Photo from Planet Green

Growing up in a relatively small town with limited shopping options, the local thrift shops provided a great alternative for some cool summer outfits. They helped me avoid looking like a clone without breaking the family bank. My friends and I would hit these often remote and dingy shops to find one-of-a-kind pieces at bargain prices, which became one of my favorite pastimes. I would excitedly rummage through the bins on a mission to find hidden treasures just waiting to be discovered.

As much as I reveled in these excursions, my interest in thrift shops waned over the years namely because they underwent a major transformation from my days of frequenting them. The 21st century thrift shop is overly trendy and somewhat expensive. For me, this defeats the whole purpose of going to these remote shops, which, if you take a walk along Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles, are no longer all that remote. Melrose is lined with trendy thrift shops, and after perusing a couple, I realized I just wasn’t getting the same kinds of deals.

For one thing, the Melrose shops are more vintage or label-driven than the shops I had grown up with, and the prices are not any more appealing than those at a discount store like Target.  In fact, most vintage shops are downright expensive and hardly ideal for the frugal shopper, which is a noteworthy difference between thrift and vintage. Located at the opposite ends of the money spectrum, the word thrift is all about frugality, whereas the word vintage represents the high quality of a past time–far more costly, of course!

And then there is the excitement factor… or lack thereof. Some of these shops were teeming with treasures at not-so-exciting prices, leaving nothing really to discover. They were just like regular stores with all the clothes in plain sight and neatly organized, which took the adventure right out of the whole experience. Now, if you’re young or a thrift shop newbie, and you haven’t witnessed this unfortunate transformation, you will actually appreciate the level of organization in these nouveau thrift shops. And the label-obsessed or vintage lover will be well served by the Melrose shops, for they offer a wide selection at a lower price point.

On the other hand, if you just want more for your buck, I would suggest tracking down non-trendy thrift shops, which are few and far between, where you can get unique pieces for a lot less. Similarly, the Forever 21 stores, among countless other low-priced stores, are also a smart option for the thrifty shopper. They may fall short in originality, but they will certainly keep you within your budget. Happy shopping!

What are some good places for a frugal shopper?