Thrifting

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Thrifting refers to the act of shopping at a thrift store, flea market, garage sale, or charity shop, usually with the intent of finding interesting items at a cheap price.

A larger philosophy permeates the act of thrifting which celebrates the recycling of formerly-owned items, finding new use and new love for vintage material goods which had been thrown out, and the thrill of imagining what the former life of the item was like. Generally thrifting is done by people who reject mainstream cultures and who prefer an individual flavor in their clothes, home decor, and surroundings.

A zine called "Thrift Score", published in the 1990s by Ms. Al Hoff, celebrated this lifestyle. Many "resale" shops cull the more interesting items from thrift stores and sell them at higher prices - the premium is because the "digging for gold" has already been done.