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Walking into a thrift store can feel like stumbling into Oz. There's often so much to take in, it's impossible to know where to look first, or how to sort the junk from the genuinely great deals.
This is why I asked Corrine Counts, an expert thrifter based in Frederick, Md., to take me shopping. She runs the popular Instagram page Frederick Home Finds, showcasing and selling the one-of-a-kind lamps and bar carts and wall art that she scores while scouring the region for vintage gems. When she's not at her job as a dental hygienist, you might find her lining up before dawn at an estate sale in a remote suburb, or combing the aisles of a Goodwill.
On a recent Friday, Counts was nice enough to let me tag along on a treasure hunt around Alexandria, Va. Here's what I learned.
• 9:15 a.m. - Estate sale
The estate sale Counts picked as our first stop is in an apartment complex about 10 miles from downtown D.C. I arrive at 9 a.m., when the sale reportedly begins, but apparently not quite early enough, as a line already stretches down the hallway. Luckily, Counts had the foresight to show up at 8:45, and the other shoppers keep their death glares to a minimum when she lets me cut in with her. Counts and I are among the first to enter at 9:15.
Her rules about when to arrive vary by estate. If the preview photos show a lot of hot items that she wants to compete for, she'll line up as much as an hour early. But if she's not worried about snagging something in particular, she'll actually arrive about 45 minutes after the doors open to avoid the initial rush.
Counts found this particular sale on estatesales.net but recommends joining social media groups and following estate sale coordinators in your area as other ways to stay in the loop. Whenever possible, scope out photos of the inventory in advance. Before making the trek, you'll want to know that the pickings will be worth the effort.
Once we're inside, Counts beelines to the items she picked out ahead of time from photos: a brown, beige and white striped couch; a funky, art-deco-style light fixture; and a set of clear chairs. She recommends claiming your must-have items upon entry. Start with furniture since that's often what sells fastest. To claim a piece, Counts removes the price tag - a signal generally understood among other shoppers - or sometimes, she brings her own "sold" stickers with her name on them.
Estate sales are also great spots to find smaller pieces, Counts says, because collections are already curated. "When a seller has the same style as you, if they have an art collection, you could buy all of these," she says, pointing out a wall of similar paintings - seven framed prints for $18 total. "Set that up as a gallery wall [in your own home], and you just filled a wall with one stop."
We pause to admire a shelf of five glass decanters, but Counts considers only one; the others, she says, you could find at any thrift store. But this one - with a round stopper and an intricate bubble design - is unique enough to land in Counts's "maybe" pile, which she's been squirreling away in a corner to revisit later, removing the price tags from all the goods.
Upon entering a cluttered bedroom, she immediately picks out a pink-and-brass glass touch lamp for $12 (which she later resold for $140). She's always on the hunt for pink things - her favorite color - and advises that keeping a specific color scheme in mind can help focus your eyes in spaces that are otherwise overwhelmed with stuff. The lamp goes in her pile, too.
Before we leave, Counts does a final spin around the main rooms, taking extra care to scan up and down, since in the crowded spaces, we could have missed gems that weren't at eye level. She notices a hanging macramé planter for the first time, but decides against it. She sorts through her pile ($1 candlesticks, a $32 faux-fur chair, a $136 Lucite chandelier that she ended up reselling for $475, among other bargains) looking for any imperfections she may have missed earlier. All of it comes with us.
After we check out, we make a clunky trip, hands full of finds, down to her car. Counts keeps boxes lined with newspaper in her minivan so that she's always prepared to transport delicate items. She coordinated with the seller to pick up the couch a few days later.
• 11:10 a.m. - Habitat for Humanity ReStore
I expect a relatively empty store when we arrive at the thrift shop Counts chose for us to explore, but for midday on a Friday, the cavernous room brims with fellow searchers. Like most ReStores, it sells only furniture, decor, raw materials and other home goods. "You're always in [here] with like 75 percent contractors and construction workers," Counts says, owing to the fact that so much of the inventory comprises building materials. "These stores are a great resource for all of us."
That's all the more reason to arrive as early as possible, when shops put out the newest items. "If you're going to find something you're excited about, someone else is probably going to like it as well," Counts says. In her experience, there aren't particular days of the week that yield better finds than others. But arriving close to opening time is always key.
Just as at the estate sale, she starts by looking at the bulkiest furniture first. Despite rows of sofas, none catch her eye. She prefers couches that fall at opposite ends of the "interest spectrum" - either a statement piece that can be a focal point (like the couch she scored at the estate sale for $98) or a neutral one that can blend with any room design - and these, priced roughly from $50 to $200, all fall somewhere in between.
When she does encounter a sofa with potential, she thoroughly inspects the upholstery for stains and wear, especially if it's leather. Avoid anything with rips, which can be expensive and time-consuming to repair, or a structure that doesn't seem sturdy. But don't let a little dirt scare you off: "If you find a sofa for a great price, it might be worth the money to clean it."
As we stroll the aisles, Counts tests pieces, almost by muscle memory. An antique side table gets a drawer-sliding test. A gentle tug on the handle of a wooden dresser nearly takes it clean off. She spots a cool lamp, and immediately finds the nearest outlet to check that it works. She also submits all of the above to a firm shake, and for chairs, a quick sit. Nothing should wobble, she says.
Google is "your best friend" inside a thrift store, Counts says. When vetting a potential purchase, she takes a photo of it and does a reverse image search. "If there's something you can buy new or close to new that's in better condition or cheaper, obviously you don't want to buy it here."
She also keeps in mind easy DIYs. A mirror that seems outdated, for example, can turn into a design statement with a new coat of paint on its frame. "I've even bought a canvas with a frame that I love and painted over the art," Counts says, as we pass some unexciting prints.
As with estate sales, Counts tries to stay within the bounds of her personal style when scouring thrift stores, to prevent sensory overload. We dig through piles of knickknacks and baskets, and shelves full of salt-and-pepper shakers and ceramic figurines. But in the end, she leaves with only one purchase: a pink-and-white-striped vase for $5 that she spied from an aisle away because of the color scheme.
• 11:50 a.m. - Evolution Home
We planned to stick to two stops, but the thrift store happens to be in the same building as a furniture consignment shop called Evolution Home. Might as well have a look around. This particular retailer rents portions of its floor space to multiple sellers, who've already done the hard work of finding the bargains and spiffing them up for resale (the IRL version of Counts's Instagram business). As such, the stuff is pricier. "Someone has already done the curation for you," Counts explains.
After hours of searching through chaotic shelves and messy piles, walking into a store with meticulously designed displays feels like a break. Counts isn't here to shop, since her business model relies on finding much cheaper wares. But she knows some of the resellers here, so we stop at her friend's display in back. Its inventory includes a vintage lacquered credenza for more than $2,000.
At a thrift store, such a find might cost a couple hundred dollars. But here, "the benefits are that you're getting it in excellent condition, [with] delivery, [and] somebody else cleaned it and authenticated it," Counts says.
Though she leaves this spot empty-handed, her total haul for the day is impressive: a Capiz shell chandelier, the striped sofa, the Lucite chandelier, the faux-fur chair, a marble-and-stone lamp, a couple of glass decanters, the pink-and-brass touch lamp, candlesticks and a flowerpot. The grand total? About $375.