Thrifting has become insanely popular in the past year or so. Especially due to the rise of TikTok. This makes it more difficult to find places that are affordable and have a large selection. However, these places are not impossible to find. Below is a curation of stores that offer a little bit for everyone, whether you’re looking for affordable or higher-end designer.
These days thrift stores are very picked over, so finding a store with a large selection is no easy task. Especially if you’re looking at New York City.
New York Thrift Stores with the Best Selection
In terms of price and selection, the best thrift stores in New York City are Buffalo Exchange, Goodwill, and The Salvation Army.
Buffalo Exchange
Buffalo Exchange is a chain of thrift stores with locations all over New York City. The stores have a large selection of mens and womens clothing (both low end and high end). The prices are also very reasonable and you can score some great high end pieces for a lower price. My personal favorite location is the one on West 26th Street.
Goodwill
Goodwill can sometimes be hit or miss and you really have to dig for gold but there’s always a larger selection of items. From housing items to clothing, there’s a little bit of everything to be found. Of course it depends on what location you’re visiting. Locations I recommend checking out are those on the Upper East Side and the Goodwill Bins. There you will be sure to find what you’re looking for at an unbeatable price.
Cheapest Thrift Stores in New York City
The cheapest thrift stores in New York City are The Salvation Army, Goodwill and MyUnique Thrift.
The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a donation based charity shop. There’s multiple locations throughout New York City with a large selection and really low prices (a lot under $10) and include both housing items and clothing. If you’re willing to do a bit of digging, The Salvation Army is the spot.
Goodwill
Another charity based thrift store, Goodwill also has really low pricing and a large selection. For the best deals you should venture out of NYC to Sunnyside, Queens for the Goodwill Outlet Store. The Outlet Store features large bins with mens, womens and kids clothing as well as housing items and other miscellaneous items. The clothing prices are as little as $1.29 per pound depending on how much you’re purchasing.
MyUnique Thrift
MyUnique Thrift is hands down one of the biggest thrift stores I’ve encountered. I usually go to the Long Island location and always score a deal without spending more than $20. The space is huge, so you really need to carve out a good amount of time when visiting. There’s a big selection of mens and womens clothing and almost as big of a selection of housing items. If you’re looking for designer items this might not be the spot, but you can score if you’re willing to do a bit of digging.
Thrift Stores with the Best Designer Selection
The best thrift stores in Manhattan with the best designer sections are 2nd Street, Buffallo Exchange, Crossroads Trading, and Central Park Resale Consignment.
2nd Street
This store is really a gem. It features an interesting variety in pricing from high end designer to items priced as low as $10 or under. The designer pricing is very reasonable and on the lower end compared to other stores in NYC. There’s a great selection of items from Vivienne Westwood, Balenciaga, and Rick Owens, to Gucci, Chanel, Burberry and many many more.
Buffalo Exchange
Buffalo Exchange has a great selection of both low end and high end items. You have to dig a little to find designer but once you do, you’ll be shocked at the pricing. I personally found a vintage DVF wrap dress for $30 so maybe I’m a little biased, but this place is really great for designer finds. This place is trendy, featuring many styles that are in-style right now. If you’re looking to rock the Coastal Granddaughter Style items, this is the place to find them.
Crossroads Trading
Crossroads Trading doesn’t have a huge selection in general, but there’s always something great to find. Especially when it comes to designer. Crossroads always has some unique sneaker finds and really designer affordable footwear in general. There’s a variety of prices from low end to high end, but you can find some great lower priced designer.
Central Park Resale Consignment and Gallery
This place is a hidden gem on the Upper West Side. While not a huge store, the Central Park Resale Consignment & Gallery offers some unique designer pieces and affordable thrift items. The owner of the store is extremely friendly and knowledgable about her selection. The items are also reasonably priced. Would definitely recommend!
Best Vintage Stores in New York City
The best vintage stores in New York City are L Train Vintage, New York Vintage Inc, and Metropolis Vintage.
L Train Vintage
L Train Vintage is every fashion girl’s favorite. Including Bella Hadid’s. The store itself is super cool and has a huge selection of denim and vintage tees. The Vintage selection is amazing with unbeatable pricing. The store is definitely a little more streetwear and casual compared to some other vintage stores, bu you can score some great closet staple items.
New York Vintage Inc
This place is an absolute dream and the selection of vintage items is unbelievable. If not to shop, you should visit this place just to experience it. Many celebrities have borrowed designer items from here and they offer one-of-a-kind runway pieces as well. While not cheap, if looking for true vintage, this is your place to go.
Metropolis Vintage
Loved by Rihanna and ASAP Rocky, this place is sure not to disappoint. While not the cheapest vintage store, Metropolis Vintage offers a huge selection of band tees and outerwear. Your average band tee retails for between $35-$65. The selection is extremely curated and cool. If not to purchase, you must visit this place for the experience.
Most Affordable Vintage Stores
Vintage Thrift Shop
This store is full of treasures. There are some great vintage housing finds and clothing that’s very reasonably priced. The store itself has a lot of soul and really brings you back in time. Unique and affordable! They get new inventory weekly, so make sure you stop by before it’s gone.
AuH2O
This place has an amazing selection of jewelry at a super low price (as low as $3). Clothing is also priced super well with finds as low as $10. The store itself is super cute, and while not huge, there’s always something great to find.
L Train Vintage
I’m a big fan of this place. The prices are truly reasonable with some incredible denim finds. The selection is very curated, cool, and trendy while also timeless. It’s hard to find a spot in NYC that offers both reasonable pricing a cool vintage. L Train Vintage does both.