DON’T - Be afraid of buying someone a gift from a thrift store. Thrift stores can be a great place to discover unexpected treasures that make amazing gifts. Follow these tips below to help you!
DO - Keep an eye out for brand new items. Yes, it’s possible! Items still in their original packaging, and new clothes/accessories with tags intact can all regularly be found at thrift stores. Sometimes people donate things they never got around to using/wearing and just want to get it out of their house. However, even if it appears to be brand new, be sure to give the item a twice-over and check for any damage before buying.
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| beneaththemagnolias.com |
DO - Keep an eye out for antiques. Albeit rare, it is possible to come across a true antique with a high value. The last time I tuned in to a few minutes of Antique Roadshow, they showed a man who bought this old wooden box from a Michigan Goodwill store.
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| pbs.org |
He said he bought it for less than $5. It is actually an original ammunition box from the Civil War and AR appraised it for him at $7,000. Pretty nice pick-up! What is interesting here is that he was not an antique collector, or a war expert. He simply picked up an inexpensive item he thought would be interesting to have. How does this fit with gift giving? Well, imagine you came across a box like this and gave it to your brother or husband who enjoys learning about American History. This box would be a gift that comes with the adventure and excitement of researching and discovering it’s origins. Depending on what they learn - it might just be the best gift ever!
DON’T - Force it. If you see something you like, but aren’t in love, put it in your basket and walk around the rest of the store as you think about it. If you still aren’t sure - it’s probably not a good gift. You should have a good feeling about your gift. Trust your instincts!
DON’T - Under any circumstances, no matter how great of a deal, ever buy something as a gift that is broken, chipped, missing a piece, stained, odorous, etc. The only exception would be an Antique/Vintage type item that includes imperfections as part of it’s patina (i.e. - a Shabby-Chic Style Jewelry Box with worn paint).
DO - Take the time to properly “prepare” your thrift store gift. For example, if you are giving a silver jewelry tray, look up the best way to clean and polish it, and do it. It would be an extra nice addition to beautifully handwrite these cleaning/care instructions on a card for your recipients future reference and include it with the gift.
DO - Put time and effort into the packaging of your thrift-store find.
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| Kalamazoo Gift Company |
The packaging sets the tone for the loveliness of the contents. Do not put your gift in a gift bag and call it a day. Nothing says “I put exactly 5 whole seconds into preparing this gift for you” more than gift bag. If gift wrapping isn’t your thing - take your gift to a professional gift wrapping service. If you want to DIY, be sure to start with a nice box to place the gift in, and use quality wrapping paper and fabric (not paper!) ribbon. Be sure to include a small note card with a meaningful message. It doesn’t have to be long and elaborate. Something like:
“To Betty - My best friend who makes me smile every day. Love, Helen”.
See - short but sweet!
DON’T - Give up on thrift store gift shopping after one trip with no luck. One of the great things about donation-based thrift stores is that there is new inventory set out every day. Many of the best items only last on the shelf for a very short amount of time - hours, even minutes! It may take a trip or two before you are the lucky shopper to discover a recently stocked treasure before anyone else!
About the guest author:
Lindsey Wilson is a professional gift wrapper and owner of Kalamazoo Gift Company a national online gifting service.
