You definitely don’t want to shop with me.

Everyone wants someone who can talk them out of a purchase, but I’m definitely not that person. If you ask “Do I really need this?” I’ll tell you that you do. If you were planning on just going to one store, I’ll happily suggest two to 20 places nearby we could go to after. If we’re shopping online, I’ll gladly crash your computer with my hundreds of open tabs. And if you’re really into a certain trend, I’ll probably recommend finding it on Etsy first. However, unlike my other “advice” that involves spending your money, this last part is actually helpful.

Whenever I tell people about my Etsy addiction, they tell me they just don’t get it. It’s not that they don’t like Etsy; it’s just that they don’t know where to start. And it can be hard to figure that out: After all, you can go on the site and find an incredible pair of vintage Levi’s 501s. You can also find a half-heart ‘Just Divorced’ keychain personalized with your divorce date. Safe to say, Etsy’s got a pretty wide range.

But the fact that so much can be found on Etsy is precisely why I turn to it 90% of the time. In sixth grade I made a bet to never repeat the same outfit twice, and here we are, 20 years later and counting. Etsy has been helping me keep this streak alive because the vintage pieces that are on there are normally pretty affordable too. Some recent finds of mine? A midi length tie-dye skirt for $50, a Prada-esque jeweled headband for $22, and a pair of square-toed shoes for $100. In times like these, when I really want a new piece but don’t want to spend all my money, Etsy has got my back.

Whether you want to peruse Etsy for wardrobe essentials, or you’re after a unique piece that’s going to be the star of your wardrobe, one thing’s for sure: You need to go in with a strategy. Dayna Isom Johnson, Etsy’s trend expert and a judge on NBC’s Making It, definitely knows a thing or two about that. She shared her top tips with me about how to actually shop vintage on Etsy and even hand-selected a couple of her favorite vintage pieces that are available to shop. Read all her tips—and shop all of her picks—below.

Tara Gonzalez is the commerce editor at Glamour. You can follow her on Instagram at @tarigonzalez.

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