Tools of The Trade When Thrift Shopping
Going to the thrift store may be a fun adventure, especially if you are looking for something specific. If you are looking for that one item to decorate or for reselling purposes, then you should bring along these items when shopping.
1. Bring a tape measure to measure any furniture and appliances you may be looking for in a specific space in the house. A tape measure can help you measure the item before purchase because some furniture may be too big for the space. Or may not clear the doorway opening to get into the room. You want to buy items to scale for the specific room to fit the home properly.
2. Bring a phone to research the items on eBay if you are purchasing for resale. Use your phone to look up eBay comps before purchasing that item to make sure it’s worth your time and energy to list and sell. To look up the sales information on eBay, type in the search box the item you are looking up. Once you are on the page click on the filter button and scroll down to find completed items and sold items buttons select both. These buttons will show you the list of that item sold history date and the price it sold for based on that data a price point can be made.
3. Bring a camera to take pictures of the items if you are indecisive about your purchase. Take photos of the items you are interested in, if indecisive about getting the item. Get opinions on the item from others, just remember that in the thrift store items sell fast. It may not be there when you finally decide to purchase.
4. Bring a black light to identify pieces that glow in the dark, an example Vaseline Glass. Identifying Vaseline glass is difficult unless you use a blacklight during the daytime to identify the piece.
5. Bring a loupe or magnifying glass to examine items carefully. You
may need to see a signature on art or jewelry. You will need a Jeweler’s loupe or magnifying glass to see more clearly.
6. Bring a small flashlight to see things that are hidden in a dark corner of a cabinet or shelf to examine more closely. You can take your time to examine items with a flashlight.
In summary, you should use these tools when going thrift shopping. Thrift items are pre-owned and pre-loved items, there is no packaging that labels the measurements on these items. It will make the shopping experience more precise with fewer mistakes made likely. Especially, in selections of furniture pieces, if you find pieces that fit in scalability in the room you want to use the furniture in, it will create a finished decor style. If you use these tools to purchase items at the thrift store you can’t go wrong because the items will have been measured properly and examined before purchase.
