14 Things Professional Organizers Always Hunt For At Thrift Stores

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Even if you think you know all the expert tips for thrifting home decor, there's something you might be missing out on. Many vintage pieces that you'll run across when shopping actually offer great organizational value. From corralling clutter on your kitchen countertops to preventing your office drawers from becoming a catch-all, or keeping your walk-in closet neat and tidy, these hidden gems can really come in handy. Plus, beyond simply being functional, these pieces come with character and charm that far surpass that of what you could purchase online or in store today. Thrifting is also an excellent opportunity to save money. So, it really is a win-win situation.

We wanted to learn more about some of the best organizational items to be on the lookout for, so we reached out to four organizational and thrifting experts. Ahead, you can read through the exclusive quotes they shared with House Digest to give you the inspiration you need to tackle practically any organizational need in your home.

Sure, you can pick up a jewelry box online or from a department store in your area. And, yes, it will provide you with various compartments to keep your jewelry organized and accessible. However, according to LA-based professional organizer and decluttering expert Shaniece Jones, buying one of these will likely pale in comparison to a thrifted find. When speaking exclusively with House Digest, Jones shares, "Growing up, there was no greater feeling than receiving my grandmother's jewelry box filled with her favorite rings or necklaces. A new one just doesn't evoke the same emotional weight." While the piece you find in a thrift store won't be from one of your family members, it will still have a more interesting history and unique markings to match.

Beyond the different emotional feel that a vintage jewelry box can provide, Jones also highlights some of the other ways one of these pieces can add value to your organizational efforts. "Vintage jewelry boxes are often crafted with care, they come with intricate compartments meant for brooches, earrings, and larger statement pieces," says Jones. These larger compartments are something that she notes are often missing from the jewelry boxes on the market today, which can leave you facing a challenge as you decide how to organize your full collection.

Jones recommends keeping your eyes peeled for a mannequin head during your thrifting adventures. Finding one can deliver a savvy way to organize a beauty room, a closet, or even a bedroom dresser. "Mannequin heads might be easy to find online, but stumbling upon a vintage wooden one in a thrift store is like striking gold. They're sturdier, full of character, and excellent for organizing hats, wigs, or displaying statement jewelry," explains Jones.

Beyond serving a very functional role by helping you keep wigs, hats, and other accessories organized, a vintage mannequin head can double as an integral part of your room's decor. Jones notes how it will help create a focal point in your space. And, you can even make simple changes to the room's decor by restyling the head periodically. Perhaps, one month it can "wear" your favorite wig, while the next it can proudly display a party hat with a fancy brooch.

Ceramic bowls are another item you might want to add to your mental list as you scour a thrift store for the best organizational finds. While these bowls may have originally been meant for use in the kitchen, according to Jones, they can come in handy in several other rooms as well. A few key uses that she highlights include holding jewelry pieces on your vanity or providing a spot where you can put your keys when you come home. If you find a larger bowl, you might even use it to hold fruit — either real fruit or artificial pieces — to create a unique centerpiece for the dining table. "I'll even stack a few on top of coffee table books or tuck them into open shelving in a closet for that layered, lived-in look," says Jones.

Ceramic bowls will also help add character to your home. As you're shopping, consider which colors or patterns will best provide the right look and feel for your space. You might want to look for something that will coordinate with the rest of your decor. Or, you might want to make the ceramics you choose more of a statement piece by choosing a bold or contrasting color.

Angelia York, the vice president and custom closet designer at Saint Louis Closet Co., shares that tiered stands are one of her favorite things to come across when shopping at a thrift store. These stands, which were likely intended to hold cakes, mini sandwiches, and treats for an afternoon tea, offer a lot of organizational value. "Whether they're vintage glass, elegant ceramic, or charming metal, tiered trays are incredibly versatile," York shares during an exclusive interview with House Digest.

As for how you can use such stands for organization, York offers a few ideas. She says, "I use them to organize perfume bottles, display jewelry, or even sort desk supplies." Tiered stands could even come in handy in the kitchen, offering a unique way to keep spices and seasoning accessible, or for storing coffee pods, creamer, and sugar for a coffee station. "They add a touch of sophistication while also creating vertical interest, which is a game-changer in smaller spaces," says York.

If you're looking to organize crafting supplies, bulk quantities of pantry essentials, gardening tools, or extra office supplies, you might be ready to purchase some plastic storage bins. However, York recommends rethinking this decision and, instead, buying some wooden crates from a thief store. "I constantly keep an eye out for antique wooden crates because they are a combination of functionality and character. I could go to the nearest Target or Container store, but I find that pieces with a backstory have more value," she explains.

You might be able to find various size options during your search for vintage wooden crates. Because of this, you should be able to organize different materials and items around the home. "I use them in every part of my house from the mudroom to the pantry," says York. Larger crates could hold those bulkier gardening tools, while smaller ones might be ideal for holding pantry snacks. You could even upcycle wooden crates to make a shelf system to add some vintage charm and function to a bedroom, office, or living room.

Old tins are another vintage item that can help you organize your home. In fact, they're one of the items that York shares are her favorite to find when thrifting. "They are charming and so versatile; you can use them anywhere in the home. I'm usually drawn to ones with unique designs like florals, or old brand logos; you don't really see that anymore," she says. This item is truly a vintage piece that can add a ton of character to your space — and functionality too!

If you're wondering how to use vintage tins to organize your home, there are several possibilities. One idea is to add a few to your bathroom countertops and use them to hold Q-tips, cotton balls, and other smaller toiletries. You might also add a few tins to your desk to hold office supplies, place one on your kitchen countertops with an artificial flower arrangement, or style them on bookshelves to add some vintage charm to your home.

Lisa Rusyniak, the president & CEO of Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake, explains that she likes thrifting for wicker baskets. "Wicker baskets are timeless, and you'll often find them in excellent condition at a fraction of the retail price. Many are handwoven and much sturdier than newer mass-produced ones," she shared when speaking exclusively with House Digest. And who can argue against quality — especially when it comes with a cheaper price tag. 

Rusyniak offers several suggestions for how you could use thrifted wicker baskets to maintain an organized home. She says, "I use them to corral things like mail, kids' toys, rolled towels in the bathroom, or pantry staples like onions and potatoes." In addition to the suggestions offered by Rusyniak, there are several other ways that you can put wicker baskets you find while thrifting to good use. One room where they could come in handy is your entryway. A smaller basket on the console table could hold keys, while larger ones could keep winter hats and gloves from taking over the space. If you can find a shallower basket, it might make a nice addition to a coffee table to hold remote controls, coasters, and other smaller items.

If you're looking for some vintage items that will pull double duty in your home, both increasing its aesthetic appeal and serving as a useful organizational tool, then you'd be wise to thrift for some old suitcase. Rusyniak highlights vintage suitcases as one of her personal favorites to look for. She says, "I often see beautiful hard-shell cases with retro flair that cost less than a new plastic bin."

You can find vintage suitcases in a variety of colors. These may include more neutral options, such as black or brown, as well as much more vibrant and colorful shades, such as blue, red, or green. With this assortment of colors, you can help express your personal preferences as you organize different rooms in the home. Rusyniak offers a few suggestions for just how to put these finds to good use. She says, "I stack them as a bedside table or under a console to store seasonal items — like scarves and gloves in winter, or beach towels in summer. They also make great memory boxes." You could even turn an antique trunk into a stunning side table by adding a few legs to the base. The hard, flat top will serve as a surface, while opening the suitcase will reveal plenty of useful storage space for remotes, magazines, books, and other personal items.

While there are some valuable glass items to keep an eye out for at thrift stores, even those with that aren't super expensive or rare can prove to be valuable in other ways. This is why Rusyniak recommends picking up some glass jars and canisters the next time you're at a thrift store. Many vintage pieces of glassware are even colored, adding to the unique vibe that they will deliver to your home.

Beyond the visual appeal, Rusyniak points out an additional reason to shop for glass jars and canisters at a thrift store instead of picking up something of a similar online or from a local retailer. "These are perfect for organizing without contributing to plastic waste," she says. The size and shape of the specific jars you find can help you decide on the perfect way to use them. Larger jars may be ideal for storing rice or flour in the pantry, while smaller ones could be the perfect addition to your craft room to hold accessories.

We all have that one junk drawer in our kitchen. You know, the one that's holding everything from spare batteries to scissors to coupons that expired five years ago. The problem is, most of us have more than one drawer that could use some attention. Whether it's one full of cooking utensils that are so jumbled up you can never find what you're looking for or one in the office that has paperclips mixed in with important documents. Fortunately, according to Rusyniak, thrifting can help you address this disorder. She recommends looking for drawer organizers during your shopping trips.

"These show up all the time — often from people doing their own decluttering," Rusyniak says. "You'll find acrylic, bamboo, and even metal ones in great condition," she adds. Drawer organizers aren't just for kitchens anymore, either. Rusyniak highlights how valuable they can be for a variety of needs, including organizing office supplies, keeping that junk drawer in check, or even sorting makeup tools and cosmetic products.

You might walk by a bookshelf or cabinet as you're thrifting, thinking that you don't need another one in your space. However, Rusyniak recommends some out-of-the-box thinking as you shop. Instead of simply looking at what something currently looks like, think about what it could look like with a few small modifications to its construction. She calls out bookshelves and small cabinets as specific things to keep an eye out for, noting that they are donated regularly and come with a plethora of repurposing possibilities.

"A small bookcase becomes a great shoe organizer in an entryway, a dish display in the kitchen, or a linen shelf in a bathroom," says Rusyniak. Of course, the exact modifications the piece will need depends on your vision for the finished product, but in some cases you might simply need to add a few coats of fresh paint. For example, you might consider using chalk paint, such as the Dixie Belle Paint Company Chalk Mineral Paint, to give a small cabinet a vintage look before adding it to your kitchen for extra storage.

With some other pieces, it could go beyond a simple coat of paint. For example, you could take an old bookcase and use it to DIY a stylish storage bench for your entryway. For this project, you'll want to add some batting and upholstery fabric to a piece of MDF to make the cushioned seat and attach it to the old bookshelf.

While lazy Susans may have traditionally been used on dining tables to help everyone access the various components of a meal, they can come in handy in several other rooms in the house. And, according to Rusyniak, they're yet another item that you'd be wise to look for the next time you find yourself at a thrift store. "These are usually donated when people move or reorganize. I've seen vintage wooden lazy Susans that are not only functional but really beautiful," she says.

So, just how can you use a lazy Susan to increase your home's functionality and organizational capabilities? Well, for one, lazy Susans are a kitchen's best friend. They can be put in the corners of a pantry to prevent condiment bottles and other small items from getting lost. They can also help you organize spices in a cabinet by the stove. With this set up, you can simply rotate the base until you find what you're looking for, instead of emptying everything out and having to put it all back in. Rusyniak offers a few additional ideas that might make these an even more appealing thrifting find. "I use them under the sink for cleaning supplies, on dining tables for condiments, or on desks for art supplies or office tools," she says.

Don't walk past the magazine holders just because you don't subscribe to print magazine anymore. Rusyniak shares that these are another item she looks for when thrifting. However, instead of using them to hold magazines (which, of course, you could also do), she once again recommends putting some creative thought into it.

If you think about it, magazine racks are a very versatile. Because of their upright design and smaller compartments, you can use them to hold far more than simply magazines or newspapers. Rusyniak even notes that they can be used in practically any room in the house, sharing that they "can often be repurposed to store cutting boards, water bottles, or even bags of snacks in a pantry." If you're feeling a little crafty, you could even thrift a magazine holder to pull double duty in the bathroom — using a piece with a slim and removable handle to hold a roll of toilet paper.

Over-the-door organizers are another thing that professionals often look for when thrifting. As Toula Adu, the owner of Bizzy Bee Organizing, shares, "Most people think these types of organizers work best with shoes, but they also work for those miscellaneous items you want tucked away and need to find later." So, even if you already have the ideal shoe storage solution in place, you won't want to pass these up because of the other ways they can help you maintain a clutter-free home.

There are several smart ways to use an over-the-door shoe organizer to keep your home clutter-free. Think about a room that has a clutter problem, and you can likely think of a way that such a product could help. For example, if your personal care products and toiletries are taking over the bathroom sink, hang an organizer over the door, and your problems will be solved. If all of these granola bars, fruit snacks, and other small items are getting lost on the pantry shelves, you could designate a pocket or two for each of them in an organizer as well. "In our home we use them to store cleaning supplies, packing cubes, swimwear, and uniforms for extra curricular activities. The list is endless when it comes to over the door organizers," says Adu.