I absolutely love to thrift for my home, so I want to show you how and where I go. You can absolutely learn How to: thrift for your home. I have grown up going to table top sales with my mum and rummaging in charity shops for treasure. There is nothing more satisfying than snagging a bargain. Over the years I have added to my list of places to go to in times of ‘only thrift will do’. I so hope this list is helpful, and gives you an idea of where you can get some bargains for your home, with added style too.

Thrifting is not just about saving money, although it’s a bonus. It’s about being environmentally friendly too, what we re-purpose and salvage prevents items otherwise from going to landfill. My favourite outcome though of treasure I find, is that it makes your home unique. The objects you begin to collect adds character to your home. The favourite items I have thrifted for our home often have a back story to them. A little bit of history that I can connect with. The items I don’t know anything about adds to their charm and mystery.

So what do I look for when I’m out and about bargain hunting? Often the wish list changes, but there are a few things I always keep an eye out for.

• Small creatures, brass or pottery
• Studio Pottery/German Pottery
• Interesting or vintage glass
• Ercol and other mid century furniture
• Vintage buttons
• Vintage and retro fabric
• Anything generally 70’s and a bit quirky.

The best place to see items I have thrifted is my Instagram account, but I want to show you just a few of my favourite treasures! So here are a few of my artifacts and where I tracked them down.

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I do sometimes look for really specific things and this can be time consuming. I could get people to help me look but I would be gutted if someone bagged what I want, before I did. So I tend not to tell people what exactly what is on my list because then it really will take me forever to find my treasure. If I am looking for something specific, I do resort to online thrifting, on those occasions where I’m money rich and time poor. The best piece of advice? Would be to weigh up your priorities and be prepared to wait. So, I’ve broken down thrifting into three categories, you should always weigh up cost/time/need when it comes to thrifting for your home. You can’t spend forever looking for an item that you needed yesterday.

Shoestring budget – Prioritise

If you are willing to wait and are living on a shoestring, consider prioritising what it is you need, over what it is you want. You may also need to be a little flexible on the things you are looking for. Always have a back up for items on your wish list. There will be those items that you really need, yet are impossible to find for the right price. The best place for bargain thrifting are charity shops and the tip/dump/recycling centre. These will be items that you save from landfill and they may need a bit of TLC. With a lick of paint, some style and a handy tool kit this treasure will add to the unique interiors you’re creating.

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Charity/thrift shops            Car boot/flea markets             Tip/Dump/Recycling centre            Freecycle

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The Everyday Thrift

The everyday thrifter, doesn’t thrift out of necessity but because its a lifestyle choice. They know what they want, have researched what is a bargain and have a reasonable amount of dosh. They don’t necessarily want to wait but want to bag a bargain too.

If this sounds like you, you’d want to consider online shops. Firstly what better way to research cost and secondly these places have fewer overheads, prices are usually cheaper. It is important to remember that these private sellers are people that have taken time to forage for these items they are essentially offering to you on a plate. They should be compensated for that. For when you simply do not have time to walk about boot sales or flea markets online is the way to go. Don’t get me wrong, I like nothing more than a day roaming about thrift shops. I just sometimes don’t have the time to. The great thing about charity shops is they are adapting to the online market. They are beginning to sell on ebay and some have their own online shops too! Take Oxfam for example their selection of vintage home ware is fantastic!

So where to bag your treasure? All of the ubove plus:

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Facebook marketplace                  Gumtree             Etsy                    Ebay               Craigslist

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My peacock chair, I got from an independent seller, for £80 came with the table, I could have maybe thrifted one for cheaper but it was a toss up between waiting forever and spending a fortune, I found something I love at the right price. From a lovely seller too! Check out The Pineapple Retro on Etsy. This is everyday thrifting. I knew what I was buying. I found a good quality seller. I could maybe get it cheaper, but I didn’t want to wait.

Time Poor – Money Rich

If you are not willing to wait and have loads of cash, you’d want to look at bricks and mortar stores. These specialise in second hand retro or vintage. Chances are they have larger overheads than online stores and will change more per item. But saying that, you can find some great bargains at these places, and the price is always negotiable, barter. You can’t do that in a department store. There are so many out there, your best bet is GOOGLE! Find and track down your local stores, go in and chat to them. They will keep and eye out for those things you are after, and often will ask your budget.

The only down side to this way of thrifting is that you will lose out on resale value. If you don’t seek out those bargains, you won’t recoup any cash if you later choose to sell on your items.

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Your local Vintage and Retro Store             Hamilton and Co

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So that concludes my guide on How to: Thrift for your home. I hope its given you some pointers, new places to look and an idea of the treasure you can find! If you want these How to Guides sent to your inbox, you can subscribe here.