7 Lessons I Learned at the Thrift Store: Best Thrift Haul Tips
So I’ve dubbed him “Thrift Store Pete.”
If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, you’ll know that I’ve got a thrift store friend named Pete that I met last year at the thrift store (read about him in my post called “This Should Have Been Called Thrift Wars”).
He’s this retired mid-century modern guru that does amazing thrift store transformations.
And every morning, you can find him scouring at least 2-3 thrift stores, looking for the best vintage MCM treasures that people have thrown away.
It’s a guarantee that if I hit my favorite thrift store in the morning after dropping off the kids that I’ll run into Pete.
That’s exactly what happened this time around.
…Three and a Half Hours Later?!
Here’s the thing: when I run into Pete, I know that it will be a long morning.
History has proven that fact.
I can’t have a quick 5-minute conversation with Pete.
No.
It turns into a marathon conversation where we’re bantering about projects…
…whipping out our phones to show each other our latest finds and makeovers…
…and then at some point, I turn into the student and him, the teacher, as he schools me on what to look for at the thrift store.
During one of our run-ins, what started off as a quick drop-off of donated items and a run-through to just see what they have, turned into a 3.5-hour thrift diving excursion with Pete!
Time passes so quickly when we’re talking about our passion for good finds.
And the lessons I learn become “blog post” worthy.
Not just for you guys, but for me to review what I learned from him so that I can become a better thrift diver!
So I wanted to pass along some lessons I learned from Thrift Store Pete the other day! I hope you find them just as valuable as I did!
(And be sure to check out this post about all the awesome things I have found at Value Village and Unique Thrift!
Lesson #1 – Hire Help When Stripping Furniture
During our talk, Pete told me that he will use “dip and strip” furniture stripping services for some of his vintage finds if the piece is large or really intricate. He especially likes to have metal dipped, resulting in a really cool industrial silver look.
I don’t know why I hadn’t ever thought about that!
Yes, there are some pieces that you can strip right at home, but if you’ve got a piece that’s large or with a lot of detail, yes, dipping and stripping is an option.
Pete inspired me to reach out to my local “dip and strip” furniture stripping services and interview them. You won’t believe what I found out. Great interview and very helpful in knowing what to expect when using professional paint strippers.
Read: Dip and Strip 101: Everything You Wanted to Know About Stripping Wood and Metal
Lesson #2 – Only Buy If You Know Exactly What You’re Going to Do With It
I think we all know this, but it’s hard to abide by this rule when things catch your eye at the thrift store!
Pete and I saw these cool round wooden picture frames that were already mounted with clips and hardware for hanging.
They were super cool–but not for $4.99 each.
And Pete reminded me: unless I know exactly what I’m going to do with them and have a place for them, I shouldn’t be buying them.
At the very least, every 2-4 years I could pull them out and recreate the Olympics on my wall. HA!
But that wasn’t enough for me to spend that kind of loot.
So back onto the shelf they went!
Lesson #3 – Sometimes You Can Buy Things Just For the Pieces
This little oak sewing table caught our eye.
It was only $9.99!
We both agreed that, although we could do something with a piece like this, perhaps turn it into a little bar or something, we’d be more interested in it for its parts.
I would remove the solid oak top, which has amazing grain, and Pete said he’d remove the pulls, which were funky.
Once at the thrift store, I bought an ugly, beaten down French Provincial desk for $10.00 and ONLY took the hardware! I left the desk sitting in the thrift store. 🙂
So yes, folks…Sometimes when you find pieces of furniture at the thrift store, you might only want to buy it for parts! Don’t feel you need to take the whole thing!
Lesson #4 – Don’t Skip the Glassware
I’ll admit this is an aisle I usually skip.
But with Pete, we walked every single aisle, taking in each find, with him pointing out to me the things I would normally walk right past.
Like this set of glasses. They were great, but he didn’t care for the color.
But I kind of liked the rose color!
I could see them looking great on a funky bar.
Pete also pointed out the gorgeous glass liquor bottles.
None of them had caps, but they were narrow enough you could use a wine cork.
But wow….I loved how they looked grouped together like this.
These could be a great bar display!
I’ve got a thing for green glass.
If I had a bar, these would make great shot glasses for a party!
Pete sells a lot of barware and says that buyers usually want sets of 8. Perhaps 6, but 8 are better.
Good to know when buying glassware!
Lesson #5 – Inspiration Comes From Everywhere
As we were walking the furniture section, I saw this lonesome 1950’s folding card table chair.
I know….for only $6.99!
What most interested me, though, was the geometric design cut into the back seat of the wood!
I thought of the RYOBI scroll saw that I had recently unpacked. The scroll saw would be amazing to use to recreate this look on another piece of wood for another project in the future! You could also use a jigsaw.
Related: How to Use a Jigsaw: The Easiest Tutorial For a Newbie!
Inspiration can come from everywhere.
It doesn’t mean you have to buy every inspiring thing.
Sometimes you just need to take a picture of it and save it for later. 😉
Lesson #6 – Look For the Valuable Stuff
One thing I noticed that Pete did was he 1) turned everything over, looking for the brand name, and 2) he searched for things on the phone to find their value.
We walked by this cooler and it caught his eye.
Me??–at first it only looked like an ugly brown cooler that I would never in a million years think of buying.
But Pete pointed out something very true: if a company is going to spend time putting heavy metal knobs and quality plastic into its’ cooler parts, such was the case with this vintage cooler, then you know it’s good quality.
With a quick search on his phone, we found that these vintage coolers usually sell for a lot more than the $5.99 it cost at the thrift store.
It was in pristine condition, heavy, and good quality for a bar! All cleaned up and polished, it would be a great piece. I could imagine this being a great piece for backyard patio get-togethers!
He’s got an eye for this stuff. I wouldn’t have looked twice until he pointed it out to me!
He also turned over a lot of things, looking for authentic pieces that weren’t commercial. This vase caught his eye, but after closer inspection realized it was a commercial piece. Still really cute, though!
Pete also found a vintage hairbrush set!
We found a lot of cool plates, like this one.
And the details on this glass was amazing!
Apparently, plates are a “biggie” at thrift stores, even though I tend to skip this section, too.
These ones are scratched up, but still, the craftsmanship on these are pretty cool.
To the average person walking by they were nearly a stack of plates.
I found these stack of Dansk bowls and couldn’t walk away from them.
Our cupboards are full of mismatched bowls, so I bought 6 of these for when the kids and I eat ice cream! 🙂
Lesson #7 – Thrift Diving is a Walk Down Memory Lane
I realized something.
Thrift diving isn’t just about finding stuff at great prices.
It’s also about that feeling of nostalgia when you see something that you hadn’t seen in years.
Like this set of Sweet Valley Twins books that I found on the shelf!
I credit my entire love of writing to Elizabeth Wakefield and her black and white composition books!
She inspired me to start journaling, and over the years, the black and white composition book I mimicked was replaced by a blog.
But finding these books, along with other items from 30-40 years ago, reminds you of where you came from, doesn’t it??
Pete says that plates like these blue and white ones below do sell.
I pointed out to him that the only reason these ugly plates sell is due to nostalgia. They remind people of dinners in their youth with their family.
(I have a theory that people will forever remember their favorite dishes from their childhood! Mine were these two plastic bowls–one was bright orange and the other, bright green!).
Do you remember your dishes from your youth, too?
It’s the memories that are jogged when browsing the thrift store.
It really is an experience unlike no other.
A Couple Other Cool Things
While walking around, we saw a couple other cool things, like these bar stools. Loved the shape! They were in pretty good condition, too, for $14.99 each.
It was just what I needed: hours to explore my beloved thrift store with fresh eyes!
I hadn’t been to the thrift store in a while because I’d been consumed with projects. But when I’m away for too long, I start itching for a good thrift dive. 😉
A big thanks to Pete for hanging with me this week and opening my eyes to some of his favorite things and thrift lessons!
Have you learned some lessons while browsing your favorite thrift stores?
Leave a comment below and let’s chat about it!
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Thank you for featuring but not buying those bar stools! One of them came home with me on Tuesday night for my home office, where I use a stand-up desk. It’s perfect – adjusts high enough, has back support, and it’s cheerful!. (Can a chair be cheerful?!)
OMG, Diane!! Are you kidding me?? Wow, that is awesome! So you bought one of them? That’s amazing!! You were probably like, “HEY! There’s the barstool that I just bought!” That’s hilarious! 🙂 Well, I’m glad we didn’t buy them. We KNEW we were leaving them for you to take your pick! 🙂 HAHAHA That was such a great idea for you to get one for your stand-up desk. I should have bought one for my new workstation in the garage! Now that I think about it, it would have been perfect, too! LOL. And you’re right–they were definitely cheerful!
Not kidding – one second I was scrolling through your post, looking at the pictures – and the next second, it was, “WAIT – WHAT? SHE WAS THERE THIS WEEK! THAT’S MY CHAIR!” And by the way, wet aluminum foil really does clean the rust off of chrome – the base of my stool shined right up. I cleaned the leather and touched up a few worn spots on the back with paint. The best part (or not?) – it’s really comfortable, and I find myself sitting at my stand up desk more often now.
I couldnt wait to open your blog and read about your “latest” thrift store excursions. I especially liked the advice, “Don’t buy it unless you know (and can) what you will do with it.” I also liked “buying for parts” of pieces. I unconsciously might have known that, but you put it in words. I love thrifting myself. I love dishes, plates, etc. I look for antiques and nice factory names like “Limoge, Bavaria, Haviland…” to name a few. The colors have to fit my decor colors too…or seasonal colors. I guess I missed the “apprenticeship” opportunity one reader lamented about to you. (Why wouldn’t ANYONE consider your enthusiasm, ambition, talnet, and genuine personality!) Thank you for this great blog. It was SO interesting.
Awww….thank you, Sherry! So glad you enjoyed it! Yep, we know most of this stuff, but it’s good to review it every now and then so that we can remember it when we hit the thrift stores!
I love my thrift diving excursions with Pete! He’s such an interesting guy and he inspires my love of thrift all over again when I talk to him. He makes me think differently about pieces and quality and what to look for and what to leave. 🙂 I love sharing that with you guys! I don’t get to go as much, because at some point, if you’re not careful, you bring in more than you’ve got space for. But it’s still fun to look and do a deep “thrift dive” and really see what’s there! 🙂
Yeah, the apprenticeship….I’m “over” it now. I was disappointed for a good day or so, but after that, I’m better now and moving on to the next opportunity! 🙂
Really enjoyed your post, although I can’t believe you didn’t buy that chair with the carved back! As for the drum set, well, we’ll be waiting to hear how that plays out in your home! You may decide to make a little space in the garage for the boys to do their thing, if you keep them! Thank you for passing along the wisdom learned.
Hi, Marilynn! I know!! Those chairs were super cute! So funny, but one of the readers here commented that she went and bought one! HA! 🙂 She said it’s perfect for her standing desk. I’m actually considering seeing if the other one is there. It probably isn’t! But you never know…. LOL. As for the drum set so far…..my 5-year-old has shown ZERO interest in them. HA! I guess the lesson learned is that when a 5-yr-old tells you they want to do something, wait 6 months to see if they’re being truthful or just feeding you a load of kiddie bull. HA! 🙂
Great post. I went to two thrift stores within the last two days, which is something that I hadn’t done in eons either. Ended up with a brand new white seersucker duvet and round bolster pillows to complete the bed. Super excited. I would have fought you for those Dansk bowls though. Man, what a score! The Salvation Army here has lost their mind. Junky dressers for $250 and $300! I need a store like yours.
Keep up the great work! Love your blog posts; they are the only ones I ever end up reading.
Ooh, what a great find, Susan! How much did it cost? That’s insane your Salvation Army charges so much for junky dressers. I guess they got hip to the fact that everyone wants to make them over, so why not jack up the price on them. What a shame! I guess that’s why it’s good to learn to use power tools so you can say, “No way I’m paying that much for used! I’ll just make my own!” LOL. And of wow, sorry you don’t get to read my other posts! I know…it’s hard to keep up! I’m just happy that you are still able to read the thrift diving ones! 🙂 I promise to do more of them to keep you coming back. 😉
Excellent post. Thanks for sharing the info.
I think I most need is the advice to not buy something until / unless you know what you’ll do with it. I have too many potential items clogging my life up.
thanks for the info… it will help me at my next thrift store dive! ?
How cool to have a thrifting friend/mentor like Pete! As always, you have the coolest thrift stores in your area! Which reminds me — did you have time to check out any thrift stores while you were in Portland? If you did, I would love to know which one(s) and what you thought. Portland is a far richer thrifting ground than my little town! I don’t get up there too often, but when I do, I like to make my time count.
Also, I’m sorry you didn’t get the apprenticeship, but I think you are right. As disappointing as it is, they probably were looking at the opportunity from a different perspective. That doesn’t in any way diminish you, your abilities, and your desire to learn more and teach more! It just means there’s a different option out there that will be an even better fit for you. You will find it and we’ll still be here, supporting your efforts and cheering you on! Blessings for you!
I love this sort of blog post. It’s been awhile since I’ve had the opportunity to do any thrifting. Right now I’m in the purging phase, which is much less fulfilling 🙂 Thanks for sharing the fruits of your awesome adventure.
If Kojo doesn’t like the drum set I will buy them from you for $25.00. You did get a deal and I’m looking for a set for my 8 year old that wants to play drums. Email me I meet you at the RVA Home Show and won a drill.
Hey there, Chris!! I think I would gladly sell them to you, because I don’t think the kids even care about them! LOL. Where do you live? I’m in Silver Spring, MD!
I live in Richmond, VA by VCU Hospital- Church Hill. Is the drum set a kids set or one to use for lessons? My son will be taking lessons. Do you know the brand name? I can meet you somewhere I visit DC.
Oh, you’re far! That’s about 2 hours from me. You’d probably benefit from finding something local on Craigslist, or just buying new. I think the brand is called Mark! They were maybe $100 full price, from what I remember researching!