The Art of Thrifting.

The Art of Thrifting

By David Kean

What separates a thrifter from a “Thrift Master” is the quality and value of their finds.  While it’s exciting to find a great set of vintage wine glasses for $1 each, it’s even more thrilling to find a set of vintage Baccarat glasses for $1 each.  Why just buy an inexpensive low-quality version of something you like when, with some new shopping skills, you can find the real thing?   My home is probably comprised of 80% thrift shop and estate sale items.  In my dining room alone, the Royal Worchester china came from a prop sale and was featured in the film “The Princess Diaries” (service for 30, $300, retail $4,500); Baccarat wine glasses from a consignment shop and eBay (service for 12 about $200, retail $1,500); the E.J. Victor dining table they sit on was purchased from eBay (paid $600, retail $11,000); and the J. Robert Scott dining chairs we sit on came from a local furniture liquidator (paid $1,000 for set of 6, retail $12,000).

A secondary bonus to thrifting is the ability to sell some of your finds which will help finance the ones you do keep.  I’ve often come across items I know are valuable, but don’t need or want. I’ll check out the going price on eBay, and if there’s enough potential profit to make the purchase worthwhile, I’ll buy it to sell it.  I once found a signed and numbered Salvador Dali gold-plated plaque for $35 at a thrift shop, and then sold it to an art dealer via eBay for $1,700.

The Stigma

The first step in mastering the art of thrifting is to get over any social stigma about “used” items The only thing that really separates a thrift-shop find from an antique store is age, and often not even that.  Once a friend seemed shocked I bought a set of “used” sterling silver flatware from the estate of Hollywood legend Joseph Cotton.  The thought of eating off of someone else’s forks and knives bothered them, until I asked them if they ever ate at restaurants.  See I said, you do eat off someone else’s dinner ware.  They laughed, and their stigma gone.

Training your eye for quality is another key to successful thrift shopping.  It’s good to visit expensive antique shops in person and on-line.  If you have a good visual memory, you start to create a catalogue of items and values in your head.  For furniture and home items, it’s smart to start reading interior design magazines such as Architectural Digest.  If you see a piece of furniture you like, make note of the manufacturer.  The majority of high-end designer furniture is signed.  There’s usually a brass plaque or some other label identifying the item.   

Tip:  If a find seems like good quality, and is signed, but you don’t know the name brand, take out your phone and Google search it.  For example, search “Baker Furniture Company Dining Table”, and click images and scroll through.  Often you will find one for sale someplace giving you an approximate value.

Where to buy what.  Once you get to know the local thrift shops and auctions as well as on-line sources, you’ll know what sells well high, and low.  For instance, on the national on-line estate sale auction “Everything But The House,” furniture generally sells at low prices because of the high cost to ship large items.   

My number one source for designer fabrics is eBay.  If you see fabric or something else you like in an interior design magazine, it will either tell you the brand in the text or in the Resources section in the back of the magazine.  Go to the eBay site, type the info into the search bar above, e.g., “Scalamandre fabric”, and you will end up with pages of fabrics by that company.

I always look at the auctions physically close to me so that I can pick up myself, or recruit a friend with a truck.  If you need to hire a mover, ask the store, they usually have a couple people.

How to Get Started

A good way to get started on your thrifting journey is to hunt for accessories to personalize your home, start or add to an existing collection.  Is there something you need?  A nice vase for flowers?  A set of wine glasses?  An accent chair?  These are all out there and waiting for you.  All you need to do is get started.

Conduct on-line searches to become familiar with local consignment shops, hotel furniture liquidators, thrift shops, and auctions.  Get to know the people who work there, and find out what days they put out new items.  This will help give you “first crack” on any highly sought-after finds.  Learn about the kinds of goods you’re interested in – where signatures are and what authentic labels look like.  The on-line store 1^st Dibs is a good place to learn about furniture and décor.

When buying items, keep in mind that some need to be in pristine condition to be valuable.  This is the case especially for newer items.  Some damage to older items can be forgiven or easily touched up without affecting the value.  This is considered “patina.”  However, a cracked piece of crystal generally makes it junk.

Above all, thrifting should be fun.  It’s an activity you can enjoy and at the same time, improve your lifestyle and bank account.  As with anything else, the more you do it, the more better you’ll get.