Thrifting Terminology

Below is a basic guide for common thrifting terminology, I hope thrifting beginners find it helpful!

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Thrifting - the act of shopping thrift stores

Thrifted - applies to an item purchased at a thrift store

Antique - applies to an item 100 years or older

Vintage - applies to an item 20 years or older {25 years and older by some people's standards}

Retro - refers to something of the past

Mid-Century Modern - refers to the product design of the late 1940s through the early 1960s, sometimes referred to as "mod". Mid-century is retro, but not all retro is mid-century. Thrifting - charity shopping, but can also be called treasure hunting by those who don't just shop for their own needs but work as dealers (reselling their thrifted finds)

Repro - short for "reproduction", meaning an item that is not vintage or antique, but has been recently produced to look like a more valuable antique or vintage item, this is a common experience with thrifted glassware and art

Mint or Minty - refers to an item that is vintage or antique, but still retains brand new condition or quality, such as an unused Pyrex bowl that comes with an original label

NIB - means an item was found "new in box", and is apparently unused, this term applies especially when an item is vintage

Haul - your acquisitions from any giving thrift store trip, one might say, "Check out today's haul from the Goodwill!"

Thrift Score or Thrift Win - when one finds a highly desirable or valuable item at a thrift store, especially when the thrift store's asking price is well below the item's worth

Thrift Fail - applies to either a trip to a thrift store without any success and leaving empty-handed, OR purchasing an item only to find out it's valued at less than you paid for it, OR purchasing an item only to find out it's not what you thought it was (i.e. a reproduction rather than genuine antique)

Thrift Tripping - thrifting while on vacation, or purposely driving out of town to visit thrift stores that are generally too far a distance to visit on a regular basis

Thrift Tour or Touring or Thrift Hopping - when one visits multiple thrift stores, one right after another, usually following a pre-planned map of their favorite stores around their town or city--one might say, "I'm going on a thrift tour!" or "Today I'm thrift hopping."

Deadstock - merchandise at a thrift store because the shop they came from went out of business

Overstock - merchandise at a thrift store because another store (generally a big-box store such as Target) did not sell out of the items

Scout - to visit a store before a big sale to "scout out" items one might want to purchase

Thrift Fix - refers to both the desire to thrift (as if the experience produces a sort of high for the thrifter) or the feeling after having a great thrifting experience, one might say, "I got my thrift fix!"

To Get One's "Thrift On" - refers to the plan to or action of thrifting, for example, when someone answers, "I'm going to get my thrift on!" when asked what they plan on doing that day

The Goodwill Phenomenon - this is a term I coined myself to describe the bizarre experience of seeing a strange item for the first time at a thrift store, only to see more of the exact same, strange item all of a sudden at other thrift stores within a short period of time

Goodwill: G-Dub or The G.W.

Salvation Army: Sal Val, S&A, The Salv, or The Salvo

Value Village: The VV, or Val Vil {Value Village is the same company that owns Savers, for which there is no nickname or abbreviation}

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If you have more terms you think should be added, please comment below!