Thrifter shares her tips on Value Village buys
Local thrifter shares her tips on finding second-hand treasures
There are a few items on Nicole Ebbesen Rowan’s shopping list: striped skirt, olive cardigan, floral pants.
The good news: she has one full day shopping in six stores to find them. The challenge: she is doing all of her shopping at Value Village.
The thrift store giant debuted its first Shop Hop July 19 in Edmonton. Shoppers were offered five per cent off their first purchase at a Value Village location in the Edmonton area, and an additional five per cent off purchases at each subsequent location, for a potential 30-per-cent discount.
Master thrifter and shopping aficionado Ebbesen Rowan couldn’t pass up such a tantalizing offer.
By 4:30 p.m. on the shop-hoppery day of madness, Ebbesen Rowan found herself at her fifth stop of the day: the VV Boutique on Whyte Avenue. She strolled in with friend Lisa Annett, who is more likely to browse through kitchen goods and items for her children than scan long racks of dresses, shirts, skirts and pants for herself.
Ebbesen Rowan was determined to change that.
With a keen eye for brand names and unique finds, Ebbesen Rowan has a special vision that zeros in on quality clothes. She’s honed her good sense of style into a freelance gig, working as a stylist and thrifting consultant when she’s not busy as a pediatric occupational therapist, or being mother of three young children.
Ebbesen Rowan pitched the idea of a Shop Hop to Value Village (a store she doesn’t work for) and immediately received feedback from people wanting to see something similar in their cities.
The ideals of such shoppers go beyond landing a great deal.
“They’re people who are conscious consumers,” Ebbesen Rowan said. “They want to live in a sustainable way and second-hand shopping is a way to do that.”
Value Village was also keen. “We are always thinking of new ways to engage with loyal Value Village shoppers as well as those who haven’t visited our stores before, so when Nicole approached Value Village with the Shop Hop idea, we were excited to test it out,” said Sara Gaugl, Value Village communications director, in an email.
Ebbesen Rowan placed her first item in her cart: a purple blazer.
“If you see something you like, put it in your cart right away because you don’t know if you’ll get back to where you saw it, or it might be gone,” she advised.
Then? Go through a few more aisles, she said. Scan for brand names, don’t be afraid to check out sizes slightly outside your normal range, and rely on a friend.
“You’re not looking at a mannequin, so you have to rely on each other more to know if something is a good fit or how to put something together,” she said.
The cart piled up: a mustard-coloured dress (too big for Ebbesen Rowan, but it’s a great colour for a friend), an Escada dress (again, not the right size, but at $17.99 it’s too good to resist), a striped skirt (the whole reason she came), and a Banana Republic dress (with tags still on!) that she handed to another friend, Heidi Wachowiak.
Wachowiak still remembers the faux-fur coat she scored at half-price at this VV location in the 1990s. She wore the gem for years.
Ebbesen Rowan has been thrifting since 2012. She didn’t always have a high opinion of second-hand shopping, but when her husband lost his job, she decided to buy second-hand for one year. She liked it, started a blog and, with its success, started to advertise her work as a stylist and thrifting consultant. While shopping is a hobby and part-time passion, it’s actually similar to her work as an occupational therapist for children with special needs.
“It’s a good fit with occupational therapy,” Ebbesen Rowan said. “We’re clientcentred. It’s what works for the individual, their life, their role, and their style.”
Ebbesen Rowan meets her friend Annett near the dressing rooms. Annett, who rarely likes to shop for herself, has a basket stacked with tops. Ebbesen Rowan’s enthusiasm and belief in finding treasures has rubbed off.
By the end of the day, Ebbesen Rowan has 16 fantastic finds indecipherable from a rack of brand new clothes. She hit the jackpot with floral leggings, but will be back to find the elusive striped skirt and olive-coloured cardigan.