Want to jump into the world of thrifting and find out where to start? Or want to hone your burrowing skills further?
With the help of author and expert thrifter Virginia Chamlee, who will be at the Vancouver Fall Home Show Oct. 26 & 27, we’ve put together a step-by-step guide to thrifting glory.
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#1
The obvious answer is thrift stores, but you can vintage finds are all over the place. Yard sales, antique malls, estate sales and even Facebook Marketplace are choice thrifting grounds. Pro tip: one of the best times to thrift is the weeks right after the holidays. “People get new things and so they donate their old things,” says Chamlee.
WHERE TO BEGIN?
The obvious answer is thrift stores, but you can source vintage finds all over the place. Yard sales, antique malls, estate sales and even Facebook Marketplace are choice thrifting grounds. Pro tip: One of the best times to thrift is the weeks right after the holidays. “People get new things and so they donate their old things,” says Chamlee.
Virginia Chamlee, writer for People Magazine and author of Big Thrift Energy will help hone your thrifting skills at the Vancouver Fall Home Show; Oct. 26 & 27; Vancouver Convention Centre — West
PRO TIP # 1
You can’t be an expert in all things, so Chamlee suggests picking one lane and sticking to it. “Maybe that’s first edition books. Maybe that’s Star Wars collectibles or video games. Whatever it is, if you can spend just one hour a week sussing out the most valuable items on eBay and training your eye, eventually when you're at a thrift store you'll see some of those high-ticket items. For me, I'm sure there are items that I have passed by because I just don't have the brain power to know everything."
GO WITH WHAT YOU KNOW
PRO TIP # 2
Also, pass on items in need of repair. “A lot of people, myself included, will buy things just because they're so inexpensive, thinking, ‘Oh, this is a project piece. I will just fix it when I get it home.’ And you probably won't. You will just end up with a garage full of project pieces.”
AVOID PROJECT PIECES
PRO TIP # 3
Most people thrift for the thrill of the hunt as well as to find some choice home accessories or marked-down designer labels. But some enthusiasts take it to the next level and look for items they can sell at a profit. “If you just want to sell something quickly, I would say use Facebook Marketplace, eBay, and Etsy,” says Chamlee.
CASH IN
PRO TIP # 4
Setting up Instagram and TikTok accounts for your wares is another way to market finds, especially if you have a specific niche like 1970s and 1980s IKEA furniture. “A lot of pieces were made by high-end designers. These are really, really rare.” For the super-serious, Chamlee suggests Chairish or 1stDibs. “These are high-end marketplaces for people who have a lot of merchandise to list – let’s say 100-plus pieces – and they're planning on selling at least ten a month.”
GET SOCIAL!
PRO TIP # 5
Some thrifters buy with the intention of decorating their homes. When styling thrift store finds, Chamlee says: “One thing to do is to keep an open mind. When you go to a thrift store, you never know what you're going to find. Let’s say you're looking for a square mahogany coffee table. Instead you might find a really cool trunk that could be used, or an oversized ottoman or bench that you could have recovered to serve as a coffee table.”
VINTAGE STYLING
PRO TIP # 6
MIX AND MATCH
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When you’re buying vintage and second-hand, things can get costume-y very, very quickly. If everything in your living room is mid-century modern – it looks sort of like Don Draper could live there. It's a good idea to mix and match the mid-century with maybe some pieces from the 1980s or some modern Pottery Barn, or whatever it is that you like. Just so not everything looks super, super retro.”
The Vancouver Fall Home Show is happening at Vancouver Convention Centre-West; Oct. 24 to 27 Virginia Chamlee will be presenting on The Sleep Country Main Stage on Sat., Oct. 26 and Sun., Oct. 27
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PRO TIP # 7
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