12 Of The Best Thrift Stores In San Diego
You know how much we love thrifting here on The Eco Hub! We love it so much we will be showcasing some of our favorite thrift shops worldwide. If you live in sunny California, today is your lucky today. It's all about the best thrift stores in San Diego!
Our top picks for best thrift shops in San Diego
Time to thrift like a champ!
San Diego is known for many great things, and they also have a vibrant selection of thrift stores that carry everything from vintage duds to basic essentials and even home goods. Before you head out to spend some cash, please look at our best thrift shopping tips to help get you started!
1. Day To Day Vintage
In the North Park neighborhood of San Diego, Day To Day Vintage carries a wide selection of vintage jackets and t-shirts, sure to complement any sustainable wardrobe. As one of the best thrift stores in San Diego, you are guaranteed to find a real treasure and expect to pay a little more for authenticity.
From Levi's to Wranglers, Nike to Carhartt, Patagonia to Polo Sport, and more! Good for adults and kids.
Their selection of hand-curated vintage goods ranges from the 1940s to the 2000s. It features a "vast blend of clothing styles spanning many decades: Americana, streetwear, workwear, true vintage, y2k, and more." They have a 5-star rating on Google too! You can also set up an appointment to sell your used clothes.
2. Honest Thrift Studio
This San Diego thrift store is located in the heart of Old Town and is packed full of secondhand goodies that will make any outfit pop, say goodbye to fast fashion, and hello to a more sustainable way to shop for your clothes.
Honest Thrift Store has a 5-star rating on Yelp, and after reading all the reviews, we just want to pack our bags and head for a visit. If you are visiting San Diego, this is a perfect pit stop, not only will you find the perfect vintage tee, plants, or even one-of-a-kind home goods you can also enjoy the neighborhood's vibrant coffee and food shops all a few steps from Old Town San Diego State Historic Park. Good for adults and home goods.
3. Vintage Threads and Grails
Probably the best vintage shop in Pacific Beach, San Diego, Vintage Threads and Grails specializes in clothing from the 1980s and 1990s, La Gear's anyone? And with this era quickly taking over the fashion scene for 2022, you will find something you love. Good for kids and adults.
If you are looking for that Holy Grail Vinateg Tee, you will find it here. We should also mention that Pacific Beach is one of the best places in the world to grab a drink.
4. Buffalo Exchange
With several San Diego thrift store locations, Buffalo Exchange is a nationwide thrift shop chain with stores in Pacific Beach and Hillcrest. In the 45 years they have been open, they have taken a 450-square-foot store near the University of Arizona and turned it into around 40 stores across the US.
This shop is for you if you are looking for current trends at a good price point. They pride themselves on curating gently-worn items that everyone will love. Think lightweight sweaters, jackets, blouses + button-ups, dresses, tees, and denim! Good for kids and adults.
You also have the option to buy, sell or trade your clothes.
5. Consignment Classic
Home to unique secondhand finds from toys to furniture, household goods, and one-of-a-kind items that make shopping here a unique experience! Consignment Classic carries an eclectic mix of new and gently used furniture for your home and offers great bargains.
Their massive showrooms in San Diego are 35,000 square feet (wear comfy shoes) and boast a robust collection of vintage goodies to love.
Their merchandise changes constantly, and their antique center is a must-see! Good for kids and adults.
6. Home Start Thrift Boutique
This affordable thrift shop in San Diego has an impressive collection of well-priced, high-quality clothing. Homestart is a non-profit that donates its proceeds to local charities. This San Diego thrift boutique is a social enterprise that provides revenue to support life-changing programs.
The store also provides a supportive setting for young mothers in their Maternity Housing Program to develop job skills and gain work experience as they move toward greater independence. "Home Start provides a hand up, not just a handout." Good for kids and adults.
7. La Loupe Vintage
La Loupe Vintage has two secondhand stores in San Diego, University Heights, or Normal Heights, and if you are on the hunt for unique, fashion-forward jewelry you've found it! Also, be on the lookout for some really cute vintage duds too!
Find treasure from the 1960s onwards and a selection of new items curated in support of local artisans and entrepreneurs. Brandi Munoz the founder follows five simple criteria: celebrate individuality, support sustainability, foster entrepreneurship, inspire creativity, and cultivate community. Good for everyone.
8. Humble Heart
Such a cute name! This thrift store is one of many San Diego second hand stores for people who love to read! Humble Heart is all about "shopping with your heart without breaking your wallet". This family of thrift shops across San Diego county carries what treasure seekers are looking for: "quality clothing, accessories, antique furniture, and retro collectibles at a modest price"
For more than a decade, their family-owned shops have combined their passion for thrifting with their desire to help others — enabling them to enrich the communities they serve and spread the love of the humblest heart.
Browse the second-hand book or antique sections and look for fashion and home decor finds too!
9. San Diego Resale
San Diego Resale is one of the best vintage stores in San Diego. Since 2018 owner Deyna has been curating goods from athleisure wear to books and tons of amazing fashion finds for men and women.
This black, female-owned shop offers live sales weekly, so keep a lookout for those. As well as a brick-and-mortar shop, you can also shop online at this thrift shop. Super impressed with their shoe collection!
10. My Sister's Closet
My Sister’s Closet has locations in Arizona and California, with the La Jolla location positioned as one of the best thrift shops in San Diego. If you love consignment shopping, this vintage treasure is for you.
They buy and sell trendy and vintage pieces and have a huge online thrift shop you can browse. You can search by designer or trends online, but visiting the shop in San Diego is a must.
Run by two sisters (hence the name) who, since 1991, have helped stylish and price-savvy women find their favorite labels for less! Make sure you browse their other vintage shops, My Sister's Attic for home decor and Well Suited, an online thrift shop for me.
11. Hunt & Gather
Located in North Park, this second-hand shop in San Diego boasts beautiful collections for all your wardrobe needs, thins shoes, coats, top, bottoms, dresses, shoes, handmade jewelry, and all kinds of eclectic art. It's a must-see on your list of thrift shops in San Deigo.
Check them out online too, and watch for some great sales. Their Cookie Pop section featured some fun glasses, jewelry, and accessories. Look at the outfits in the photo above. Don't you want them both?
12. Auntie Helen's
Founded in 1988 in a one-car garage as a fluff and fold laundry project to help one person with AIDS, Auntie Helen's has become one of the top go-to thrift shops in San Diego. Since their humble beginnings, 100% of the net proceeds have benefited HIV/AIDS organizations in San Diego and San Diego County.
Auntie Helen’s thrift store includes various clothing items, household goods, furniture, and collectibles. Proceeds are used to fund their various services.
They feed and clothe people with life-threatening illnesses and feed anyone with food insecurities. Plus their complimentary services include providing weekly food bags, laundry care, medical equipment, clothing vouchers, hygiene kits, and wellness classes to people in need!
When you shop at this thrift shop, you know you are making a difference; we love that!
Why visit a thrift shop in San Diego
Ethical and sustainable fashion comes down to choosing items that are either ethically made or second-hand. Slow fashion is, after all, about buying less and buying better, and the more we can keep clothing out of landfills, the better it will be for the planet.
Textile recycling rates are very low in North America, and that's a real shame when you consider the toll fast fashion has on the people who make it and the resources used, not to mention the pollution.
Americans are tossing 36 billion clothing items every single year! So if your wardrobe needs a look, we hope you will consider second-hand options like these thrift stores in San Diego!
Final thoughts San Diego Thrift Shops
Thrift shopping is so much fun, and it's even better when you can do it in a place like San Diego. Many shops mentioned above are in trendy areas where you can explore local communities and support companies giving back. And while you are at it, take a gander at these awesome zero-waste grocery shops in San Diego.
And don't forget you can always shop online thrift from the comfy of your couch, and if you have items hanging in your closets that you never wear, it might be time to sell those used clothes online!
What do you love about vintage shopping? And did we leave anyone out? We'd love to hear from you!
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