Outwit the Thrift Stores [Salvation Army: San Bruno]

If you want to buy quality clothes at absurdly low prices, you put yourself at a HUGE advantage if you know more high-end brands than the employees who price merchandise at thrift stores.  Especially when the store has a special sale, like 50% off everything except red-tag items.

Case in point: on a recent trip to the Salvation Army store in San Bruno (about 30 minutes from SF), here's some of the loot I found:

 

Element girl's t-shirt (new with tags!)

Current retail: $20.00

SA: $2.99 on sale for $1.50

Savings: $18.50 =  93% off!

Lucky brand jeans

Current retail: $79.50+

SA: $5.99 on sale for $3.00

Savings:  $76.50 = 96% off!

Chip & Pepper jeans

 Current retail: $150+

SA: $5.99 on sale for $3.00

 Savings: $147 = 98% off!

 

Theory blazer

Current retail: $375

SA: $5.99 on sale for $3.00

 Savings: $372 = 99% off!

(This was SUCH an amazing bargain that I had to buy it for resale.)

See, if you only know the same department store/name brands as the Salvation Army employees, then you really have to do the math to know if something is a steal or not:

Banana Republic 100% extra fine merino wool sweater

Current retail: $69.50+

SA: $15.50 (red tags not on sale)

 Savings: $54 = 78% off

(found in the women's section, although it was clearly a men's S...)

If only I had a smart phone and could look up these things while shopping...