If you don’t get giddy at the thought of being in a fresh new zone of thrift stores, are you even a true thrifter?! When we were planning our US trip, my heart was practically fluttering at the prospect of all the thrift stores I’d get to hit. 

I found the easiest place to weave thrift visits into our schedule was New York. Unlike other cities we’ve visited, they’re closer and easier to access from the main city spots, so we were able to pop into a few while we were in the area. Here are some of my fave places to thrift in New York – I will keep adding to this throughout the next week as I visit more stores!

Upper East Side

Housing Works Thrift Shop

1200 Lexington Avenue

This is a small thrift store on the Upper East Side, but it’s packed with goodies. Here I saw Jimmy Choo, Manolo Blahnik, Sezane, Tommy Hilfiger and Reformation within minutes. The prices aren’t rock bottom, but excellent for the brands you’re getting. By example, the Jimmy Choo nude heels were $65USD. 

Cancer Care Thrift Shop

1480 Third Avenue

This place is like a giant treasure trove. It’s small but deep, and kinda dark inside with stuff EVERYWHERE. But dare to dig and you shall be rewarded. I had to pick my jaw up off the floor after one second of glancing at their packed shoe racks. Manolo Blanik, Christian Louboutin, Stuart Weizman, Salvatore Ferragamo, Gucci, Prada…you name it, this store had it. The clothing racks were equally designer-packed, but for some reason all that was out was coats, pants and knitwear. With the Australian summer coming, I couldn’t quite connect with the stuff. Though I did spot an Oscar De La Renta jacket for $60! Again, prices here aren’t tiny – given the location it’s easy to see why. But for the brands you’ll find, you really can’t argue. I scored a black Coach belt for $35 while I was there!

Upper West Side

Goodwill

157 W 72nd St

I had high hopes for this Goodwill but it wasn’t quite as good as I’d expected. I just had a really quick browse as we were on our way to Central Park, but I did spot a Reiss dress and two pairs of ALDO sandals for $10 each. Other than that the brands weren’t particularly impressive, but I didn’t stay and rummage!

Housing Works Thrift Shop

306 Columbus Avenue

This was a cute little store, well laid out and organised. I saw a lot of goodies in here, including an immaculate pair of Jimmy Choos and several pairs of Salvatore Ferragamo heels (I think they must either have a display shoe donation arrangement with the brand itself, or someone must have donated several pairs at once!). Maybe the Ferragamo is the shoe of choice for the elite of NYC?! Anyway other than those goodies, I saw some great coats, a leather jacket and a few mid-range designer pieces like a bridal jumpsuit by Adrianna Papell.

East Village

East Village Thrift Shop

186 2nd Ave

Boy is this one a rummage heaven! Great jackets, great leather, great prices. This is where I scored a rare vintage Diane von Furstenburg dress for $11.99! You’ll really need a strong arm to rummage through the stuffed racks, though.

Housing Works Thrift Shop

130 Crosby Street

This was a well-priced designer hot spot, laid out neatly like a mini boutique. Prices are reasonable given the neatness of the store and the brands in stock, but again, not rock bottom. I spotted Miu Miu heels for $65 and Georgio Armani pants for $35. For non-designer items, expect to pay between $5 – $20. 

Goodwill

44 W 8th Street

These prices were pretty good – and they have a colour of the day, where tags of that colour are 40% off! Most things are flat-rate priced, too, with the occasional speciality item tagged at its own price. There’s lots of Ann Taylor, LOFT and true vintage pieces at decent prices. I also spotted a beige Michael Kors crossbody bag for $29.99!

Brooklyn

Monk Vintage Thrift Shop

496 Driggs Ave, Brooklyn

This was a giant hub of goodies in every corner. You could easily spend a couple of hours in here, and I’d recommend not bringing your partner! I had a quick scan around as I had Mr TBG with me, but in that time I spotted so many gems. Dolce & Gabbana Bags, Kate Spade bags, Christian Louboutin shoes, amazing vintage dresses, and a whole rack of jumpsuits – something you don’t see many of in op shops. Definitely worth a visit.