Whether you head to the thrift store on this national day or not, here are some thrift store shopping tips to help you get deals on antique and collectible doll items.

Bring cash. Not all thrift stores accept checks, credit or debit cards (and those that do may only do so on purchases over a set amount).

Most thrift shops now have expert help. Even if the thrift shop doesn't have an antiques and collectibles dealer or doll expert who volunteers to help identify more valuable dolls, it's easy to use the Internet for rapid research. This means the most prized doll items will be pulled from the general population of "used goods", will be priced higher, and then placed in designated areas (usually near the wrap desk, quite often under the lock and key of display cases or otherwise secured). This vintage Barbie, with her original box, spotted in the counter display case at a thrift shop just this past weekend. (In fact, all the photos shown here in this article were taken at the same shop on the same day!)

But fear not the steeper prices. Not only are these items rarer and worthy of the higher prices, but many thrift shops regularly mark down items which have been around awhile, including the gems. Plus...

Even when a thrift shop has help identifying the more valuable items, they will miss things because no one can know everything about everything. (Even with the Internet!) This is why people still discover valuable antiques and collectibles at thrift stores. And why dealers still go there to pick. So don't only check the store's special collectibles areas; check out the whole shop and see what you can spot that they missed.

Dolls can be found in many places at thrift shops. Where should you look? While the older and presumed more valuable dolls and doll accessories will likely be found near the checkout stand, don't forget to look for dolls, doll clothes, doll houses, doll house furniture etc. in the toys area. Porcelain and china dolls can often be found in the decorator area with figurines, framed art pieces, etc. (This is not only because they are pretty babies -- it's an attempt to keep them safely away from unsupervised children.) For those who prefer to dress their darling dolls in baby clothes, make sure to check out the children's clothing areas. If you're looking to display your doll collection in real buggies, cradles, etc., be sure to swing through the baby and furniture sections. Don't overlook the book section! Along with fiction works based on character dolls, paper dolls can sometimes be found in the children's book area. And you can often find books about dolls and their makers in the non-fiction area of adult books. If you're looking for pattern books for making doll clothing, doll houses, and even dolls themselves, you may have to look in the crafting section.

Thrift shops are a lot like antique shops. There are too many unique items in a thrift shop for sales help to know what is or isn't there at any given moment. That means you'll have to do the looking.

As items sell, other items replace them -- but not like it happens at WalMart. For example, when there's room on the shelf for another doll, another doll is put out; but it isn't going to be just like the other one that sold. This means you need to visit often so you can spot the gems before someone else does.

Like many antique shops, all sales are thrift shops are final. This means you need to inspect items carefully before you buy them.

Find out how your local thrift store works. Many people advise that you go thrift store shopping on Mondays and Tuesdays because they believe that, since most donations are made on weekends, staff won't put the new goods out until the start of the workweek. That does make sense. However, many thrift stores are continually sorting, pricing, and stocking the sales floor, no matter what day it is. It depends alot on how much staffing and volunteers the have, as well as the volume of donated goods. So each store will have its own rhythm in terms of putting items up for sale. After a few visits you may be able to figure out which days seem to be the best for new arrivals.

Some thrift stores receive donations of new merchandise from local department stores. This includes new dolls and doll accessories too. If you want to be among the first to shop such treasures, ask your local thrift shop if there is typically a schedule for these donations.

Ask about discounts. Many thrift stores have discount coupons printed in the local paper (and will have a few extra available at the checkout -- if you remember to ask!). Some shops have newsletters which mention specials and sales dates, including calendars with regular sales rotation days, such as 50% of toys on Tuesdays. A number of thrift stores even have frequent buyer programs. Be sure to ask what programs your local thrift store has to offer so that you can benefit from them.