Almost every small town has at least one thrift shop, a place where people can bring old clothes or other items they no longer need. Shoppers then buy these things at a much lower price than retail stores.
Thrift stores near Northwood include the PTA thrift store; others near Pittsboro are Plato’s closet in Durham and Uptown Cheapskate in Apex.
Junior Jeremiah Smith says he shops at the PTA thrift store as well as a thrift store called Guardian Angel in Fuquay-Varina.
“[PTA and Guardian Angel] are the main ones I go to; but if we see one on the side of the road and we have nothing else to do we go in there. Any thrift store is a good thrift store I guess,” Smith said.
Popular name brands that sell at retail stores can’t stay on thrift store shelves for long. Frequent thrift shoppers have at least one piece that they bought at an impressive price.
“I got a pair of designer heels for ten bucks and they were never worn,” junior Elizabeth Bedford said.
With a variety of deals and choices to choose from, junior Allory Bors shares her favorite item that she bought from a thrift store.
“I got a pair of Converse for $1.50, they were brand new,” Bors said.
Comparing the clothes bought from a retail store versus a thrift store, the quality is not always the same. As long as it is not dirty or torn, does it matter if the item was previously used?
“I think it depends on the garment. Obviously, if its underwear I’m not going to buy it, but if it’s a jacket or a pair of shoes or something, I think it’s fine,” Bors said.
Junior Emma Korynta agrees that it does not make a difference.
“Personally, I kind of like the fact that it’s previously owned. It has character,” Korynta said.
Not all thrift stores are the same. Sophomore Darian Lowndes, a frequent shopper at Plato’s Closet says that Plato’s Closet is different than other thrift stores.
“At Plato’s Closet most of the stuff they have there is [gently used], so there is a difference between that and something that has been used a lot,” Lowndes said.
Thrift shops also have a reputation to offer outdated things or strange items you would not see in a department store. Depending on the item, some shoppers see it as unique, while others do not agree.
“I saw a pair of sneakers, but it had a heel; it was really weird,” Bors said.
Senior Dionna Bright, a frequent thrift shopper, also had an unusual find.
“I saw one of those corset things once, it was like a full body thing,” she said.
Someone who is new at thrift shopping might not know how to get the best deals. Most of the students interviewed have been thrift shopping for a few years now, and give advice to a new shopper.
“Try everything on and don’t buy anything over three dollars,” Korynta said.
Junior Kayla Perry also has a method while she is shopping.
“Make sure you know what you’re looking for before you go in there so you don’t just pile random stuff and waste your money on everything,” Perry said.
Bors agreed with Perry and added that shopping at thrift stores can be frustrating.
“Just look a lot,” Bors said. “Don’t get frustrated and give up when you can’t find anything; you have to keep looking.”
–By Taylor Maloch