paying full price for anything sucks.

my favorite places to shop are thrift stores, consignment shops, garage sales, flea markets, etc. ooohhh i love them so much. i have a hugely grossly obscenely large wardrobe, not because i'm filthy rich, but because i hardly pay over five bucks for any item of clothing. being able to sew and making my own clothes doesn't hurt either. heh.

-+-thrift stores-+-

these are great if you can stand the smell and horrendous quality of some of the items. they are usually run by a charity. people donate stuff they don't want anymore and the stores sell it for ridiculously low prices. the profit goes to whatever charity runs the store. most of the stuff here is in awful condition, but there are many gems if you know where to look. these are also great places to get candle holders, dishware, etc. if you are furnishing your first apartment, dorm room, etc, this is the place to go. where else can you get 5 china plates for $2.99?

-+-consignment shops-+-

these tend to be a bit higher priced than thrift stores, as they usually only accept good quality items. people bring in their old stuff to the shop, if the shop accepts it and sells it the donator gets a little of the profit. this is usually in store credit form. as time goes by, the price is usually marked down  a bit. i've found some awesome stuff here, my personal favorite is act II. and of course its always nice to come in and discover youve built up $27 in free money!

-+-garage sales-+-

well we all know how this one goes. a family moves and decides to sell all their stuff. the prices here vary, but are usually decent. you can usually find some nice stuff in the ritizer parts of town. scour newspapers for ads. garage sales are also nice because you can barter. at the end of the day, most people just want to get rid of their stuff, and they'll usually let you have it dirt cheap. i once got a 2ft by 3ft, 2 ft deep box full of vintage patterns for a dollar. they were all originally prced at $2 each. SCORE!

-+-flea markets-+-

this is usually in a huge field, where vendors come to sell their wares. most of these items are not secondhand, but the quality can be lacking. you can also barter here.

-+-bartering-+-

this is an art. hehe. not really. its pretty easy. you have to be assertive, though. heres a handy dandy guide:

-+- act like you dont want the item. act like it's dirty, broken, etc. complain about the item to the vendor. usually this will prompt them to offer a slightly lower price.

-+-counter their price with one you know is too low. they will usually counter your price with a slightly lower one. continue.

-+-if the vendor won't budge, tell them you'll pay their price, but ask if they can throw in a small free item. like, if youre bartering over a pitcher, ask if you can have a cup and saucer free.

-+- it takes practice, but with time, you can score some really neat stuff.

happy thriftin!