The shopping experience
No two thrift stores are alike. Lansing is full of a variety of thrift stores that each bring something different to the plate; but what they all have in common is their deals that can’t be found in chain stores.

“The advantage is exactly in our name, which is Hidden Treasures, and there are always hidden treasures in our store, as well as all the thrift stores,” Kelly said. “That’s one of the things that I have actually found myself.”

Psychology freshman Marissa Connell said she enjoys “thrifting” because of the history behind the items.

“I like the thrill of finding something really great for cheap and just knowing that the clothing or item has a story behind it,” Connell said. “It once belonged to someone else. It didn’t just come straight from the factory into my hands.”

When it comes to hitting the shops, Connell said it’s all about shopping around and finding a niche.
“Try lots of shops until you eventually find one or two that you really like and have the best deals,” Connell said. “Most stores have sales on certain days. Figure those out and go during their sales. You’ll save even more.”

Ana Lesmez, a sales associate at K2 Boutique, 1929 W. Grand River Ave., in Okemos, said thrifting takes a little more planning, but it is worth it.

“I think just sometimes at a thrift store you have to dig a little bit deeper than you would at a normal store to find the really good stuff,” Lesmez said. “Come ready to shop and ready to dig, and you can find some really good deals.”

From one closet to another
When it comes to community involvement, Kelly said thrift stores often build strong donor-store relationships.

“There are so many people in the community who donate because they just don’t need it anymore and they don’t want to put it in a landfill since there is so much emphasis on recycling right now,” Kelly said. “It’s more on the heartfelt side, of wanting to help people who are in need.”

For some, donating can be even more rewarding than finding deals in the stores.

“I’ve had the cutest little stories of little kids who come in and say that they were going through their toys with their mothers and they were talking about which ones they needed and how they wanted to donate,” Kelly said.

A dying art
The Lansing area recently has lost multiple thrift stores, including ReThreads and Scavenger Hunt, both formerly located on Grand River Avenue in East Lansing. Connell said the drop could come from customers’ desire to keep things fresh.

“People are set on labels and designers,” Connell said. “They’re willing to pay more in department stores for the brand new clothing.”

Lesmez said the lack of thrift shoppers also could come from negative connotations people give the stores.

“Sometimes I think there is a little stigma about shopping in a thrift store, so maybe that is contributing to it,” she said.

However, Kelly said there always will be those people who turn to thrift stores.

“There are so many people who are on a budget,” Kelly said. “Some actually are on a budget because they choose to be and they want to be, and then there are others that are maybe low income and they actually are forced to be on a budget. And so the more thrift stores that you can actually shop around at, the better that item can fit into your budget.”