By DELANEE BOGAN
Sifting through all of the clutter and miscellaneous clothing to discover hidden treasures below retail prices is a hobby for juniors Lauren Keith and Ivy Lane. They acquired the thrift store fever from Keith’s parents. They are two students among other teens who choose to shop at thrift stores instead of department stores.
“I think people are choosing to shop at thrift stores because they have cheaper clothes, a larger variety and unique clothing,” sophomore Ryan Classe said.
Classe prefers to shop at online stores such as vans.com or pacsun.com rather than shopping at thrift stores.
There are at least four thrift stores that are within six miles from the school. One Goodwill location is on East Michigan. Other stores include the Salvation Army on West Colonial Drive, The Village Community Thrift Shop on East Michigan, and the Community Thrift Store in Edgewood.
“Thrift stores have both their pros and cons. They have a wide variety of items, all at a consistently low price. But you are never guaranteed you are going to find what you are looking for,” Keith said.
Teens are choosing to shop at thrift stores not only to save money, but because of the variety of clothes. It gives teens the opportunity to purchase unique clothing that helps them express themselves and become individuals, even though it may take trips to different stores to find a specific article of clothing that they are looking for.
“I once spent four months looking for a plain black dress at every thrift store I went to, and only succeeded after much frustration. Department stores have the perks of having new clothes and a 99 percent guarantee to find what you want,” Keith said.
Keith has found three dresses at Goodwill and paid less than $2 for them. When thrifting, she usually finds plaid shirts, dresses and skirts.
Department stores are able to fulfill what one needs. One can choose the brand, color, and size one is looking for, but thrift stores have the advantage of having unique clothing for a low price. Thrift stores not only sell clothes but they also sell phone cases, TVs, movies, childrens’ toys and books.
“[Thrifting is] like extreme couponing. I found a brand new pair of Sperrys for $5, and online they were originally $80. I felt really excited after buying them,” Lane said.
Thrifting helps teach students how to manage money and learn the true value of a dollar. One can spend $50- 80 on one pair of jeans at Abercrombie and Fitch or spend less than $5 on a pair at a thrift store.
“You find unique clothes that you can’t get anywhere else and you get to be one of the few people who can say you own it,” sophomore Xena Aboudallah said.
Having such a variety of items at thrift stores allows one to purchase new clothing periodically. Plato’s Closet located on Colonial Drive takes brand name clothing that is clean, and in style for one third of the original price. After the buyer approves the clothing items; one is paid cash, on the spot.
Dechoes, a resale store ,is also located on Colonial Drive. It has been voted best of Orlando for resale and vintage for the past nine years by the Orlando Weekly. When selling an item, the store determines the value and gives one the option of 35 percent cash or 50 percent store credit.
At the Community Thrift Store in Edgewood there is a Sale of the Week that is determined by the color of the price tag. The color determines the price of the item. One can get up to 40 percent off at this thrift store.
“My biggest advice [to new thrifters] is to be very thorough. Finding good things takes time; you have to sift through all the junk first. It also is important to break out of your comfort zone. If it looks good, try it on, if it looks terrible don’t hesitate to put it back. And don’t forget to clean your closet and recycle your clothes,” Keith said.