My Favorite Thrift Store Treasures

For about a year now, I’ve been a devoted thrifter. I estimate that about 75 percent of the clothing and household items I’ve purchased have been second-hand finds. My main motivation, of course, has been the environment. But I’ve also saved a ton of money along the way.

And maybe the biggest boon of this lifestyle shift is my new mindset. Before, if I wanted something and could afford it, I’d just buy it. I’d scoop things up because they were a good deal, even if I didn’t need them. (Hello, cute $5 Old Navy T-shirts in three different colors!) I thought nothing of plopping things in my Amazon cart and clicking that Buy Now button for the instant gratification of it all.

As a thrifter, my spending is on a slow burn. I realize that I don’t need that metal colander (to replace my old plastic one) in two business days. I can survive without it until I find one on the wonderfully crammed shelves of Goodwill. And I know I will, eventually. (In fact, I did, for $3.)

The “need it now” mindset is expensive and carbon intensive, what with all that packaging and shipping. It’s also mentally exhausting and stressful. Where do you think the term “shop til you drop” came from?

On the flip side, I’ve found that by slowing down my shopping habits, I start to see more sustainable opportunities everywhere. I fix things more often, rather than replace them. By waiting before I buy something, I realize that I can get by just fine without it. Or at least until I find it in a pre-loved condition.

And I’m not alone. The resale market, a.k.a. thrifting, is booming.

The Rise of Thrifting

According the ThredUp’s annual Resale Report, the global market for secondhand stuff will reach $350 billion by 2028 and is going three times faster than the overall apparel market. The boom is driven by the surge of online marketplaces and the shopping habits of Gen Z and Millennials.  Thrifting can take many forms: yard sales, estate sales, flea markets, Goodwill and Salvation Army stores, vintage shops, and online marketplaces like Poshmark, The RealReal, and ThredUp.

Options for outdoor gear also abound. Companies like Geartrade and Out&Back Outdoor will resell your old gear (for a small commission), and also offer great deals on pre-used stuff. Companies such as Patagonia, The North Face and Arc’teryx have their own and even brand-centric resale platforms. Remember classified ads in the back of the newspaper?

Embracing the resale market has a significant impact on the environment. Thrifting reduces waste, keeps items out of the landfill, slashes energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, and it cuts demand for “fast fashion.”

In no particular order, here are my favorite thrifting finds. Happy hunting!

1. Beautiful Bird Bath

Community “Buy Nothing” groups and local virtual yard sales can yield some great treasures. I wanted a pretty stone bird bath to entice hummingbirds to my yard, but new ones are upwards of 100 bucks. So I went on Facebook, found my local virtual yard sale, and made a post: “Seeking a cement bird bath, any condition.”

In a matter of days, someone from a few towns over DM’ed me saying I could have theirs for free. I picked it up, patched the cracks, and now it resides happily in my garden.

2. Heirloom Skillet

I’ve ditched all my nonstick cookware because it contains toxic forever chemicals and downsized my pot and pan collection. I realized that I didn’t need three different 8-inch skillets and five similarly sized sauce pans cluttering up my cabinets, even though I’m a dedicated home chef. Now I have just a couple of stainless steel pots, a big copper skillet, and a medium sized cast iron one. But I wanted a small one for single servings.

I scored a super high quality, “collectible,” 8-inch Griswold skillet at a flea market for $12. It needed a little love, but I was happy to oblige and now it’s as good as new. (Here’s how to revive and reseason cast iron.) The same skillet on eBay goes for over $100.

3. Go-To Hiking Boots

I’ve loved my Hoka Anacapa Mid GTX hiking boots for years. In fact, I’ve loved them to death and I needed to replace them. Thanks to a free Chrome extension called Beni, I found an almost new pair on Poshmark for $47 (they sell for $195 new). When you search something on Google, Beni automatically scours more than 40 resale sites to find the exact product. I highly recommend downloading Beni.

4. Forever Garden Clogs

I’ve burned through several cheap plastic pairs over the years and wanted a permanent solution. Poshmark to the rescue again. My $30 bid for ever-so-gently used L.L.Bean Boot Rubber Mocs (new they go for $60) was accepted. This is likely the last pair of garden clogs I’ll ever buy.

5. My Favorite Jeans

Everyone knows old jeans are the best jeans. Old, thrifted jeans are even better. And not just because they’re the most comfy, but because new denim has a big-time environmental toll. That’s why I was stoked to meet my favorite pair ever in a humble church basement thrift shop: vintage-y Levi’s, all soft and perfectly broken in, with cute rear pocket stitching. They set me back 8 bucks.

6. Preppy Madras Pants

When I was a kid, I was obsessed with the preppy look. (Does anyone remember The Official Preppy Handbook? It was my teenage fashion bible.) My drawers were filled with classic button down shirts and lots and lots of madras. When I found a pair of slightly obnoxious madras J. Crew clam diggers at a second-hand store, I was filled with nostalgia for feathered hair and mixed cassette tapes. They were a steal for $7.

7. Not Your Grandpa’s Overcoat

Even during my preppy high school days, I was a thrifter. I’m not sure whatever happened to that oversized brown tweed men’s overcoat I rocked to school each day back then, but I recently found a similar version for $12 in mint condition. Even though I’m more of a puffy jacket girl these days, this is my new cool weather go-to when I want to class things up a bit.

8. Kitschy Party Shirt

I’m always on the lookout for quirky-cool clothes for my sons. My ski-obsessed youngest loves this fun button down printed with vintage French resort ski posters. It’s 100 percent cotton, nice quality, and it was ours for a fiver. Mom for the win!

9. Birthday Guitar

My son is a strummer and a traveler, but the two don’t often mix. Sitting around a campfire not too long ago, he wished he had his six-string. I thought back to a long ago review of a packable Martin guitar I edited for BACKPACKER. Back home, I fired up Google and found one in great condition on GuitarCenter.com for $184 ($319 new).

 11. Travel Art

The vast majority of art you find while thrifting is crappy–faded Norman Rockwell prints, sappy animal portraits, and Impressionist train wrecks. But once in a while, you find a real treasure. My favorite is a simple street scene that reminds me of my travels. Is it Spain, France,  Italy, or Peru? Who cares? I wish I were there, and the frame alone is worth more than the $40 I paid for it.

10. Garden Helper

So many new tools are cheap and plasticky, while the old school stuff is often higher quality and made from metal and wood. I love trolling the quirky and aptly named Used Tool Store near me when I need a specific piece of equipment for a project, like a drill bit extender or a compost turner. That’s when I found a funky two-point garden fork with super-skinny tines that fluffs my compost perfectly. It set me back $10.

Kristin Hostetter is Outside’s sustainability columnist. She buys everything she can through thrifting and loves the thrill of the hunt.  Follow her journey to live more sustainably by signing up for her twice-monthly newsletter.