Forget Black Friday, find big savings at thrift stores - wistv.com - Columbia, South Carolina |

By Jillian Capobianco - bio | email

COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) - If you don't want to wait in lines to get deep discounts on Black Friday, why not go to shops where there are always discounts -- thrift and consignment stores.

Going through Karen Edwards' home, you wouldn't think that more than half of her belongings were purchased at huge discounts. Karen is a professor of Retailing at the University of South Carolina, and she knows how to get good deals.

"This mirror over here I got at Goodwill and it still has the $9.99 tag on it," said Edwards. "I can't think of anything I have purchased there that I have spent more than $10 on. Ten is my max, unless it's something really fabulous."

Goodwill, along with consignment and thrift shops are some of Karen's regular stops. A vintage wicker headboard was $12. Vintage luggage was just $3 apiece from a Veteran's Thrift Shop. "That was a great deal on some vintage luggage," said Edwards. "Leather trim, so I was excited about that, too."

Edwards also found a pea coat for $10, an Oscar De LaRente Scarf, and a fur trim coat for just $12. "If you know your brands and read your fiber content labels, you can get great things that are gently worn," said Edwards.

And for the grand finale, a $2,000 wedding gown for just $500, bought through the charity Brides Against Breast Cancer.

Take if from a frugalista -- the money you save and the treasures you can find are worth doing a little bit of digging.

If you're not a big shopper, Karen suggests starting small. She says to begin with consignment stores, because they are more organized and more particular about the items they accept. She says from there, you can work your way up to thrift stores.

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