"I lived the high life and now I'm having to scrounge," says Glen Price, 67, a retired piano player who now lives in North Fort Myers, Fla., on about $800 a month.

Scrounging is a lot easier, though, with thrift stores, where he's a regular patron for everything from sheets to children's books for his grandchildren.

In a tough economic environment, thrift stores are seeing people they've never seen before all over the country, says Adele Meyer, executive director of the National Association of Resale & Thrift Shops.

"There's just an influx of customers coming into retail thrift stores for the first time, who are becoming more cautious in their spending," she says.

Resale stores, which include more than 25,000 thrift and consignment businesses, have increased in number of stores by 5 percent annually in recent years, and will continue to grow, according to the association. That's a sharp contrast to other national retailers that are cutting their staff and closing stores because people are shopping less.

"This is a recession-proof industry. ... It's natural to turn to consignment and thrift stores where they can get quality goods for their dollars," Meyer says.

Another change in the $200-billion-a-year industry, she says, is that new donors are showing up who need the tax write-off to make ends meet. "They may donate things they would have just given away."

POOR ECONOMY GOOD FOR THRIFTS

Thrift and resale stores typically perform better than other retailers during times of economic anxiety because consumers still need to purchase essentials such as clothing and are looking for ways to cut down costs.

Generally, about 16 percent of all shoppers buy secondhand items at stores. But that number may go up to 20 percent this fall as people look for deals on back-to-school clothing, according to America's Research Group, a consumer research firm based in Charleston, S.C.

"The dollar is shrinking. The fuel cost is up. Food is up," says Maj. Michael Waters, an administrator of Nashville's four Salvation Army thrift stores. "Everything is going up, except people's income, and therefore they are trying to be more frugal and more budget conscious."

Thrift stores that rely mostly on donations say they have seen a boost in sales. The Salvation Army thrift stores reported a 15 percent increase in the number of customers visiting its 15 Southeastern regional stores. Meanwhile, Goodwill retail stores saw a 5.2 percent sales gain in 2007 at its 125 stores nationwide open more than a year, according to Rockville, Md.-based Goodwill Industries International.

Thrifts have a dedicated following of people who don't have to shop there but do, he says.

Occasionally, they score spectacular deals, he says.

"In the costume jewelry, for example, there'll be real pearls out there," Itzkowitz says. "They'll call and say, 'I just wanted to tell you I had that appraised for $700.' "

10 TIPS FOR SHOPPING AT THRIFT STORES

1. Don't be afraid of used. If you're not a veteran of thrift shops and garage sales, you might be someone who only buys new stuff. Break free from that prejudice, because even if it has been owned before, an item can be perfectly good (sometimes great) — and more importantly, it costs much less. You can find $100 clothing for a few dollars. You can find $1,000 furniture for a tenth of the price. You can find rare and collectible items for chump change. And if it isn't great looking, you can always fix it up with some paint, with a screwdriver, or with a needle and thread.

2. Be willing to spend a little time looking. Thrift shops can have some real gems — but sometimes they're buried in piles of stuff you'd never consider buying. You've got to search, to sift, to rummage, to be patient. Think of it as a journey, not a quick stop, and you'll find many more great things.

3. Sell your old stuff for credit. Before you go to a thrift shop, pull a bunch of old clothes from your closet, get a bunch of your kids' toys (the stuff they've forgotten about), old books and magazines, anything you don't need anymore. Put them in some boxes, and sell them to the thrift store for credit. You've purged a bunch of clutter while allowing yourself to get some great used stuff for free.

4. Bring cash. Most thrift stores don't take anything but cash, so if you're used to using plastic or checks, be sure to remember to stop at an ATM.

5. Shop outside of cities. If you live in a city, you might find that most of the thrift shops closest to you have been picked through thoroughly. But drive a few minutes just outside the city, and you'll find many more great things.

6. Go with friends. Make it a fun outing. Hunting for great stuff in thrift stores with friends can be a real blast. Even if you don't find anything, if you've spent a good afternoon with friends, making jokes and making fun of the stuff in the stores ... well, it's not a wasted day.

7. No dressing rooms. Most thrift stores have no place to change. So be willing to eyeball it and alter the clothes later to fit better. Or wear a tight-fitting tank top so you can try shirts on over it.

8. Look beyond the surface. Furniture, especially, can be scratched up, but still be a great find. Instead of paying attention to the nicks and scratches, consider how it'll look if you sand and varnish, or give it a fresh coat of paint. Sometimes an hour of work can make it as fresh as new.

9. www.TheThriftShopper.com. Enter your zip code on this site and you'll get all the thrift shops in your area, ratings and reviews of each, and tons of great info.

10. Test things out. If you're buying electronics, insist on testing them. For toys with batteries, open up the battery case to see whether there's corrosion. Look closely at other items. A few defects are OK, but you want to look closely, because you don't want to take it home and find that it's useless.

Source: The Bargainist