You never know what you’ll find around the corner when you walk into a consignment store. A chair in the color of pistachio ice cream might work. Or a coat with wool so comfortable that you’ll forget about your shopping list. There is always an adventure and the chance to find something unexpected at consignment shops.

Consignment shops are different from regular businesses because they change the way people shop. People bring things in for different reasons. Sometimes it’s because their lives changed, and other times it’s because they ran out of space in their attics. The store is in charge of showing the works, handling negotiations, and, if everything goes well, splitting the money from the sales with the original owner. This way of doing business makes sense in a way that is refreshing. You won’t have to throw away that old light or fancy purse anymore. Instead, you give it another turn on the business merry-go-round.

It’s also a game of waiting. With a sharp eye and a little luck, shoppers may get high-quality things for very little money. It seems like a sweater is calling to you from across the room, as if it has been waiting for you. Have you ever bought a porcelain piggy bank that looks like a pineapple because “it just speaks to me”? That’s a moment in a consignment store.

Both buyers and sellers become involved. For sellers, it’s a way to make money without having to deal with haggling over paperweights at a garage sale. Simply drop it off, sign a few papers, and hope for the best. For buyers, every shelf is full of possibilities. What do you think the small egg cup, stuck behind a glass penguin, is worth? There may be a pearl necklace hidden behind a pile of costume jewelry by accident.

Don’t picture dusty aisles and piles of sorrowful leftovers, either. A lot of stores are proud of how they choose their stock. It can be clean, welcoming, and even stylish at times. And the staff usually knows what they’re talking about; they’ll talk about the quality of the clothes, the mid-century chairs, or the boots in the window that are a little strange but really cool.

Sustainability gets a little more attention here. Consignment stores make sense for the environment since they recycle gently used items. Fashion footprints get lighter. Shop smarter and waste less. The planet and your closet both thank you.

That being said, like the fact that things can be unpredictable. Things in stock change quickly—what you saw yesterday might be gone by lunch today. Don’t wait if anything pulls at your heart. Some people claim that the best treasures have their own heartbeat. That hand-painted platter or canary yellow jacket is perhaps someone’s treasure waiting to be found.

Consignment stores provide a new kind of treasure hunt, from high-end boutiques to small, quaint storefronts full of personality. Go ahead and look. You might depart with a story to tell.