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Put down those trendy duds and step away from the mall. If you’re seeking designer names, vintage tees, and ultra-hip accessories, you will be blown away at all the tasty fashion-candy awaiting you at your local thrift and vintage shops. Ask any chica from L.A. to Miami and they’ll tell you that it’s more about the deal and less about the dough.

If you’ve never stepped foot in a vintage or thrift shop, you’re missing out on a one of a kind shopping experience. Everything from secondhand designer pieces to one of a kind jewelry to amazing bags and shoes and scarves and jackets and tees and dresses and jeans and just everything you could ever want in your closet, you can find at these stores. The stores are not only the perfect way to get great deals but to personalize your look and mix it up a bit. Throw on a cool, vintage tee with those designer jeans. Add a funky clutch and vintage bracelets and you’d be amazed at what you’ve accomplished with little money.

For those who have yet to brave this bold new way of shopping or even for those seasoned secondhand shoppers looking for new territory, check out the bible of vintage shops, Retro Chic: A Guide to Fabulous Vintage and Designer Resale Shopping in North America and Online. Costume designer Diana Eden and fashion columnist Gloria Lintermans break down everything in this informative book, including where to find the best in clothing, jewelry, shoes, and accessories. Stores are tagged with dollar signs to help you determine which store has the right gear for you at the price you’re looking for. From younger, hipper designs, to high-end stock, Retro Chic gives the 411 on all the hot vintage shopping to be had in LA, New York, Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, and New Orleans, just to name a few. For those who don’t live anywhere near a vintage spot, don’t fret. This book has an online shopping section, full of websites offering great secondhand finds.

Where Retro Chic lists vintage shops, Secondhand Chic: Finding Fabulous Fashion at Consignment, Vintage, and Thrift Shops takes it a step further by letting us know what we should be looking for once we enter the building. Author Christa Weil describes how to look for quality, how to spot the fake stuff, how to determine flaws that can be fixed from those that can’t, and how to find your size when the label is missing. (Don’t you just hate it when you find something you love but don’t know what size it is?) Every possible question you have about vintage shopping is answered with Secondhand Chic.

Remember, the trick to vintage and thrift shopping is to look and look hard. You’ll never know what you’re passing up if you race through the racks. Slow down and take your time. There’s so much to look at, sometimes your eyes will pass over something wonderful as you take everything in. This type of shopping needs special attention. And make sure you blend vintage with modern. You don’t want to look like a vintage poster child. Mixing it up will deliver a stylish look without overdoing it.

So now that you’ve got the goods to do some serious vintage shopping, next time you’re looking for something fun and funky, skip the mall and dig for fashion gold at your local or online vintage stores. Before you know it, everyone will want what’s in your closet.