13 NYC Thrift Stores To Up Your Fashion Game
In these NYC thrift stores, not only can you shop till you drop without hurting your wallet, but you can also shop sustainably without hurting the planet. With a renewed focus on what it means to live more sustainably, thrifting is becoming a popular practice.
These best thrift stores in New York offer the potential for amazing finds at relatively low cost and a chance to avoid fast fashion brands. While some of these secondhand stores in NYC specialize in clothes and fashion products, others have curated a more vintage collection of furniture, collectibles, and more.
While you stroll down the iconic avenues of NYC, make sure to explore these best thrift stores. If you want to thrift like a pro, these thrifting tips will come in handy!
Our top picks for NYC thrift stores
1. Beacon’s closet
With four locations in Brooklyn and Manhattan, this female-founded company embraces sustainability and ethical business practices. You can procure a mixture of vintage and modern clothing and accessories, and they also carry designer brands! Beacon’s closet is one of the best thrift stores in NYC. This buy-sell-trade store has also donated over $200,000 to charitable organizations. How awesome is that!
2. Buffalo Exchange
This NYC consignment store buys, sells, and exchanges its products and they carry a mix of designers and vintage clothing, shoes, and accessories. What started out as an idea in 1974 is now one of the biggest chains of consignment stores in NYC with 6 different locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn to Queens, and 50 locations in the U.S.
3. AuH2O Thriftique
Named after the owner Kate Goldwater, AuH2O is located in New York’s East Village. Disguised as a boutique, this store carries a curated selection of affordable and vintage clothing, shoes, accessories, and jewelry. Their items are usually priced between $5 to $40, so that is a great bargain!
4. Crossroads Trading Company
This consignment store in NYC is packed with affordable clothing, shoes, and accessories as well as some designer products. According to this NYC thrift store, “Fashion shouldn’t come at a cost. Whether it’s the environmental impact of fast fashion or the inaccessible-to-most luxury market, Crossroads offers an alternative.” Does that not sound like music to our ears?
5. Cure Thrift shop
Here is another one of the best thrift stores in NYC, not only because it carries some great items but Cure Thrift is also a non-profit thrift store in the East Village, and all proceeds benefit type 1 diabetes research. Not only do they carry secondhand clothing but also household items, arts, and furniture.
6. Housing Works
With multiple locations in NYC, this NYC thrift store holds many second-hand products ranging from clothing to furniture and books. Not only will you get your hands on some good deals, but you will also be supporting an organization whose “mission is to end the dual crises of homelessness and AIDS through relentless advocacy, the provision of lifesaving services, and the entrepreneurial business that sustain (their) efforts.” Did I mention this is one of the best thrift stores in SoHo NYC?
7. 10 FT Single by Stella Dallas
This vintage thrift shop in New York sports an array of curated items from clothes to home furnishings. This thrift store holds reasonably priced products as well as some with a higher price tag. With what seems to be an endless supply of items, you can peruse this NYC thrift store for some awesome finds!
8. L Train Vintage
This family-owned business is one of the best thrift stores in NYC. They have 8 locations across the popular BK grey subway line in Brooklyn. L Train Vintage has been in the thrifting business since 1999 and they pride themselves on bringing NYC the best thrift available with high-quality vintage pieces with a quick turnover. Under their umbrella are also No Relation Vintage Clothing Store and Urban Jungle which is one of the biggest thrift stores in NYC.
9. Hours Children Thrift Shop
Located in Astoria, this NYC thrift store carries a wide range of clothing, furniture, jewelry, household goods, and children’s items at very affordable prices. They will also take the clothes and items you no longer have any use for off your hands. What’s even greater about supporting this NYC thrift store is that they support women, employ formerly incarcerated women to provide them with job experience, and support the families who have been impacted by a mother’s incarceration.
10. Tokio 7
Established in 1996, Tokio 7 is one of the most popular consignment stores in New York City and they carry a wide range of items such as modern clothing, apparel, shoes as well as some vintage items. They have curated their products to range from high-end to local designers. What’s even better is that all their brand bags are authenticated by Entrupy, so definitely head over there if you are in the market for a designer brand bag and shop without worry!
11. Wonders of Walter
While Wonders of Walter is on the high-end spectrum for thrift stores in NYC, it is still a staple of Williamsburg. Walter’s collection is carefully curated from his very own garage, and this includes old clothes and designer items, and if you’re lucky, you can even come across some rare designer shoes.
12. Goodwill
Need I say more? Goodwill is one of the most affordable thrift stores in NYC and the US. They carry an array of goods from clothes, shoes, home goods, and more. Need to find a prom dress but you’re on a budget? Goodwill. Want to go on a hunt for designer items but don’t want to spend too much money? Goodwill. They even carry some funky houseware items to these expensive coffee makers.
13. Mother of Junk
This Williamsburg thrift store holds a range of affordable clothing, furniture, housing apparel, art, books, and more. If you want to revamp your house with new decoration, check this NYC thrift store and treasure-hunt some of their items.
Why visit a thrift store in New York?
With fast fashion brands producing tons of clothing items made up of cheap, synthetic material every day, our landfills are filling up more rapidly than ever. Because these fast fashion companies produce trendy items, they have a quick turnover and because these items are made of materials such as polyester, they are non-biodegradable. Not to mention the use of unethical labor that some of these companies use. The impact of these fast fashion brands can not just be observed in our landfills but also on the carbon footprint and pollution it is leaving behind during production and transportation!
So choosing slow fashion not only helps the planet but also helps you save money. From this list of some of the best thrift stores in NYC, a couple of them donate to charity and are non-profit organizations. Do you want to revamp your clothing collection? Choosing ethical and sustainable fashion such as shopping at a secondhand store allows for more creativity and you’ll leave with a unique wardrobe without hurting neither the planet nor your wallet!
A final word on thrift shops in New York City
There are so many thrift stores in New York City that everyone is bound to find something that caters to their taste. Some of them even have websites and online stores if visiting a thrift store in person is not up your alley. Not only can you buy from them, but you can also sell or trade your clothes, shoes, and more to them if you are planning on decluttering your collection for a minimalist wardrobe!
What are some of your highlights of thrift store shopping? Have you ever come across a catch you are super proud of? We’d love to hear from you!
While this is a non-exhaustive list of the best thrift stores in New York City, do you have any other recommendations? Share it with us and share this article to help your friends pin down these awesome stores for their next shopping spree!
