There was a time, long, long ago, when people shopped at secondhand stores purely out of necessity. Today secondhand shopping has been elevated into an art form, a number 1 rap song, and for some, an occupation. Vintage goods bought for pennies on the dollar can fetch hundreds on Ebay or Etsy shops. Vintage furniture can create a shabby chic living space for far less than even the cheapest big box stores; and "tchotchkes" usually found in the "bric-a-brac" section are an quirky way to decorate and personalize you home.
Furniture of yore is often made with a craftsmanship and attention to detail that is sorely lacking at Ikea. Searching for secondhand goods is an adventure. You'll travel to places you'd probably never have reason to visit otherwise. Suburban and rural areas are often the best places to visit because they are largely untouched by cool hunting city dwellers. Amassing a collection of go-to thrift stores, flea markets and whole sale vintage distributors can take years of practice and an intimate knowledge of the city. Here are some of the best secondhand shops I've found in Philadelphia, plus some tips to help you make the most of them.
Thrift Shops
Village Thrift, Camden: This a traditional thrift shop in every sense. It's huge, overwhelming, badly lit and slightly smelly, but it's well organized and can be a gold mine at times. If you have plenty of time to kill it's worth a trip. I've found countless designer purses, leather jackets and beautiful home goods especially for the kitchen. Pro Tip: Sundays and Mondays are half priced days.
Details: 7533 S. Crescent Blvd. Camden, NJ 08103
Retrospect: Retrospect is one of the few South Street stores that still has a slightly punk rock vibe. It's a bit more of a boutique than a thrift store, but the prices are still rather low and a visit is far less time consuming and exhausting. Their buyers have done the hard work for you and mined Goodwill thrift shops for their kitschy vintage tees, flannels, cowboy boots and leather jackets. Pro Tip: Afterwords hit up the larger, cheaper Philly Aids Thrift at 710 S. 5th Street.
Details: 508 South Street, (267) 671 0116
Salvation Army, Roxborough: There are many Salvation Army's in Philadelphia, but the Roxborough location is my favorite. It's massive, cheap and one of the major distribution centers, so it gets the best stuff. Go for clothing rather than furniture since it's often overpriced. Afterwards you can hit up the many consignment shops on Main Street in Manayunk which is just a short drive away. Pro Tip: Wednesdays are half off.
Details: 4555 Pechin Street, (215) 483 3340
Bryn Athyn Thrift Shop: This little known thrift shop is housed in a gorgeous two story Pennsylvania barn near the historic Bryn Athyn Cathedral. It's an incredibly cheap place to find books, jewery and home decor, though the clothing section is a bit lacking. Whether you find something or not the space is simply awe inspiring. It's a short drive to a few decent, much larger stores: a Goodwill on Buselton Ave. and an Impact on Feasterville Road. Pro Tip: Bring cash, no credit cards excepted.
Details: 510 Tomlinson Rd. (215) 947 7647
2nd Ave Value Stores: Another giant thrift store which can be very hit or miss. It's definitely cleaner and better organized than average, but it is slightly pricey. The best thing about this store might be it's proximity to the mega outlet mall, Franklin Mills. Pro Tip: This store has one of the best home goods sections.
Details: 199 Franklin Mills Blvd
Sazz Vintage Warehouse: This is a truly unique shopping experience, not for the faint of heart. This place has only been open to the public for the last few years. The 6000 square foot Kensington warehouse is literally overflowing with garments from the 1930s to 90's. Shoppers dig through cardboard boxes and purchase items by the piece or the pound. There is an abundance of the kind ironic, ancient, threadbare t-shirts you'd pay an arm and a leg for on Ebay. Pro Tip: Bundle up, the warehouse is unheated and often frigid.
Details: 2438 Coral St. (215) 923-9009
Vintage Furniture Boutiques and Wholesale
Jinxed Clothing and Tuckers Digs: Jinxed started out as a boutique on South Street selling mostly street art and clothes, but since it moved to the Piazza at Schmidt's it has evolved into one of the best yet affordable places to buy antique furniture in a boutique setting. They bring in gorgeous items daily from a source they refuse to identify, often priced shockingly low. Their Northern Liberties Store was such as success that they recently opened another boutique off South Street called Tucker's Digs. Pro Tip: If you don't yet have an Instagram account, get one and follow "jinxed store." They post new items as they arrive creating a frenzy of interest. If you see something you like call into the store and buy it, they good stuff goes fast.
Details: The Piazza at Schmidts (267) 978 JINX, and 611 4th Street (267) 858 HELL
Midcentury Furniture Warehouse: Though it's more expensive than a thrift store, the prices are still below retail, and the furniture is to die for. They primarily sell to dealers, stores, and interior designers who would tax the hell out of it, but they are open to the public just two Sundays a month for a couple hours. There inventory is modern vintage mostly from the 60's and 70's that's really hot right now, but is also timeless. It's unbelievably chic and well made. Pro Tip: The hours are really erratic so check the blog or call ahead.
Details: 1701 North 2nd Street, (267) 934 4218
Craigslist
People find work, homes, and love on craigslist.com, but one of the best uses is finding used furniture. Unlike say, buying a car, with furniture what you see is what you get. Person to person shopping cuts out the middle man for great savings. But treading the murky waters of craigslist can be daunting to the uninitiated. There are lots a scams and creeps out there. Trust you're gut when dealing with sellers. If something seems off it's best to walk away. And if you end up coming to someones home to make a purchase bring a friend. I expect to pay bottom dollar on craigslist, since in a sense, I'm doing the seller a favor by coming to their home and removing the unwanted item. So if you think an item is priced too high, it probably is. Do some google research for comparable items. You can certainly attempt to haggle with a seller, especially if the post has been up for more than a week. ProTip: My favorite craigslist method is to enter my neighborhood in the search field and see what's available close by. It's more convenient, less daunting and less of gamble if you end up not wanting them item.
Furniture of yore is often made with a craftsmanship and attention to detail that is sorely lacking at Ikea. Searching for secondhand goods is an adventure. You'll travel to places you'd probably never have reason to visit otherwise. Suburban and rural areas are often the best places to visit because they are largely untouched by cool hunting city dwellers. Amassing a collection of go-to thrift stores, flea markets and whole sale vintage distributors can take years of practice and an intimate knowledge of the city. Here are some of the best secondhand shops I've found in Philadelphia, plus some tips to help you make the most of them.
Thrift Shops
Village Thrift, Camden: This a traditional thrift shop in every sense. It's huge, overwhelming, badly lit and slightly smelly, but it's well organized and can be a gold mine at times. If you have plenty of time to kill it's worth a trip. I've found countless designer purses, leather jackets and beautiful home goods especially for the kitchen. Pro Tip: Sundays and Mondays are half priced days.
Details: 7533 S. Crescent Blvd. Camden, NJ 08103
Retrospect: Retrospect is one of the few South Street stores that still has a slightly punk rock vibe. It's a bit more of a boutique than a thrift store, but the prices are still rather low and a visit is far less time consuming and exhausting. Their buyers have done the hard work for you and mined Goodwill thrift shops for their kitschy vintage tees, flannels, cowboy boots and leather jackets. Pro Tip: Afterwords hit up the larger, cheaper Philly Aids Thrift at 710 S. 5th Street.
Details: 508 South Street, (267) 671 0116
Salvation Army, Roxborough: There are many Salvation Army's in Philadelphia, but the Roxborough location is my favorite. It's massive, cheap and one of the major distribution centers, so it gets the best stuff. Go for clothing rather than furniture since it's often overpriced. Afterwards you can hit up the many consignment shops on Main Street in Manayunk which is just a short drive away. Pro Tip: Wednesdays are half off.
Details: 4555 Pechin Street, (215) 483 3340
Bryn Athyn Thrift Shop: This little known thrift shop is housed in a gorgeous two story Pennsylvania barn near the historic Bryn Athyn Cathedral. It's an incredibly cheap place to find books, jewery and home decor, though the clothing section is a bit lacking. Whether you find something or not the space is simply awe inspiring. It's a short drive to a few decent, much larger stores: a Goodwill on Buselton Ave. and an Impact on Feasterville Road. Pro Tip: Bring cash, no credit cards excepted.
Details: 510 Tomlinson Rd. (215) 947 7647
2nd Ave Value Stores: Another giant thrift store which can be very hit or miss. It's definitely cleaner and better organized than average, but it is slightly pricey. The best thing about this store might be it's proximity to the mega outlet mall, Franklin Mills. Pro Tip: This store has one of the best home goods sections.
Details: 199 Franklin Mills Blvd
Sazz Vintage Warehouse: This is a truly unique shopping experience, not for the faint of heart. This place has only been open to the public for the last few years. The 6000 square foot Kensington warehouse is literally overflowing with garments from the 1930s to 90's. Shoppers dig through cardboard boxes and purchase items by the piece or the pound. There is an abundance of the kind ironic, ancient, threadbare t-shirts you'd pay an arm and a leg for on Ebay. Pro Tip: Bundle up, the warehouse is unheated and often frigid.
Details: 2438 Coral St. (215) 923-9009
Vintage Furniture Boutiques and Wholesale
Jinxed Clothing and Tuckers Digs: Jinxed started out as a boutique on South Street selling mostly street art and clothes, but since it moved to the Piazza at Schmidt's it has evolved into one of the best yet affordable places to buy antique furniture in a boutique setting. They bring in gorgeous items daily from a source they refuse to identify, often priced shockingly low. Their Northern Liberties Store was such as success that they recently opened another boutique off South Street called Tucker's Digs. Pro Tip: If you don't yet have an Instagram account, get one and follow "jinxed store." They post new items as they arrive creating a frenzy of interest. If you see something you like call into the store and buy it, they good stuff goes fast.
Details: The Piazza at Schmidts (267) 978 JINX, and 611 4th Street (267) 858 HELL
Midcentury Furniture Warehouse: Though it's more expensive than a thrift store, the prices are still below retail, and the furniture is to die for. They primarily sell to dealers, stores, and interior designers who would tax the hell out of it, but they are open to the public just two Sundays a month for a couple hours. There inventory is modern vintage mostly from the 60's and 70's that's really hot right now, but is also timeless. It's unbelievably chic and well made. Pro Tip: The hours are really erratic so check the blog or call ahead.
Details: 1701 North 2nd Street, (267) 934 4218
Craigslist
People find work, homes, and love on craigslist.com, but one of the best uses is finding used furniture. Unlike say, buying a car, with furniture what you see is what you get. Person to person shopping cuts out the middle man for great savings. But treading the murky waters of craigslist can be daunting to the uninitiated. There are lots a scams and creeps out there. Trust you're gut when dealing with sellers. If something seems off it's best to walk away. And if you end up coming to someones home to make a purchase bring a friend. I expect to pay bottom dollar on craigslist, since in a sense, I'm doing the seller a favor by coming to their home and removing the unwanted item. So if you think an item is priced too high, it probably is. Do some google research for comparable items. You can certainly attempt to haggle with a seller, especially if the post has been up for more than a week. ProTip: My favorite craigslist method is to enter my neighborhood in the search field and see what's available close by. It's more convenient, less daunting and less of gamble if you end up not wanting them item.
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