Best thrift stores in Columbus, OH – my top picks

I have said this before, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise – my favorite city to thrift in is Columbus, Ohio. Yes, I admit. I might be biased having lived in Columbus for several years, thrifting at least weekly. (Who am I kidding? More like several times a week.) What I love about thrift stores in Columbus is that they’re affordable and full of great-quality clothing. It’s here where I have found most of my thrifted designer bargains. But even in Columbus, not all thrift stores are great. I got a few requests to put together a list of the best thrift stores in Columbus, so here you go. These are my all-time favorites.

In this post, I’m focusing on thrift stores, specifically. I’ll write another post on my favorite consignment stores in Columbus later on (for differences between thrift and consignment stores, see my previous post).

1. Goodwill North Campus Store (2550 N. High Street)

Number one on my list of best thrift stores in Columbus is the Goodwill store on North High Street. This is located in North Campus/South Clintonville area, and it’s the closest Goodwill to the Ohio State University campus. This is not the biggest Goodwill out there, but it’s very well organized, and the proximity to the campus means that it’s packed with gems.

Here, I have found more designer goods than in any other thrift store. I must admit, though, that this is also the store that I have visited the most frequently because it’s located only a few blocks away from where I used to live.

Pros:

• A wonderful selection with lots of higher-end goods. Check out particularly the shoe department (I’ve found e.g. APC, new Stuart Weitzman, rag&bone, many pairs of Frye boots and Tory Burch shoes, etc.). Dresses and knits are great, too (e.g. Alexander Wang, Balenciaga), as are jeans (most of my Frame, Mother, and rag&bone jeans are from here).
• You also find brands that are trending among college kids. Try shopping here after school is over in the spring, as university students unload their unwanted goods here.
• They don’t generally mark up prices. This means that all dresses and jeans cost around $6 and all shoes $4-5.
• Thanks to the compact size, the store isn’t overwhelming. Everything is clean and organized, and it’s easy to find great items.
• The staff is very nice, too.

Cons:

• Due to the smaller size, the selection is somewhat more limited than in other Goodwills. Still, there’s always plenty to find.
• There’s slightly more competition than in some other stores. It can get quite packed at times.

2. Volunteers of America, Indianola Avenue (3620 Indianola Ave)

One of the best thrifts stores in Columbus is, without doubt, the Volunteers of America store on Indianola Avenue. This is by far my favorite VoA store – it’s huge, well-stocked, and cheap. I always find something great when I visit.

Pros:

• Massive selection; often a ton of designer and higher-end goods. I’ve found e.g., Dries van Noten, lots of 3.1 Phillip Lim and St. John, Isabel Marant, Givenchy, etc.
• Also great for mid-range brands. I’ve filled my closet with Vince, James Perse, Lululemon, newer Anthropologie, etc. that I’ve bought here.
• Prices are VERY affordable. E.g., dresses start at $1.99. They do mark some things up, though, but these tend to be brands that I don’t really care about – e.g., shoes and purses from Coach and Michael Kors. I chuckle a little bit every time I see these priced at $20+, while I find more obscure, higher-end brands for a few bucks.
• You can also score some great vintage finds here. Once I found a fabulous 1970s YSL silk dress here for $1.99.

Cons:

• The store is huge. It can easily get a little overwhelming, as there are SO MANY racks to go through. This obviously means that you can find great items, but be prepared to spend hours here.
• They use sensor tags. Ugh. I understand that this is to prevent thefts, but I wish that they didn’t puncture clothing, and especially shoes, with the tag. This leaves holes. Below is an example of Giuseppe Zanotti shoes that I got here that were brutally mistreated. (I know, I’ve shown this photo before, but I was so heartbroken.)
• They do sales, but by then, all the best stuff is gone. They also do a 50 % off everything the last Tuesday of every month, and it can get a little crazy on those days. As the prices are affordable, to begin with, I haven’t found the sales to be worth the effort.

3. Goodwill Whitehall (52 Robinwood Avenue)

When thinking about the best thrifting areas in Columbus, Whitehall doesn’t necessarily come to mind first. Yet, the Goodwill here is fantastic. The proximity to Bexley (which is, well, pretty wealthy) makes this a great location to find designer goods. I’ve found so many designer pieces here –often still with tags attached.

Pros:

• Again, they have a fantastic selection here. Surprisingly, the density of designer and high-end goods is higher here than perhaps in any other thrift store in Columbus. I’ve found e.g., Off-White, Gucci, Diane von Furstenberg wrap dresses, Goat, and many less-well-known brands that retail for thousands.
• The store is also great for mid-range brands. I’ve bought dozens of Anthropologie dresses and Eileen Fisher knits here. Moreover, I once found a pair of brand new Hunter boots in my size for $2.99. I still use them whenever it rains.
• The store rarely marks up clothing. They do this sometimes for higher-end shoes and purses, but only if they’re familiar with the brand. That’s one of the reasons why I love to shop here.

Cons:

• The store can be a little hit or miss. Sometimes, I find so many great items, but I’ve also walked away empty-handed. Visiting often helps (if you manage to walk in after the Bexley ladies have done their spring cleaning, you’re likely to strike gold).

4. Village Discount Outlet (3500 Cleveland Ave)

Village Discount Outlet is a for-profit thrift store chain that has a shop on Cleveland Avenue in Columbus, as well as three other stores in Ohio. They advertise themselves as “the best thrift store in Ohio,” and while I don’t necessarily agree with that, they nevertheless make it on my list of best thrift stores in Columbus.

This store is huge. It’s a classic example of me telling my husband that “I’ll be right back” and returning home seven hours later with enough shopping bags to fill the whole trunk.

Pros:

• Due to the size of the store, the selection is perhaps bigger than in any other thrift store in Columbus.
• They have a good number of designer goods here. I tend to steer away from bags and shoes, as they’re generally expensive (although I’ve found a pair of Prada loafers for $5 and new Ash boots for $6 here). Instead, I focus on clothes. The Burberry coats I featured in my previous post are from here. One of my best finds is the Acne Studios sweater, shown below, that I paid $5 for. I’ve also found many Vince, St. John, and Kate Spade pieces here for a good price.
• The jeans section is fantastic. They have great brands. While they mark up e.g. Miss Me and True Religion (I know, they might want to update their “sought after brands” list), I’ve had great deals on Mother, Re/Done, Frame and rag&bone.
• They run good sales. They use color tags, and every Wednesday a new color is 50 % off. Starting on Sunday, they drop the prices even further to $1, and then to $0.75 and $0.50. While the highly discounted good stuff usually goes fast, the 50 % off deal is worth it. This also means that the rotation of goods is high, and there’s always something new to be found.

Cons:

• The prices are on the higher side. E.g. regular brand jeans are often $12. But thanks to the generous sales, it’s also possible to come across real bargains.
• They mark up some of the “good” brands. As I mentioned, particularly shoes and purses are often pricey. Also, don’t even think of buying e.g., Lululemon here – a basic tank easily sets you back $20, and a used hoodie goes for $30-40.
• The store is so large that it can get quite overwhelming. Moreover, sometimes they do 50 % off everything sales, and it gets crowded and intimidating.
• You’re not allowed to touch the new racks they bring to the sales floor. You have to wait until they put the items to their places (if you’re as impatient as I am, this can be nerve-wracking!)
• No fitting rooms.

5. Goodwill Northland Store (2933 Morse Road)

Another great Goodwill store is the one on Morse Road. This is not the nicest neighborhood, and to be honest with you, sometimes I find nothing here. But at other times, I’ve bought great stuff. Designer goods aren’t necessarily as abundant here as in other stores, but it was here that I found e.g., the two pairs of Gucci pumps I mentioned in my earlier post. And I also found a rare, vintage Coach satchel from the 1980s that sold for more than $150.

Pros:

• Great and affordable shoe selection. I’ve also been lucky with dresses, jeans, and coats here, although more digging is required than e.g., at Goodwills in North High Street and Whitehall
• The store doesn’t get too crowded. There are generally only a few people at any given time (I tend to visit at weekends).
• The prices are good. They occasionally mark up some items, but this doesn’t happen too often.

Cons:

• Sometimes you find great stuff, sometimes nothing.
• At times, the store is slightly disorganized.

6. Out of the Closet (1230 N High Street)

This is a very cool thrift store located right next to the Ohio State University campus. This is an ultimate hipster store – if you’re looking for plaid flannel shirts or quirky vintage clothes, this is the store for you.

Pros:

• The Out of the Closet thrift store chain supports a great cause, as the proceeds go to the AIDS Healthcare Fund. They also offer free HIV testing.
• The staff is extremely nice, and the place is very LGBTQ+ friendly.
• Possibly the hippest selection of all thrift stores in Columbus. Cool band t-shirts and vintage clothes. The household section is pretty ample, too.
• They have $1 racks.

Cons:

• A little pricier than e.g., Goodwill, and the selection isn’t as big. That is, the place is great for the community vibe, but not necessarily as much for thrifting.
• I haven’t found many designer goods here, and the ones I’ve found have been expensive.
• I feel that the selection is more attractive to young, cool, and trendy crowds. I’m too old and boring.

7. Goodwill North Hamilton Road (5130 N Hamilton Road)

I know, I know – many Goodwills on my list of best thrift stores in Columbus. But I just really enjoy shopping at Goodwill. The North Hamilton Road store is relatively new and large. It’s well-organized and clean.

Pros:

• A good selection of shoes. I’ve found e.g., Ferragamo, Stuart Weitzman, Tory Burch, and Vince shoes here.
• Also, the jeans section is very good. I love the way they hang the jeans – it’s so much easier to go through the racks and spot brand name jeans. It was here that I found my first pair of Frame and rag&bone jeans.

Cons:

• Apart from jeans, I’m not very impressed with the clothes selection here. I mostly come across Target and Walmart brands.
• They have started to mark up some of the better brands. Particularly coats tend to be expensive.

8. Goodwill Outlet, aka the “bins” (2675 Brice Road)

No best thrift stores list would be complete without mentioning the Goodwill Outlet. The Outlet in Columbus opened just a few years ago. It’s not as large as some of the other Goodwill Outlets I’ve visited, but it’s pretty good and certainly less overwhelming. They now also have a regular Goodwill retail store right next to them.

Avid thrifters endearingly call Goodwill outlets “the bins.” That’s because the goods are brought to the sales floor in large, blue plastic bins that you have to dig through.

Pros:

• The bins are the ultimate thrifting experience. You can score amazing deals here. The Columbus bins have items that a) didn’t sell in Goodwill retail stores or b) were directly donated to the outlet. I regularly find e.g., Dr. Martens, Birkenstock, Lululemon, and Tory Burch here. I also once found a genuine Comme Des Garçons t-shirt that I sold for over $100.
• The prices are unbeatable. Everything costs $1.59 per pound – no matter if it’s clothing, shoes, or something else. Books are $0.59 per pound.

Cons:

• As in any Goodwill Outlet, you really have to be willing to dig through piles and piles of clothing to find the good stuff. This takes time.
• While the hygiene in the Columbus outlet is good, sometimes you come across gross things (think about used underwear, for instance). For this reason, I like to wear gloves.
• When they roll out new bins (particularly shoes and purses), things can get heated, as everyone tries to get the first picks. The Columbus bins aren’t as bad as some others I’ve seen (where people actually fight over stuff), but I like to stay away from the new bins for the first few minutes.

This is my list of best thrift stores in Columbus. The list is, of course, subjective, but these are the stores that I have had the best luck in. What are your favorite thrift stores in Columbus?