9 thrift shopping essentials

I absolutely love thrift shopping, but am not always super excited about the grime, smells and dirt that sometimes comes along with it.

These are some things that I bring a long with me if I’m going to be shopping for a good length of time.

1. Plastic Gloves

You may not need these, but it’s better to have a pair with you to be safe. This is especially true if you shop at the Goodwill bins as items are not hung or orderly.

I have been in situations where the hangers have left marks on my hands and the clothes aren’t the cleanest as I’ve flipping through so having gloves on hand is a good idea, just in case.

2. Large shopping bag

There have been a couple of times I went to the thrift store on a great sale day and all of the carts were gone. Having your own shopping bag will be extremely helpful in cases like this.

Look into getting a large foldable shopping bag to keep in the car.

You can always start shopping while waiting for a free cart .

3. Alcohol

No, I don’t mean the kind that you drink.

Hopefully, thrifting is fun and won’t drive you to need this type of alcohol. But have a spray bottle of alcohol on hand with you so you can spray your bags, car and the items you get from the store before brining them into your home.

Alcohol kills a ton of critters, including bed bugs and their eggs. So, I make sure to never miss this step.

If you want to know other ways I prevent bugs from stowing out in my thrift store finds, read this article.

4. Phone

There are a couple of reasons you will want to bring your phone into the store with you instead of leaving it in the car.

The first is to be able to check prices of items. I recommend searching eBay’s sold listings to get a base price for an item, this way you know the limit of what you should pay for something. If it is a vintage item, use Etsy instead to research the value.

The second good reason to bring your phone in with you is to determine the authenticity of designer items. You will be able to do a quick search for the item and how to make sure it’s authentic.

Or, if you’re in a Facebook group you can get immediate feedback by posting photos and asking for opinions.

5. Water & Snacks

If you’re an avid shopper like me, thrift shopping can take up most of your day going from store to store and spending a couple of hours in each store.

You don’t have to go to the extent of having a ton of snacks, but I would recommend at least a health food bar (so you don’t have to touch the actual food while shopping) and a water to keep you hydrated.

6. Cash

While most thrift stores accept credit cards, you may still want to carry cash.

This is especially true if you’re on a budget, that way you don’t go past the amount of cash you have with you.

7. Music

Having music is almost essential when thrifting. Most thrift shops have music, but do you really want to rely on that?

8. Comfy Shoes

If you plan to be shopping for a while, then you will want to make sure to have comfy shoes on hand if you didn’t wear them to the store.

9. Sanitary Items

Make sure you have items to clean the cart like lysol wipes and hand sanitizer. I would also recommend having something you can put your purse on in the cart.

What else do you consider essential thrift shopping items?

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