Thrift Master Origins
The term "Thrift Master" isn't a formal title. It was something I was trying to think of when I was making a sign for the store. However, I realized that there's a Thrift Master in everyone; you just have to unlock it. If you're wondering where to get started, I will share my journey with you.
I didn't start thrifting until my late teens. My mother's side of the family hated the idea of wearing other people's clothing. I realized that Black folks aren't being classist when they want to wear new things. They think about how hard they worked to get to where they are, and it makes them proud to have something that didn't originally belong to the White Man.
My dad's side of the family was a different story. My paternal grandmother was a single mother who raised two boys in a different state from her family. She did what she had to do to keep them clothed and fed, so she thrifted. As my dad got older, if he wanted to wear the trendiest clothes with his own twist, he had to go to the thrift store to get what he wanted. There was no shame in my family's game, and I tried to thrift like my dad when I was a teen. However, I didn't have much success because I didn't have access to transportation to go to thrift stores. My mom and her mother wanted to take me to malls where I sifted through department store clearance racks.
Bargain Hunting
When I look back on my times in the clearance aisle, I realized those moments prepared me for a world of thrift. My mom was always trying to see how much we could get for less than a certain price. I felt triumphant when I realized I could build wardrobes for less than $100 and still have enough variety in my wardrobe. However, as I grew older, I realized the terrible quality of the clothing from our shopping sprees. Once I studied textile science and got better at sewing, I started to analyze garment quality. My friends were always fascinated by my habit of stretching clothes and looking at the seams to figure out if the garment will last another wash. As silly as it might seem, this laid the foundation for me to become a Thrift Master.
I knew I was a Thrift Master when I looked around my apartment and saw that I decorated the entire living room for less than $25, excluding my plants. Recently, I had two relatives move, and they gave me some of their decorations and furniture. I also shopped my mom's collection of wares from her shopping sprees. I had some extra spray paint to help everything get a similar color scheme.
To me, being a Thrift Master is not about leaving the thrift store with bags full of items that matched the color of the week. It's not about decorating an entire apartment in one day. It's about slowly building a world adorned with secondhand goodies. It's about coming home and seeing a plant shelf left out by your neighbor's door.
As much as I love to catch a good sale, I am more interested in conserving my time and resources. I have very limited free time and do not want to spend entire days shopping to accomplish a goal. I would rather keep an eye out for cool things as I open the store in the mornings or take my daily walks through my neighborhood. I listen closely to my friends for opportunities where we can trade clothes, hair products, and even food.
Recently, I let my co-workers know that I was moving soon and needed furniture for my new apartment. By the end of the hour, I had a bed frame and a futon! Thrift Masters use their network and aren't afraid to call out to the universe for their needs. The money I saved on buying brand-new furniture helps me afford healthy food. I can also use the money to buy supplies to spruce up old furniture in need of a paint job or a good sanding. Although it may seem that Thrift Masters are penny-pinchers, they know when to make an investment that can help prolong the life of their finds.
Knowing When to Buy
I would like to end this blog post by saying that sometimes, you have to buy new items, and you shouldn't beat yourself up for it. I love to thrift furniture because I need pieces that can endure my annual moves. However, I have some clothes that are over six years old and still as good as new. Recently, I bought some biker shorts (yes, the organic cotton ones!) because my grown woman weight had finally caught up to me, and I needed new clothes for exercise. I know that I don't give away clothes for a long time and because I thrift wisely, I have enough money to purchase sustainably made clothes.
A wise thrifter knows when to buy new and when to thrift. Some quality brands offer lifetime warranties for their products. If you're patient, you can also use take some time on Youtube to learn how to do basic furniture and clothing repairs. Sometimes, we just outgrow things, and it's okay to release it back into the universe. Freecycle.org and Buy Nothing groups help you connect with individuals who will take things off your hands in no time.
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