linhslife - Tumblr blog

[linhslife]

Put in an order on iOffer to pick up some “designer” bags!

Ordered 

Michael Kors bag 

Gucci Soho Disco 

YSL bag 

I don’t really have any high expectations, they were all $4 each. I may not even receive them but the “expected arrival” is October 25 - November 16. Fingers crossed! 

[linhslife]

Value Village - Region of Waterloo

I visited two locations in Waterloo. First one is in Cambridge and the second is in Kitchener. 

Type: Dress 

Brand: Wilfred 

Quality: 4/5 - brand new without tags 

Size: S 

Price: $8.99 

Reasons for purchasing: Cheap, basically brand new, plus Wilfred, duh! 

Retail Price: $65 

Type: Tank top 

Brand: Wilfred 

Quality: 4/5 - brand new without tags 

Size: S 

Price: $5.99 

Reasons for purchasing: Cheap, basically brand new, plus Wilfred, duh! 

Retail Price: N/A 

Type: Leggings 

Brand: Talula 

Quality: 4/5 - brand new without tags 

Size: S 

Price: $9.99 

Reasons for purchasing: I love Talula and the leggings were practically brand new 

Retail Price: $22 - on sale for $15

Type: Leggings 

Brand: TNA 

Quality: 4/5 - brand new without tags 

Size: M 

Price: $12.99

Reasons for purchasing: Practically brand new, love leggings, love the colour, wanted this when it was being sold in stores  

Retail Price: N/A 

[linhslife]

Value Village - Mississauga

$22One of the best locations in the GTA. Fairly priced and a large selection of Aritzia items. 

Type: Cardigan 

Brand: Wilfred 

Quality: 3.5/5 - looks as if it’s brand new, but there’s a weird stitching on the inside 

Size: S 

Price: $11.99 

Reasons for purchasing: Cheap, Wilfred, and I wanted this cardigan in Black 

Retail Price: 

Type: Tank top 

Brand: VS Pink 

Quality: 4/5 - brand new without tags 

Size: L 

Price: $4.99 

Reasons for purchasing: I love VS Pink, and I’ve always wanted a piece of their Blue Jays line but could never afford it 

Retail Price: N/A

Type: Tank top 

Brand: Wilfred 

Quality: 4/5 - brand new without tags 

Size: S 

Price: $5.99 

Reasons for purchasing: Cheap, basically brand new, plus Wilfred, duh! 

Retail Price: $45 - on sale currently for $22.50 

Type: Tank top 

Brand: Wilfred 

Quality: 4/5 - brand new without tags 

Size: S 

Price: $5.99 

Reasons for purchasing: Cheap, basically brand new, plus Wilfred, duh! 

Retail Price: $45 - on sale currently for $22.50 (it’s the same style as the previous Talula shirt, so I’m going to assume that it’s the same price point) 

[linhslife]

Value Village - North York

Second visit yesterday and I think this location is a real gem. I’ve always found some really great pieces here. 

Type: Skirt 

Brand: Nasty Gal (online retailer) 

Quality: 4/5 - brand new without tags 

Size: XS

Price: $7.99 

Reasons for purchasing: Very in-style, brand new, always wanted a piece from Nasty Gal 

Retail Price: N/A

Type: Tank top 

Brand: Wilfred 

Quality: 5/5 - good condition, but looks worn 

Size: S 

Price: $17.99 

Reasons for purchasing: Way too gorgeous to pass up, and it was brand new with tags 

Retail Price: $60.00 

[linhslife]

Value Village - Pickering

Had an amazing/lucky run in Pickering today! Here are my thrifted and spotted finds! 

Type: Tank top 

Brand: Wilfred 

Quality: 3/5 - good condition, but looks worn 

Size: S 

Price: $1.99 

Reasons for purchasing: Cheap, plus Wilfred, duh! 

Retail Price: N/A

Type: Sleeveless top 

Brand: T.Babaton 

Quality: 3/5 - good condition, but looks worn 

Size: S 

Price: $8.99 

Reasons for purchasing: Cute detailing at the end of the shirt, didn’t want to pass up Babaton 

Retail Price: N/A

Type: Shorts

Brand: Community 

Quality: 4/5 - brand new without tags 

Size: S 

Price: $7.99 

Reasons for purchasing: Cheap, good condition, cute, and don’t have a Community piece! 

Retail Price: $55, on sale currently for $27.50 

Type: Purse 

Brand: Marc by Marc Jacobs 

Quality: 3/5 - the outside is immaculate, basically brand new, however, there is no strap and the inside has pen marks 

Size: N/A 

Price: $17.99 

Reasons for purchasing: I’ve ALWAYS wanted a Marc Jacobs purse and for $17.99 this is a steal, considering that I saw a Coach purse for the same price and Coach is outdated. I just couldn’t pass it up and I knew I would regret it if I did. This way, I can get the purse I like at a price I can afford. 

Retail Price: N/A

SPOTTED NOT THRIFTED

Brand: TNA 

Quality: 4/5 - brand new without tags 

Size: Small 

Price: $14.99 

Reasons for NOT Purchasing: Too expensive, didn’t love it enough 

Brand: Wilfred 

Quality: 4/5 - brand new without tags 

Size: Medium 

Price: $8.99 

Reasons for NOT Purchasing: Was a really weird fit. Didn’t like it at all but the colour and silver was beautiful 

[linhslife]

Value Village - Markham

One of the best Value Villages and some of my best finds! 

Type: Sleeveless top 

Brand: Club Monaco 

Quality: 4/5 - brand new without tags 

Size: S

Price: $8.99 

Reasons for purchasing: This is a super cute top, perfect for summer, basically brand new, and I wanted a piece of Club Monaco! 

Retail Price: N/A

Type: Sleeveless top 

Brand: Tobi (online retailer) 

Quality: 4/5 - brand new without tags 

Size: S - mistagged, I think this is actually an XS 

Price: $5.99 

Reasons for purchasing: Cheap, basically brand new, the buttons actually unbutton the shirt, always loved Tobi clothes but never bought any before  cause it’s an online retailer and wanted it for my closet 

Retail Price: N/A

Type: Cardigan 

Brand: Wilfred 

Quality: 4/5 - brand new without tags 

Size: XXS 

Price: $9.99 

Reasons for purchasing: Cheap, basically brand new, very soft, wanted a Wilfred cardigan 

Retail Price: N/A

Type: Leggings 

Brand: VS Pink 

Quality: 4/5 - brand new without tags 

Size: L 

Price: $14.99 

Reasons for purchasing: Desperately needed new leggings and I love the ones at VS Pink but I can’t justify spending $50 on it, so $14.99 (although it’s overpriced for VV) is a good deal. 

Retail Price: N/A

Type: Dress 

Brand: Wilfred 

Quality: 4/5 - brand new without tags 

Size: S

Price: $6.99 

Reasons for purchasing: Cheap, basically brand new, love the dress 

Retail Price: N/A

SPOTTED NOT THRIFTED 

Brand: VS Pink

Quality: 4/5 - brand new without tags 

Size: Medium

Price: $1.49 

Reasons for NOT Purchasing: Not a fan of crop tops/open sides. Shame though cause this was a beauty! 

Brand: Talula 

Quality: 3.5/5 - brand new without tags, the ruffles look a little worn 

Size: Medium

Price: $12.99 

Reasons for NOT Purchasing: Couldn’t justify spending $12.99 on it, didn’t love it enough 

[linhslife]

Salvation Army Thrift Store - Scarborough (Kennedy)

I stopped by here during their 50% off sale a few weeks ago. Like National Thrift, I will not be doing a review. All I will say is that I will not be returning to this location. The quality/availability of clothing was poor, it’s a little far ways from me and based on my experience, I don’t think it would be worth it to return. With that being said, I did pick up a few items during their sale and want to share them with you here. 

Type: Long-sleeve knit 

Brand: Talula 

Quality: 3/5 - it’s in pretty good condition but does look a little worn 

Size: S

Price: $8.99 - but 50% sale, so purchased for $4.50 

Reasons for purchasing: I am interested in building a “professional” wardrobe and I thought this would look cute

Retail Price: N/A 

Type: Sleeveless top 

Brand: Vince Camuto 

Quality: 5/5 - brand new without tags, the zipper had a piece of plastic on it that I discovered while I was washing this so it’s brand new! 

Size: L

Price: $5.99 - but 50% sale, so purchased for $3.00 

Reasons for purchasing: I am interested in building a “professional” wardrobe, it’s cute, and practically brand new 

Retail Price: N/A 

Type: Long sleeve knit 

Brand: J. Crew 

Quality: 3/5 - no piling or holes, good condition 

Size: L

Price: $6.99 - but 50% sale, so purchased for $3.50 

Reasons for purchasing: Love these types of sweaters and wanted a J.Crew piece in my closet

Retail price: N/A 

[linhslife]

National Thrift - Scarborough

I stopped by National Thrift a couple weeks ago and these were what I picked up. I’m not going to review National thrift, mainly because I don’t remember much of the trip. However, I will say that I will not be returning. The store itself was quite small and the quality/availability of clothing was lacklustre. Higher end items were non-existant. These were the best stuff I could find. 

Type: Sleeveless top 

Brand: Marc by Marc Jacobs 

Quality: 3/5 - does look a little worn, off white

Size: 2 

Price: $3.99 

Reasons for purchasing: I thought this was a really cute top to wear in the summer. I’m saving up for my wardrobe for when I lose weight and for $4 bucks, you can’t go wrong. 

Retail Price: N/A 

Type: T-shirt 

Brand: Dynamite 

Quality: 5/5 - practically brand new (notice the black tag!) 

Size: L

Price: $6.99 

Reasons for purchasing: Super cute in person. I regret purchasing it though because it doesn't quite fit and it’s pricey for National Thrift. 

Retail price: N/A 

[linhslife]

Value Village: Region of Waterloo Reviews

1) Location: Cambridge / 480 Hespeler Rd

Small location 

Located in a plaza 

Lots of space between aisles 

Lots of parking space 

Not a busy location 

Cleanliness/Organization: 3/5

Hard to sift through items because of the racks 

No clothes hanging on top 

No clothes on the ground 

Quality: 1/5

Not good for those seeking high-end designers. I haven’t come across any high end pieces. 

Racks are semi-empty 

Lots of random unheard of brands

Pricing: 2/5

Nothing particularly cheap stood out to me here 

If I remember correctly, shoes were kind of expensive 

Spotted a TNA beanie for $8.99. Beanie wasn’t in great condition, so it must’ve been priced because of the brand. 

Bought TNA leggings for $12.99. Kinda of pricey. 

Thrift Potential: 2/5

Spotted some Talula bustiers but they weren’t in great condition 

Aside from the beanie, leggings, and bustiers, there wasn’t much else

I would say Aritzia selection is scarce but you may find good items here. 

Didn’t see any higher end mall brands such as Zara, J. Crew 

Overall: 2/5

Not bad for a small city, but the location is small and the racks were scarce 

I would say this is more representative of an average thrift store, possibly worth going to if you’re not into brand items but rather unique items. 

2) Location: Kitchener / 50 Gateway Park Dr

Large location

Lots of space between aisles 

Lots of parking space 

Busy location 

Cleanliness/Organization: 5/5

Lots of space on racks for you to go through items 

No clothes hanging on top 

No clothes on the ground 

Quality: 4/5

Spotted some nice trendy pieces (Dynamite, kind of like clubbing clothes) in basically new condition 

Pricing: 3/5

Not sure if it’s because of the small city and therefore trendy pieces from Dynamite are priced higher, but I found that Dynamite pieces here are pricer than most VVs. 

This VV doesn’t mark-up Aritzia items. I paid $8.99 for a Wilfred Free dress and $5.99 for a Wilfred tank. These prices are just below average of regular VV pricing. 

Thrift Potential: 4/5

For a small city, this is a really great location. Mainly because I found Wilfred pieces at this location (I was in VV Cambridge, which is nearby and they did not have any Wilfred items). There’s potential here to find great items.

On top of that, the Wilfred dress I purchased is still being sold in stores for $65, so that’s a bonus for having in-style items. 

Spotted a lot of VS Pink 

Overall: 4/5

Again, for a small city, really good location for thrift potential. 

[linhslife]

Value Village: GTA Reviews

1) Location: Scarborough / 3701 Lawrence Ave E #1 

Large location

Lots of space between aisles 

Limited parking space, but not a problem as it is not busy 

Cleanliness/Organization: 5/5 

Lots of space on racks for you to go through items 

No clothes hanging on top 

No clothes on the ground 

Quality: 2/5

Not good for those seeking high-end designers. I haven’t come across any high end pieces 

Mall brands such as Forever 21 and Victoria’s Secret are common here

Zara is scarce, Aritzia is non-existant at location 

Pricing: 1/5

When I started thrifting, I overpaid at this location for a couple items. One of them was a Roots sweater for $15.99. A good price for a Roots sweater but still too expensive for a thrift store.

Mall brands are expensive. Saw a Forever 21 cardigan for $10.99 

Thrift Potential: 2/5 

I always pick up Victoria Secret Pink sweaters here, which I haven’t seen any other locations. 

The Roots sweater I got here was also in pretty good condition. 

I’d say this is a pretty good location if you’re looking for mall brands.

Overall: 2/5

Overall, not a bad location. Value Village it’s self is pretty good (parking, size of building, cleanliness)

As for the items at this location, they’re not great if you’re looking to hunt designer items. If, however, you are looking for reasonably priced mall items, this may be worth checking out. 

2) Location: North York / 2776 Victoria Park Ave 

Small location, located in a dingy plaza 

Small space between aisles��

Cleanliness/Organization: 5/5

Lots of space on racks for you to go through items 

No clothes hanging on top 

No clothes on the ground

Quality: 3/5

Due to the small store, not a lot of items 

Didn't find much here and no single brand sticks out here, however, I had an extremely lucky run when I went and found a Theory shirt, a Babaton shirt that was still being sold at Aritzia for $95 (+1 for an in season find!)  and then a brand new without tags Brandy Melville long sleeve 

Pricing: 3/5 // Update: 2/5 

Average pricing for Value Village 

Nothing too extreme from what I saw, all my items were originally tagged $10.99 or less, and remember they were high/mid end (versus Scarborough’s $10.99 for a Forever 21 cardigan!) 

**Update** 

I paid $17.99 for a BNWT Wilfred cami. Normally I would never pay $17.99 for an item at VV but it was so beautiful that I couldn’t pass it up. On top of that the tag was $60 so asking $17 is reasonable. However, asking $17 when they got the item for free is a bit fucked up. Minus one star for ridiculous pricing. 

Thrift Potential: 3/5 // Update: 4/5 

Again, I had an extremely lucky run when I went. I didn’t see anything else too special at this location. Nevertheless, this is a very generous score because I’m taking my finds into account 

**Update** 

I revisited this location on October 10, 2017. It turns out my lucky first run wasn’t so lucky after all. This place is a nice gem. I found quite a few Aritzia items. Found a few brand name items as well such as a Micheal Kors shirt, a lot of BCBG or whatever that brand is. There’s also a lot of Guess items at this location. However, I am bumping up a star because there were a lot of items with tags on them! I picked up a beautiful Wilfred cami that was brand new with tags still attached 

Overall: 3/5 

I’ve only been to this location once, and my finds were very good so the sample size may not be that representative of the location.

I do think, however, that finding items may be more difficult due to the smaller size of the store

I’d recommend checking this location only in passing (solely because of the small size) 

3) Location: Victoria Park / 1525 Victoria Park Ave 

An extremely busy and small location, easily accessible 

Aisles are small, and the racks are hard to sift through (too many items and there are stuff at the top blocking you from “sifting” through them) 

Parking lot is small and weirdly designed

This location is known for having good pieces 

Cleanliness/Organization: 2/5

Busy location, so there’s an occasional top here and there 

Racks are too full to sift through 

Quality: 3/5

I know this location is known as one of the “best” in Toronto. Based on my two visits, it’s hard to tell but from my experience, I find that there isn't many store brands here. There’s a lot of really random brands. 

Spotted a Michael Kors duster jacker

Purchased a Wilfred Cardigan that was still being sold in stores (+1 for an in season find!) 

There’s a lot of Zara and J.Crew items at this location 

Pricing: 2/5 // Update: 1/5 

I overpaid ($15) for the Wilfred cardigan at this location. Again, $15 is not bad for a Wilfred Cardigan, but for Value Village, it’s quite pricey 

Higher end brands are priced higher

Mall brands are reasonable 

**Update**

I re-visited this location on October 10, 2017 and all I can say is that I left empty handed and every time I visit, it gets more and more disappointing. This store has absolutely notorious pricing. $30 for used shoes. Not even brand names. Anything Nine West/Call It Spring is an instant $30 price tag. I also went through dresses (found a Talula dress for $30) and they were all pretty expensive compared to other Value Villages. I ascertain that out of all the Value Villages I’ve been to around the GTA, this one has the highest mark-ups/prices. 

Thrift Potential: 4/5 // Update 3/5 

Since I’ve only been to this location twice, it’s hard to judge the thrift potential, but during my first visit, I spotted a Micheal Kors duster jacket

As mentioned previously, I also thrifted a Wilfred cardigan here. This cardigan is still being sold in stores for $95 (in season item!) 

An abundance of Zara/J.Crew items here 

**Update** 

I’m not sure if it’s because this location is so busy that it gets picked over, but there’s scarce Aritzia items here... or anything good for that matter. I’ve left empty handed 2/3 times I’ve been here. Disappointing. On top of that. I’m seeing a lot of old clothes. Like clothes from 2009-2011 old. I saw a few types of clothing here that resembled the ones I had then. Literally found an exact shirt I have in my closet at home. 

I’ve now visited this location three times, and 

Overall: 4/5 // Update: 3/5 

Strong contender as one of the best Value Villages in Toronto 

Worth checking out if you’re looking for Zara/J.Crew items 

Real hit or miss - requires digging. **Update** 

4) Location: Pickering / 609 Kingston Rd

Large location

Huge parking lot

Not a busy location

Lots of space between aisles 

Cleanliness/Organization: 3/5

Pretty clean, generally there are no items on top/bottom

Very easy to go through items 

A few misplaced items, few mistags here and there 

Quality: 4/5

A lot of Zara, Lord and Taylor, Ann Taylor, Tommy Hilf. items 

Also has a lot of store brands such as Forever 21, American Eagle  

Thrifted some very nice “Dynamite” (mall brand) pieces, as well as a brand new blouse from Jean Machine with tags 

Spotted a couple of Brandy Melville items 

Pricing: 4/5

This is one of the best Value Villages in the GTA in regards to pricing. 

Spotted a Forever 21 t-shirt for $1.99

Thrifted a Gap Sweatshirt for $2 (tagged price $3.99)

Thrifted an American Eagle shirt for $2 (tagged price $3.99) 

Thrifted an American Eagle plaid shirt for $7.99 

I took away a star because I bought a Vince Camuto blouse for $10.99

Thrift Potential: 3.5/5

I don’t think you’ll find any high end pieces at this location, but there are a lot of really great, basically new items at this location 

Overall: 4/5

Even though this location isn’t exactly in Toronto, it’s TOTALLY worth the drive! I love this location because there’s so many good quality items here. A lot of them are basically new! On top of that, the prices are amazing! This VV (for the most part) doesn’t hike prices on mall brands! $1.49 for a Forever 21 t-shirt? $3.99 for a shirt from American Eagle? Sold. 

5) Location: Markham / 7655 Markham Rd C-1 & C-2

Decently-sized location in a strip mall

Aisle space is good

Tons of parking available 

Not a busy location 

Cleanliness/Organization: 1/5

One of the messiest VV I’ve ever been to, each rack has at least 3 items overtop of it and one other item on the ground 

Sifting through racks is easy, but the employee who hung the item on didn’t do a good job, so when you’re shifting, stuff is constantly falling 

Lot of items partly on/off the hanger

Terribly mistagged items. Two of the items I bought were mistagged 

There’s a lot of stuff out of place, I found a lot of blouses with the t-shirts

Quality: 5/5

Spotted an Alexander McQueen t-shirt 

Spotted 2x TNA tanks, a bunch of Wilfred/Wilfred free tops, 1x Babaton shirt 

Carries a lot of Zara items, occasional Club Monaco, Garage

Pricing: 3.5/5  

Pricing wasn’t bad, average of a normal Value Village

Mark up was average but for the most part, the more popular brands (Aritzia/TNA/Wilfred) weren’t ridiculously overpriced as they are at some locations

$8.99 for a Garage cardigan (Remember, the Wilfred cardigan was $9.99!)

**Update** 

The pricing here is actually very good, and I think 3.5/5 is a good score to keep. During my visit on October 10th, I found a lot of great items for an extremely reasonable price

Spotted: 

- VS Pink Tank $1.49 

- Talula dress for $12.99 (compared to 1525 Victoria Park’s Talula dress for $30) 

- Wilfred romper for $12.xx

Thrifted: Wilfred dress for $6.99 

Although I found some pretty well priced items today, I did overpay (not at all, this a good price, but again, for VV, it’s a DONATED item)  for a pair of VS Pink leggings. They were $14.99, which is not bad for a pair of brand new leggings, but still pricey given the fact that it was a donated item. Therefore, the score for pricing stays the way it does. 

Thrift Potential: 5/5 

Spotted an extremely high-end brand, Alexander McQueen for $6.99! 

Most Aritzia items (Wilfred, Wilfred Free, Babaton, TNA) found in a Value Village

Thrifted a Wilfred cardigan basically brand new without tags  

Online retailers (Tobi, Fashion Nova)  found here

A lot of Ann Taylor, Lord and Taylor, Zara, Forever 21, Garage, Jacob items 

**Update** Aritzia items found here! 

Overall: 4.5/5 

This is one of the best Value Villages in Toronto **Update** Good finds, good prices! This place is awesome in my books! 

Tons of great finds **Update** For sure! Online retailers found here! Spotted Missguided today! 

I’d really recommend this location because of it’s large size, non-busy location, and the potential for some really good thrifts. If you can mind a little mess, this is a great little gem. The non-busy location allows for you to sift till your heart’s content! 

**Update** I visited this location on October 6, 2017. 

6) Location: Mississauga / Unsure of location, as they moved locations and Google Maps is wrong. It’s somewhere on Dundas east I believe. 

Disclaimer: It’s been almost a week since I visited the location and I don’t remember all the small details. 

Decently-sized location, recently new

Aisle space is good

Tons of parking available 

Busy location (but I’ve only been here once and it was on a Friday so it may not actually be busy)

Cleanliness/Organization: 5/5

Don’t really have much to say about this location

It’s pretty clean, nothing on the floor/hanging on racks 

Easy to sift through 

Quality: 2/5 

Items were okay quality 

Low score is because a lot of the items I pulled (especially the Aritzia ones) were piling, or in bad condition so I had to leave a lot of it behind

On the other hand, there were quite a few items that looked brand new or had tags on them. 

Pricing: 4/5  

Pricing wasn’t bad, average of a normal Value Village

Loved that this Value Village didn’t raise prices on Aritzia items. I paid $11.99 for a Wilfred Cardigan ($3 cheaper than the same cardigan I bought from the 1525 Victoria Park location). I also bought two Talula  camisoles/tanks for $5.99 each. From my experience, at other VV locations, these would be at least $7-9 

Spotted a VS Pink shirt for $2.49 

Thrift Potential: 5/5

I was wrong when I said the Markham location had the most Aritzia items throughout the GTA. I was wrong. THIS location has the most Aritzia item. Every other item I picked up was Babaton 

I spotted my first All Saints (high end designer) item here! 

Found a practically brand new VS Pink top for $4.99 

Overall: 4.5/5

This is one of the best Value Villages in Toronto, especially for Aritzia items and on top of that, this Value Village doesn’t ridiculously mark-up higher end items 

Even though this VV isn’t exactly in Toronto, it’s worth the drive! 

Great items, great pricing, new location.   

Summary

Most clean/Least Clean: Scarborough and North York/Markham

Highest Quality/Lowest Quality: Markham / Scarborough 

Best priced/Worst Priced: Pickering and Mississauga/ Scarborough and 1525 Victoria Park 

Best thrift potential/Worst thrift potential: Markham and Mississauga / Scarborough 

Overall, best VV/Worst VV village: Markham / Scarborough