And it’s big business – according to the National Association of Resale and Thrift Shops, their industry is growing at an impressive 5% a year. In 2005 Goodwill Industries alone generated more than $1.6 billion in sales from their retail stores, a figure all the more impressive when one considers the overwhelming majority of their items cost less then $10.

There are many factors driving this success, some altruistic and some gleefully selfish. On the one hand many people like the idea of stepping off the conveyer belt of consumerism and reusing what already exists. Most resale stores are locally owned and operated, and the thrift store chains are operated by charities which invest their profits back into the community, usually targeting the less fortunate. Environmentally, reusing means less landfill space used for disposing of still useful items and less resources used and waste generated in creating new items.

But on the other hand, thrifting just plain rocks! There’s a unique pleasure to be found in spending an afternoon with a friend diving into a cultural treasure trove of nostalgia, kitsch, and other people’s regrets. Added bonus, there’s gold in them there hills of used clothing and forlorn dishware – retro fashions, like-new designer wear, an immaculate dinner setting for four, maybe even a beer mug in the shape of a Viking helmet. It’s more than just goofy fun and charity – it’s a way to look and live for less.

But you need a strategy! Here are battle-tested tips to make your next thrifting adventure entertaining and successful:

* Size matters. You find a possibly interesting piece of clothing on the rack – could be horrible and ugly, could be unique and gorgeous. You hold it up, you ask your friend, you look at it from this angle and that. Finally, you decide it’s worthy… and then you notice it’s five sizes too small. Lesson learned – always check the size first, then decide if you like it. That said, don’t be too exacting –yesterday’s size 8 might be today’s size 5, so give it a shot. But obviously if it’s a 12 and you’re a 4, don’t waste your time. And wearing a tight t-shirt or tank top lets you try things on over it without a trip to the dressing room.

* Size matters, part two. Been wanting new curtains for that window? Need to fill that corner with the perfect repository for your adult beverages? Always be prepared – keep a list of your decorating needs along with their measurements. Keep a tape measure in the car and you’re all set to stop in that little shop on the corner once a week till you find the perfect piece, and when you find it you’ll know if it’s the right size. Added bonus, if you’re in a shop with no dressing rooms you can check that waist size before buying.

* It’s the journey, not the destination. Bring a friend, and spend as much time enjoying the no’s as you do hunting for the yes’s. Nothing sparks old memories like that New Kids on the Block poster or those acid wash jeans. Even more fun, discovering the fashion atrocities so heinous that your old rhinestone-encrusted kulaks look dashing by contrast. Word of caution, try not to giggle to loudly at small resale shops – usually the owner who personally selected that piece is sitting four feet away, and may not take kindly to having their judgement questioned. Or merciless ridiculed.

* Gender is SO last millennium. Ladies, some of your best finds will be in the men’s section – jeans, western shirts, thick leather belts. For cute t-shirts and fashionably-a-little-too-small looks, hit the children’s racks.

* Let your inner-Santa loose. Gifts small and large abound – it could be that mug with a picture of a cat dressed like Marilyn Monroe (don’t we all know at least one person that would be perfect for) or those killer boots that are too small for you but perfect for your sister (curse her evilly tiny feet!) Not sure if they’ll like it? The answer is just a cellphone pic away.

* Let your dining room play dress up. One of the advantages of low prices and ever changing supplies is that you don’t have to be married to anything. When you spend $2,000 retail to decorate a room, you tend to stick with it a long while. But when you can redo it for $100, let whimsy be your guide. Feel like a luau room for the summer? Let the bamboo fly.

* Your time or your money. Thrift stores will almost always be less expensive than boutique resale shops, but you have to sort through a lot more Billy Baldwins to find an Alec Baldwin (that’s an acceptable metaphor, yes?) whereas at the resale shop, in theory, the sorting has already been done and you get to choose from the cream of the crop. That said, remember that haggling is usually allowed and expected.

Now you’re prepared – just remember that the right attitude is 90% of the battle. Sometimes it takes a few trips to get those amazing finds, so keep your expectations low and your sense of adventure high. And the next time someone at a party brags about their $450 dress you might just be able to answer “Really? I got mine for $8. But I would have gone to $15 if I had to.”