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Fast Find Quality Thrift Stores

With more thrift stores, consumers get more thrift store directories.  We sort out the major directories for you, from the bricks and mortar establishments to the online world. With this collection of store locators, you get the largest number of thrift stores in one location.

Thrift store sales are up as more middle-class shoppers search for bargains.  The Los Angeles Times recently reported secondhand shops now often are the first choice for bargain shoppers, while the New York Times labeled them a wardrobe essential for many.  The Salvation Army (store locator) and Goodwill (store locator) locations have gains of 6 percent to 15 percent for 2008.  Savers, Inc. (store locator) is a private for-profit company with more than 90 sites across the nation and 200 worldwide.  Its sales are up more than 10 percent.  According to the National Association of Resale and Thrift Stores, shop openings are growing at a 5 percent annual rate.

While some of these sites have a lot of entries, no one site tells the whole story.  We give you the big directories, some well known nationwide operators, and online and city suggestions for faster finds.

The Big Directories

thethriftshopper.com With an estimated 25,000 thrift stores in the United States, this site has more than 8,500 listings.  The Thrift Shopper is the most heavily trafficked thrift store directory, averaging 70,000 visitors a day.   Search by ZIP code or city and get all listings within a 15 mile radius.  Results include store hours, phone number, Mapquest map, and reader ratings.  There’s also an online forum and monthly online magazine.

resale.net Resale.net is a collection of physical locations and online stores.  It lacks the traffic numbers of thethriftshopper, but it does let you sort by a variety of factors: resale, consignment, thrift, second hand, or used.  Drill down to specialties like children’s clothing, sports, furniture, jewelry, and other offerings.  An affiliated site, theclothestree.com lets you search by designer.

Nationwide Not For Profit

Goodwill.org This locator returns the 10 nearest Goodwill locations.  Use the Google map to find store locations–search results return stores, donation centers, even administrative offices.  It’s nice to know that for 90210, Beverly Hills has four donation sites as well as two stores (bringing the donation site total to six) nearby, but you’re looking for the stores.  While very few people need to know that the Goodwill Industries of Southern California headquarters is nearby, that’s the lead detail information featured on the locator results page for 90210.

Goodwill also has an online store, GoodwillToo.com.  The site has several good things going for it, not the least of which is $7.99 flat rate shipping (for any order less that 150 pounds).  This site has Obey Your Body skin care products, a large offering of iPods, As Seen on TV products, pet beds, laser guided levelers, skillets–it’s eclectic, like a Goodwill store only with mostly new products at low prices.

The Salvation Army Do not use the homepage for the Salvation Army and the “Shop Our Family Stores” link.  That locator link lets you search by ZIP code, but it only searches one ZIP code. It does not provide a radius search.  Use this Salvation Army locator link labeled “Find a Center” on the left side of the screen.  A Zip or city search brings back a Google map of family stores as well as worship centers, rehabilitation locations and other services.  This search is also a reminder that your donations and purchases help more people than you’ll ever know.  When you find a store location, please call before you go to confirm store hours.  If there is no phone number listed, that’s a good indication the store has closed.  And when writing about store closings, all Salvation Army stores close on Sundays.

St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Stores Serving Americans in need since 1845, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul operates more than 150 stores across the United States.

Habitat for Humanity ReStore You need a door in an odd size that was last milled 40 years ago.  You need some boards, and you aren’t too particular about what they look like.  You need a toilet, or a window, or some paint, maybe the proverbial kitchen sink.  Check out the Habitat ReStore, where contractors, refurbishers, and all matter of construction trade members donate old and often times new construction materials.  One day you may see old growth pine flooring, the next day a wall is covered with a large but frayed tapestry.  Everything is possible at a ReStore, and with stores in 47 states, you have a good chance there’s one near you.

For Profit Stores

Savers.com Value shopping is all upside for  Savers, which also does business as Value Village.  According to a CNN story about thrift stores, CEO Ken Alterman says 75 percent of his shoppers are college educated, with 30 percent of his customers with household annual incomes of more than $100,000.

Buffalo Exchange Buffalo Exchange is a hybrid consignment and resale store.  Customers can bring in their used clothes for cash, trade, store credit, or place them on consignment.  Located in trendy major metropolitan areas or near universities, the privately held group has more than 35 stores nationwide.

Crossroads Trading Company Crossroads has more than twenty stores, all located on the west coast, with the exception of three stores in Illinois.  The company pays cash or issues a check for consignment clothes, paying 35 percent of what it will sell the clothes.  If a customer wants to take a store credit, the credit is good for 50 percent of the sale price.

Best retro online stores This LA Times story highlights seven very above average retro fashion stores, all with a substantial web presence.

New York, New York

New York consignment and resale stores from New York magazine, its Best of New York listings for consignment and thrift stores.

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