You can still find great vintage clothing at a thrift store. Yes, it's gotten harder, given the enormous Ebay selling audience, scouring the thrifts like ants at a picnic, but I have a few secrets up my sleeve (or is that in my Big E Levis jean jacket?)...SCENES: Know your niche. You are much more likely to find a great vintage garment if you've settled on your own niche; i.e. aprons. Or even Jerry Garcia neckties. Trust me: save your time and your energy by going directly to the spot in your favorite thrift where the aprons are hung; or the neckties folded over into those bothersome necktie racks. If you know your vintage aprons (materials, graphics, embroidery, etc), you will be able to spot the don't bothers (gravy stains) from the truly awesome (handkerchief prints with cherries and/or fruit). Same goes for the neckties. If you know Jerry Garcia patterns, you can spot them from several aisles away, and double-check yourself by looking for the Garcia label on the tie's belly (there are several different label styles and mfg which will help you date them). In my many days of thrift shopping and collecting vintage clothing, I've sold aprons and neckties, but my niche was "designer vintage clothing" - vintage Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, Chloe, and so on. Yes, I set a major challenge for myself, but I rose to the occasion and still have a closet jammed full of wonderful vintage couture discovered at thrift stores. One of the best of the best: a signed label vintage Zandra Rhodes cocktail dress(not for sale); another -  a vintage Chloe sundress that went for $350-plus on Ebay. By narrowing my focus, I was able to avoid pawing through the men's suits and the children's clothing. I knew which upscale cities/thrifts to shop (surprising what you could/can find at a Thrift Store in Beverly Hills)...ACTION: WHAT'S HOT - I show, above, a vintage faux persian lamb jacket, draped over a hip new t-shirt. I am guessing that  vintage faux fur will be hotter than hot this fall & autumn, as we grow ever more conscious or our  critical need to save the world. Vintage is the ultimate recycle; worn in one life, then reborn to adorn another person/place/time. I have always thought vintage clothing was the best: not only in terms of workmanship, design and materials, but also price and conservation of resources. This little jacket, new, would cost probably $150 or so (depending on the mfg; Mark Jacobs, triple that). So shop for vintage: for resale and for your wardrobe. Save money, save the earth. PROPS: SAVERS thrift stores in Denver were among my favorite thrift stores ever -- there were hundreds of garments, nicely organized and priced competitively (that is, there wasn't someone in the back pricing Chicos at Nolan Miller prices)...I have only seen one SAVERS store in Southern California (there may be more), but I highy recommend them for vintage clothing, if you are lucky enough to live in Denver or where they are more common (but NOT Las Vegas)...FLOPS: Thrift Stores that say they are, but can't really prove it. I've run across a few of these, mainly in strip malls. The sales people are vague about which charities the thrift support.I usually wander right back out the door if there's no proof of thrift donations. Some of these people, I suspect, are flea market vendors, which is fine for shopping, but not if they pose as thrift (really grift). And finally, one of my  vintage shopping secrets: HALLOWEEN. I have found adorable vintage hats (for a song), gloves, even pretty good purses from September - the end of October at the big thrifts. I guess the backroom clerks pull aside a lot of the "vintage-looking" items and hold them for the Halloween sales. Veteran vintage clothing sellers know that they can find a lot of treasures in the crowded racks (I've found vintage Bonnie Cashin raincoats, 1950s prom dresses,Kenzo dresses, lucite purses) and so on.Remember to skip the stains and the tears, except in the case of Chanel, where you can sell the buttons.....For good references: check out Miller's Collecting Guides for the 1950s and 60s, and also Valuable Vintage by Elizabeth Mason (make sure it's an updated copy because prices keep climbing)....UPDATE: (8/08)...Look for 1970s vintage: slightly flared jeans, crochet, macrame, embroidery, peace signs, Hippie influence - we are entering a fashion scene that pays homage to the 1970s -- so Mr. Nerdy Geek Ray Bans are also hot (I hear Ray Bans are young Hollywood's choice of sunglasses, right this second)....the '70s were so colorful; it's nice to see explosions of color again, and you will find it in authentic 1970s vintage. Please avoid the lowly knock-offs - they are poorly made, and you can tell them at once by the label, the workmanship, and the 'made in China' telltale white tag....Of course, I understand that China does also produce some of the most expensive designer clothing and purses (with handles and latches being added in Europe so the label/tag/package can still read ' Made in Italy') but that's how it goes today. Another reason to look for the authentic vintage made in France; made in Italy; made in USA - high quality, almost always. and honest about the country of origin.