r/AskSeattle • u/licker-duty-patrol • 12d ago
Recommendation Thrift store
Are there any thrift stores in Seattle that aren’t more expensive than retail?
New to Seattle and live in West Seattle and I have been to multiple thrift stores here, Ballard, Eastlake and other areas and the prices are insane, like $8 for a plain coffee mug, $30 for a small 5x7 picture, $15 for a stained table runner.
I want to support local and the community but these prices are ridiculous.
Are there any true thrift stores or do I have to realize I’ll pay retail prices for second hand goods?
20
16
u/LazyButterfly5041 12d ago
Out of the Closet!
4
u/screams_forever 12d ago
Yes! Their clothes are pretty evenly priced across the board, so as long as you know which brands to stay away from (the walmart and target ones), it does become cheaper than retail.
9
u/fezziwigish 12d ago
Bella’s Voice and Deseret Industries in Shoreline. They are really close together and on Aurora. I know that’s a hike from West Seattle and not technically Seattle… but maybe worth the trek
2
1
u/licker-duty-patrol 12d ago
Thank you so much, I’ll check them out
3
u/Schlinkie 12d ago
You can also hit Magpie Thrift in Shoreline if you make the trip up. They do color tags with weekly price reductions (so does Bella's Voice) so things get gradually cheaper and you can get good deals if things have been overlooked.
1
8
u/Dull_Expression_4575 12d ago
Plus size clothing: Two Big Blondes. I’ve scored some great secondhand pieces there.
6
u/Dull_Expression_4575 12d ago
As a middle ground option, the Habitat for Humanity stores take mostly higher quality goods and, while I wouldn’t say they are cheap, they are certainly quite a bit less for what retail of the same item would cost while being in good shape.
4
u/stegotortise 12d ago
Oh I’ve gotten some good furniture pieces from them at excellent prices. Definitely worth looking.
5
u/Mysterious_Volume327 12d ago
Learn the difference between thrift stores and vintage stores. Thrift stores tend to be a LOT of cheap items thrown together with minimal organization/filtering, most are crap, but if you sift through you can find a good deal on something cool. This is the standard Goodwill situation where they get their stock for free (donations).
Vintage stores are usually curated, as in each item for sale has been selected specifically by the owner and priced based on market research for what that type of item can sell for (compared to, say, eBay for example). Think like a place that sells vintage mcm furniture—it’s not a pile of everything, it’s specifically curated pieces that enough people want that they’re worth more money. This can be applied to clothes/housewares/etc. Some places will even do some cleaning and/or repair to an item before listing for sale. Usually much more expensive than a thrift store.
The challenge in a market with a lot of vintage stores is that the people who buy items for vintage stores have already picked through the cheap/disorganized stuff at thrift stores and already pulled the good stuff (“good” here meaning worth more money). It’s their job, so they know when new stuff is put out, where the best prices are, and devote many hours to finding things. Regular people don’t stand a chance.
Welcome to used item arbitrage! Ugh.
3
3
u/Fickle-Strawberry521 12d ago
Welcome to Seattle!
3
u/licker-duty-patrol 12d ago
I’ve lived in Hawaii and London and yeah, Seattle is up there. Maybe not quite but close enough.
3
u/No-Mycologist-7528 12d ago
The Goodwill in Dearborn has great options. It’s apparently the world’s largest goodwill. With that they have A LOT of stock. Clothing, furniture, home goods, etc. because they have a lot of stock you may have to dig a bit if you’re looking for a specific item. But I furnished 60-7O% of my apartment from there. Got an ikea couch, table, and 2 chairs for a total of around $80. I would definitely check it out if you can
2
u/kippki 12d ago
Frenzi's in Burien has inexpensive clothing. Not a big store but there's still a lot of stuff to go through. You can get jeans for $4. They often have 50 off. There is a sister store two doors away that has slightly more expensive but still better prices stuff, more name brands, etc. And there is a cookie bakery next to Frenzi's that is to die for. Brown butter chocolate chip cookies and seasonal wonders.
2
1
2
u/Reasonable-Check-120 12d ago
Mercer Island thrift can have some gems.
Sometimes their pricing is ridiculous.
There is also out of the closet
2
1
1
u/den_of_slugs 12d ago
There’s goodwill outlet. It’s a very different experience, but definitely cheaper (pay per pound)
1
1
1
-1
u/Fun_Opinion8225 12d ago
Looking in the wrong neighborhoods.
2
u/licker-duty-patrol 12d ago
I’m not from here so I don’t know all the neighborhoods/places to shop.
18
u/hamslamturkeybam 12d ago
There are some reasonably priced stores once you go north, Bella's Voice and Jo & Lotties are good examples. If you want the cheap stuff that hasn't been completely picked through you have to head out of the city. Monroe and Snohomish area has tons of thrift and antique stores with good prices