Stephanie Spear 
For Carmen Corsi, thrifting has never just been about finding a good deal – it’s about connection, discovery, and community. After more than 30 years of thrifting experience and years spent sharing her love of secondhand shopping online, Carmen has transformed her passion into something she can share with others: guided walking thrift shopping tours in downtown Leesburg. Now, Carmen plays the part of a thrifting fairy godmother with her company, Loudoun Thrift. Read on for more about Carmen Corsi and Loudoun Thrift.
How Loudoun Thrift Was Born
Ashburn resident Carmen Corsi is a lifelong bargain hunter. “I’ve always been a shopper, with my mom and sister,” she said. She loves a good find, and says that thrifting is her passion and a break from her full-time job. “I love thrifting. I could talk about it literally all day to anybody, even as a total stranger,” she said. Carmen shares her shopping scores on her social media. “People would not believe that I was able to find such high-quality items secondhand, and right here in Loudoun County,” she said. “They had never heard of these stores that were part of my regular rotation.”
In fall 2024, Carmen’s sister described taking a guided food tour of Georgetown and something clicked for her. “I considered whether I could offer something similar, but with thrifting,” she said. Carmen went home and sat down with Google maps, making notes about where different local thrift stores were located in relation to each other, and which stores would complement each other in terms of offerings. “I started to think that I could do it,” she said.
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A few months later, Carmen, her sister, and her daughter went to Philadelphia to take a thrifting tour that she had found online. “It was similar to what I was thinking about, and I wanted to see what it was like,” she said. The trip sealed the deal, and Loudoun Thrift was born.
What a Loudoun Thrift Tour Is Like
Carmen says that the tours are really for anyone. “It can be a girl’s day out, a mother-daughter outing, a day date, whatever the shoppers want,” she said. The tour costs $40 per person and lasts about 2.5 to 3 hours. Carmen is intentional about keeping the experience accessible. “I’m very frugal,” she says with a laugh. “I ask myself, ‘Would I pay this and feel like I got value?’ And I really hope people do.” The group is usually between two and six participants, and the tour ends in downtown Leesburg, close to many restaurants, to top off a shopping outing.
Carmen’s guided tours take guests to three thrift stores: Twice As Nice, The Clothing Closet, and The Resourceful Woman. Each stop offers something different, from boutique-style racks to more traditional thrift treasure hunts. “The thing I love is that they’re all unique,” Carmen explains. “There’s something for every type of thrift shopper.”
Thanks to the relationships Carmen has built over years of shopping, promoting, and genuinely supporting these stores, tour guests receive exclusive discounts at each location, often stacked on top of existing sales. Each guest also receives a reusable tote bag filled with thoughtful extras like bottled water, a downtown Leesburg shopping map from Economic Development, and a thrift store audio guide for future visits.
The tours are intentionally relaxed, with plenty of time to browse, try things on, and ask questions. Carmen is there every step of the way, helping shoppers hunt for items, find sizes, and understand each store’s layout and style. Carmen can also tailor the shops visited to the group’s needs, such as furnishing an apartment or looking for specific holiday items.
“My favorite thing is when someone picks something up and doesn’t realize how good of a deal it is,” she says. “I’m definitely a thrift nerd.” Carmen said that since thrifting is becoming trendy among younger generations, a tour is a good way to learn about thrifting and how to figure it all out. “I always check in with people beforehand,” she says. “I want to know who’s coming and what they’re looking for. Thrifting can be overwhelming at first, so I help guide that experience.”
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More than just shopping, Carmen says the tour is about spending time together, getting your steps in, grabbing coffee along the way, and discovering something new, even if you’ve lived in Loudoun County for years. “At the end of the day,” Carmen says, “it’s just a really fun experience. Whether you’re a seasoned thrifter or brand new, there’s something out there for everybody—and we’re probably going to find it.”
To find out more about Loudoun Thrifts or to book a tour with Carmen, visit her website or social media.
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