Out with the new...In with the old
Thrift store shopping helps students expand their wardrobe...
without shrinking their wallets
By Antoinette Vega
Skiff Staff

From the fashion runways to the TCU campus, the phrase “old is new” is back in a big way. Thrift stores are a favorite shopping place among many TCU students in adding to their wardrobe month after month.

Amanda Gay, a senior psychology and sociology major, goes to Thrift Town at least once a month to add to her collection of clothing. She calls herself a “thrift store junkie” and prefers shopping at thrift stores rather than retail outlets due to their low prices and diverse selection.

“Thrift stores are like 17 stores in one but at better prices,” Gay said. “I like the feeling of buying a pair of jeans for $3 that someone else originally paid $40 for.”

Rummaging through the items of a thrift store can be an all day activity. There are so many styles to choose from. Almost everything desired can be found through thrift shopping. Vintage clothing, costumes and furniture prove to be the most popular items.

According to Taylor Hart, a junior international politics and marketing major, thrift shopping is like going through a parent’s closet.

“You can find fur coats, 70s retro shirts, 50s shirts and other fun T-shirts from the past,” Hart said. “It is the number one dad’s closet and allows you to be a little different than everyone else.”

Prices range from nine cents for toys to more than $100 for furniture. Most stores also participate in daily and holiday specials and sales. Thrift Town names Mondays as Senior Citizen Days and has a weekly sale of discounted items.

“We markdown prices everyday,” said Sandy Lile, store supervisor at Thrift Town. “We even markdown the markdown prices.”

Contrary to popular belief, there is not a particular type of thrift store shopper. Shoppers are diverse in taste and in spending ability. They range from lower to upper class and from children to senior citizens.

“I love shopping at thrift stores because you can discover really nice things there,” said Phyllis Bodie, assistant director of the Student Center. “Items that are $12 can turn out to be worth $150.”

Dealers interested in buying for their own shops also stop by frequently. The most popular visitors are teen-agers and college students.

“The vintage clothing, shoes and jewelry are the most sought out items of the younger crowd,” Lile said. “The clothes are back in style and are inexpensive.”

Despite the fact that an abundance of items are available in each store, they all try to be as organized as possible. Each item is separated into its proper section through color and style much like a retail shop.

Lisa Griffith, store manager at the thrift shop Worth Repeating, said the store stays organized.

“Our store is very clean and neat,” Griffith said. “Everything is easy to find.”

Each store claims that they have the better merchandise at the best prices. Many stores sell name brand items along with the generic merchandise.

The thrift store Berry Good Buys receives donations from retail shops such as Casual Corner, Petite Sophisticate, Albertsons and Linens and Things. But buying name brands is not that important to most thrift store shoppers. Gay said she never looks at the labels but buys clothing geared more toward her personality and tastes.

“I don’t care about buying name brands,” Gay said. “Although I once gave in and bought a pair of Tommy Hilfiger jeans because they were only $2.”

Some shoppers visit the thrift stores only for specific items rather than for wardrobe selections. The vintage clothing serves as costumes for theme organization events, theater performances and holidays.

“I only shop at thrift stores for theater costumes,” said Michelle Warren a sophomore radio-TV-film major. “They have a variety of items for costumes but nothing I would like to wear on a daily basis.”

Many of the stores give a percentage of their profits to charities. Berry Good Buys is owned by the Women’s Haven and all the money is used to shelter, feed and clothe women and children in the program. Thrift Town donates a percentage of its profits to non-profit organizations.

Danna Hall, store manager at Berry Good Buys, said in a promotion that started Feb. 19, the store gives students 50 percent off of all clothing when they show their TCU student identification.

“Thrift stores are a fun place to shop and should be enjoyed by everyone,” said Hall.
Thrift shopping is more like a treasure hunt than an average shopping event. You never know what you’ll find in a store where everything old is new again.

“Everything I need for myself and other people can be found in a thrift store.” Gay said. “I haven’t been inside a mall in a long time because the thrift store is my mall.”

Antoinette Vega
a.c.vega@student.tcu.edu

credits

TCU Daily Skiff © 2002