Oh the Joy of the Thrift

Recently I was asked how I got into thrifting and where a beginner would start, so I did some asking around and "friending" on Facebook to get a full list of shops out here in California. The joy of moving from one big city to another is discovering new stores! I used to shop clearance racks at stores such as Target and JCPenney, but since my move I have found myself on the racks of Forever and H&M...Target has been hit or miss out here. But once you start getting familiar with the entire clearance section in a place, it is time to move on.

Therefore, I went thrifting for the first time a year ago in Newport and found the absolute best place to shop: Crossroads! On this trip I also went to Buffalo Exchange and Plato's Closet of which I was not very much impressed. But since then, from that day to this, I have discovered another couple of gems, i.e. Eco Thrift and the Disabled Veterans Salvation Army in San Bernardino. I typically pick Goodwill over Salvation Army, but this one was very clean and organized with some cultural pieces in the mix for some added spice.

So there you have it, the art of thrifting takes time to develop (and is based on your patience level and your preference)...My top 3 out here on the "left coast" are: 1. Crossroads in Newport, 2. Disabled Veterans Salvation Army in San B, 3. Goodwill in Redlands

P.S. Sidewalk sales are also fun finds and utilizing young designers and stylists on social media networks have also uncovered interesting pieces; one-of-a-kind, for sure! Feel free to share your experiences :)