A How-To Guide for Thrifting Like a Pro

Summary

Podcast Summary: Am I Doing It Wrong?

Episode: A How-To Guide for Thrifting Like a Pro

Date: January 22, 2026
Hosts: Raj Panjabi Johnson & Noah Michelson
Guest: Emily Ruane (Head of Shopping, HuffPost)

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Episode Overview

This episode dives into thrifting – from its joys and challenges to practical strategies for finding quality treasures (and what to avoid). Hosts Raj and Noah, both lifelong thrifters, welcome back expert guest Emily Ruane to demystify thrift shopping, answer burning listener questions, and unpack the ethics behind secondhand shopping, all with humor and actionable advice.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Thrifting vs. Vintage

• Definition:
  • Vintage: Typically older, more curated pieces deemed "special" by resellers or shop owners. "The olderness of it has evolved... now the early 2000s are older." – Emily Ruane (04:02)
  • Thrifting: Broader term, covers all secondhand shopping; items may not be curated individually.
• Takeaway: Vintage refers to age/curation, but the line is blurry. Thrifting encompasses all secondhand finds.

2. Shop Types and Where to Go

• Brick and Mortar Is Alive:
  • Despite online boom, local thrift stores still offer great finds. "There's more clothes than ever in the world, obviously... You might not be looking for what the resellers are looking for." – Emily Ruane (04:54)
• Charity Shops vs. Curated Stores:
  • Goodwill, Value Village, Salvation Army differ from curated chains like Buffalo Exchange.

3. Timing & Thrifting Strategy

• Frequent Visits: Be a regular, even for quick look-ins, to catch inventory changes.
• Restocks: Big stores may refresh inventory daily; regional policies vary. "Get to know your local store and go regularly... Look for evidence that the inventory is changing." – Emily Ruane (06:17)
• Thrifting as a Lifestyle: Many make thrifting a routine – a hobby or bonding time.

4. Preparation: What to Bring and Wear

• Gloves: Useful for 'digging' through bins (where items can be "crusty" or damaged), but less needed if items are on racks.
• Leggings: Wear for easy try-ons.
• Minimalist Approach: Less is more; keep valuables minimal and hands free. "You don't want to be worrying about where your bag is... I like to just be free and clear." – Emily Ruane (11:07)
• Tape Measure: Key for furniture or sized items.
• Pro Tip: Measure a favorite-fitting item at home and bring those measurements, instead of just body measurements.

5. Evaluating Quality

• Smell Test: Number one tool. "The sniff test... is really gonna tell you so much." – Emily Ruane (20:14)
• Visual Inspection: Check for stains, visible pest damage ("if you see critters on something, I would definitely...").
• Project Threshold: Know yourself – are you willing to repair, tailor, or clean something? If not, skip "projects."

6. What (and What Not) To Buy

• Best Finds (14:00–16:58):
  • Leather goods: Older jackets and shoes, especially if made in US/Europe, have unbeatable quality.
  • Sweaters & knits: Often high-quality for low prices.
  • Shoes: Debate here – Emily tips that old Doc Martens are a major "grail" if made in England, but Raj admits: "It's the only thing I don't like to buy. It's psychological. I don't want someone's shoe funk." (15:06)
  • Graphic T-shirts/merch: Vintage tees with unique prints/logos are hot collectibles.
• Cautions/Red Flags:
  • Beauty Products & Toiletries: Avoid, they're risky for hygiene/safety.
  • Most Electronics: Can hide defects or critters, may be unsafe (30:48–31:33).
  • Heavily Functional Items: Strollers, car seats, etc. may be recalled or dangerous.
  • Old Dishware: Risk of lead; use vintage for décor, not eating.
  • Non-Stick Cookware: Worn coatings can be unsafe.
  • Mattresses: Major no. "Be wary of mattresses. They can be hiding things besides bugs." – Noah (33:12)

7. Tips for Donating Responsibly

• Clean everything before donating.
• Take donations directly to your charity of choice, not just to generic bins (which are often for-profit):
  "A lot of those parking lot bins...there’s a good chance [clothes] are going into the for-profit resell stream." – Emily (34:36)
• If convenience stops you from donating, use whatever option gets it out of your house to keep items in circulation.

8. Thrifting Ethics & Accessibility

• Don't gatekeep: Thrifting is for everyone. The argument that secondhand shopping deprives others is outdated—there’s an overabundance due to fast fashion.
• Normalize secondhand for all: Near-universal access and environmental benefit outweigh the stigma of thrifting as a "last resort."
• "The notion that thrifting should be reserved for under-resourced people is very stigmatizing..." – Emily (37:01)
• "It’s a good idea just for our planet." – Noah (38:05)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Are you thrift shopping wrong?” – Raj (01:51)
• “You don't want to be worrying about where your bag is... I like to just be free and clear.” – Emily (11:07)
• “The sniff test...is really gonna tell you so much.” – Emily (20:14)
• “If you're outside, let it ride. If you're within four walls, stall.” – Emily & Noah (25:13)
• “Be wary of mattresses. They can be hiding things besides bugs.” – Noah (33:12)
• “The most important thing to have with you when you go thrift shopping is time.” – Raj, closing segment (41:46)
• “Thrifting is good for everyone and for our planet.” – Noah (42:11)
• “I think the smart and responsible thing to do is... to find out if this piece of clothing can stay with me, if I can take care of it, if it can take care of me.” – Raj (42:31)
• “Being a little more intentional.” – Noah (42:51)
• “I think, for someone our age, guys, 40... the experience of thrifting in high school versus thrifting now is kind of jarring because there’s so much more fast fashion in the mix.” – Emily (39:01)

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Timestamps for Essential Segments

• Definition: Thrifting vs. Vintage – 03:27–04:42
• Best Items to Thrift – 14:00–16:58
• Avoiding “Project” Purchases – 13:00–13:40, 22:16–22:59
• Hygiene: Smell Test and Cleaning – 20:05–21:55, 26:16–28:35
• Haggling: When and Where – 24:46–26:16
• Donating Responsibly – 33:28–35:35
• Ethics of Thrifting – 35:53–39:46
• Quick-fire Summary: Top 5 Tips – 41:42–42:20
• Hosts’ Reflection: Have they been doing it wrong? – 42:20–43:22

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Episode Tone & Style

Conversational, witty, and full of self-deprecating honesty. The hosts and Emily balance practical wisdom with warmth and humor, making even the “gross” realities of thrift shopping approachable and fun.

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TL;DR: Essential Thrifting Takeaways

• Bring time, not stuff: You need patience and free hands, not a full toolkit.
• Know your shop: Visit your local store often to catch the best finds.
• Favorite buys: Quality leather, knits, funky tees, and boots—check them for damage!
• Test and check: Use your eyes (for holes and bugs!) and nose (for smells).
• Be intentional: Plan to care for your finds, and donate responsibly.
• Anyone can thrift: It’s good for the planet, your wallet, and your style.

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Ready to thrift like a pro? As Emily says, “Give it a second life that it will, like, benefit from.”
And as Raj signs off: “Dress me up in your love, babes.”

Transcript

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[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

What does it feel like to get hit by a car while biking? Be attacked by an alligator? Or learn that your spouse hired someone to kill you?

[Noah Michelson]

If those are the kind of stories you find intriguing, then what was that like? As the podcast for you, each episode.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Features a guest who describes the time they found themselves in an extreme situation.

[Noah Michelson]

Like, oh, my God, Raj. That episode where the woman's parachute failed.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Every story is verified. So, you know, even the most bizarre tales are someone's actual reality.

[Noah Michelson]

Listen to what was that like on Apple Podcasts, Spotlight, Spotify, or the app you're using right now.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Hi, I'm Raj Panjabi Johnson, head of identity content at HuffPost.

[Noah Michelson]

And I'm Noah Michaelson, head of HuffPost Personal.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Welcome to Am I Doing It Wrong? The show that explores the all too human anxieties we have about trying to get our lives right.

[Noah Michelson]

Right.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

All right, Noah, this is a fun one. Are you thrift shopping wrong?

[Noah Michelson]

So I first want to say that I've had a cold. So this is why I sound like this.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

It's sexy.

[Noah Michelson]

Thank you. And if you hear me coughing throughout the episode, that is also why. But a little secret is that when I was in 12th grade, I had an internship at my local paper, the Racine Journal Times in Wisconsin.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Okay.

[Noah Michelson]

And my final assignment was to do a big story about anything I wanted. And. And I did one on thrift store shopping. This was 1996.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Love it.

[Noah Michelson]

And it was just starting to be really a big thing that teenagers were doing back then. I mean, 30 years ago now. I did it, my brothers did it, and my friends did it. I loved it. So I've been thrifting for three decades.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Okay.

[Noah Michelson]

I think I'm good at It Okay. But I feel like I can always learn more.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

That's right.

[Noah Michelson]

So what about you? Are you, you love thrift?

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

I love thrift so much. I talk about, you know, what, what I'm wearing that's thrifted that I got for $7. But I'm pretty sure I'm doing it wrong. I'm just an amateur out here being sloppy and thirsty at the thrift store. I don't really know how to look for something that's quote unquote, high quality that I can take care of. I want to take it more seriously because I do think it's the responsible thing to do.

[Noah Michelson]

Okay, well, luckily for you and for me and for all of our listeners, we have Emily Ruane. She is the head of shopping at HuffPost. She came on for the online shopping episode. She came on for. She's been on a couple times. She is going to school us on thrifting. So you're going to do it right by the end of this episode.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Thrift me up. Emily.

[Noah Michelson]

Emily, thank you for being here again. We love having you.

[Emily Ruane]

Oh my God, thank you so much for having me.

[Noah Michelson]

Let's start with this question people were asking me when I was saying we're going to do an episode about thrift shopping. They're like, what the hell is the difference between thrifting and vintage? So just like very succinctly, what is the difference?

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Besides, you sound cooler when you say vintage. Yeah, yeah.

[Emily Ruane]

Well, I think there was a time when vintage implied older stuff. It does still sort of imply that. But the olderness of it has evolved because now the like, early 2000s are older.

[Noah Michelson]

Right.

[Emily Ruane]

You know, so, so there's like maybe a wider scope of what would be considered vintage in terms of the chronology of it. But it generally means that something is just, it's more curated.

[Noah Michelson]

Right.

[Emily Ruane]

You know, it's been looked at by some sort of buyer, sorter, picker, like whatever you want to call it, reseller, and deemed, you know, special enough to separate from the stream of like unwanted clothing that is just constantly flowing.

[Noah Michelson]

Uh huh. That makes sense.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Yeah, that does make sense. And that reminds me of when Gen Z's called Boys to Men, Oldies or whatever.

[Noah Michelson]

I know, crawl into my coffin and.

[Emily Ruane]

Just turn the dust we always to men on the headphones.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Yeah, I love that. Okay, so as we know, there are so many reselling sites right now where you can buy thrift online. So that's why people are wondering, you know, can we come back to that IRL experience? Do thrift stores and vintage Stores still sell good stuff or is it all online?

[Emily Ruane]

I think it's very much still available. There's more clothes than ever in the world, obviously, and it's all very readily available. You know, the notion that it's like all getting picked over by the resellers, like, I want everyone to dispense of that because you might not be looking for what the resellers are looking for. You might be looking for 40 yellow T shirts for a Halloween costume, or you might be looking for a pair of like, oversized cargo pants from like the 2010s or something like that, you know, or you might be looking to like, find those, like, Prada heels before they get to depop. But it's definitely really possible to do that in like a brick and mortar setting.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Yeah, I know. I. The stuff I donate, even like some of my great stuff that I don't need or want anymore, I'll take it to a Buffalo Exchange or something rather than sell it online. I'm. I'm old school like that. I want someone to touch it and enjoy it, you know?

[Noah Michelson]

Yeah, definitely. So if we're going to go to one of these shops, and I think I'm even thinking of, like, not like a Buffalo Exchange or somewhere that's been curated, but I'm thinking of like a real thrift store. What I grew up with the Goodwill, we had one called Value Village that we would go to, and these were like charity shops, you know, Salvation army, which has its own issues with queer stuff. But, you know, what should we be doing if we're going to go to one of these? Is there a best time to go to one? Is there that they're restocking? Do we want to get there in the morning? What have you found in your research?

[Emily Ruane]

The advice I think you'll hear a lot is just to, like, get to know your local store and go regularly. You don't even have to go and like spend two hours there every day, but just like poke your head in and look and like, do they have visibly, like new things kind of on display that they maybe didn't have like a week ago or like a month ago? Because I think sometimes you'll find that these more out of the way places, this stuff will just kind of sit there and it's not turning over frequently. So I think you want to look for evidence that the inventory is changing and it doesn't involve taking a million years to do that or anything like that. I have seen on some of the big box, I'll call them Goodwill And Salvation army, they do have. They're all different kind of regionally, but at least I know in New York, for the Goodwill bins store, they tell you on the website, like, you know, we refill the bins every morning. So. Yeah. So some of the bigger operations will, I think sometimes, depending on where you are, have more detail about their putting out new stuff, like Kadence. But if it's an independent store or like your local store, I think it's good to just like, talk to the shopkeeps and like, you know, just even poke your head in the door to see if the display is rotating.

[Noah Michelson]

I think if people really get into this too, it's like a lifestyle. It is the kind of thing where, like, they're going to stop on the way home and just look or spend. They've got a half an hour, they're going to go, or they're going to go with their mom, and that's. That's the time that they spend with their mom every week. You know, I kind of love that.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

I also, just to add to that, I romanticize thrift shopping a lot. Like, I'm one of those annoying people that's like, I wonder who this, like, this belonged to it. What's the story behind this? And I love kind of inheriting something that feels really amazing, but I get exhausted. I don't. I never spend 30 minutes. Like, I'm always in there for like three to four hours. My eyes are watering from, like, allergies. Like, it is hot chaos. So help me. What should we bring with us? I'm never prepared. When I see a giant thrift shop, I want to go in and I just like, live in there for three hours.

[Noah Michelson]

Yeah. Like, are you bringing gloves with you.

[Emily Ruane]

When you go usually? No, I would say so. Like, the bins that I was talking about, it can be good to bring gloves to those. Yeah, I mean, it's like a Goodwill thing specifically. But I think that probably some other like, of the larger chains operate a similar setup where, like, the stuff that goes into the bins, sometimes it's stuff that has been at Goodwill and has not sold. So it's like going back or a lot of the times what ends up in the bins is stuff that it gets to Goodwill or a larger chain thrift store. And it's like a little bit too gross for them because the sorters at the big chain stores are like, they're very cautious, you know, and like, if anything looks like it has severe damage or like it's really dirty or there's evidence of. Of pests, like, visibly, they're just going to put the whole.

[Noah Michelson]

Yank it out in the trash.

[Emily Ruane]

Yeah. You know, or if something is just, like, really visibly not clean. You know, I mean, obviously, like, the three things in thrift stores are imperfect, but sometimes maybe there's just like, literally dirt on, you know, and they're not going to put that, like, in their rack. So that stuff will get sent to the bins.

[Noah Michelson]

And the bins are like, you're literally just.

[Emily Ruane]

And you're digging.

[Noah Michelson]

Digging through it.

[Emily Ruane]

You're physically digging.

[Noah Michelson]

There was a thrift store in Minneapolis when I was in college in the late 90s. It was called Diggers. I was with my roommate, Ben Mook, and I haven't talked to him in 20 years. He was digging through and he pulled out a cardigan and it had vomit on it. And that's when I learned. I was like, if you're gonna go in the bins, you don't know what's waiting for you.

[Emily Ruane]

You don't really know what's waiting for you.

[Noah Michelson]

And it could be something amazing or it could be a sweater covered in vomit.

[Emily Ruane]

Yeah. Yeah. So I think you'll see more crusty things in. In those. When things are not on racks. That's a good. I think that's a good litmus. When things are not on racks.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Watch your back.

[Emily Ruane]

You might want to think about.

[Noah Michelson]

I love that.

[Emily Ruane]

Good fun, Raj. But, yeah, generally, if things are hung up, which, like, they mostly are.

[Noah Michelson]

Yeah.

[Emily Ruane]

I. I think it just depends on, like, your comfort level.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Yeah.

[Emily Ruane]

I was, like, texting with my, like, other die hard thrifting friend. Her name is Kelsey, and she has, like, a brand where she does a lot of, like, reworked vintage stuff and new stuff. And she was like, I've. I've definitely just bought stuff from the thrift store and, like, worn at home. And I was like, I know, but yuck. It's. For some people, it's like, yuck. But I was like, samesies, you know, Like, I've done that.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Yeah.

[Emily Ruane]

It's, you know, it really. It really depends on your comfort level.

[Noah Michelson]

You know, I think I'm not a gloves guy, but I'm a Purell guy.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Yeah.

[Noah Michelson]

So I would just, you know, use a little hand sanitizer, and I'm probably good to go.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Yeah.

[Noah Michelson]

Anything else we should bring with us, possibly?

[Emily Ruane]

Oh, like, equipment wise.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Or wear, like, you know, at sample sales, I'll sometimes wear, like, leggings so I can put things over.

[Noah Michelson]

Oh, that's smart.

[Emily Ruane]

Yeah. Yeah. I think that totally is, like, a good idea. I would actually say, like, less is more, because depending on how sort of organized your environment is, like, you don't want to be, like, worrying about, like, where your bag is, you know, like, I'm, again, like, in a bin situation or even like in your average, like, Goodwill, you. You don't want to be like, oh, my God, like my purse, you know, I like to just be free and clear.

[Noah Michelson]

Yeah.

[Emily Ruane]

You know, your phone. Because maybe you want to, like, look stuff up on ebay or take pictures or something like that.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

But.

[Emily Ruane]

And then if you're doing really, like, functional shopping, you know, like, if you're looking for a specific piece of furniture or like, a specific garment, like the tape measure, I think. Is your friend very smart?

[Noah Michelson]

Yeah.

[Emily Ruane]

I got some good advice from this same friend that I mentioned before about, like, when you're thinking about your measurements, you don't necessarily need to, like, know your, like, bust, waist, hips, but to measure other clothes that you already own that you like the way they fit.

[Noah Michelson]

Smart.

[Emily Ruane]

So, like, if you love, like, the fit of that, like one, like, boxy, you know, like, oversized, button down, like, measure that, like, don't worry so much about, like, your actual body unless you want to be in, like, bodycon stuff, which is, like, respect.

[Noah Michelson]

Right. Right.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

I have this one skirt that I own that I feel fits me really well, and I bring it to my tailor to alter every skirt I own. Just like it. I'm like, yeah. I'm like, just here, Here it is. Match it. Yeah. Because everything else makes me look, like, assless or like, something. And I need the perfection of that one skirt.

[Emily Ruane]

Yeah.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Really proud of it.

[Emily Ruane]

Measure that skirt the next time you go thrifting.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Okay.

[Emily Ruane]

You know, or, like, commit the measurements to memory.

[Noah Michelson]

Well, I think that that's a good point too, is that when you thrift, things might not fit exactly right, but because you're paying so much less for it, you can get it altered. You can. You can spend 20 bucks.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

And if you have a good person, I don't know, sometimes in the suburbs you get. You get seamstresses and tailors that won't charge a lot and do magic.

[Noah Michelson]

Yeah.

[Emily Ruane]

Yeah.

[Noah Michelson]

So I think that it sort of widens what you can buy, which I think is great.

[Emily Ruane]

I had a funny conversation with my friend Kelsey Parkhouse, who I told mentioned to you guys before about buying a project, which, again, that's something that not everyone has a threshold for. Like, you know, sometimes you will find something that's like an unbelievable gem, but it needs Like, a lot of work. And are. It's like, are you. Are you really gonna do that?

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Yeah. That's a good point, though, too, because.

[Noah Michelson]

I will buy stuff, and I'm like, they just need to be hemmed, and they sit in my closet for three years because I don't want to go to the tailor.

[Emily Ruane]

Yeah.

[Noah Michelson]

And it's stupid. So, like, you. You have to weigh whether or not you're up for a project or not.

[Emily Ruane]

Yeah. And if the item is, like, really worth it.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Yeah.

[Noah Michelson]

All right, we have a question from Lily.

[Emily Ruane]

Okay.

[Noah Michelson]

What are the best kinds of items to thrift or buy secondhand? I always like to get sweaters and shoes. You tend to be able to find good qualities and materials. But is there something we should be looking for that's usually a steal if we see it?

[Emily Ruane]

This is, like, such a great question. I have my own personal hot takes. I feel like I got some hot takes on this or, like, leather.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Oh, I love. I have. My favorite leather jacket is thrifted, and it's so much better than the crap that's out there now. I don't really wear a lot of animal products, but this is. I can't let go of it.

[Emily Ruane]

Yeah. Well, I actually so a couple things on, like, the animal topic, but yeah, my friend Michael Zweig, who's worked in the secondhand industry for, like, a really, really long time, and he has, like, an amazing collection. He was the one that said leather. Any. Any old leather, like, 40s, 50s, 60s, like, you know, especially if it was manufactured, like, in the US or in Europe, the version of that that you would be buying at retail is going to be, like, so much more costly than the version that you're, like, finding at the thrift store. That does apply to, like, shoes, outerwear. Yeah. And, like, also just, like, the wear you can find on an older leather piece is just. It, like, just can't be replicated.

[Noah Michelson]

It's just so worn in in that perfect way. Yeah, I love that.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Yeah.

[Emily Ruane]

Well, okay, so I was gonna save shoes for last, but, like, guys, shoes are. Is very polarizing.

[Noah Michelson]

Oh.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

I have to say, it's the only thing I don't like to buy. It's just psychological. I don't want someone's shoe funk. It's the only thing I feel that y literally bought, like, lingerie but not shoes. Yeah, it's. It's. Everyone has their weird thing.

[Emily Ruane]

I can. Because sometimes, like, innerwear is outerwear. Like, on one hand, you can find, like, really incredible quality footwear at, like, a really good Price. Because, you know, I think it's fairly common knowledge now that the quality of a certain type of item made 30 or 40 years ago can be better than the same kind of item made now. I can't say that across the board because there's like too much minutiae there. But if it is like a good brand. My friend Michael that I was talking to mentioned Doc Martens, specifically older Doc Martens. Like, if you can find those.

[Ebay Advertiser]

What a flex.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Yeah, those sound cool.

[Emily Ruane]

They were and still are at least partially made in England. And this is also not to rag on international manufacturing whatsoever. Like, can I just say, psa, international manufacturing can be of amazing quality.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Right.

[Emily Ruane]

The Doc Martens tip, I was like, oh, I'm filing that away. That's like a really good one, you know. And so, yeah, so an older Doc Marten is probably, you know, before the manufacturing changed in like maybe the 80s or 90s. If it's like one of the made in England styles, it can be like a really good find. So, like, yes, some shoes, huge grail. Definitely.

[Noah Michelson]

I will say though. So I love Reebok pumps. My dad wouldn't buy them for me in the 80s and so now that I'm old and I have money, I buy them for myself.

[Emily Ruane]

Yeah.

[Noah Michelson]

So there's some pairs that I buy that are vintage even. Maybe that means five years at this point, ten years. And they. I got a pair that had never been worn but the sole was coming off. Because shoes often, especially if they're glued, like sneakers, they just break down after a while.

[Emily Ruane]

Yeah.

[Noah Michelson]

And so you have to be really careful. It can look like it's in pristine.

[Emily Ruane]

Condition and then it's just like, it.

[Noah Michelson]

Just floats apart, just disintegrates.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

I have to say about shoes though, that, like, I'm a little squeamish about them. But sneaker resale is the hugest, like, industry ever right now. And people will pay so much money and for good reason. And I fallen down a YouTube hole of like refurbishing sneakers and how wonderful you can make them look.

[Noah Michelson]

Definitely.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

So, I mean, this is the big money.

[Noah Michelson]

And I just put like an insole in there and I don't think about all the sweat that might have come before. You know, I want to ask you too about. We were talking about leather and you were saying you like to buy leather because you don't actually have to. Like, no new cow died for the leather.

[Emily Ruane]

Yeah.

[Noah Michelson]

Same with fur. I think a lot of people will say, I wouldn't buy a fur coat unless it was secondhand.

[Emily Ruane]

Like secondhand.

[Noah Michelson]

Yeah.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Yeah.

[Noah Michelson]

Which is interesting because then you're not contributing to it.

[Emily Ruane]

Yeah.

[Noah Michelson]

But you can still be part of it.

[Emily Ruane]

But you can still, like, rock it. I love finding like a wacky or like, artistic, like, logo T shirt.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Oh yeah, me too.

[Emily Ruane]

That is like my personal greatest. I feel so silly being like grill, but I have to shout out like a couple of resellers that do this really well, like chickies, vintage and like intramural who I follow on Instagram. And I'm like, so thirsty for like the sometimes like these like 80s and 90s T shirts. Just like the graphics are like so good.

[Noah Michelson]

Yeah.

[Emily Ruane]

And like, you know, the weird old like philharmonic or something like, or like the, you know, New Orleans marathon.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

You know, it's just like I love those. I can romanticize them as well. And concert merch from the 80s and 90s, like, yeah, you're like, you're the coolest person if you have one of those on in good condition.

[Hiba Balfak]

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[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

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[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

All right, so how do we check for quality? Like, what are we doing? Do we bring a magnifying glass? Are we Smelling them.

[Emily Ruane]

Yeah. So I think point number one, greatest point of all is, like, the sniff test.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Bring a bedbug dog.

[Emily Ruane]

Oh, my God. That's actually, like, such a good idea. But, yeah, the sniff test. It's, like, really gonna tell you so much. I actually did, like, a scientific experiment for you guys. The skirt that I bought on ebay, which avoided the sniff test. Cause I bought it on ebay, arrived to me, like, reeking of mothballs. And I. So that's, like. That's another way in which brick and mortar thrifting is going to, like, help you, because you're gonna, like, see the item, and there won't be any weird surprises when it arrives in the mail. And, like, like, no shade to ebay ever. But, yeah, I was just like, oh, my God, this is it. It just, like, really reeked of mothballs. But I hung it outside for, like, a week. And it's. I'm pleased to report, because I smelled it this morning, that it's a little less stinky.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Sunshine is kind of magical, right?

[Emily Ruane]

Like, yeah.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

I feel like you can put anything outside in it.

[Noah Michelson]

And vodka, too.

[Emily Ruane]

Yes. Oh, my gosh. I have, like. Actually, I have, like, a whole list of, like. Like, household cleaning agencies.

[Noah Michelson]

We learned that from Patrick.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Y'. All.

[Capital One Bank Announcer]

Listen.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Yeah, Listen to the laundry episode again after you listen to this. If you're a thrifter. Because it doesn't turn to like.

[Noah Michelson]

It doesn't. But vodka gets rid of odors.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Yes.

[Noah Michelson]

It's like a miracle.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Yeah. Also, if you drink it, it makes you happy while you're cleaning.

[Noah Michelson]

A sip for you, a sip for your skirt. Like a mothball skirt.

[Emily Ruane]

Teeny, but yeah, like, for, like, damage. Check. Oh, yeah. So sniff test and. No, Also, you know, if it fails the sniff test and you love it, like, you know, there we have our, like, cleaning solutions, but, like, kind of per. What I was saying before, if anything is, like, visibly, like, pestilent, like, it's not going to end up at Goodwill.

[Noah Michelson]

Right.

[Emily Ruane]

Because they don't want that stuff. That's like a. Like, a big problem for them if, like, suddenly there's, like, bedbugs in the whole Goodwill. They're stringent. You know about that stuff. So I think you can also shop with, like, a degree of confidence. And also just, like, use your eyeballs to, like, look for. You know, if you. If you, like, see critters on something. I would definitely like.

[Noah Michelson]

Yeah. It doesn't hurt to look at the seams. Totally do a little Check. Yeah.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

I also have, unfortunately, the Last time I was thrifting, found this dress that made me look like pow, pow, pow. And I was like, yay. And then I found a big stain on it.

[Capital One Bank Announcer]

Yeah.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

And it was so sad. And I think they put it out there knowing that whoever knew how to take the stain out would be fine. And you gotta be honest, honest with yourself about that too because I thought about buying it and like going on YouTube and finding out. But if you're not going to commit to taking the stain out, don't again.

[Noah Michelson]

Do you want a project?

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Yes.

[Emily Ruane]

Yeah.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Yeah.

[Noah Michelson]

And some people do also, I think. Do you want to take the risk? I mean, again, if it's like 14.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Yes.

[Noah Michelson]

And you can afford that, it's not going to break your budget. Maybe you just buy it and you, you know, you might not get ever get to wear it.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Yeah.

[Noah Michelson]

Because it's just the stain will never come out.

[Emily Ruane]

It's just.

[Noah Michelson]

Yeah, but you like that. It's like you're going to buy a scratch off ticket or you're gonna buy this skirt that you love that has a stain on the crotch and you see what happens.

[Emily Ruane]

Yeah, you can dye it.

[Noah Michelson]

Yeah, you can dye it.

[Emily Ruane]

You can embroider.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Does that? It looks so cool.

[Emily Ruane]

You can embroider over it.

[Noah Michelson]

Yeah, patch on it.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Okay. These are great ideas. I'm gonna go back and see if they have that dress.

[Noah Michelson]

I bet you they don't. Sorry, Ross.

[Emily Ruane]

I hope it's still there.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

I mean, that's the magic of thrifting. You find something, you're like this. And it could take several hours, but you're like, this was made just for me. And it's so magical because then you feel I get really self righteous about when I'm like, ooh, this has been worn a few times and I'm saving the planet.

[Emily Ruane]

Can I make a quick interjection on the several hours thing because you guys were asking about what to bring before. I would say lots of time. Yeah, that's like a huge, huge thing. And something that I think in the variety of people that I spoke to in preparation for this episode, it's just, you just have to have a lot of time. And you really have to prepare yourself to spend a lot of time. It's almost like browsing at a thrift store or going into a thrift store when you only have 20 minutes to be there is a exercise in frustration.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

I call it thrifting blue balls. I've done that. Like, you know when your friend wants to hit it like five or six. I've Done this. And she's, like, ready to leave. And I'm like, no. Oh, my God.

[Emily Ruane]

Don't even get me started. Like, love you, babe. On, like, thrifting with, like, my husband or, like, my family, like, it's like, I'm just gonna pop in, and everyone's like, you're lying to me. You know, like. Or, like, when I. We would go, like, my husband, I would go, and, like, I would be like, yeah. And he's like, are you almost ready? I'm like, yep.

[Noah Michelson]

Yeah.

[Emily Ruane]

Yeah, Definitely almost ready.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Yeah.

[Noah Michelson]

You're like, I'll see you on Thursday. Yeah, yeah.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Do magical of a place.

[Emily Ruane]

So, yeah, it's really just like, that's my biggest piece of advice, I think, for anyone that, like, wants to, like, thrift well, or thrift success.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Yeah.

[Noah Michelson]

Yeah.

[Emily Ruane]

Give yourself time.

[Noah Michelson]

Can we haggle in a thrift store?

[Emily Ruane]

Okay.

[Noah Michelson]

People were asking about this great question. Yeah.

[Emily Ruane]

I would call these takes hot because I asked my friend Kelsey. I was like, do you ever. She was like, no.

[Noah Michelson]

Okay.

[Emily Ruane]

Like, she literally. And then she goes, that's weird. But okay. But also, like, this is a judgment free zone, so I don't want anyone to feel. But here's my. I feel like Raj can come up with a good, like, little rhyme for this, but, like, if you're. If you're outside.

[Noah Michelson]

Yeah.

[Emily Ruane]

I think it's okay to haggle.

[Noah Michelson]

Let it ride.

[Emily Ruane]

Let it ride. If you're outside, let it ride.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

This is why he's my podcast husband. Yeah.

[Emily Ruane]

If you're, like, within four walls.

[Noah Michelson]

Yeah.

[Emily Ruane]

Stall.

[Noah Michelson]

Yeah.

[Emily Ruane]

Like, you know, like, I would. I am.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Let's write a children's book about drifting.

[Noah Michelson]

Like, basically, like a flea market environment. Something like that. Yeah. They expect haggling.

[Emily Ruane]

Yeah.

[Noah Michelson]

But if you're in a Goodwill brick and mortar.

[Emily Ruane]

Yeah.

[Noah Michelson]

The price is the price.

[Emily Ruane]

Yeah. If there's, like, windows and doors. If someone is employed there.

[Noah Michelson]

Yeah.

[Emily Ruane]

If someone is, like, paying employment taxes to have people do things, it's like, there is, like, some structure to that business, so they're probably not going to be, like, open to haggling. And I think someone had also asked about, like, if there's, like, damage to something, maybe you should, like, get it off. If it's, like, stained, that's like. You know, I think in the thrift store environment, there is sort of like the. The blanket, like, as is policy. I'm also just like, follow your bliss if you feel comfortable asking. Like, it doesn't. But I think the likelihood of someone being willing to haggle with you is much Greater if you're outside.

[Noah Michelson]

Yeah.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Okay. Back to kind of, like, the condition of things.

[Emily Ruane]

Yeah.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

How do they clean these items? Because I actually have zero idea. And I don't think they do, do they?

[Emily Ruane]

They don't.

[Noah Michelson]

Oh, that's what I thought.

[Emily Ruane]

They don't. There is, like, a disinfectant spray that some places will use that they, like, use, like, the exterminator hose to, like, spray on, like, textiles and stuff like that. But I don't think that's by any means, like, a universal policy.

[Noah Michelson]

Right.

[Emily Ruane]

That's why I think it is on the donating end, very important to donate clean clothes.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

I have never donated anything without washing it or it's been new. I hope other people have the same decency.

[Emily Ruane]

I feel like most people with, like, the wherewithal to, like, have excess clothing and to organize it for donation are probably, like, doing the same thing. I think you. You get into less clean territory when the donation is happening in a way that someone didn't have control over, like, if they've passed away.

[Noah Michelson]

Right.

[Emily Ruane]

You know, that makes sense. Or I can't think of anything else.

[Noah Michelson]

This is why I wouldn't wear something home with me, because that, personally, I'm just like, I need to clean this.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Yeah. Okay.

[Emily Ruane]

I just don't know.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

This is not related to just thrift, but my husband knows that I have a rule about new clothes. You know, sometimes you buy something new, you don't have time to wash it or whatever. If it touches my jibs, I wash it. That's what I say. If it's not going to. If it's like a jib jacket, I don't care.

[Noah Michelson]

Like, I think that that's fair.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Yeah. She's like, if it's gonna touch my part.

[Noah Michelson]

But I don't think. I don't think most people wash new clothing, even though they say you should.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Yeah.

[Noah Michelson]

But I don't think most of us do.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

I don't think people do.

[Emily Ruane]

I think people. Sometimes I'm just like, am I really washing this? Like, it's been through so many, like, steps and things and da, da, da. I don't want to say that it's more important to wash new clothes. Cause it's definitely important if it. If it's important to you to wash their clothes. But, like, new clothes are probably subjected to, like, just as much random, like, questionable, unknown, like, things as, like, a thrifted item.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Absolutely.

[Emily Ruane]

But, yeah, I think, like, generally you can assume that, like, thrifted stuff is clean because it probably got donated clean. Yeah, probably like, you know, level set it to what you. To your detergent smell, to your, like, level of cleanliness, comeliness. It's just best practice, I think.

[Noah Michelson]

Okay, what are some other red flags that we should be watching out for when we're at a thrift store or things that, like, you would never buy secondhand. Like, you know what? I would never buy secondhand beauty products or toiletries. And I've seen some places. I've seen some places that do. And that's just me personally, and I actually know some people. That's how. That's. That's how they can afford those products. And I get that.

[Emily Ruane]

Yeah.

[Noah Michelson]

But I would be worried about that.

[Emily Ruane]

About that.

[Noah Michelson]

Yeah.

[Emily Ruane]

No, I'm with you on that, Noah. I might buy nail polish.

[Noah Michelson]

Okay, that makes sense.

[Emily Ruane]

I'm thinking about, like, the one thrift store that is near my sister's house in the Philly suburbs, and they've got good nail polish over the years, but.

[Noah Michelson]

Yeah.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Is it red, white and blue?

[Emily Ruane]

Oh, I'm so excited to shout this out. It's called New Life. It's in Glenside.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Listen, Billy, listen. If anyone. Listen. Suburbs. Best thrifting that I've experienced anywhere.

[Emily Ruane]

It's really good. I mean, I think that's. Not to go on a total tangent, but, like, you know, the suburbs and, like, the outer regions of this nation or this great nation are your friend.

[Noah Michelson]

When it comes to thrifting or rural.

[Emily Ruane]

Yeah.

[Noah Michelson]

I mean, small town, Wisconsin, they have the best thrift and it's not picked over.

[Emily Ruane]

Yeah. Yeah. I really need to go on a pilgrimage with you, Noah.

[Noah Michelson]

Yeah, the Midwest.

[Emily Ruane]

When Noah comes back visiting his family and, like, talks about what you've seen. I don't really buy electronics. They're often available. And I'm sure that there are people out there that are more, like, handy than I am, that have, like, greater success with just navigating that. But I feel like there's too many, like, unpredictable factors there. Like, just the functionality of it, like, the age of it. I would even, like, kind of zoom out to say, like, anything that's, like, heavily functional. Like, I mean, we've talked a little bit about, like, strollers and, like, baby equipment and stuff, and just, like, potential for, like, safety recalls on those.

[Noah Michelson]

Yeah, I was reading about that where a stroller that's 10 years old might have been recalled. And you wouldn't know that if it was just at a thrift store.

[Emily Ruane]

Yeah.

[Noah Michelson]

So buying baby stuff can sometimes be dangerous.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Yeah.

[Emily Ruane]

I mean, certainly, like, I know that for some people, like, affordable Thrifted baby. And like children's equipment can be like a real necessity. So like obviously no shade to it. But I think if you maybe have the option to like exercise more of like caution in that like regard, it's probably on the safer side.

[Noah Michelson]

Or do the research.

[Emily Ruane]

Do the research.

[Noah Michelson]

You know, pull it up and take a look at what you're about to buy.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Yeah.

[Noah Michelson]

If you can.

[Emily Ruane]

But I think electronics like just there again as like a functional object and something that has the potential to kind of like if it's wired incorrectly, to like catch fire, to veer into dangerous territory or like do things to the wiring, like in your house even. And also like I know again, like I think that thrift stores are like very clean and great places. But like I've heard some horror stories about critter friends, like nesting. It's like a sort of a known thing. If you're on bug Reddit, which I'm unfortunately also on bug Reddit, that they really like electrons and like, and like appliances and stuff.

[Noah Michelson]

I also have heard too like old dishware can sometimes have lead in it or things like that.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

My favorite stuff to buy.

[Noah Michelson]

So you just kind of have to be careful. Or maybe you buy it and it's decorative and something that you're going to display but actually not eat off of. Maybe it can't be put in the dishwasher or the microwave. You just don't know.

[Emily Ruane]

Yeah, yeah.

[Noah Michelson]

So you have to be a little bit smarter about what you're buying or.

[Emily Ruane]

That'S the stuff that you like keep on displaying. Tessa was telling me she's like a big vintage collector and like lives in la, so like very jealous. But her like vintage bar where she just keeps out, you know, she doesn't really like serve off of it or anything like that. I would also say like anything nonstick, like do not because like, you know, the nonstick coating gets really, you know, worn away.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Yeah.

[Emily Ruane]

Again, going back to the functional thing. Like any kitchen stuff, like really cooking stuff that you're going to really like use to cook on, that's like very worn. I would just like steer clear. And especially because like the non stick coating can be like bad when it starts to disintegrate.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Okay, I heard the one. Were you gonna say cast irons?

[Noah Michelson]

No, no.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Okay. I was gonna say that like cast iron, like refurbished cast irons are huge. Cause you can re season them and they're like brand new and people romanticize them. Cause the old ones from like 200 years ago Cook really well.

[Noah Michelson]

Yeah.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

So cast Iron.

[Noah Michelson]

I have to say that one is a good one.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Yeah.

[Noah Michelson]

One thing I just thought of is mattresses.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Oh, Lord.

[Noah Michelson]

So my. One of my really good friends, Emily, another Emily in college, she bought a mattress because she had moved into a new apartment, didn't have very much money.

[Emily Ruane]

Yeah.

[Noah Michelson]

And it was by the window. It rained really hard and it got wet and it had been filled with urine. And it didn't really smell like it when she bought it, but it.

[Emily Ruane]

But then the rain.

[Capital One Bank Announcer]

Yes.

[Noah Michelson]

And so we all had to go over and help her get rid of this, like, urine filled mattress. So again, I think some people, that is where they need to buy a mattress. I understand that, but like, yeah, give it the sniff test. Be wary of Matt. They can be hiding things besides bugs.

[Emily Ruane]

Yeah, yeah, totally.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Can you give us any tips for donating? I have a rule that every time I buy a new article of clothing or pair of shoes, I try to take one thing out of my closet. I love that.

[Emily Ruane]

Yeah.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

I live in the city. There's not a lot of room. Plus, like, I don't need to be hoarding shit at all. If I'm lucky enough to get a new thing, someone else should get a new thing. So how should I donate responsibly? Whether that's like cleaning something before or, you know. Yeah, just any tips you have. Yeah.

[Emily Ruane]

Donate stuff, clean, you know, because like, I. Yeah, as we know, it's probably it. It may not get cleaned again. Okay. So it's just kind of like out of respect to like, the other people in the ecosystem. So if you're, like, looking to donate to like, a charitable organization, you know, if you want your clothes to kind of do good in some way, I would, like, go directly to said organization. Like, go to your Goodwill or go to your SPCA thrift store. Also, shout out to Wagging Tails in Rockville, Maryland. The SPCA thrift store, which is like my personal favorite.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

I'm just imagining a place with all dog clothes. That's not what it is.

[Emily Ruane]

I think they do have some dog stuff, but no, it's mostly human stuff.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Lovely. Okay.

[Emily Ruane]

A lot of those like, like parking lot bins that are like everywhere. There's nothing, like, wrong with those, but there's a good chance that those are going into like, the 4 profit resale stream, which, again, I mean, you know, if you've got clothes to get rid of, like, just pass them on, you know, don't like, keep them around. But if. If you're like, if it's ideologically, like, important to you, that they go to, like, a charitable organization. Like, the bins are not always going there.

[Noah Michelson]

I read an article about that, and yeah, they were like, most people think if you put it in a bin, it's going to a charity, and so often it's going to for profit. And they actually, a lot of them are sneaky in that way. They want you to think that.

[Blue Apron Advertiser]

Yeah.

[Noah Michelson]

Because then they get your clothes, so. Right. I like the idea of actually taking it directly to the place you wanted.

[Emily Ruane]

To go to, to your local charity, your local church. Yeah. Like, if there is one, like, available. That being said, like, you know, what do they say? Like, oh, the best camera is the camera that they always have with you. Like, the best donation place is the one that is the closest distance to you.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

So, like.

[Emily Ruane]

Because the flip side of that is being like, you know, waiting until you have time to drive, like an hour to, like, the local church or whatever, and then the stuff is just gonna, like, collect dust in your house. So I'm like, a big fan of just, like, getting it, like, out the door.

[Noah Michelson]

Yeah, I like that.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Same. I do want to talk about, like, being a good person and the ethics.

[Noah Michelson]

Talk about that. I mean, I think I want to.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Be a good person.

[Noah Michelson]

No, the ethics of thrift is a real thing, and I think that we should just spend a little time about that.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Yeah.

[Noah Michelson]

You know, well, I've heard some people say that you shouldn't thrift because you're taking away items from people who actually need it at that price.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Yeah. Educate me on that because what are.

[Noah Michelson]

Your thoughts on that?

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

I'm also not a ROC fellow myself, so. Yeah, give us the. The real, real.

[Emily Ruane]

Yeah, I talked to a couple people about this, and, like, I think we can probably all agree that there are, like, so many clothes in the world right now. And I think this question probably would have looked really different before. What we know as fast fashion was such a common and available, like, thing, because arguably now you could get something for cheaper, like at Old Navy or even like, Shein.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

You know.

[Noah Michelson]

Right.

[Emily Ruane]

That same item might be the same price or even more expensive at a thrift store.

[Noah Michelson]

Right.

[Emily Ruane]

So I think the sort of the notion that, like, a thrift store is like, the only place to get affordable clothing is, like, in 2025 is a little bit like, that's just kind of not the case anymore.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Yeah. Like you were saying a lot. I'm not going to name names, but some of them are charging a lot for these clothes and for fast fashion.

[Emily Ruane]

I think there's also the notion that, like, you know, that thrifting should be, like, reserved for maybe under resourced people is, like, very stigmatizing. And, you know, I spoke to people who have, like, personal experience growing up having, like, having to thrift and that being a source of stigma, you know, and like, being the kid growing up in, like, thrifted clothes, you know, I think there's definitely someone that would be like, oh, that's so cool you wear thrifted clothes. But if you are someone who has to wear thrifted clothing because that's like, the only thing that's like, affordable and you know, everyone else at your school is wearing, like, all the cool new stuff that I don't even, like, know what that is. Like, you know, that's like not a good feeling. So I think it's, like, important. It's important to, I think, normalize thrifting as something that is, like, available to everyone because you don't ever want anyone to feel like they're having to shop this way because of a lack of, like, resources.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

You're right, though. There's so many clothes out there.

[Noah Michelson]

Like, and that's the other thing too. Like, environmentally.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Yeah.

[Noah Michelson]

It's a good idea to be donating and buying from the stream because there's.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Yeah.

[Noah Michelson]

It gets harder and harder, though, with fast fashion because stuff doesn't last as long. You know, the quality isn't there. Things fall apart after a couple years or washes. But I think it's a good idea just for our planet. Yeah.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

I do have to say about fast fashion that, like, I have found myself first. I was like, how dare they put this forever 21 dress back on here? Like, whatever the shirt I have on right now. It's a plain black tea. It's from Uniqlo. I've thrifted it. It was $7. It was probably like 14 at Uniqlo. Yeah, it's my favorite. It fits me like no other. You guys are going to see it on the show many times. It fits me better than any other black tee I have. It just works. So I have stopped being like, oh, there's fast fashion here. I'm giving this fast fashion several lives. Not going to end up in. Yeah, that's important too. Like, I love a good find, like in something from the 80s, Valentino shorts or something. But, like, this is important. I'm trying to do good.

[Noah Michelson]

Yeah.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

And look good at the same time.

[Noah Michelson]

And you do.

[Emily Ruane]

I think, for someone our age, guys, 40. Sorry to blow up everyone's spot. Like, the experience of, like, thrifting in high school versus thrifting now is, like, kind of jarring because there's, like, so much more fast fashion, like, in the.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Mix, and they want it. They want to buy the fast fashion.

[Emily Ruane]

Yeah. Any given person that's thrifting is looking for something different than, like, the other person. But, like. Yeah, to your point, Ron, there's like, a discourse of, like, bum ed ness about, like, all the fast fashion that's there, but, like, you know, it's just part of the ecosystem now.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Like, it's.

[Emily Ruane]

It's just part of the. The clothing environment. And, like, yeah, that's. That's an awesome Uniqlo shirt that's, like, only five years old or whatever. That's like, embrace that stuff and, yeah. Give it, like a second life that. That it will, like, benefit from.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Yeah.

[Noah Michelson]

That is a beautiful place to end this, I think. Emily, thank you for being here. I learned a ton and we really love having you on, and I really.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Want to go thrift shopping right now. Same.

[Emily Ruane]

Let's get in the car. What is it? Come on, losers. We're going thrifting.

[Capital One Bank Announcer]

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[Ebay Advertiser]

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[Emily Ruane]

Was just looking on ebay, where I go for all kinds of things I love. And there it was.

[Noah Michelson]

That hologram trading card. One of the rarest. The last one I needed for my set.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Shiny like the designer handbag of my dreams. One of a kind. Ebay had it. And now everyone's asking, ooh, where'd you get your windshield wipers? Ebay has all the parts that fit my car. No more annoying, just beautiful.

[Ebay Advertiser]

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[Noah Michelson]

And now it's time for better. In five, these are the top five things that we learned today.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

All right, first things first. The most important thing to have with you when you go thrift shopping is time.

[Noah Michelson]

Number two, get to know your local shop for the best times and days to score big.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Speaking of scoring big, heavy hitters, when you're thrift shopping, leather, cashmere, silk, or boots in good condition.

[Noah Michelson]

Yep. Grab them. Number four, if you find something you like, check for holes and do the sniff.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Pass. Sexy. And number five, thrifting is good for everyone and for our planet. So get into the habit of buying and donating.

[Noah Michelson]

Okay, Raj, so after all that, have you been thrifting wrong?

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Yes, absolutely. Charmingly so. No, I think I love. As you said, I love thrifting, but I think I was doing it wrong because it is just about instant gratification for me. And, like, ooh, cute. I'm not really sure if it's gonna fit. Like, I'm just jazzed in the moment. Whereas I think the smart and responsible thing to do is to find out if this piece of clothing can stay with me, if I can take care of it, if it can take care of me. And so there's not a lot of, like, clothing ending up in a landfill somewhere.

[Noah Michelson]

Being a little more intentional.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Intentional. That's it. What about you?

[Noah Michelson]

You know what? This is one of those episodes where I think I've been doing it right.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

That's right.

[Noah Michelson]

These don't happen that often, so when they do, I want to celebrate it. Exactly. But, yeah, since I've been doing it for so long and I really do enjoy it, I don't do it as much as I used to because I don't have the time. I don't want to spend three or four hours I'm in New York. It's a more cutthroat here.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Yeah, it is.

[Noah Michelson]

You have to get out in New York to do, I think, really good thrifting. But I love it, and I'm so glad we did this episode. It seemed like a quirky, kind of weird episode for us.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Yes.

[Noah Michelson]

But I thought it was really useful and a lot of fun.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Me, too.

[Noah Michelson]

Anyways, until next time. As long as there are things to get wrong, we're going to be right here to help you do them.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Better dress me up in your love, babes. Am I Doing it Wrong? Is a co production between HuffPost and Acast.

[Noah Michelson]

Our producers are Eve Bishop, Carmen Borca Carrillo and Malia Agadello.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Our executive producers are Jenny Kaplan and Emily Rutter.

[Noah Michelson]

Special thanks to HuffPost's head of audience.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

Abby Williams, Head of Video Will Took.

[Noah Michelson]

As well as Kate Palmer, Marta Rodriguez and Terry d'. Angelo.

[Raj Panjabi Johnson]

And we're your hosts, Raj Panjabi Johnson and Noah Michelson.

[Capital One Bank Announcer]

With no fees or minimums on checking accounts, it's no wonder the Capital One bank guy is so passionate about banking with Capital One. If he were here, he wouldn't just tell you about no fees or minimums. He'd also talk about how most Capital One cafes are open seven days a week to assist with your banking needs. Yep, even on weekends it's pretty much all he talks about in a good way. What's in your wallet? Terms apply. See capitalone.com Bank Capital One NA Member FDIC this episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever think about switching insurance companies to see if you could save some cash? Progressive makes it easy to see if you could save when you bundle your home and auto policies. Try [e-mail] Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states.

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