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Most people think clothes when they think about what a thrift shop sells, but these shops often sell a number of other things that people can use in their day to day lives. Larger thrift stores like the Salvation Army and Goodwill, often have a little bit of everything in their stores. Established flea markets (the ones that are in permanent buildings and are open year round) are good places to find a variety of things as well.

Here are eight categories of items that you can find at many thrift stores. Take a peek. You might just be surprised.

Furniture

When you are hunting for thrift store furniture, it is always a good idea to know what you want, such as what piece you want. Additionally, you will want to bring a tape measure to make sure that the piece will fit in your home and a truck or other large vehicle so that you can transport your find to your house. When you are looking at furniture, you want to look for irreparable problems, but you should also consider what some sanding and some paint might fix.

Accessories

Thrift stores are great places to find clothing accessories like belts, purses, jewelry and the like. You can often find guy’s accessories too like ties and suspenders. If you find something, make sure to check the item for stains and tears.

Games

Board games, card games, and children’s games often end up at thrift stores. Games can be hit or miss. Some stores will not accept games that are torn up or are missing pieces but don’t rely on this. You should still take the time to look through the games and see if all the important pieces are still there.

Books Books are expensive, and often you read them once, and you don’t really want to read them again. As a result, many people donate books to charities and thrift stores. When you find books in thrift stores, you will  want to look for tears, stains and missing covers. However, don’t let a missing cover deter you. If the rest of the book is in good shape, you might want to go ahead and buy it.

Gifts

There are numerous types of gifts you can find at thrift stores. Things like clothing accessories and items for the home, like lamps and decorative pieces are often up for grabs.

Tip: Thrift stores are the best place to shop for gag gifts or Dirty Santa gift parties. Try looking for unusual or unique pieces (like that cat lamp).

Artwork

If you look for artwork in a thrift store, you are probably not going to find fine art, but you can often find nice pieces. These pieces are generally older, so it might be a struggle to find your style, but that does not mean that you shouldn’t look. You can often find posters and other things that would be appropriate for children or teens too. For example, if you find a poster for a dollar, then you can buy an inexpensive frame and have a great piece for your child’s room that in the end costs less than $10.

Toys All sorts of toys end up at thrift stores, and sometimes you can find some great things that other children grew out of or just didn’t like. When you are looking for toys in thrift stores, it is best to avoid stuffed toys because they cannot be sanitized easily. Hard plastic ones, however, can be cleaned with bleach.

Kitchen Items

Thrift stores are good places to find kitchen items, like toasters, etc. These stores often have a lot of these items because people will donate old items when they upgrade to new ones. Also, when couples combine households there are often a lot of duplicate kitchen items, and many of them end up at thrift stores. Make sure the item still works though. You can test it’s function by plugging it in and trying it at the store. Items like plates, cups, and bowls for are also available at great prices.

As you can see, there are ton of things you can buy for numerous areas of your home at thrift stores. It really surprises me how many people don’t shop at them. They really are missing out. Not only can you find some really neat items but also have the opportunity to save a ton of money.

I am curious, if you shop at thrift stores, what are some of things that you have found? Have you ever bought anything that was not on this list?