Vintage Balenciaga Bag!

Found this Gem! Only $4.04 at the Goodwill near my house! I found this Picture on Etsy, mine has a long gold chain!

Goodwill (Bathurst and St. Clair)

Our first day of our Thrifting Spree and me and my buddy Foxy are pumped to find treasures! Our planned first stop was the Goodwill on Jane and Runnymede. But due to my great navigation skills (reminding Foxy why she doesn't trust me to make plans as I'm somewhat directionally challenged!) we ended up near Bathurst and St. Clair.

Goodwill Toronto (Bathurst and St. Clair) 585 St Clair Ave W



Foxey black quilted leather bag. Made in Italy

Now I'm not saying we're princesses but sometimes the thought of the Thrift store makes our skin crawl! So we stick to basics: Outerwear, Jewellery and Handbag. This location was a decent sized store but wasn't very organised and tidy. As soon as we came in there was a glass display case. The only thing that caught my attention was a gold necklace with a round green pendent wrapped with a gold filigree design. It was very beautiful but for $15.99 I think I'll pass.We turned our attention to a lady digging into 2 carts we walked over and realized they were filled with purses and after looking around to see if they belonged to anyone we dig in with her. Now this will sound like a "princess" statement, but I hate faux leather bags! The plastic just turns me off and too many times I've purchased beautiful and expensive bags only for they to start peeling and cracking! So I stick to leather! Immediately I find this Chanel-like treasure! An Italian, black leather quilted bag with a cute tassel and a long and short handle ($10.00). I love it! Foxy found an equally beautiful bucket style leather bag with multicolored suede patches ($12.00).

Overall Impression:
and cluttered location. Contains items you would think of when you think thrift store: outdated polyester suits, moldy looking sweaters and yellowing appliances. Definitely found the only gems at this location.

Don't think I'll be returning. 

On to the next one down the road...Salvation Army (Bathurst and St. Clair)

Thrifting Spree - Best Thrift Stores Toronto

 

As I was watching "My shopping Addiction" on TLC and reevaluating oh-too-similar behaviour the addicts were displaying causing me to consider an intervention, I was distracted by a shopper who only shopped in second hand stores. She was scoring Dior, Prada, Gucci Purses for mere $60! 

 

Seeing this I can hear my mother's lecture to us about not forgetting we were raised on clothing from Goodwill when our heads got too big for our own good! You see my parents came to Toronto from the Philippines with very little. But with hard work my parents became an immigrant success story.

 





Baby Me!



Funny how things come full circle! After years of spending thousands of dollars on regular retail you can find me now with my mother shopping in these same secondhand stores I loathed growing up, looking for  treasures and unique, quality clothing that I can guarantee will not have a "who wore it best" showdown.

 

But with everything, there is a right way and a wrong way. I called my reliable shopping buddy Foxy and got her pumped to do a mass thrift store shopping spree!

 

Here are some tips to prepare for thrifting because Knowledge is Power!

 

1.  Brand Me 

Having a great photogenic memory and being an avid shopper I am well versed in brands. Make sure to research brands and their specialities and average price points, this will help you correctly assess the value in a item. Example a Topshop dress priced $9.99 (retails $70) vs. an Ted Baker dress priced $9.99 (retails $250) . Also be careful! Some big brands although well know and advertised produce cheap mass produced items. Which brings me to my next tip....

 

2. Know how to recognise Quality

Knowing the difference between real leather and distressed Pleather is necessary. The imitations are getting better and better so knowing the telltale signs will help you recognise the treasures among the mass amounts of cheaply manufactured clothing. Keep an eye on stitching, seaming and details. Quality items in a second hand store have survived use after use because they are made well.

 

3. Size is nothing but a Number
Don't limit yourself to a size. Depending on the maker yo might be smaller or bigger than the size you think. If something catches your eye, TRY IT ON!


4. Apply to Memberships and Mailing Lists
All of the thrift stores have sles going on all the time.
Goodwill has 75% tag sales and 50% off Everything sales.
Value Village has 50% off once a month, membership cards and stamp cards. Salvation Army has coupons on thier website.


5. Keep an Open Mind
 Stain on the sleeve of a Blazer? Signs of wear on the knee of jeans? If you love it, Ask for a discount! By sewing a silk scarf on the inside of the blazer's arms and rolling it up... Voila! and taking a cheese grater to  the jeans you get a great distressed look!


 I will be posting my finds and reviews on the stores we visit and a map of the locations.

Stay tuned and Happy Thrifting!!