As far as I can tell, there are two types of cheap shoppers: diggers, and non-diggers.
Diggers are the ones who will walk into a Marshalls, Ross or Nordstrom Rack and take a deep breath with a smile – as if they’d just stumbled upon a orchard of money trees, ready for harvest. They also excel at thrift shopping, moving hangers quickly, holding large amounts of clothing at one time, and peacefully cohabiting with their own kind in narrow aisles.
Pros: They find all the really great stuff at the best prices.
Cons: The time to bargain ratio doesn’t always add up to a success… 6 hours and 2 shirts doesn’t always a successful day make. (You may also never want to see a clothing rack again.)
Non-diggers are the people you’ll find wide-eyed and bumping into things, slowly walking through the aisles as though they were seeing Times Square for the first time. They are overwhelmed by the amount of merchandise available and frequently would rather just shop in a more organized, navigable area.
Pros: Retained sanity and daylight hours.
Cons: You risk suffering FOMO – the Fear Of Missing Out. May lead to missed opportunities to wear amazing clothes and boast about the deals you got on them.
I am definitely a digger. I can sit in the same store for hours sorting through each rack to give every single item a fair look. I know that some of the best deal come in unexpected places, and one of my biggest rules is: if you like it, try it on. Even if it’s “not what you usually wear” or “not what you’re shopping for” and especially if it’s “doesn’t look like it’d be good on your figure” – definitely try those ones, you will be amazed at the misconceptions you have about what you can & can’t wear!
It’s a digger eat digger world out there, and the non-digger types really get the shaft. That’s why people like the team behind NiftyThrifty.com exist – they, too, are diggers but they had the smarts to present their treasures & finds in a way that even non-diggers would be comfortable with: curated flash boutiques.
NiftyThrifty.com
Topper Luciani is a true-to-form digger in New York who cleverly connected his knack for finding great deals on vintage treasures with his desire to share these beautiful pieces with the public on a wider scale than a brick & mortar storefront would allow. After pairing up with Linden Labs (responsible for nerdy internet beacon, Second Life) and Mark Kingdon, CEO of Organic, who has created digital experiences for major brands like Nike & Jeep.
They managed to pull together a beautiful website that really makes shopping for vintage clothing feel like a luxurious experience – aside from the fact that you’re buying unique pieces from eras past.
You may have noticed the ruffles of pink above and the geek chic who sits atop this article – these are examples of Nifty Thrifty‘s curated boutiques. Instead of using a designer as a common bond, the Nifty Thrifty team uses their keen eye for style & design to put together meticulously organized collections of products that fit a theme – Geek Chic, [Vintage] Ringer T’s (swoon), Log Cabin and Florals (opens today!) are just a handful of their current sales, but you can also shop their Archive which, by next year, will have 1,000-3,000 items available for your perusal at any time!
So what will you find in a Nifty Thrifty sale? How about some Nicole Miller leather pants for under $100? The Pretty in Pink collection is full of feminine dresses and shoes from the 1960s & onward, in all shapes and sizes. Perhaps you’re more interested in a classic 60s ski sweater? Each product has the size, price, condition (new, gently worn, etc., and also a rating from 1-5), fabric content and measurements so you can be extra sure that the piece will fit! Ooh, a Diane Von Furstenberg jacket for $65? Don’t mind if I do…
The future of Nifty Thrifty looks like the addition of men’s fashion and home goods… and a lot of fans, I’d wager! Not only can you enjoy their wares, but they have a kickass referral program, too – free money when your friends sign up and when they purchase!