Today we’re excited to introduce and feature Sammy Davis, a vintage fashion expert who advocates that every woman can incorporate vintage style into her wardrobe. Sammy manages a vintage boutique in New York City, where she’s passionate about showing women the opportunities behind wearing vintage across the decades, from the ‘20s through the ‘90s and beyond. Today Sammy shares with us 3 reasons why thrift store shopping is an addition.
If there’s anything my 10 years of thrift store shopping experience has taught me, it’s that there really should be a support group called “Thrift Shopping Addicts Anonymous.” From the thrill of the hunt, the score of the savings and the tales of the treasure we find, knowing how to thrift store shop is our key to fueling an addiction that doubles as a cathartic therapy thanks to its endorphin-inducing highs. Whether you’re a beginner or an expert, every type of thrifter from secondhand fashionista to flea market flipper can relate to the addiction of thrift.
Here’s 3 reasons why we’re addicted to thrift store shopping — and why admitting our addiction is the first step on the road toward secondhand retail recovery!
1. We Thrift for Therapy
Thrifting is like exercise: It releases the same feel-good endorphins as you’d experience on a running, swimming, biking or other physically stimulating exercise. So when we’re having a bad day and need a “pick-me-up,” we can take a thrift break at our local haunt to get into the zone and gain some of those mood-lifting endorphins. From this perspective, thrift store shopping is like therapy. Combing the racks is time away from the stresses of life when we can simply be in the moment and focus on the now. Thrifting brings a peace that when practiced regularly, can keep us in the zone of feeling good about ourselves and about our lives much like regular therapy sessions would. The only difference? Thrifting is a whole lot less expensive!
2. We Thrift for Savings
Everyone loves the high of a bargain! The thrill of paying less than “we should” is the most pivotal part of the thrift shopping experience. Since we save so much money thrifting, we can thrift for more and we can thrift more often. Thrifters can grab a few pieces for the price of a good meal or shop an entire season’s wardrobe at the same price one piece of awesome fashion might cost new. When you’re regularly scoring designer duds, trendy vintage style and contemporary classics from ‘90s fashion onward at a thrift store you can’t help but want to brag about your frugal fashion finds to others. Sharing our stylish steals reaffirms the addiction to saving money at thrift stores and keeps our egos happy!
3. We Thrift for Treasure
Thrift store shoppers are like pirates in disguise — we’re in it for the treasure hunt! It’s the moment you thrift for; When your eye catches something phenomenal or your fingers caress a fine fabric like silk, cashmere or rayon. You take a deep breath, anxiously peek into the garment and await your fashion fate for the sign of an upscale designer, vintage gem or trendy brand label. Whether we find the enchilada of thrifted treasure when thrifting or not, we keep faith that somewhere in those racks is a gem just waiting to be found. Even if we’ve never found thrift gold ourselves, stories of others’ successes is our impetus for hours spent in the store and motivation to keep coming back for more!
Don’t forget to Visit Sammy at Sammydvintage.com and say hi on Facebook and Twitter for more vintage fashion and thrift store inspiration!