Thrift shopping is fun. It also frees up disposable income for other purposes. There are other advantages to buying high end pre owned clothing, too.

The thrill of the hunt is part of the fun of shopping, and this is even more true when you're going to thrift stores. You literally never know what you'll find. Maybe you need winter boots and instead find a like-new pair of Bass sandals. Or you're hoping for summer blouses in jewel colors and find Fendi boots. When the price is one you can't pass up, you won't mind waiting a few months to show off your purchases.

In contrast, thrift shopping online lets you tell the site what you're looking for. On a good day, you'll find it. Most shopping sites have great pictures of the items for sale. Make sure that you like the return policies. On some sites, you can check the rating of sellers to see how satisfied former customers have been.

There are other reasons - in addition to the fun of a thrift shop and the convenience of an online consignment shop or auction site - that keep people coming back for more. For one thing, you can often find better quality things in not-new shops than you can in local stores. While the department store in the strip might offer Faded Glory, 'Second Time Around' could have Eddie Bauer. It's not unusual to see bargain brands hung side by side with Ralph Lauren, Talbot, and Gloria Vanderbilt.

There are sites and shops that specialize in wedding dresses, worn once, cleaned, and inspected. Some of the dresses on sale for a few hundred dollars cost thousands new. Save your money, or blow it on the honeymoon, and still have the perfect dress. You may find one that was designed for the daughter of a congressman or an ambassador's fiance. Visit a shop where you can try things on or choose an online store that lets you return what doesn't quite fit your dreams.

It's really fun if you find something you've seen in a fashion magazine or a fabulous catalog and never expected to own. Those moleskin pants or that cashmere sweater will make you feel like a millionaire in unexpected luxury, with the added satisfaction of not breaking any budgetary rules. Enjoy those designer socks or those svelte sweat pants made of silky jersey rather than bulky cotton.

Gently used clothing has its own appeal. Some people don't want 'another person's energy', but others focus on the item itself. A finely-made piece of apparel is a work of art. Why should it go on the rubbish heap when it can still give so much pleasure and be so useful? An expensive shirt or pair of pants might begin as an extravagance, but a couple of years later when it's still looking good and enchanting a new owner, it's a bargain.

Sometimes buying a designer brand when the world is starving feels wrong (but, of course, the industry needs buyers as well as creators). However, you can shop in the not new category without guilt. You can have a budget and keep to it, all the while enjoying the best in casual or formal wear.