Shoes {Alyson's Thrift Corner}

I love shoes.

I will not deny it. You can get a lot of great deals. But, it is something you have to be careful of. Look at the shoes very carefully. If they look worn out, don’t get them. My family buys soccer shoes so we have to remember to buy certain sizes larger so they will fit when they are needed. If you have odd feet, I suggest you think twice about buying shoes from garage sales. Those shoes may already be shaped to their feet. In my case, I don’t really have to beware of this, but others might.

You can find a lot of different kinds of shoes. I have found high heels, sneakers, flats, and water shoes.



Fall/Winter Outfits {Alyson's Thrift Corner}

                Here are just some pictures of fall and winter outfits that are mostly made up of garage sale/hand-me-down clothes.

Garage Saleing: What's Good, What's Not {Alyson's Thrift Corner}

What’s good, what’s not? That is the question. Even though I get a lot of clothes from garage sales, I am very picky about what I actually buy. 

Inspect the clothes before you buy anything. Some red flags are stains, odd stenches, or tears. Be careful when you buy things. It’s cheap, but you don’t want throw your money away on something with a stain. You wouldn’t spend money on that in the store. 

Garage saleing is a wonderful thing, but I encourage you to be wise. It’s okay to walk away without buying anything.

 

How to Say "No" To Hand-Me-Downs {Alyson's Thrift Corner}

 

 Let’s face it; half of the time, we receive clothes from our grandmas. And, I will be the first to admit that I do not like most of the things she gives me, even though she loves it. It is always an awkward moment when your grandma says, “Oh, it looks perfect on you,” and you just stand there thinking no, not really. I also have an aunt whom I love getting clothes from, but there is always something that I won’t wear.

Be honest, but be kind. You don’t want them thinking that you liked something and expect to see you wearing it.  Nothing hurts when you smile and say, “I really appreciate the thought, but this really isn’t my style.” Plus, it’s always nice when things don’t fit and you can just say that.

 Your Grandma or Aunt know that you still love them even if you don’t have the same taste in clothes.

Mix n' Match! {Alyson's Thrift Corner}

I do not particularly like buying things that I can only wear with a single thing. I like to buy versatile things that I can mix and match with my clothes.
 

 I can change it to fit any occasion. This is my style. You may enjoy have really intricate designs or colors, which I do like, but I stick more with natural colors. Garage sale-ing allows you to have a lot of freedom when it comes to mix ’n matching. When people sell things in bulk, this is much easier.

You can add a scarf, change your shoes, add a jacket, add fancy jewelry, change your hair, or substitute anything else to mix and match.

Here are some of my favorite mix ’n matches.



Spring/Summer {Alyson's Thrift Corner}

Here are just some pictures of spring and summer outfits that are mostly made up of garage sale/hand-me-down clothes.
 

Dresses {Alyson's Thrift Corner}

The most expensive thing you will pay for at garage sales is dresses. I have spent anywhere from $1 to $8. While $8 is a lot for me to pay for garage sale anything, I have to remember that it is so much cheaper than if I bought it in the store. With church and school events, it is very nice to have pretty dresses without paying a ton. 

They are going to be the iffy-est thing you buy too. I find myself questioning myself most when I am considering a dress. If it is on the cheaper side and you think it might fit, buy it. If it doesn’t fit, you can give it away. If it’s on the more expensive side, you might think twice. Remember that when I say “more expensive,” I am saying $8-$10.

I am blessed to know someone who alters clothes for a very cheap price. If you know someone like that or you can do it yourself, then that’s great. It’s always wonderful to know that if it doesn’t fit, I can make it fit.

Tank Tops {Alyson's Thrift Corner}

 

Tank top are something that I have learned to look for. They are great for layering under long sleeve shirts, layering under t-shirts, wearing them by themselves, or over a swim suit. But, I had the tendency to overlook them when I was garage saleing.

Because tanks are plain, a lot of times they are cheaper. If the person is selling t-shirts for $0.50, the tanks might be $0.25. Take advantage of tank tops and camis.



Introduction to Garage Sales & Hand-Me-Downs {Alyson's Thrift Corner}

Hi, my name is Alyson. I write over at www.alysonschroll.blogspot.com. Growing up in a very large family, I got very used to wearing hand-me-downs and garage sale clothes. As I have gotten older, finding clothes that fit, are modest, and are ones that I like has gotten harder and harder. I have learned many tips from my experiences.

Many people do not like the idea of wearing hand-me-downs downs or garage sale clothes. One thing that I have learned is that you cannot tell when someone wears discount clothes. When you wear clothes that you paid little or nothing for, you don’t get a label put on your back. Do not think that you have to spend top dollar for good clothes. I have found that many adults become jealous when they find out that my bag or shoes cost so little.

Through these posts that I will be doing, I will talk about tips that I have learned, how to accept/reject hand-me-downs, how to shop for an outfit, and how to mix and match for any occasion.

Top 5 tips for Garage Sale-ing:

 

1.  Ask for prices BEFORE you go through clothes.

If you think the clothes might fit you, ask how much they cost. If you are not willing to pay that much, you walk away and you don’t waste your time. Even if there is a sign, double check. It can never hurt to ask if they will work a deal if you buy a lot. (This is more of something you do if you are shopping for a large family)

2.  Hold it up.

There is no fitting room when you garage sale, so hold it up. See if the bottom and sleeves are going to be long enough. You can even get an idea for how the neck line will lie. This will not give you the best picture, but you can usually tell whether it’s worth a chance or not.

3. Give it a chance.

If you find a piece of clothing that you specifically need, be willing to buy it and then not be able to wear it. It is cheap to begin with so it is okay if you get something and then get home only to find that it doesn’t fit.

4.  Know when to walk away.

Some people have garage sales because they just want to get rid of stuff. I have even met people that just want enough money to go out to dinner that night. But, other people have garage sales because they want to get as much money back for their purchase. You will even find people in the middle. Know when people are not going to knock down their prices and when it is best to walk away.

 

5. Think: Outfits

I do a lot of my garage saleing in chunks. We go to a lot of town yard sales where there are many on a single street. You can go to a store and buy an outfit by going to different sections, and you can do the same thing when you hit different houses. Think about how different pieces of clothing can fit together with others that you have bought.

 

Be on the look-out next month for Alyson's 2nd post on garage sale finds and hand-me-downs!