Uraniumfish
Uraniumfish

Thrift stores in New York City

My absolute favorite thrift store in the city is Housing Works (143 West 17th street between Sixth & Seventh Avenues). The merchandise is donated, but it is often comparable to things found in Madison Avenue antique shops. Excellent prices on designer and vintage clothing, and all proceeds go to benefit people living with AIDS. Housing works also operates an excellent used bookstore in SoHo (126 Crosby Street) which has a series of lively readings and events.

You can find an absolutely endless list of flea markets, thrift stores, and antique shops at this site:

www.herebeoldthings.com

So there's no need for me to make a list here. But I do want to know if anyone has any special favorites or knows of any hidden gems.
The opinions expressed here are those of the individual and not those of StreetAdvisor.
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33 Comments

DBlack
DBlack 2yrs+
I go to the Housing works bookstore all the time. It's a pretty great place.
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BroadwayBK
BroadwayBK 2yrs+
I visit Urban Jungle pretty often - it's located in Bushwick, on Knickerbocker Ave and it's absolutely huge. You really have to go through all the merchandise to find something good, but part of the fun of thrifting for me is definitely the hunt. This store - unlike so many hipster thrift/vintage stores - keeps its prices very low and its stock incredibly high. They sell a range of things: both men's and women's clothing, jackets, shoes, handbags, belts, scarves, and the back wall is home to a variety of knickknacks like glass wares and clocks.

118 Knickerbocker St
(between Flushing Ave & Thames St)
Brooklyn, NY 11237
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ajadedidealist
ajadedidealist 2yrs+
As far as bookstores go, I'd take the Strand over Housing Works anyday, although the Strand has definitely gone "upmarket" since the renovation (clean bathrooms, organized books - what's next, a cafe?) As for thrift stores for clothes - the best finds I've found are church sales on the UES (found a blue cashmere Bergdorf's sweater for $5 at the Heavenly Rest Christmas sale, and an Ungaro dress for under $100) and it's all for charity! Encore's on 79th and Madison is another good place for vintage couture and other elegant pieces UES ladies who lunch have only worn once before it's oh-so-passe...
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hhusted
hhusted 2yrs+
There is a thrift store right down the block from where I live. It is on 3rd Ave a little past 28th St. They are small, but they do have a lot of stuff. I bought a tie from there one night when I had to attend a meeting and didn't have any ties, since most were in a box in storage.
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Magg
Magg 2yrs+
Oh my god, Urban Jungle in Bushwick. I gotta check it out.
:-) I'm from there.
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BroadwayBK
BroadwayBK 2yrs+
Beacon's Closet is another good one - you can even sell them the clothes you don't want, though they seem to be pretty picky about what they buy.

There is one in Williamsburg (88 North 11th St) and one in Park Slope (92 5th Ave). They have pretty amazing deals. Note that the Williamsburg location is much bigger, and that the smaller Park Slope location is often crowded - but worth the trip.
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hhusted
hhusted 2yrs+
Despite the high costs of living here, as you can tell, there are bargains to be had if you look for them.
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Uraniumfish
Uraniumfish 2yrs+
Thanks for the tips, BroadwayBK. I'm a sucker for designer clothes from past seasons, and at decent prices.
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uptowngirl
uptowngirl 2yrs+
I love my local Housingworks Thrift Shop at 77street and Second Avenue more than the clothes I love browse the store for interesting knick knacks.
@Uraniumfish there seem to be quite a few designer resale stores in my neighborhood like Designeresale-http://www.designerresaleconsignment.com/ and Second Chance Resale http://www.asecondchanceresale.com/ but I have no idea about the prices though the merchandise in the window certainly looks interesting. I have also sometimes browsed at the Spence Chapin Thrift Shop (http://www.spence-chapin.org/) and various other thrift shops in the vicinty(http://www.uppereast.com/thrift-shops) though more than clothes its the books and the artifacts that attract me( though I must admit I was once intensely attracted to a Marc Jacobs handbag that was in one of the windows).
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JenMac
JenMac 2yrs+
Call me a sellout, but I really think that Buffalo Exchange in Williamsburg is far superior to Beacon's closet. I feel like the merch at Beacon's is a little shoddier . . . it isn't inspected as carefully as the stuff at Buffalo. And, if you are going to sell clothes, you're much more likely to come out on top with Buffalo. I got three cashmere sweaters at Buffalo for absolutely nothing because of some pants I never wore. It was amazing.
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Uraniumfish
Uraniumfish 2yrs+
Sigh, I can almost taste spring coming, and then I'll be very glad to see what Buffalo Exchange and Beacon's have to offer.
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hhusted
hhusted 2yrs+
I really haven't been to either place, but when it gets warmer, I would like to go check them both to see what they have to offer. This way I can compare the two.
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DBlack
DBlack 2yrs+
The only thing I would never buy in a thrift store or second-hand store is shoes.
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ajadedidealist
ajadedidealist 2yrs+
I've found great shoes in 2nd hand stores - Fratelli Rosetti leather pumps, Anne Klein pumps in brown and black, Rangoni mules, and some suede boots - all for $5 apiece, perfect condition, just in my size.
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DBlack
DBlack 2yrs+
Call me squeamish, but I would have trouble putting my feet where someone else has already put his feet. I've found a few second hand designer shirts I like a lot though. What's a good men's store for second hand? Anybody know?
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hhusted
hhusted 2yrs+
I agree with DBlack. I won't buy my shoes in thrift stores. You never know who wore them. Someone could have had a disease and the germ or bacteria got into the lining of the shoe. I am be paranoid here, but I do remember reading about it. Someone did buy a pare of shoes at a thrift store and when the person got home with it, and began wearing them, their feet began to itch and soon swelled. They went to a foot doctor and found the foot was infected with a fungus. I guess you know what happened to those shoes. They saw the trash can later.
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uptowngirl
uptowngirl 2yrs+
@hhusted you have a point! @ajadedidealist maybe you lucked out! but to get shoes at $5 a pop is great .. I have ginormous feet US size 10 so haven't really looked for shoes in vintage stores .. in fact a friend was telling me about a shoe store in St Mark's place where they sell the shoes which are used in NYC fashion week. I need to verify this and will get back it is true.
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uptowngirl
uptowngirl 2yrs+
oops I forgot to mention that the store also sells them 'cheap' but like I said I need to verify it for myself
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BroadwayBK
BroadwayBK 2yrs+
I love love love vintage shoes - Daha Vintage on Orchard Street has an extensive collection, though they can be around $80 - I love how they look because they're so narrow, but they can be so painful!
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uptowngirl
uptowngirl 2yrs+
@BroadwayBK I have learned my lesson well about uncomfortable shoes, I once bought a pair of Cole Haan pointy toed pumps from DSW which have that whole Nike air thing going they were priced about $80 as well. Boy was I so wrong about them ..they cut my feet so badly that I could barely walk .. that was not the first time I have blistered and bled and have now decided to only spend my hard earned cash on comfortable shoes. I actually apply a coat of Olive Oil cream to the insides of most of my shoes to help 'break them in' and to prevent blisters.
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BroadwayBK
BroadwayBK 2yrs+
@uptowngirl I have certain pairs of shoes that, if worn, will lead to a night of taking cabs everywhere :)
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NeverSleeps
NeverSleeps 2yrs+
I really love vintage clothing - which I suppose is just thrift store clothes that have been carefully selected and marked up - but I have never found anything great in an NYC thrift store. Are these places everyone listed worth a visit? Has anyone actually made any decent finds? I guess the problem is I don't want to look like a hipster who shops at garage sales, and I've never really found any pieces to my liking at thrift shops.
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Uraniumfish
Uraniumfish 2yrs+
One of the reasons I like Housing Works is that the offerings don't look like hipster clothes, but like grown-up clothes. I've found several amazing second-hand items, like an Etro shirt, a Bally handbag, and a silk Italian suit. People donate their designer clothes, but you have to have patience enough to look for things in your size.
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Uraniumfish
Uraniumfish 2yrs+
@DBlack Admittedly, I skim the shoes in second-hand shops too, but so far I haven't felt adventurous enough to buy used shoes. I do have somewhat higher standards for shoes, and they have to be pretty much on the new side of the second-hand spectrum for me to even look twice.
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Uraniumfish
Uraniumfish 2yrs+
Almost forgot: there's an excellent little shop on Mott Street, between Prince and Houston, that deals exclusively in second-hand designer clothes. Now what was the name...
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NeverSleeps
NeverSleeps 2yrs+
Is it Resurrection? Though that is between Spring and Prince....

I guess I've found it really difficult to find clothes in thrift stores that don't look like clothes from a thrift store.
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hhusted
hhusted 2yrs+
I prefer to buy my clothes in KMart or Wal-Mart, where the clothes are cheaper. I really don't like getting clothes at thrift stores.
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ajadedidealist
ajadedidealist 2yrs+
I don't know - @hhusted, I've had some great finds. I was at a white tie Hunt Ball last weekend with a velvet Consortium dress I found at an outdoor vintage store for $30 - I had so many people tell me it was the "most gorgeous" there - and it was without a doubt the cheapest!
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JenMac
JenMac 2yrs+
Thrift store shopping is only ever fun when you find the thing that you can't believe you found. Cashmere, oversized sweater, amazing dress . . . a girlfriend of mine found Loubs in her size! But, man, sifting through all of that crap and coming out empty handed is way more of a drag in a vintage store than a regular one.
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BroadwayBK
BroadwayBK 2yrs+
I think I enjoy frequently the flea markets more than the vintage stores. But both can be super overpriced. Anyone know of any good ones which are also cost-effective? Maybe I need to branch out of Brooklyn on this one.
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Uraniumfish
Uraniumfish 2yrs+
@ NeverSleeps It's called "Second Time Around", on Mott Between Spring and Houston. Mostly designer clothes secondhand.
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Uraniumfish
Uraniumfish 2yrs+
@ BRoadwayBK How's the flea market at Fort Greene, do you know?
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hhusted
hhusted 2yrs+
I don't trust thrift stores when clothes are involved. How do I know who wore the clothes. Maybe a germ is still in the clothes. I am only stating this because of an experience I had with buying a shirt. That experienced turned me off from buying clothes at thrift stores.
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