August 17th is National Thrift Shopping Day.  Most thrift stores celebrate with  significant discounts.
Why shop at thrift stores? According to the U.S. EPA, a whopping 85% of all discarded textiles – 13 million – end up in landfills every year.  Plus textiles and decomposing clothing release methane, not to mention the dyes and chemicals in the fabrics that can saturate the soil. Let’s recycle folks, donate to local thrift shops, your local Goodwill, Salvation Army, Humane Society, local hospital or church thrift shops– there are so many GREAT charities that NEED your donations. The money that these charities raise through their thrift shops help countless others gain a better quality of life and protect out little four legged friends. I think that is one of the best reasons to donate along with reducing our carbon footprint. Plus think of all the people that are able to clothe themselves and their families at a deeply discounted price. I think it is a win-win.
I just happen to LOVE thrift shopping for so many reasons. I love helping the environment and I like trying new styles at a fraction of the cost – if I don’t like it, I just wash the clothes and donate them right back. The key to thrift shopping is patience. If you have some time and go through the racks, you would be surprised at what you can find. You can’t go to a thrift shop think I need a little black dress and expect to find one in one visit BUT if you go to the RIGHT thrift shops, you may just find one. For example, I always say if you want something formal or fancy, try City Opera and Vintage Thrift East in the 23rd St area of NYC. With these two stores, there is a good chance especially with a freshly stocked store – you can put together a great outfit. If you are in the Connecticut area, Stamford Goodwill is one of my favorites as well, their dress section is fabulous. Don’t be afraid to ask when they put out the “new” stock – it sometimes is Wednesday/Thursday in preparation for the weekend. I am also learning to create my own styles. I once found a beautiful black ankle length sequined duster and I paired it with straight legged pants and a clingy top and I received oodles of compliments and it was something that I might not have necessarily worn in prior years. It ended up being a favorite outfit for special occasions.
Life is complicated and chaotic at times and I find when I go thrift shopping I get such enjoyment out of finding that very special addition to my wardrobe at quite the price. I find it calming and relaxing and a great way to emerge myself in something that brings me great joy. Â I have also met some pretty incredible people along the way.
I look forward to telling you about my thrift shop visits – I have visited quite a few over the summer and I can’t wait to share my findings with you.
Vintage Thrift East is a must visit. They have such a wide array of women’s clothes along with shoes, accessories, housewares and more. The store setup is spectacular and the displays are eye catching. There is so much to love about this shop especially how organized it is. The clothes are in excellent condition and priced accordingly (translation reasonable). If you like to create your own style, this is the place to shop because there they have such an eclectic selection of clothing especially in the women’s section.
I was impressed with the setup of the housewares section. I actually saw quite a few gift quality platters and dishes and vintage serve ware which was quite nice.
The window displays are striking but the pleasant surprise is that the there is much more “window quality” pieces when you continue to browse.
The men’s section is not as extensive as the women’s but certainly worth a look.
There is just so much to this store; it is going to require a few return trips 🙂
Vintage Thrift proceeds benefit the United Jewish Council of the East Side which is another good reason to shop there. Of course, donations are tax deductible.
If you love art, then you should not miss the City Opera Thrift Shop Art Event. They have a stellar assortment of sculptures, art books and artwork for sale.
The art books are some of the best out there and all priced to sell. The artwork is outstanding and the sculptures magnificent.
I will let the pictures tell this story.
As you can see, the works that are for sale are stunning.
The art book selections cover a wide variety of artists and their acclaimed works that will absolutely delight all art lovers.
The selections extend from all eras and genres.
City Opera Thrift Shop has been supporting Opera for 35 years so what a great cause to support!
I highly recommend this art sale, you will not be disappointed!
City Opera Thrift Shop
222 East 23rd Street
New York, NY
For shop hours and more information, please visit:
The Giant Fall Sale has started at select Housing Works. Locations are in NYC and Brooklyn.
Park Slope (266 5th Avenue): Saturday, September 12, noon–8pm
Hell’s Kitchen (730-732 9th Avenue): Tuesday, September 15, 5pm–8pm
Yorkville (1730 Second Avenue): Saturday, September 19, noon–8pm
Tribeca (119 Chambers Street): Tuesday, September 22, 5pm–8pm
Chelsea (143 W. 17th Street): Thursday, September 24, 5pm–8pm
The Society Boutique (Memorial Sloan Kettering)
NYC – Upper East Side
The Annual Fall Opening Sales Event
Thursday, September 10-Monday, September 14
1440 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10028
(between 81st and 82nd Streets)
Monday-Saturday 10:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Sunday 11:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Goodwill
ALL LOCATIONS – New York and New Jersey
Customer Appreciation Day
Get 25% off storewide during Goodwill’s Customer Appreciation Day sale held Tuesdays in September by region:
* 9/1 – New York City (except Van Dam outlet) & Long Island
* 9/15 – Hudson Valley
* 9/22 – Capital District & Broome County
* 9/29 – Northern New Jersey
WESTCHESTER COUNTY
ATTIC SALE at the Irvington Presbyterian Church, Irvington, New York
(Address on bottom)
(Run, don’t walk to this sale- I absolutely love love this sale) 🙂 🙂 🙂
Annual Attic Sale should not be missed – This is a massive sale that I swear by, I can’t wait. This sale takes over the whole church (and it is one big church) and here is just a sampling of what you will see:
Friday, Sept. 12th – 10am – 5 pm
Saturday, Sept. 13th – 10am – 3 pm
Irvington Presbyterian Church
25 North Broadway
Irvington, NY 10533
PARKING IS ACROSS THE STREET AT THE HIGH SCHOOL
While doing my spring cleaning I looked at my “finds” and I realized that I have a few top quality pieces that I otherwise would not have had but for my “eagle eye” in thrift stores.
I have been to some thrift stores where I gasp at the prices and I walk into some thrift stores and do a little victory dance 🙂 it all depends on how you look at it. Me personally, I do not need a Dolce and Gabbana tee-shirt that is normally $275 for $39 – but for some, that is their spectacular buy and I get it and totally respect it. 🙂
At the Goodwill in New Rochelle I talked about in my last post, I bought a Tory Burch summer dress for $29.99 (not on sale) – it wasn’t because it was Tory Burch but rather black which is my favorite clothing color (I know, I know) and it fit perfectly. But I think it had more to do with luck — they had just restocked the racks a couple of hours earlier. Please don’t be discouraged by this, you will find some great buys just not every trip. I tend to stick with familiar brands that are a good fit rather than “label” shopping. And you never know, you might find that extraordinary piece or label you always wanted while looking.
You can spend days and days in the city going to all the “major” thrift shops let alone some smaller ones that aren’t even on the radar yet. I have always found the city thrift shops although pricier have a much wider variety of style and fashion trends. If vintage is your niche, the city is the place to find the best selection of vintage whether through thrift, consignment or vintage stores. Vintage stores like Screaming Mimi’s, No Relation Vintage and Vice Versa are all absolutely amazing and I think three of the TOP RATED vintage stores in the city. I promise any one of these stores will be a shopping experience you will thoroughly enjoy.
Screaming Mimi’s http://www.Screammingmimis.com
382 Lafayette St.
New York, NY 10003
212-677-6464
Monday-Saturday 12-8pm
Sunday 1-7pm
Vice Versa http://www.viceversavintage.com
241 Bedford Ave
Brooklyn, New York
718-782-8847
Monday-Thursday 1-8pm
Friday-Saturday 12-10pm
Sunday 12-8pm
No Relation Vintage http://www.ltrainvintage.com
204 First Ave.
New York, NY 10009
212-228-5201
Sunday-Thursday 12-8pm
Friday-Saturday 12-9pm
Please note that Vice Versa and No Relation have multiple locations.
I digressed but I do hope that you enjoy this information.
I thought about how I will handle all the thrift shops in the city and I thought that geographically would be best. After all, if I tell you about Angel Street (which I will today) I should also focus on the thrift stores in the near vicinity.
About Angel Street, the proceeds benefit the innovative programs of the Lower East Side Service Center. The LESC is dedicated to improving the lives individuals and families affected by substance abuse, HIV/Aids and mental illness. Kudos to Angel Street. I enjoy telling you who benefits from the proceeds of thrift stores so you know who are ultimately helping. 🙂
Angel Street Thrift Shop
118 West 17th Street
New York, NY 10111
212.229.0546 http://www.angelstreetthrift.org/about.html
Monday-Friday: 11AM-7PM
Saturday: 10AM-7PM
Sunday: 12–5PM
The mission statement — Housing Works is a healing community of people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Our mission is to end the dual crises of homelessness and AIDS through relentless advocacy, the provision of lifesaving services, and entrepreneurial businesses that sustain our efforts.
This particular Housing Works that I am addressing is right down the block from Angel Street and another not to be missed. It has a lot in common with Angel Street in that most items have a very short shelf life. I absolutely love their jewelry selection. I bought a pretty crystal necklace for $19.99 last year and I always get compliments when I wear it. I am sure that it is worth triple what I paid. Because both these shops are popular and there is a lot of foot traffic so the shelves/racks are constantly being replenished. I can guarantee that every visit will have all new selections. The furniture barely gets there before a “sold” sticker is slapped on. The clothes fly off the shelves and the housewares/books disappear as fast. It is worth going just to experience. FYI – The window items are only available through auction.
ToniOnThrifting 
