A green frog with a place for your sponge sounds like the kind of thing that sits on a Goodwill shelf for months. But when reseller THE THRIFTING TWINS spotted one, she grabbed it right away. The price was $1.99, and she figured the frog sponge holder was probably a $10 to $12 item. Just as important, she said, it would be easy to ship.

That one sentence tells you how a working thrifter thinks. It is not only about what something might sell for. It is about how fast it will sell and how painful it will be to mail. Her walk through a Goodwill is a handy lesson for anyone who has ever wondered what to buy, what to pass on and what to leave on the shelf.

The Finds She Took Home

Her haul for this trip was small. She says it was her third stop and this was all she found all day. She kept the frog sponge holder, and she also picked up a bottle of Tiffany and Co. shower gel for three dollars. She opened it just to smell it, then put the cap back. It has a clean, soapy, jasmine-like scent, and she said that if it does not sell for much she will simply keep it. She would also love to find the original blue Tiffany box to go with it.

The other keeper was a butter bell, which she says she learned about from her viewers. It is not Dansk, but at $2 she decided to try it after checking that it was not broken. A butter bell keeps butter soft on the counter, so even if it does not sell quickly it is a useful piece with a ready audience.

What She Passed On, and Why

Here is where the real education sits. She turned down a cup-and-saucer set priced at $4 per set. She looked up the pattern and found 83 listed and 19 sold, and at $4 for four cups she decided the numbers did not work. A set of wine glasses at $3.99 sells for about $15 in her experience, but she says it would have to be $2 for her to buy it.

She also left behind a girl planter that might have been Shawnee pottery, because it had too much cracking at $2.99. A cool pottery vase was newer and mass-produced, so it was not worth reselling. Fiesta saucers were crazed, and fancy crystal wine glasses were heavy but not worth the bother. A needlepoint of the United States cost $4, and she said she does not think anyone would buy it, though she found it cool to look at given how long it took to make.

She also looked at a Cracker Barrel set of two pilgrims priced at $8.99. Similar ones list for $25, but when she checked sold listings there were none, which she says is exactly why she always looks things up.

What She Hunts For

Every thrifter has a wish list, and hers is specific. She is always on the lookout for Hull pottery, which she says she used to find everywhere. She searches for fairy lamps and glassy babies, and maybe sunset grapes. She also hopes to find Bennington pottery, and in the green section of the shelves she checks for uranium glass.

On colored glass, she shares a few pointers. Clear fairy lamps are not a bad price, but people want colored ones in blue or green, and she believes carnival iridescent glass is worth the most in pink. She also says she prefers faster-selling items, even small ones, because some glass pieces take a long time to find a buyer. A Maria Mara mug priced at $2.99 is one she believes is a $15 to $25 item, though she says it could take a month to sell.

Smart Rules For Your Next Thrift Trip

You do not have to run an online shop to borrow her habits. These ideas come straight from how she shops.

• Check sold listings, not just asking prices. An item listed at $25 means little if none have actually sold.
• Think about shipping. A small item that mails easily beats a bulky one that costs a fortune to send.
• Set a ceiling in advance. If a set sells for about $15, decide what you will pay before you reach the register.
• Skip newer, mass-produced pieces. Older or marked pieces with real collectors tend to move faster.
• Check for chips and cracks before you commit. Damage can erase the profit.

She says she goes to three or four thrift stores a day, and on this trip she circled one store about five times before cashing out. She also noted that prices are rising, which helps thrift stores but not resellers like her. Still, she keeps finding things. She had visited this same Goodwill about three weeks earlier looking for Nora Fleming pieces and came up empty, so she returned to film.

For anyone who simply loves the hunt, the takeaway is comforting. A $1.99 frog may not change your life, but a careful eye, a quick search on your phone and a little patience can turn a few dollars into a steady side income. Even when you walk out with just a shower gel and a butter bell, the next fresh cart is always coming out.

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