I Live in a Small Town, Where Can I Thrift Shop?

Lately I’ve been hearing the same thing from people regarding thrift store shopping: “Patrice, you find great stuff because you’re in New York City, but I live in a small town and can never find anything.” Well, yes, living in NYC does open up a world of amazing thrift stores, from national chains to smaller vintage and consignment shops. But just because you’re in a smaller city, that doesn’t have to halt your thrifting excursions.

Below are three tips to keep in mind if you live in a small town and have issues scoring great thrift items.

Embrace Your Smaller Digs

New Yorkers definitely have an awesome sense of style so the second-hand options tend to be pretty good, but the competition is much more intense. It may take more time to find something in your little town but at least the competition won’t be as stiff and fierce. And maybe the people in your area aren’t so fashionable but everything old is new again. That old 80s sweater or velvet blazer that someone donated can easily be added to your favorite skinny jeans and pumps.

Go to a Major City

If you’re close to a major city, take a little weekend thrift road trip. You can do some research ahead of time and map out a few places to hit up. Also, don’t overlook cities that lie right outside of a major area. I’m originally from northern New Jersey {15 minutes from NYC} and the shops in Jersey have tons of items, some with brand new tags on them. Not only are the areas upscale but the people who work in NYC live in the metro area and drop their goods off here. The same can be said for other areas outside of DC, LA, etc.

Go Online

We’re living in a digital world and a few local and national thrift stores actually have online sites. The stuff reserved for online sales tend to be a bit more unique, high end or vintage. Housing Works, which assists the homeless and those with HIV/AIDS, sells and auctions off designer clothing, vintage accessories and furniture. Goodwill’s auction site allows you to search for more than 20 categories of items. You can’t beat scoring cheap chic finds from the comfort of your couch.

These are just a few quick tips, but I’ll expand further with the thrift shopping project I’m working on. Remember, if you have any thrifting questions, let me know via the comment section or the contact page above.

6 Comments
  • Ruralglamour
    Posted at 14:41h, 18 January Reply

    I live a small town and we have Salvation Army Thrift Store… but it sucks. lol! I travel as well, abt 30 mins away to a bigger city with a couple goodwills and consignment stores. Great tips!

    • Living Fly on a Dime
      Posted at 15:31h, 18 January Reply

      Thanks, glad you like the tips. Luckily you’re not too far from a bigger city.

  • Pingback:Tweets that mention I Live in a Small Town, Where Can I Thrift Shop? | Living Fly on a Dime -- Topsy.com
    Posted at 20:25h, 18 January Reply

    […] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Kenyada Jones, TLProsperityBlog. TLProsperityBlog said: @LuvBilliE–>RT @FlyonaDime: 3 tips for thrifting if the stores in your area suck or are nonexistent. http://ow.ly/3FYYq […]

  • Lolas
    Posted at 02:17h, 20 January Reply

    I work in a Goddwill in a small town and I have to say, we have a great selection of brands! I think the selection depends on what kind of community you live in. I live in a fairly well-off area with a lot of retirees from different areas of the world so we have quite a large selection.

    • Living Fly on a Dime
      Posted at 15:19h, 20 January Reply

      Good point. It’s definitely about the area you’re in. I can imagine how many amazing finds the retirees would have to donate!

  • Pingback:How to Thrift for Jeans | Living Fly on a Dime
    Posted at 08:40h, 17 March Reply

    […] offered up thrift shopping tips before {here and here} but thrifting for jeans can be a particularly difficult. Even a thriftaholic like myself […]

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