Thrifting expert reveals her map to hidden treasures

TAMPA (FOX 13) - To get a high-end look in your home for less, you just need to know where to look. You may be surprised to learn your local thrift store has treasures beyond your wildest dreams.

Heather Hembree just launched a business based on this idea. Revival Collections will turn second-hand items into show-stoppers. She says she aims to remove the stress, time, and high price of decorating your home.

She scours thrift stores and curates the perfect tablescape, shelf, or mantle. Then she sends it to customers, all boxed up and ready to display.

"I take all the different aspects; the metal and textures and bring them all together and maybe do something that people just don't see... at a thrift store," she explained.

If you're looking to hone your own eye for thrift store finds, knowing where to start is the key. Hembree heads to Goodwill for furniture and smaller stores for clothes and home goods.

When you arrive at the store, she says start with a plan.

"Look on Pinterest... If you're walking in here blind you're gonna get lost and walk out frustrated so come in with a mission," she said. "The first place I go is home decor and the furniture. That's the area that things are snatched up the quickest."

Timing is everything. Talk to the cashier to find out about rewards programs and what days they restock inventory.

Hembree says to learn the codes. Colored tags indicate what's on sale each day.

"Every thrift store is different. Most stores put out stuff every day so you want to be there early in the morning," she said.

Sometimes, you have to feel for the deals. Hembree says she actually runs her hands across crowded racks of fabric to get started.

"I look at texture and pattern. The clothing that has more nice thicker material, that's going to be the name brand. As I'm feeling through, I felt this," she said, holding up an item from the brand Liz Claiborne.

She also found an item from Zara, a sports jacket, and a few things with the tags still on, each for a fraction of their original price.

Above all, Hembree is always looking for something that won't be found anywhere else.

Hembree held up a rose tea set and said, "You would only find stuff like this at the thrift store. You won't find this at Target or Home Goods. You gotta do work and be willing to go digging and get your hands down in it to really find the real treasures."