I had never set foot in a thrift store before high school.

As my eyes darted from aisle to aisle, I was completely overwhelmed.

The place was organized, but I didn’t know where to start. After sifting through the racks and sorting through the bins, I began to uncover hidden gems. The best part of the whole experience was only spending $10 in exchange for a handful of treasures.

I’ve been raiding thrift stores for a while and I’ve picked up some tricks along the way. I wouldn’t call myself an expert, but I have learned a few things.

The most important ingredient for making any trip to the Goodwill or DAV successful is an open mind. This isn’t a typical shopping trip. Having some idea of what you are looking for is good, but it’s impossible to be specific.

There have been many times where I show up at the thrift store just because I’m bored. On one of my most recent trips, I left with a napkin holder shaped like a fish. That wasn’t something I was in the market for, but I’m a sucker for a wooden fish with an intricate paint job.

The ability to see potential is key to thrift shopping. There may be some pieces of clothing I like elements of, such as its print or shape, but I’m not digging them as a whole.

When this happens, I look at the item and think about how I could doctor it.

I’ve taken jeans and cut them into shorts, and crafted T-shirts into crop tops and tank tops. These items are only a few dollars each, so if you ruin them, it’s not the end of the world. If you do it right, you’ll end up with something completely unique.

Some people have told me thrift shopping freaks them out. Breathing a second life into clothing doesn’t freak me out as much as it intrigues me.

I don’t know who wore the old men’s style flannel shirt (it’s now hanging in my closet) until the plaid started to fade. I’ll never know how many miles these shoes have trekked before they were mine.

What I do know is it’s a beautiful thing.