The 11 Best Stores for Affordable Secondhand and Thrift Store Shopping in NYC
10 W 13th St, New York, NY 10011
74 Guernsey St, Brooklyn, NY
92 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217
Thrift-loving New Yorkers have strong opinions about which Beacon’s Closet location is superior. Regardless of whether you go into the Manhattan, Greenpoint, or Park Slope store, though, all will agree with this: Give yourself ample time to browse. While Beacon’s Closet offers some of the best bargain thrifting in New York, it also requires shoppers to do the most digging. (Though the racks are organized by product categories, colors, and gender, the sheer volume of clothing and the mix of brands — ranging from fast fashion to contemporary, designer, and vintage — is overwhelming to even the most thrift-savvy.)
Do the work, though, and the pre-loved finds pay in dividends. On my last visit there, I spotted a $70 Jason Wu dress and a $50 Simone Rocha bag among other deals. Beacon’s Closet also has one of the biggest — and most affordable — selections of designer shoes. Think: $45 Gucci sandals, $35 zebra-print Manolo Blahnik heels, and $70 Comme de Garçons sneakers. While the conditions vary widely, from pristine to seen-better-days, often even the most in-need-of-TLC pairs are nothing that a New York cobbler can’t fix. Years ago, I bought $15 satin Christian Louboutin kitten heels; an additional $30 resole and paint touch-up turned them into one of my most-worn (and complimented on) pairs to this day.
Multiple locations across the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Manhattan
Shoppers who value utility over occasion dressing will find plenty to pick from at this casual-minded chain of secondhand stores. The menswear selection leads with vintage Carhartt overalls, L.L.Bean work jackets, Timberland boots, and sportswear. In addition to carrying the usual secondhand wares (graphic tees, sweatshirts, jeans, etc.), the racks are heavy on workwear separates like blazers, slacks, and shirting at great prices (see: $20 Eton button-downs) and prep-coded sailing anoraks, field jackets, and polos from heritage brands like Paul & Shark, J.Crew, and Ralph Lauren. The big-ticket deals abound in the cold-weather section, with the most recent sightings including a $125 Canada Goose puffer coat, under-$50 winter jackets from North Face and Columbia (some even with tags on), and $60 wool coats.
