Is There A Best Time Of Day To Thrift Shop For Glassware And Kitchen Items?

Are you trying to figure out when the best time of the day is to hit up your local thrift store? If you're on the hunt for some must-have vintage kitchen items or gorgeous glassware steals, some times of the day may work better than others. Virginia Chamlee, author of "Big Thrift Energy" and the popular Substack vintage newsletter "What's Left," noted that thrift stores get donations daily, with most stores restocking their shelves throughout the day. "That being said, more people shop on weekends[,] so I try to dig on weekdays to get the best goodies."

Regarding specific timing, you can strategize in a couple of different ways. One is to go right when the store opens, so you'll beat the mid-day crowds and also have first pick of the fully stocked shelves. Similarly, going right before the store closes can not only reduce the competition from excitable shoppers, but you may also score some late-day restocks that haven't been touched yet.

When it comes to which days to go, earlier in the week, like Mondays and Tuesdays, are perfect for thrift shopping. This is because many stores will put out fresh items after the weekend rush. Virginia Chamlee also noted that some thrift stores are closed on Sundays, so those early days are perfect for scouring the store for some excellent vintage dinnerware brands and popular retro kitchen appliances.

Another shopping strategy that Chamlee loves is to go thrifting right after the holidays. "People have gotten new glassware for holiday entertaining and as gifts[,] so they might be offloading their old stuff — as they say, one man's trash is another man's treasure!" Similarly, going in the spring (around April and May) can be a gold mine for thrifting, as many people donate unwanted items during spring cleaning.

Chamlee also explained that many stores have specific sales days, where certain items are even more deeply discounted. "It's a good idea to do your research beforehand to determine if what you're after will be discounted on any particular day," Chamlee noted. With that said, some stores can have senior citizen discount days that have been known to be particularly chaotic, so you may want to avoid those.