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10 Vancouver thrift shops overflowing with awesome throwback treasures

Some downtown shops may feature handbags that cost more than your rent, and that's saying a lot in Vancouver's market. With that in mind, there's nothing better than scoring hot deals in the city's finest thrift stores.
Elana Shepert
Elana Shepert

Photo: usedhouseofvintage / Photo: usedhouseofvintage / Instagram

There are countless places to shop in Vancouver, but not all of the city's shops are affordable.

In fact, some downtown shops may feature handbags that cost more than your rent, and that's saying a lot in Vancouver's market.

With that in mind, there's nothing better than scoring hot deals in the city's thrift stores, but getting a hot deal on a totally awesome throwback item is even better. As such, we've rounded up several of the city's finest locations so you start poppin' tags!

Thrift Shops in Vancouver

Used House of Vintage

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Touted "Canada's biggest vintage clothing store," this second-hand wonderland offers an enormous selection of everything awesome from yesteryear. You'll find everything from the epic "Canadian tuxedo" - denim on denim, to the highest of the high-waisted. What's more, Used House of Vintage carries a ton of stuff, so you won't be hard-pressed to find a special vintage tee or a snazzy pair of old school shades.

Mintage

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Mintage offers a wide selection of second-hand items in addition to a gorgeous array of beautiful jewelry. Located on Commercial Drive, the store is famous for its eccentric window display. In fact, it was so extreme on one Halloween, that they were forced to change it! Whether you're hunting for a used leather coat, a new pair of jeans, or a cute tee, you'll find something totally groovy. They even have fresh, hand-selected vintage stock arriving daily!

The Wildlife Thrift Store

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Family-owned and operated, this shop believes that by recycling we are able to preserve our environment. What's more, they support important local charities such as Coast Mental Health, Vancouver Rape Relief and Women's Shelter,The Gathering Place, and Positive Living B.C. The Wildlife Thrift Store also have tons of unique offerings including artwork, furniture, clothing, and much more!

F AS IN FRANK

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F AS IN FRANK has two flagship locations, one in Toronto and one here in beautiful Vancouver. The Vancouver offering is a Main Street gem that allows you to take in your used items, and they'll pay you in cash or store credit. If you opt to go for the store credit, you will receive 20% more than taking your payment in cash. Ranging anywhere from the early 1900’s to the 1990’s, they have a range of awesome tends. You'll find high quality rock tees, flannel shirts, dresses, leather jackets, military jackets, boots/shoes, handbags, jewellery, and champion basketball jerseys, and more!

My Sister’s Closet

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My Sister’s Closet Eco-thrift boutique is located in Yaletown and advocates a zero waste, eco-fashion and thrift. What's more, revenue from clothing sales helps fund violence prevention and intervention services operated by Battered Women’s Support Services which support over 11,000 women every year. The lovely store offers a range of beautiful pieces in a range of styles with competitive pricing.

Community Thrift & Vintage

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Community Thrift & Vintage has two locations and heaps of awesome vintage offerings. "Say hello to the Mongolian lamb coat of our dreams" should give you an idea of the wild and positively wonderful range of eclectic, old school wonders you'll find inside. The UNISEX SHOPPE is located on West Hastings and the FROCK SHOPPE is on Carrall Steet.

The Rag Machine

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While thrift shops are expected to be cheaper, they aren't always extremely inexpensive. With that being said, a few of them are pretty cheap, but The Rag Machine offers an extremely sweet deal. Rather than paying for an individual item, the retailer has a "pay-by-weight" system. In doing so, they claim that they are offer "lowest prices in the city" as you pay per pound.

Value Village

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Some people spend thousands of dollars on wedding dresses, but you certainly don't have to. As seen here, Value Village on East Hastings had one for only $49, and it looks gorgeous! Of course, there is much more to be found in this thrift mecca, from clothing to furniture, books to household items.

Lady Madonna

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Lady Madonna invites you to step into an eclectic wonderland of fashions, jewelry, purses, hats, shoes, and, as the owner phrases it, "oddments." With character for days, this unique gem is owned by a merchant-artist who also rents out costumes and sews. A self-proclaimed treasure-hunter, she promises a wide variety of awesome finds.

Little Miss Vintage

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Located on Commercial Drive, this adorable shop features an assortment of hand-picked, high quality hard-to-find vintage clothing. Little Miss Vintage features everything that you could be looking for in a vintage thrift store: from rockabilly to disco, pin-up to punk, there're are a wide variety of unique pieces to suit every style.