Master Vintage Shopping (Even Designer Finds!)

If there's one thing that ties all the staffers at Refinery29 together, it's our shared love of vintage. Sure, finding a cheap thrill at the mall or unwrapping a designer pump fresh from its shoebox can be really special, but we don't think anything can beat the feeling — the thrill — of unearthing a stunning find for $5 in a heap of secondhand castoffs, leaning in to read the label, and seeing Chanel…

For those shoppers cut from the same cloth as we are, the hunt, the products, and the community of vintage are what the rituals of shopping are all about. But, not everyone will be able to find a gem in the middle of a sea of broken toasters — there's an art to mastering vintage that, like all skills, needs to be learned and practiced. We hit up thrift oracle Amy Yee from Maeven Vintage to teach us a few tricks of the trade (plus, keep an eye out for an exclusive R29 Shops collab with her in March). So, strap on your fanny pack and pull out those Tide pens — it's time to get dirty!