Christene Barberich and I first connected on Instagram (where else?), where we bonded over our mutual love of thrifting. That initial meeting (stalking, on my part — I think she’s incredible) ended in a random video chat where we discussed doing an unscripted television show, going on a thrift road trip, and just generally geeked out over thrifting. We are kindred spirits, united by the love of things with a story.

Last night right here on Substack, we united with many of you to talk about our shared love of thrifting and to offer some helpful tips on how we navigate a thrift store in order to find real treasures. And we’ve rounded up our tips (with pics of our treasures) below.