Thrifting Magazine │ Mini Review of the Latest Thrifting Magazine

My friend and fellow vintage lover, whom I met on Instagram years ago, saw this magazine the other day and she posted pictures about it on her account. She has great taste and a great fashion sense of vintage style. 

But she was a little unnerved.  

Why unnerved? Because she hadn't seen this type of magazine before and this is what she and I do - we thrift. And we sell our thrifted items in our Etsy shops. This felt like an invasion.

The magazine is beautiful, though. There are gorgeous, glossy pages, and it's full of information about all sorts of things vintage: where you can find them, how to look for them, what to collect, etc.

Basically, everything we already do.

She was concerned, as was I, that this was going to take away from what we do.

How will there be enough for us if the secret is out?

But after perusing the magazine, in all its glory, I've come to realize that it just doesn't matter. This appears to be a one-off magazine. There's not enough thrifting information to print a monthly magazine like this. Trust me, there isn't. So it's probably an annual magazine, at best.

Great. 

But, will others be bitten by the thrifting bug? Will there be enough for me? Is this the end of thrifting as I know it?

There's a scarcity mindset behind this and it's unwarranted. After thrifting for decades, and looking and finding what I want, I can tell you that there's plenty out there. Plenty for everyone.

We all have different tastes, and we all are looking for different things.

I know firsthand this truth. When COVID hit, tons of new resellers emerged in my territory. It was frightening. All of these new people, who didn't know a vintage t-shirt from their hand, were out there picking up all of my things!

But wait, was that really the case? 

Sure, more people were looking at what I was looking at, and some were taking what I wanted, but they weren't taking all of it. In fact, I upped my thrifting game and went more frequently. Problem solved.

I have plenty to find and plenty to choose from. And even in collecting Pyrex for myself, I find more than I need regularly. There's enough to go around.

Anyway, this magazine is beautiful, but also kind of curiously funny. Yes, thrifting is trendy, but thrifting has been in my life for decades. Thrifting isn't a new thing, though it's written about as if it was.

I'm happy that others are learning how to live more eco-friendly and buy sustainable clothing. But, that this magazine decided to jump on the bandwagon of thrifting - all to make a buck - is kind of hilarious.

Sustainable fashion is something I've been doing for years. Many folks have been doing this for years. And I would highly recommend it. Why buy new when you can buy used? You're saving money, reusing and repurposing items, and being an active sustainable- living participant.

I'm a minimalist as well,  and thrifting it's an integral part of my minimalist wardrobe. (I talk more about that on my minimal living blog).

All that to say, if you see the magazine out and about, pick one up. It's $14, but the information is relevant and fun, and the pictures are beautiful, too. I've linked it here, as well.

If you want to know what I do and why I do it, this magazine is the very definition of all of that. I had to have it because it's basically information about my work. (And technically, I can write off the purchase of the magazine!)

Do you need this magazine? Maybe. It depends on why you want it. If you're looking to thrift, it's possible it may whet your appetite for all things vintage (or even thrifting for new things). But, you don't have to buy it to become a collector or someone who can appreciate antique things.

Here's all you have to do to become an expert thrifter: thrift! 

The more you thrift, the more you see what's out there, the more you know what you like, and the more you can find what you're looking for.

There is plenty of vintage to thrift out there, my friends. 

So have fun, pick a day to thrift every week, and see what sorts of treasures you can find. Tuesday is my big thrift day and I try to go to at least four thrift stores. Today was that day and I found some great items. 

Let me know in the comments below some of your favorite finds. I'd love to hear about them.