An Updated Guide to the Most Affordable Thrift Shops Near Campus
Looking good doesn’t have to break the bank.
Maybe you just realized that you don’t have enough winter clothes or perhaps you’re looking for a special one-of-a-kind piece for your wardrobe. But one thing is certain: There’s a thrift store near campus for your needs.
Goodwill
44 W. Eighth St. / Monday-Saturday 9 a.m.-9 p.m. / Sunday 9 a.m.-8 p.m. / Accepts Credit Cards
This Goodwill is located just North of Washington Square Park, near Stumptown. Goodwill carries men’s, women’s, and children’s clothing in a variety of sizes from XXS to XXXL. The store often has high-quality items that are well displayed and organized.You can also find shoes, books, accessories and jewelry, home decor, and some electronics at this location. This store has fitting rooms as well.
Pro tip: This location often has very good coat, denim, and women’s formal-wear selections. Be sure to show your NYU ID card on Tuesdays and get 20% your purchase!
The Salvation Army
112 Fourth Ave. / Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-5:45 p.m. / Sunday CLOSED / Accepts Credit Cards
The Salvation Army is located a block away from The Strand Bookstore, across the street from Think Coffee’s Fourth Avenue location. This thrift store is probably the least expensive thrifting option near campus, though is much less curated. This location is organized by clothing gender and color. You can get decor/housewares, men’s, women’s, and children’s clothing, shoes, accessories, and books. This thrift store is extremely size-inclusive, carrying sizes most often from XS-XXL. This store does NOT have a fitting room, but does have a full length mirror.
Pro tip: This location often has a very good shoe and coat selection and the best prices near campus. (I snagged a pair of vintage Levi’s 501s for $8).
L Train Vintage
204 First Ave. / Sunday-Thursday 12 p.m.-7:45 p.m. / Friday-Saturday 12 p.m.-8:45 p.m. / Accepts Credit Cards
L Train Vintage is located in the East Village (Sorta close to 3rd North!) A hybrid of thrift and vintage, L Train offers extremely affordable prices — expect to pay $10–20 for vintage jeans and $8–12 for vintage sweaters. L Train offers men’s and women’s clothing, shoes, and accessories. The store has a very impressive men’s shoe selection and often has a fairly large amount of jackets/coats/workwear type clothes. L Train tends to carry more medium to extra-large sizes, though some smaller sizes can definitely be found. This store has fitting rooms but there is only one large communal mirror.
Pro tip: This place gets packed on the weekends, particularly Friday and Saturday. If you’d like a more low-key shopping experience, check it out during the week.
Flamingos Vintage Pound
57 Stanton St. / Every day 10 a.m.-8 p.m. / Accepts Credit Cards
Flamingos Vintage Pound is located in LES, near Bowery. This location is probably the priciest, or comparable to Buffalo Exchange. The location is almost exclusively vintage and is priced by-the-pound. This means each clothing item has a $/lb. written on the tag, and the clothing article will be weighed before purchase. Jeans typically start at $12/lb. and shirts at about $5/lb. Denim can be anywhere from 10 ounces to 2 pounds, so the cut, size, and material of the garment will determine its price. This location has a great selection of men’s and women’s clothing, with a large bin of sneakers and various types of shoes. This location is smaller, so its size range isn’t as consistent as the others. One can expect to find S-XXL, but this varies depending upon the item. This location has a fitting room as well.
Pro tip: Flamingos Vintage Pound has a lot of great jeans and denim jackets. However, since these items weight more, they will most likely be the priciest.
East Village Thrift Shop
186 Second Ave. / Sunday-Thursday 10 a.m.-8:45 p.m. / Friday-Saturday 10 a.m.-9:45 p.m. / Accepts Credit Cards
East Village Thrift Shop is another very affordable option, offering both vintage and thrift. The store is organized by clothing type with mostly women’s clothing, though there is a good-sized men’s section. The store sells shoes, accessories, men’s, women’s, and a few home decor items. You can find a lot of contemporary brands at this location, such as Zara, Urban Outfitters, Brandy Melville, etc. (I once found a vintage Helmut Lang mesh top here for $7?!) Prices are comparable to L Train, with denim priced around $8-$15 and shirts running anywhere from $7-$15 as well. This location has a lot of medium sizes, but one can always find items from XXS-XXL. This location offers fitting rooms.
Pro tip: This place always has a good shirt and leather belt selection for women.
Buffalo Exchange
332 E. 11th St. / Monday-Saturday 11 a.m.-8 p.m. / Sunday 12 p.m.-7 p.m. / Accepts Credit Cards
Buffalo Exchange has the most curated offerings of any second-hand store with several locations throughout the city. It’s technically a consignment shop and not a thrift shop, so the store buys gently used items from its customers rather than relying on donations. Because of this, the price point is a little higher, and can vary greatly depending on the brand of the item. The store offers men’s, women’s, shoes, and accessories — both vintage and contemporary brands. Denim can typically run anywhere from $20-$100 and shirts from $7-$90. The store has good size range, XS-XXL, though the selection of sizes may differ slightly depending on the type of item (denim, shirts, etc). This location has fitting rooms as well.
Pro tip: If you sell your own clothing here, you can get cash upfront. You can also choose to “trade” in your items, which give them a higher cash value in the form of a gift card.
*BONUS* Shop For Used Clothing Online!
Also try shopping for used clothing on apps such as Depop and Poshmark. These apps offer a platform for users to buy or sell used clothing, shoes, and accessories on the app. Shipping is coordinated through the app or seller, and both apps offer scam protection so that you can purchase with confidence. It’s a great way to find affordable vintage pieces and recycle old clothes.
