HAPPEN. So today, for $16.94, this is what I purchased at the Goodwill at islington and the QEW.

TO SELL: Early 90s April Cornell Girl's Dress (I often buy large girl's sizes, they fit XXS and there are lots of little ladies who love the "boho" look) April Cornell's designs can be found at Holt Renfrew.

FOR ROBIN: A teal soft T shirt (He looks the bomb in this color) Tshirt with a goldfish inside a Tank.

FOR ME: An awesome summer shirt that i'm gonna cut up and make sexy. This summer, I will in fact be Jammin.

FOR ME OR TO SELL: An amazingly rich printed indian tunic. The beauty of selling things is I can keep them in my closet for a bit, and if I don't wear it, it goes up for sale. Kind of a rotating closet!

Ignore the polish. Envy the Bling. 

FOR ME: A very cute Mod 60s blouse. Picture this with some red lipstick, sailor shorts and a red bandana. You know you want me.

BOW.

100% Silk. Cheetah print. LIGHT AS A FEATHER.

Did I mention at The Room this would set me back about $275.00? 

So, some thrift things you've gotta know- FEEL FABRICS. You can tell more about the quality much faster than checking tags. THERE MIGHT BE CREEPY PEEPS. People doin some crack in the changerooms (Parkdale) people sleeping on furniture for sale (Etobicoke) or, even in the nicest areas, a few bugs (Oakville). But these are very, VERY random and rare. And who knows? You might come away with tags like Marc Jacobs, Dior, Versace, Miu Miu, Diane Von Furstenberg, Ungaro or Yves Saint Laurent.

GO FORTH AND THRIFT!