Nina GitchibayevaStarting out as a way to live more sustainably on a budget, vintage & thrift shopping has risen a lot in popularity over the last decade. However, the concept of thrifting has shifted tremendously, making it a way to find the most unique pieces that fit your personal style in a way that regular retail stores can’t. Now, helping the environment (and your bank account) is just a bonus on top.
Vintage & Thrift Shopping: A Rise in Popularity
With more and more cities opening up local thrift stores, Barcelona has been thriving above others. It is seen as one of the best cities in Europe for thrifting, according to various travel blogs and yelp reviews. In the back aisle of Catalan vintage shops, relics of Barcelona’s history and culture can be found in the shape of scarves and shirts.
To sum up, thrifting is a way to 1) help the environment, 2) be fashionable on a budget, 3) find unique pieces that no one else around you will have and 4) getting in touch with your city’s historical culture, through cotton and polyester.
Are you (trying to get) into thrifting, but do you feel lost inside these shops and do you always find yourself going home empty-handed? Keep reading and you will find all the tips and tricks on how to thrift in Barcelona, successfully. You will even find a quiz at the end, that will help you determine which thrift store is the best fit for you!
Navigating the Thrift Store: Tips and Tricks
In order to make your thrifting experience more efficient and easier, we have asked thrifting lovers in Barcelona for their most useful advice on successfully navigating a vintage shop.
Firstly, it was stated that is very important to do your research before going out to shop in vintage stores. This will ensure that you come prepared and don’t get overwhelmed when you go inside the shop. There are many social media accounts that keep their followers updated on the latest events and sales. They will do most of the researching work for you and therefore make your shopping life a lot easier. Some favourites are @twomarketbcn and @humana_secondhand_es. These account also tend to announce any upcoming sale / launching events. These events hold great deals, such as selling every in-store item for as low as €1 a piece on certain days.
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Furthermore, to avoid all of the good items to be gone before your arrival, go to these events early. If it starts at 10 am, be there at 9:45 am. There will most likely be a line, so you will be one of the first ones inside, meaning you will be one of the firsts to navigate and explore the store at your own pace.
Finding the Best Fit for You
Another general trick is to determine your own personal style and do research on which vintage brands generally fit into that category. This will also help you determine the value of certain brands inside these stores. What might look like a normal pair of True Religion jeans, can be seen on Depop and Vinted for more than €70 a piece.
Now that you know how to navigate yourself inside these vintage/thrift stores and what to look for, it’s time to get to thrifting! Take this quiz now to find out which thrift store in Barcelona is THE one for you!
