13. Look for items that are misunderstood.
If you come across something that has been misunderstood, you might be able to get a pretty good deal at a thrift store. That is to say, the individual who is putting out the things and setting the prices has no understanding of what it is. As a result, they may have placed something more valuable in the incorrect part of the secondhand store. When an employee makes a mistake, you may be able to buy anything at a significant discount just because they were confused about what it was.
This has happened to me several times, usually when I'm shopping for older antiques. It occurs more frequently in my college town, where Goodwill employees are students looking for part-time work. Older folks and private store owners are more likely to know how to price anything effectively. Therefore you won't get as good of a deal.
