For this week's Thrift Tips Thursday, I want to share with you my experience at Revolution Thrift. It was voted San Antonio Current's third best thrift store in San Antonio. It is 100% volunteer run. If you are unfamiliar with Revolution Thrift, it is a "nonprofit dedicated to generating high impact, life altering change to those who need it most in the San Antonio area. Every donation or purchase goes directly towards benefiting the community. We do this by donating all our proceeds to a different local charity each month." Source: revolutionthrift.org
Revolution Thrift had an easel outside letting shoppers know what organization Revolution Thrift was supporting this month. As a shopper, it's good to start off the experience knowing your purchase will go towards doing good in your local community.
Before I share my thrift shopping experience, I want to mention I donated a box of items before shopping. To donate, you go in and drop off your donations next to the cash registers. It's very easy. I also want to mention that it was over a year since I went thrift shopping at Revolution Thrift and my initial experience was not the greatest in terms of finding great things for myself.
With an open mind and my $10 limit in hand, I proceeded to shop around the store. I immediately noticed the store had more items than the year before which is a good thing meaning more people were donating which means there's more awareness in regards to the thrift store and their mission. Yay them!
I started walking around to get a feel of the layout. I noticed that their shoes and clothes were spread out.
The picture above shows a bookcase with shoes and information about Ransomed Life. The bookcase was strategically placed near clothing so that a shopper can help build an outfit while at the same time reminding a shopper about the good their purchase will do for the community. This is a great way to maximize space and maximize the value of your items.
I walked towards the back of the store and immediately spotted a sale rack. Of course I started there since I had a $10 budget. Here are some items that I found:
The sale rack was good considering the prices ranged from $.99 to $8 depending on the item. I will show you the items that I purchased from the sale rack at the end of this post.
The store had something for every age group and any item you may need in the store.
I always check the mug section for unique mugs. I found this Godiva mug for $1.69. If you know me, I worked at Godiva for over 5 years so I have fond and also exhausting memories from working there. It chuckled when I saw it because it was as though my past was haunting me.
I must say that Revolution Thrift has an amazing selection of vintage clothing. Although their store is small compared to Texas Thrift or Boysville, the quality and selection of vintage or unique clothing is at a much better level than their competition. This shows you the level of dedication their donors have for keeping the store running. Here are some examples of vintage items I loved but passed on because of my limited budget:
I LOVED the blazer pictured above. It had rhinestones and I envisioned myself wearing it with a pair of skinny jeans or black faux leather leggings and heels. I loved it but didn't buy it because it was $7.99 and I had a $10 budget. Yay me for the self-control!
I don't think the halter dress above was vintage but it reminded me of Mad Men vibes which is why I was drawn to it. I know it was missing a belt but that was an easy fix. I didn't buy it because it wasn't my size.
I loved the colors on this dress. I could see myself wearing it as is or with a fun necklace. I passed on it because it was too long for me.
I know the above item may look crazy but I was drawn to it because it reminded me of Lady Gaga's style. Depending on how you dressed this, it could look regal. I passed on this because it was not my size.
I failed at my $10 budget because there was something that I LOVED that I really really wanted in my life. I ended up spending $21 at the thrift store. Here are the items I decided to spend my money on.
This shadow box money back was cute and something I needed to help hold my loose change I had scattered around my house.
I loved the bird print on this Cabi top and for $.99 it was worth it.
This Alice & Olivia sweater had a unique cut and for the price I decided it was a good buy.
This vintage Dooney & Bourke bag is what made me go over budget. I really loved the unique style. After looking at the condition and details, I determined this was real and I needed to add this to my closet.
I know this purse is not for everyone. The crazy colors but classy leather trim details are what screamed "Shenel, you must have this!" I had to use my card instead of cash since I had more items than my $10 could pay for. I know I know I failed at this mission BUT I bought multiple things that spark joy.
Here are my final thoughts about shopping at Revolution Thrift. If you have never gone, I would recommend going. There are so many items to look at that I'm sure you'll find something good. Keep in mind I went on a Saturday so some of the higher-end brands could have been purchased. I know other people DM'ed me on Instagram and said they found some really high-end brands there during a Thursday or Friday. If I could find some good pieces in the middle of a Saturday, I'm sure there are really good gems if you can shop during the week days.
Overall, I would highly recommend shopping at Revolution Thrift. The layout is organized, the prices are priced to sell, and there's a good variety of items from kids, to women, to mens, to luggage, to home goods. That says a lot about the volunteer staff they have. Unlike other thrift stores where they price things higher than retail, these volunteers want to move things to make room for new donations.
A thrift tip is to go in the corners of the stores. It can be overwhelming with how many items they can fit in such a small store. There are good items that can be found where you least expect them. I found one of my shirts hanging off of another hanger in between the sale rack. I only spent one hour in the store since I was limited on time and money. I bet I could have stayed there for 3 hours going through everything and could have bought more. I will be back again. I hope that you take a chance and visit this store because their mission helps organizations in San Antonio.