2026-01-28T17:31:26-05:00

Explore Affordable Thrift Shopping in Westchester County – Part 1

January 28, 2026January 28, 2026/ToniOnThrifting.com/Leave a comment

Thrifting in Westchester is renowned for its high-quality donated items. Many residents live in affluent neighborhoods, so local thrift stores often stock premium brands, vintage furniture, and luxury accessories at prices generally lower than those in Manhattan. Each store has a unique atmosphere, adding variety to the secondhand shopping experience.

In Westchester’s thrift scene, timing is crucial for success. Because most shops get their largest donations on weekends, the best times to find new inventory are early Monday and Tuesday mornings, before items are heavily picked over.

Practicality significantly influences the Westchester scene. Most prominent shops are run by local religious or nonprofit groups, and usually close earlier than typical thrift stores. Many are staffed by volunteers. Savvy shoppers keep an eye on community calendars, since many of these stores host seasonal “bag sales,” where customers pay a fixed fee to fill a bag.

Here’s a list of some of my favorite thrift stores in Westchester County I’ve visited over the past year. I genuinely appreciate the friendly staff, excellent deals, and how many staff members recognize my enthusiasm for thrifting and sharing it. I enjoy emphasizing how these shops support and uplift their local communities. If your favorite thrift store isn’t included here, feel free to email me at tonionthrifting@gmail.com, and I’ll try to visit soon.

Here are a few thrift shops I visited during the past year:

St Bart’s Thrift Shop

— 82 Prospect St, White Plains, NY

Follow on Facebook for news: https://www.facebook.com/stbartsthrift/

Located in White Plains, NY, this shop offers affordable pre-owned clothing and household items. It features a large, ever-changing selection of women’s clothing, operated from a space behind St. Bart’s Church. The constantly rotating inventory encourages frequent visits to discover unique finds. All proceeds are reinvested in the community. This thrift shop is also one of my personal favorites and one I visit very often.

The L.I.S.A Boutique

— 137 7thh Ave, Verplanck, NY 10591

https://letitshineonline.com/home-%2F-pantry-%2F-thrift

Located in Verplanck and well worth a visit. It is not a large boutique, but it is packed with excellent women’s clothes, gorgeous jewelry and accessories, and beautiful household goods. and it is also part of Cortlandt’s Thrift Store Trail which includes St. Patrick’s, Carriage House Thrift Shop, Little Orphan Animals, and the Mustard Seed, all worth the trip

The Back Door Thrift Shop

— 20 Greenridge Ave, White Plains, NY 10605

https://www.hiwp.org/thrift_shop

This charming, welcoming shop in White Plains, NY, lives up to its name with its entrance at the back of a parking lot behind the Hebrew Institute Synagogue. It features high-quality pre-owned items, such as vintage dresses, coats, and home decor, with all proceeds benefiting synagogue programs and activities.

Fantastic Finds

—400 King St, Chappaqua, NY

Located in Chappaqua’s Talbot’s Shopping Center, Fantastic Finds is an upscale resale boutique that operates as a non-profit. All proceeds from the shop directly benefit Support Connection, a non-profit organization that provides free, year-round support services for individuals affected by breast, ovarian, and gynecological cancers.

Hitchcock Church Thrift Shop

— 6 Greenacres Ave, Scarsdale, NY 10583

https://www.hitchcockpresby.org/thrift-shop

Located in Scarsdale, NY, this shop is run by Presbyterian Women and raises thousands of dollars each year for various women’s and children’s charities. It sells clothing, household items, and jewelry, and offers a chance for community volunteering and friendship.

Habitat for Humanity ReStore

— 470 Nepperhan Ave, Yonkers, NY 10701

Tel: (332) 777-5060

This large nonprofit home improvement store and donation center is located in Yonkers, NY. It offers new and gently used furniture, appliances, building materials, and home accessories at affordable prices. All proceeds support Habitat for Humanity NYC and Westchester County’s mission to build homes.

Red Door Thrift Store

— 100 Underhill St, Yonkers, NY 10710

http://www.stjohnstuckahoe.com/thrift-shop.html

Situated in Yonkers, NY, this thrift store sells gently used clothes, household items, books, collectibles, and more at affordable prices. All proceeds benefit the ministries of St. John’s Episcopal Church, Tuckahoe.

Treasure Thrift Shop

— 50 Bedford Rd, Armonk, NY

Located in Armonk, NY, this volunteer-run, eco-friendly shop offers affordable new and gently used items, with proceeds supporting various local charities. It operates on limited hours, usually Wednesdays and Saturdays, making it a great place to find unique vintage treasures. This is an all-around great thrift shop and one I always enjoy shopping in.

https://www.treasuresthriftshop.org/

Twigs Thriftree

— 449 Lexington Ave, Mount Kisco, NY 10549

https://www.twigsofnwh.org/

This volunteer-operated store in Mount Kisco, NY, raises funds exclusively for Northern Westchester Hospital and has already collected millions of dollars. It features a wide variety of gently used clothing and costume jewelry.

Yorktown Love In Action

— 1736 Front St, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598

https://www.yorktownloveinaction.com/

A nonprofit recognized as a 501(c)(3) based in Yorktown Heights, NY, runs a large 10,000-square-foot thrift shop warehouse. Its goal is to assist families facing hardship in Westchester and Putnam counties. The organization provides donated items like furniture, clothing, and toys, known for its affordable prices and neatly organized, wide-ranging selection. Another popular spot where you could easily spend hours.

I hope you enjoyed it. Stay tuned for more. I am currently working on part 2 of “Explore Affordable Thrift Shopping in Westchester County.”

Check out my Facebook page for engaging articles and updates on local thrift shopping.

Until next time, Happy Thrifting!

Why Rummage Sales Are Great For Affordable And Sustainable Shopping

September 26, 2025/ToniOnThrifting.com/Leave a comment

I love rummage sales. One of my favorite bags was bought at a local rummage sale—a vintage Coach crossbody I found for only $20. It quickly became one of my top favorites, especially since it was perfect for days when I didn’t need to carry much. The bag had just enough character without being too worn. This demonstrates why rummage sales are excellent sources for rare, vintage, and collectible items that are hard to find in regular stores.

Rummage sales are great for a variety of reasons. If you’re creative, you can find furniture, clothing, and other items that need repair or a creative update. With some imagination, you can turn these pieces into stylish additions for your home or wardrobe. One benefit of a rummage sale is that prices are often lower than in typical thrift stores because organizers aim to sell as much as possible. This also means you might find even better deals later in the day, and some sales offer a fill-a-bag deal for a small fee at the end of the event.

Rummage sales are becoming more critical in communities facing clothing insecurity. They offer affordable clothing, usually at much lower prices than department stores. Many of these events also serve as fundraisers for local charities, community programs, or schools, with the proceeds going directly to benefit the community. Attending these sales provides an opportunity to meet neighbors and build stronger community connections. Visiting rummage sales can be an enjoyable way to spend a weekend.

Rummage sales offer an eco-friendly and practical alternative to fast fashion shopping. The fast fashion industry causes problems like waste accumulation, resource depletion, unfair labor practices, and pollution. Buying from rummage sales, thrift stores, estate sales, or garage sales decreases landfill waste by giving clothing a second purpose. These types of secondhand shopping extend the life of garments, save resources, and support sustainability. By reusing and recycling items, you take part in a system that conserves natural resources and minimizes environmental impact.

Look for local rummage sales in newspapers, Facebook groups, Craigslist, and similar platforms. My top tip: arrive early to access the best selection of quality items. Though they might cost more, these items sell quickly and are often priced below market value.

For valuable insights from top resources on thrift shopping and sustainability, visit my Facebook page, ToniOnThrifting. Let’s prioritize reducing, reusing, and recycling.

Until next time, Happy Thrifting!

How to Donate Clothes with Purpose

May 19, 2025May 19, 2025/ToniOnThrifting.com/Leave a comment

We have all had those bags, boxes, or items in our house or the back of our car, which we keep forgetting to donate. Eventually, they arrive, but what happens to the donated clothing or textiles after you drop them off can be alarming. According to Earth.com, approximately 92 tons of global textile waste are generated yearly, which is expected to double by 2030. The most important thing we can do is donate mindfully so that most of our donations DO NOT end up in landfills and significantly harm the environment. Better recycling practices help us help the environment. Reduce, reuse, and recycle are the keys to my life. Here are some of my tips and ideas for mindfully donating your clothes and other items, with purpose and sustainability in mind.

Let us start with the donation itself. First, please ensure that the clothes are clean and in the condition you would want if you purchased the same item. They should be free of stains and tears. This is the best way to ensure your items are resold or donated to someone in need. Additionally, donating seasonal clothes at the beginning of a season is beneficial to ensure they are immediately usable. If an item is household, please ensure it is not broken, usable, and void of cracks and chips (also making it an unsafe donation).

The following is imperative and will significantly reduce waste. Check with the donation center or thrift shop to get a clear picture of what is and is not accepted. When you drop off something a shop does not take, it ends up in the garbage and eventually a landfill. That is precisely what we do not want to happen. Additionally, the staff at thrift shops cannot emphasize enough how detrimental it is when donations are dropped off when a shop is closed, especially in inclement weather, as the donations become unusable and end up as garbage. Visit during the shop’s operating hours. Remember, volunteers run those small, independent thrift shops, and why waste precious volunteer time sorting and discarding what could have been usable donations? Of course, there is always Goodwill and the Salvation Army.

I have donated board games along with books to my local library. For books, there are Little Free Libraries across the country where you can both give and take a book. One just opened this week near me, and it’s such a great idea for our local community. Here is the link https://littlefreelibrary.org/. There is the Buy Nothing Project on Facebook, which so many local communities are involved in for many items. I have found this to be an excellent resource for giving away items I no longer use and receiving items I would not have to buy, as someone may be giving them away. I have given away everything, from food and clothing to décor and toiletries, and received the same in return. It is an excellent way to connect with a community of like-minded individuals who want to repurpose items they are no longer using or need.

I donate gently used business clothing to the Bottomless Closet in New York City, where they help disadvantaged women acquire the tools and resources they need to re-enter the workforce and achieve their career goals. Organizations like the Bottomless Closet, Dress for Success, and many others help individuals re-enter the workforce and may need business clothing, handbags, shoes, and accessories. You can also check your local house of worship to see if they are hosting a tag sale or rummage sale, or if they have families in need. Check your local homeless shelter to see what donations are most needed. They may also take household items for people transitioning into permanent housing. That would be great for the kitchen, bedding, and many other items you would like to have a second life with.

Some retailers, such as Eileen Fish, offer buy-back services for their products. Madewell Forever takes all types of clothing by mail, and DSW takes all kinds of shoes—check their website for details. Trashie’s Take Back Bag recycling program is user-friendly. You can purchase bags, fill them, and earn points in rewards for gift cards. Their goal is to redistribute or recycle your items in a responsible and environmentally friendly manner. The website provides valuable information about their activities.

I am trying to buy fewer items and only purchase quality products so that they last longer. Additionally, I strive to stay as far away from fast fashion as possible. Additionally, I try to repair and repurpose. Do you have items that require minor repairs to make them wearable again, especially for high-quality items? An inexpensive sewing kit and numerous YouTube videos (for the tricky repairs) can help you with this. Perhaps it just needs a good ironing or steaming — that could be all it needs to breathe new life into a piece of clothing. Do not throw out old sheets and blankets – check with your local animal shelter to see what they could use, and donate those items to help animals in need.

How we donate can positively impact the environment, especially in our local communities. If we donate mindfully, we play a crucial role in extending the lifespan of items no longer needed, and we can help save this beautiful planet for future generations.

I hope that you find this information helpful.

Until next time, Happy Thrifting!

ToniOnThrifting