Thrift shopping is a competitive sport, and we are self-anointed world champions. We share our strategy to help you get the best thrift finds.

“Enter a thrifting market as you would enter a strip club: pockets full of one dollar bills and an open mind to try new things.”

-Kat and Sar

If you know anything about us at all, you know that thrift & vintage shopping is our sh*t. Not to mention that wearing sustainable clothing is cool, ppl.

Kath & I have decided to share our trade secrets for maximizing your thrift shop trips.

These tips apply to markets or stores where price is negotiable (AKA, the most fun places to thrift shop.) Take these with you the next time you hit your favorite weekly clothing or furniture market. We use these guidelines every time we hit the Melrose Trading Post, where we’ve managed to acquire a lot of our furniture, plants, clothing, & sunnies.

Here are just a few of the amazing pieces we’ve found on our thrifting adventures:

Kath’s top is made out of tablecloth fabric from the 50s by a local artist who sells her pieces at MTP. The shades are also from MTP (we bundled for two pairs, obv).

If you know me (Sar), you know that denim is my go-to for thrifting. Here, I’m wearing my thrifted oversized men’s jean shirt, that has literally traveled the world with me.

Above, you’ll notice Kath trying to steal my vibe & copy my precious photoshoot, while wearing a beautiful robe/jacket/overshirt thing that I thrifted in Copenhagen.

I acquired my FAVE pants of all time at a thrift market in the South of France. If you know me or follow the IG, you know that I wear these striped linen pants like I’m being paid to do so.

All thrifted errrthang (minus the Raybans.)

Y’all probably know by now that if it’s not vintage or thrifted, we probably aren’t wearing it. Our knowledge has been developed from over a decade of thrift shopping experience – ya girls were bundling at NH flea markets at 12 years old.

Ten Swallow Twin Approved Thrift Tips & Tricks

1. Bring Cash

Let’s start with the basics. Often times you can argue the price down if you’re able to pay straight cash rather than with a credit or debit card (Also, usually there’s extra tax when paying with a card as opposed to cash). Kath and I always hit the ATM en route to the market so that we are ready to bargain & bundle.

2. Bring Small Bills

As cool as you might look rolling through with multiple hundreds in your wallet, you’ve already managed to give yourself away. Who would bargain with someone who looks like they have the means to pay for a given item? Plus, most markets don’t accept bills over $50. But back to strategy. You need to stroll in with small bills such as 1s, 5s, 10s, and 20s. Think of it like this:

“Enter a thrifting market as you would enter a strip club: pockets full of one dollar bills and an open mind to try new things. ”

— The Swallow Twins

3. Organize your pockets ahead of time

This is a clever tip that our dad taught us back when we acquired our Bachelor Degrees in thrifting at age 12. Place your larger bills in one pocket, and your smaller bills in a separate one. This way, you don’t face the risk of pulling out multiple 10s when you’ve already stated that you only have $8 dollars left to spend on an item. Yes, that has happened to me before and yes, it’s awkward. Thrifting is like any game: NEVER give away your position. If you don’t have pockets (byeeee inconvenient clothing made for women by men), organize your bag accordingly.

For example, this would be a thrift shopper’s nightmare bag. Cute as hell, ya, but not practical for thrifting organizational purposes.

I just wanted to take a moment to laugh about the fact that I just ran around my studio looking for big bills, and all I could gather was a 50 and a 20. I don’t even have a 100 dollar bill.

4. Be ready to bundle

Bundling is every thrift shopper’s BFF. Many booths will already try to bundle their items, saying “2 for $10” on items that are $6 a piece, but know that you should always try to bundle further. I would ask for those two items for $8 total without a second thought. When bundling, be reasonable. If each item is $10, you won’t get 3 items for $20. However, you are much more likely to get all 3 for $25. Along with most things in life, the key is to ask. So many people feel uncomfortable doing asking for what they want, but know that the vendors price the items anticipating that they’ll be bargained down by buyers. BUNDLING IS YOUR BEST FRIEND. Say it with me.

5. DRESS IT DOWN THOTIANA. We wanna see you dress down.

Every pro thrift-shopper knows that dressing down with humble brands is the way to go when entering a thrift market. Nothing kills the mood like a vendor noticing your new Rolex as you go to hand them $25 for the item that they had initially priced at $40.

For example, throw on some leggings and an oversized denim jacket/shirt, as featured below. Puppy not necessary but highly encouraged. (And maybe ditch the Chanel earrings — although they were thrifted, too).

6. Bring a teammate

If you stay at a thrift market long enough, you may acquire what Kath has coined “thrift-vision.” This is the unfortunate phenomenon when you stop being able to differentiate between what clothing is cute and what is downright ugly. So, for example, what happens to my taste in guys when I’ve been on Hinge for too long in one sitting. Have you ever been thrifting and thought, “Oh, this is kinda cool in an “Indie-music-lover-goes-to-Berlin-and-does-heaps-of-drugs-at-EDM-clubs” type of way?” Or “This would be perfect for the jungle x country music x pool boys and cougar themed crossover party that will DEFINITELY never happen?”

Ok, it happened one time & one time only.

This is where your thrifting team member comes in to save you from thrift-vision. I can’t tell you the amount of times I’ve gone to a thrift store and picked out a tie die, faux fur, sequined, striped, and pleather dress with delight, only for Katherine to look over and question my integrity as a human being. As she should.

7. Never show too much interest in an item

Kath and I strolling into the thrift market, poker faces ready.

If you’ve looked at something and squealed, “I love this!” you’ve already lost the game, sweetie. I’ve looked at a white, structured Derek Lam dress at a thrift store in Canada that I knew retailed for around a thousand, and I bought it for $3 dollars. THREE DOLLARS. How? Because I didn’t express my amazement at it being designer and impeccable quality. Instead, I simply said, “I might be able to find an occasion for it,” with minimal enthusiasm, while purchasing this dream of a dress for less than I spend on my daily iced coffee.

Fast forward to said occasion: May 2018, the day that Katherine and I graduated from Boston College. Excuse me while I get all sentimental on you and reminisce on our amazing college experience:

“It’s crazy to think that four years ago we arrived at Boston College, with crippling anxiety and depression, an incredible sense of style, a unique sense of self-deprecating humor, an exemplary academic record, and a dedication to being our truest selves no matter the haters.”

On the day this photo was taken, we left this place with the exact same qualities, plus an expensive piece of paper. amazing!

Kath (left) in DEREK LAM, Sar (right) in LIT BOUTIQUE

Who could’ve guessed that Kath would spend one of her most important days of her young life wearing a $3 dress from a thrift store. Who also could’ve guessed that we would forget our grad cap tassels and look like idiots all day long.

8. Never express that an item is a necessity.

Never. Show. Your. Weakness. Even. When. Your. Booty. Is. Exposed.

That’s not even a metaphor. I will give you a prime example of this tip by telling you a little tale. One time Kath and I went to the Melrose Trading Post. We went to a booth that had the cutest little striped summer dress, but we ultimately decided against it.

Later, to my dismay, I saw that Katherine’s spandex had ripped open, exposing her butt. I ran back to the dress that we had initially seen because I knew that finding separates would be too timely for the purpose of clothing Kath ASAP. I casually looked at the dress, and inquired the price. $26. Well, your girl got that dress for $22 after some back and forth. That’s the beauty of thrifting.

I had a girl waiting with terror in a bathroom stall with a huge ripped hole in her spandex that exposed her booty. Folks, this dress was a necessity. However, I managed to buy it as if it was an afterthought. I’m still patting myself on the back for that one.

Kath pre-incident, when life was good, no holes in her clothes, exposing her ass to the masses

Kath, post-incident, clothing crisis averted & on budget

9. Wait for the right time & ask for a lower price

Do. not. be that person who asks to get an item for $16 instead of $19 NEAR other potential customers. This will throw the vendor off. If they give you a discount, then they have to give everyone a discount. Approach them as smoothly as possible when they are alone, and THEN go in for the kill. They are more vulnerable when they are alone, unarmed by other nosy customers.

“60 percent of the time, it works every time.”

— The Swallow twins, quoting Brian Fantana on his "Sex Panther" cologne

10. Bring a small child, if possible

This one might feel like a reach, but if you’re at a clothing or jewelry marketing where size is not an issue, FIND A SMALL CHILD AND BRING THEM WITH YOU. Cute children are perfect leverage for a thrift deal. When Kath and I were much younger, our dad would have us go to the vendor for an item he liked, stating that we loved it but only had $7 to our names. Needless to say, we got the item that was initially priced $12 for $7. I know where I’m taking the next kid I babysit!