Macklemore Thrift Shop - Macklemore's Thrifting Tips

After a decade in music, Macklemore (a.k.a. Ben Haggerty) and producer Ryan Lewis have finally broken big with "Thrift Shop," our official bargain-hunting anthem of choice. The song is on top of Billboard's Hot 100, and its cheeky trailer-park-fab video has over 61 million views. But Haggerty's professed love for secondhand shopping isn't just a goof on the economy or a reaction to hip-hop's bling culture. Oh no — Macklemore thrifts for real.

Point of proof, the video for "Thrift Shop" was shot at the same Capitol Hill Value Village store in Seattle that Haggerty's been visiting since he was 10. Fun fact: Folks there tell us that this particular outpost of the 300-location chain (they save 600 million pounds of unused goods from landfills every year!) was a go-to flannel supplier for the local grunge scene in the '90s (see, fun).

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As you might expect of any dedicated thrift hustler, Macklemore has his own share of favorite finds and shopping strategies. Luckily, he shared a few of them with us along with some shots of him and partner Ryan Lewis in that storied Capitol Hill Value Village. Click on to take it all in.

Photographed by Jimmy Bazan

Describe your personal thrifting style.
"My personal style is a mixture of clothes I find at thrift shops, along with some higher-end type of denim or shoes, potentially jackets — but I kind of switch it up. I like to have the juxtaposition of thrift shop stuff and stuff I find in department stores."

So, what’s your favorite thrift find?
"I’ve been shopping at Value Village since I was probably about 10 years old. My best thing would have to be my teal-blue scooter from the 1980s that I found at Value Village. I probably got it around seven years ago and it has completely changed my life! It was probably, like, $7."

Photographed by Jimmy Bazan

What’s your ultimate thrift tip?
"I have a couple — but my biggest, my number one tip when you're going to Value Village, is don’t go in looking for one thing. You have to go completely open to whatever the universe is telling you you need in your life. So, you might go in looking for a Hawaiian shirt and leave with a dining room table. You just never know. You have to be aware, you have to constantly be looking, you have to be creative and think outside the box. This is not a normal store. You are not going there for a specific item. You are going there for the experience and to be creative."

Photographed by Jimmy Bazan

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