Published on: May 1, 2020
If you have read any thrifting tips, you’ve probably come across the claim that location is one of the most important, if not the most important, aspects to consider. People often say that secondhand stores in affluent areas are your best bet if you’re hunting for high-end deals. And yes, the concentration of designer clothes is definitely higher in well-off areas than in “normal” neighborhoods.
Yet, when you decide where to thrift, there are other aspects to consider, too. The designer pieces in high-income areas often come with a price tag that you might not be willing or able to pay. This is why I tend to steer away from the “poshest” neighborhoods and stick to slightly less affluent locations. There, you can still find quality brands, but the prices are much more favorable. In this post, I discuss where to thrift, and the pros and cons of thrifting in both wealthy and not-so-wealthy areas.
Where to thrift – shopping in affluent areas
When I lived in the US, I used to shop mostly in my hometown Columbus, Ohio. It is probably my favorite place in the world to thrift (yes, I know I’m biased). Thrift stores are plentiful and affordable, and they carry a ton of good labels, thanks to the proximity of the Ohio State University campus. However, in Columbus (as in most places), you have to be ready to work to find the good stuff. For me, this often meant spending hours in thrift stores, going through racks full of lower-end mall brands.
Thus, the first time I visited New York City after I had started thrifting, I was blown away. I first tried out a few Goodwills close to Greenwich Village and quickly realized that I was in a secondhand designer heaven. There were so many goodies that I lost count after the first few racks. Yet, the number of designer pieces wasn’t the only thing that blew me away; the stores clearly knew what they had and had priced the items accordingly.
At that point, I was still thrifting to resell. While $60 for an Akris dress is a bargain if you buy it for yourself, at that price point, it just wouldn’t have been profitable from a reseller’s perspective. I ended up leaving empty-handed apart from a cute, new Anthropologie purse that I bought for myself. (That said, you can find absolute bargains in New York City, too, if you know where to look. If you’re a hardcore thrifter that’s willing to fight – sometimes literally – for items, try e.g., the Goodwill Outlet in Queens.)
Secondhand shopping in London’s “posh” areas
I had a similar experience when I moved to London and started to thrift in the different areas of the city. When thinking about where to thrift in London, the obvious starting points are the charity shops in the wealthy postcodes, including Notting Hill, Chelsea, and Kensington. Here, the rich renew their designer-loaded closets every season and donate the old stuff (sorry for the tired stereotype, but it seems to be quite accurate).
Notting Hill
The first time I visited the stores in Notting Hill literally changed my perception of charity shops. The secondhand stores in the area resemble exclusive boutiques and they are FULL of designer goods. It’s crazy how many high-end labels you can find there! But again, the prices are very high, too. Even mid-range labels tend to cost close to £20, which to me is pretty pricey. I did find a pair of skinny Frame jeans at Oxfam for £25 that I ended up buying, however. The fit was great, and they retail for close to £200.
Again, there are exceptions – the stores close to Notting Hill Gate are more affordable and yet carry many high-end labels. In that area, there is also a hidden gem that is one of my all-time favorite thrifting spots in London. I’ll write more about this place when it reopens, and I get the chance to visit it again.
Chelsea
Chelsea, in my opinion, is even more expensive than Notting Hill. There’s without doubt a lot of eye candy here, and I sometimes like to visit the charity shops in the area just to admire their fantastically curated selections. I rarely buy anything in Chelsea, however, as the prices are way out of the range that I’m comfortable with. How does £120 for a used Eileen Fisher sweater sound to you? I used to buy her sweaters for a few dollars in Columbus.
In sum, thrifting in wealthy areas is worth it if you are looking for a wide selection of designer brands and don’t mind paying up. Even as stores heavily mark up their clothes, they’re still a lot cheaper than they would be at regular stores. Hence, you can find a bargain, relatively speaking. Also, thrifting in nice neighborhoods has its perks, as you get to admire the lovely streets – as well as e.g., magnolia blossoms like these.
However, for me, perhaps the most important part of thrifting is the thrill when I find higher-end quality clothes at affordable prices. This is why the most affluent areas aren’t necessarily my first choice, as I mentioned above.
Where to thrift – shopping in less-affluent areas
Compared to the super-rich neighborhoods, clothes in thrift stores in less-affluent areas are a steal. Here, you might have to dig for a little longer and designer goods aren’t as abundant, but they can still be found. This is one of the reasons why I loved thrifting in Columbus, particularly around the campus area. Thrift stores rarely marked anything up, and all dresses and jeans, for example, would cost $5.99, regardless of the brand.
Where to thrift in London – my favorite areas
Where to thrift in London, then? Some of the best charity shops in London are located in Clapham Junction, which I mentioned in my last post, as well as in Shepherd’s Bush and in Brixton. All of them have a good selection. The prices are affordable, too (even if clothes, in general, come with a higher price tag in London than in smaller cities).
The stores close to Westfield in Shepherd’s Bush are great, particularly Fara and Traid. At Fara, I found a pair of brand new Allbirds merino wool sneakers for £5 a few months ago. In the picture, they don’t look as new anymore, as they quickly became my favorite pair of shoes. I’ve been wearing them almost every day. They’re sooo comfy, and I had been wanting to have a pair for a while. Thus, I was ecstatic to find them in my size.
At Traid in Shepherd’s Bush, I came across an Alexander McQueen cashmere/wool sweater that retailed for close to £1000. At £19.99, it was a steal. I also like to shop at the small stores in Camberwell. Here, I found a £700 Mackage wool/cashmere coat (pictured) for less than £20, a Marimekko dress for £6, and a pair of new-with-tags AG jeans for £7.
I have to say that I also very much enjoy thrifting in Camden Town. There, stores have a good selection, but as thrifting has become trendy and Camden Town attracts a lot of creative folks – locals and tourists alike – the prices tend to be on the higher side, even if still a lot cheaper than e.g., in the Chelsea area. At Traid in Camden, I found the pair of Paraboot ankle boots that I mentioned in my previous post:
I had never heard of the brand, but the quality was impeccable. They were my size, and I knew I had to have them. Due to the great quality, I was willing to pay up for them at £34.99, even as I was unfamiliar with the brand and my phone had ran out of battery so I couldn’t look them up online. Later at home, a quick search told me that they were the Getty booties. Paraboots still sells them online for more than £400. I absolutely adore these booties – they’re a classic chelsea style that goes with anything, and they’re so well-made!
Striking a balance
These are obviously still relatively affluent areas. I’ve tried thrifting also in e.g., East Ham, where I lived for a while. There, the stores were cheap; for £5, you could get yourself a sweater or a pair of jeans. However, for me, it wasn’t worth my time, as most clothes were lower-end labels, and quality clothing was difficult to come across. You can still find an occasional gem here, such as the Opening Ceremony coat that I spotted for £10 but ended up leaving as it was not my size. Thus, choosing a location is about striking a balance between selection and prices.
Conclusion – location matters, but how?
In conclusion, different areas have different pros and cons, and where to thrift is ultimately up to you and your preferences. Yet, I would absolutely recommend giving a try to thrift stores in areas that are not universally recognized as the best (read: affluent) for secondhand shopping. Don’t overlook the more “middle-class” neighborhoods, as they have so many great pieces waiting for you to find them. Whichever area you choose, it’s generally a good idea to go for neighborhoods with several thrift stores. That way, if you walk out empty-handed from one store, there are others nearby that you can visit. I generally look for clusters of stores, which makes visiting several of them convenient and multiplies my chances to find something great.
I’ll focus more on the specific neighborhoods and their advantages and disadvantages when physical thrifting is possible again. In the meanwhile, you can find great bargains online! My next few posts will focus on finding deals on different platforms and particularly on eBay.