Thrift Store Find! Pink Santa hat

It's July!  Lots of stores do a "Christmas in July" sale.  This includes lots of thrift shops like Goodwill. 

I found this Victoria's Secret Pink rhinestone Santa hat for $.99 at our local Goodwill!  It's not new with tags (NWT), but in excellent shape.  I came home and checked on e-bay and it is selling for $12 - 14.

I found 12 great thrift shopping tips on the SimpleMom site and even more detailed tips on The Thrifty Chicks site.

But, I've learned thing or two about treasure hunting in the shops from my mom.  She has brought me awesome one of a kind souvenirs from London and Amsterdam by asking locals where the resale shops were!  So, in a nutshell, here are my top tips for thrift and resale shopping:
1) have an idea of what you are looking for but keep an open mind - you never know what you might find!
2) have patience and time to look through the racks - you might not find anything this time, but inventories change every day so don't be discouraged.
3) check everything before you buy it - do the zippers work?, are any buttons missing?, look for stains or defects.

Most thrift or resale shops support a charity like Hospice or Habitat for Humanity.  Goodwill's mission is to "help people who are looking for work or better jobs so they can better provide for their families."  You can find one in your area to support by shopping and donating!

All in all - big time money saving and some really fun finds!  Family Approved!

(check back for future posts on my thrift shop finds!)