Thrift shopping can be so much more fun than buying new at the usual clothing store or department store because you never know what you'll find. It's the thrill of the chase—but with clothes. It's immensely more affordable, and sometimes you can find some really cool vintage items. Here's a guide to help you start thrifting well

1. Choose a location.

Location is pretty important for thrift shopping. It’s not unlikely to find some top brand names at the Goodwill in North Hollywood, or a variety of college brand gear at the Goodwill by USC. There’s also those cute secondhand stores that are slightly pricey, but curate their items more so most things are of a certain trend.

2. Be aware of sales.

It’s a thrift store, so everything’s marked down already, but some stores also have specials. The USC Goodwill tags all their clothing, and every day a certain tag color is 50%.

There’s also certain days when a particular type of clothing goes on sale, like jackets.

Make sure you check their website or call ahead of time to ask. If you’re looking for a store where all proceeds go to a certain cause, make sure you’re aware of that ahead of time as well.

3. Use the buddy system.

If you know anyone else that’s into thrifting, bring them along. You’ll have someone to zip you into that dress or tell you that the endearingly ugly sweater you’re eyeing is actually just ugly.

A friend that knows your taste can also find items you may not have considered. Or, keep you under budget if you want to buy everything you find.

4. Set aside time.

Thrifting takes a solid two to three hours, depending on how you’re looking, so be prepared to spend some time in a thrift store.

If you come with particular items in mind, you might be able to get through faster, but a lot of people come just to browse and find what they will, so it takes much longer. Bring hand sanitizer and tissues too, because it can be dusty at times, or you may touch some things that aren’t the cleanest.

5. Wear clothing that is easy to change out of.

Part of finding quality clothing is finding things that fit well. Try on everything.The pair of pants that look right on the rack may not fit you in a way you want. You don’t want to wrestle the too-tight jeans you came in off every time you want to try on a pair of pants.

6. Look through EVERYTHING.

Move every item on the rack to the side and flick through them one by one. It’s easy to overlook a great find that’s just hiding in plain sight because you were too lazy to look at every item on the rack.

But sometimes if you’re pressed for time, or the section you’re in requires too much trying on and finding that perfect fit, it may not be worth it looking at everything.

7. Check your finds.

Sniff the shirt you just picked up! It’s not weird—I promise you’ll regret it more when you’ve washed it forty times but still can’t get rid of that mothball heavy denim smell.

Also look for tears, rips, unravelling strands (hems, corners), and stains (armpit area, crotch, sleeve ends, etc.).

Spray ‘n Wash or bleach pens can get out a few stains, but beware if the stains seem heavy and dark because it’s rare they’ll fully come out. Make sure all buttons are present and all zippers work.

8. DIY carefully.

A lot of people walk away from the thrift store thinking: “I’m going to hem this dress because it’s too long”, and the more ambitious think “I’m going to make this extra, extra-large shirt fit me just right but cutting and sewing it.”

Unless you’re really good with a sewing machine, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to transform the piece into exactly what you want. I’ve spent some extra dollars on pieces I was unable to fix because I was overambitious.

That being said, still get creative! Sometimes things can be used for other entirely different purposes. I’ve purchased funky dresses and cut them into shirts, or oddly shaped tote bags and used them as camera bags.

9. Visit often.

If you develop a penchant for thrift shopping, become a regular. There’s always new finds and new deals. Once your local store gets familiar with you, it’s likely the employees will give you helpful tips or even more discounts.

You also get familiar with the clothing cycle—when they put out new items, and when certain things go on sale. Fast fashion is taking the world by storm, and so many natural resources go into making clothing. By thrifting, you’re giving clothes a second life and helping the environment.

10. Give back!

With all this thrifting, you’ll probably start accumulating a lot of clothing. When it gets to the point you have more sweaters than hangers, donating a few may be a good idea. After all, that’s how thrift stores stay in business!