In honor of National Thrift Store Day today, we wanted to share our favorite finds with you — and maybe inspire you to do some thrifting of your own!
You can find charity-driven thrift shops in your area by using the search tool on TheThriftShopper.com. Another useful tool is the Association of Resale Professionals website, where you can find stores associated with the organization.
Thrift shop items Team Clark loves
These are some of our team’s favorite bargains:
Charis: A thrift gift
Charis’ friend found this quirky board game at Goodwill and thought it’d make a perfect present for her. Since it was a gift, the price they paid is a mystery, but you can find this game used on Amazon for about $10.
John: In pur-suit of a deal
John got this Armani suit at a Goodwill for $5 when he was 17 years old. He says, “I wore it many, many times. It still fits, but my wife won’t let me wear it anymore because she says it’s not in style. Maybe it will come back around?”
Incidentally, money expert Clark Howard loves to shop for men’s dress clothes at thrift stores.
Grace: Goodwill art
Grace found this beautiful hand-painted artwork at Goodwill for $26! She loved this 66 square-inch piece so much that she bought it without knowing where she’d put it. Once she got it home, she and her husband decided to hang it on the wall of their foyer. That way, it can brighten the day of anyone who walks through the front door.
Beth: Quality for less cash
Beth’s favorite thrifting discoveries are a cashmere sweater and J Crew velvet dress. These items can be expensive, so finding such quality clothing for a fraction of the retail price was very exciting. She bought the sweater for $20 at a thrift shop in Athens, Georgia, and the dress at Goodwill.
Sally: Wedding treasures
Sally’s favorite thrift shop find is this glass vase. When she was planning her wedding, she was looking for creative ways to keep the decorations unique and under budget. So she found a few plain vases at a local thrift store and turned them into terrariums, which she used as centerpieces for the reception.
Kim: Team Clark’s pro thrifter
Kim loves thrift shopping so much that she sometimes makes it part of her vacation! Trips to Florida, Oregon, and the thrift stores in her area have rewarded her with some of her favorite finds.
She bought the striped Banana Republic dress at Value Village for just $7. Banana Republic’s high quality clothing with super soft materials are comfy and long-lasting. Kim also loves these two vintage dresses — a black patterned one from the Salvation Army and a garden dress from Goodwill. Kim says, “I love my vintage dresses because I know they are special and unique.”
Her finds aren’t limited to clothing though. Other highlights include a chair, a yellow shelf and a mint green shelf.
She couldn’t believe the chair was $5, but then realized it wobbled. Her partner tightened the bolts and it’s been sturdy for more than 2 years.
The yellow shelf from Goodwill needed a paint job, but was similar to a $200 Ikea shelf she’d been eyeing. What a deal!
The mint green shelf that houses all her Florida souvenirs is called the Florida Shrine. All of the knickknacks are vintage and came from thrift shops around the Sunshine State. Nothing on that shelf was more than $3 and Kim highly recommends shopping at thrift stores if you want a unique keepsake from a trip.
Kim’s thrift store highlights only cost her $60 total! Now that’s Clark smart shopping.
- Banana Republic dress — $7
- Vintage dresses — $6 and $12 respectively
- Black chair — $5
- Shelves — $20 and $10 respectively
Do you have a favorite item from a thrift shop or consignment store? Let us know in the comments below or on our Facebook page!
