Shopping Vintage & Thrift Stores in Philadelphia

Spending the day shopping in the city doesn’t always have to put such a dent in your wallet. Shop smart in a trendy city and impress even your millennial hipsters with some great vintage finds.

If there’s ever been a city to epitomize quirky, old-school treasures, Philadelphia is the place. With so much history around every corner, it only makes sense the City of Brotherly Love would uphold its reputation in its shops, too.

Build your own scavenger hunt with the kids or impress your older kids with this list of travel-worthy vintage and thrift shops in Philadelphia.

Mesh Vintage

Located on East Passyunk Avenue, Mesh Vintage is a treasure trove of vintage clothing and accessories. Shop dresses, leather jackets, shoes, purses, funky blazers, band t-shirts  and much more from the inside/outside racks or dig through the $5 bin of denim. Labels run the gamut, offering diversity and unique finds at affordable prices.

Good’s Vintage

Further north, toward the Italian Market, Good’s Vintage is an eclectic space filled with antiques, clothing, accessories and oddities. It’s a great one-stop shop when you’re in the mood to hunt, but don’t know what for. Shop the smaller inventory online for a sneak peek at goods.

Cactus Collective

Over in Queen’s Village, The Cactus Collective is a wonderland of cool vintage clothing and handmade jewelry your teens will love. Enjoy the blend of new, old and mythical with this millennial haven for vintage, wellness and trendy finds.

Thunderbird Salvage

Over in Kensington, on Frankford Avenue, north of the ultra-trendy Fishtown neighborhood, Thunderbird Salvage is like a warehouse of vintage finds — only this warehouse is a converted church. Check online for random sales and specials, like the recent “bag sale” where shoppers could grab a bag from the store and fill it up for one flat price. Shop the ever-growing clothing, furniture and accessory selection at your own pace — there’s a lot to see.

Urban Exchange Project

A bit more off the beaten path, Urban Exchange Project seeks to aid underprivileged neighborhoods with affordable recycled clothing. Sift through some stunningly ‘80s windbreakers and vintage finds mixed in with up-cycled tops and jeans — some items priced $5 or less.

Pine Street

For the antique hunters in your crew, Pine Street offers some great shops. Not just one store in particular, but affectionately known as Antique Row, Pine Street is best shopped without a plan. Word to the wise: Start on 13^th and head down (numbered blocks) Pine Street to Old City for the best selection of affordable antiques and consigned designer vintage.

Jinxed

With three stores in Philadelphia and one in Brooklyn, Jinxed has quite the catalog of goods. With stores located in Passyunk, Fishtown and West Philly, Jinxed offers a massive inventory of furniture, oddities, vintage clothing, carpets, décor and accessories galore. Some locations even have a tattoo parlor upstairs (Passyunk).

The good news? Shopping small, boutique vintage and antiques is another great way to be sustainable in 2020.