8 best places in NYC to thrift for home goods
New York may be one of the most expensive cities in the world, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of deals to uncover. If you’re looking to dress up your walls or find a new couch that doesn’t cost a month’s rent, a thrift store is often your best bet. So where can you find these wallet-friendly unicorns? There are plenty of larger chains throughout the five boroughs like Housing Works, the Salvation Army, and Goodwill, but also many under-the-radar shops that each offer their own brand of charm.
You can find the weird and the wonderful, give new life to ancient floor lamps or grab a barely-used armchair. Plus, what’s good for your wallet also happens to be good for the environment. And best of all, many of these stores are money-making vehicles for various nonprofits or charities, meaning your money is working twice as hard. From a 10,000-square-foot warehouse to a carefully curated resale shop, here are the eight best stores in NYC to thrift for home goods.
City Opera Thrift Shop
513 West 26th Street, Chelsea
One of the only stores on this list with clean aisles, City Opera Thrift Shop caters to the higher end of thrifting. Whether you’re looking for beautiful antique china, vintage vases, or solid oak side tables, they will have it. All items in the store are lovingly displayed, and there is less sifting to be done here than at other places. At times, it even feels like walking through a tunnel of different living rooms. And best of all, every purchase helps support NYC’s art scene, as proceeds go directly to funding City Opera.
Cure Thrift Shop
91 3rd Avenue, Union Square
If you’re looking for that trendy vintage store vibe without the high prices, take a trip to Cure Thrift Shop. The store is clean and uncluttered and the selection of items for sale is well chosen. The available home goods range from classic to funky, and everything in between. Another place where you can shop for a cause, all proceeds from this non-profit shop go towards Type 1 Diabetes research and advocacy.
Dream Fishing Tackle
673 Manhattan Avenue, Greenpoint
Don’t let the name fool you; there’s much more than just rods and reels at Dream Fishing Tackle. While there are plenty of bobbers, flies, and other gear, there is also a large selection of home goods available. This quirky combination of the unexpected embodies the ethos of this store. From a well-curated selection of vintage albums to artist posters, Dream Fishing Tackle offers goods that are carefully chosen and lovingly displayed. Less junk shop than a vintage store, Dream Fishing Tackle can help outfit your home and your hobbies.
Green Village Used Furniture and Clothing
276 Starr Street, Bushwick
Green Village is over 10,000 square feet of precariously piled stuff. A self-proclaimed junk shop, it’s hard not to wonder who buys some of the goods on sale, like the piles of old VCRs, inoperative cameras, and shelves of chipped crockery. And yet, this disorder means that Green Village truly is a thrift store with something for everything. If you’re looking for a niche item or need something for your apartment or home, you will certainly find many options here.
Hour Children’s Shop
1-24 Steinway Street, Astoria
No, this is not a children’s clothing store, but a thrifting paradise run by Hour Children. The nonprofit organization operates two separate thrift stores in Queens – one in Astoria, the other in Long Island City. The Astoria location is the larger of the two and the best place to go for furniture and home goods. There is an amazing array of items for sale, from small knick-knacks to stylish chairs that look brand new. Plus, your dollars help support formerly incarcerated women and their children.
Mother of Junk
567 Driggs Avenue, Williamsburg
If you need something in bulk, you can find it at Mother of Junk. Used corks, old mannequins, vintage Playbills, glass figurines, and piles upon piles of furniture are just some of the things for sale at this warehouse-style thrift shop. This is a place that is not lovingly curated but rather lovingly stockpiled. The store is packed (literally to the ceiling in some places) and not exactly organized, but that’s part of the fun. This shop will put your thrifting skills to the test but don’t let that scare you away. Take time to seek out the diamonds in the rough, because you can be guaranteed they’re there.
Remix Market
10-39 44th Drive, Long Island City
There is a lot of junk in NYC, and Remix Market is here to help with that. Owned and operated by The Junkluggers, this store is committed to giving a second life to discarded or used items and keeping them out of landfills. You’d be amazed by what gets left behind, and the quality and quantity of home goods (like Bauhaus chairs and antique Persian rugs) that cycle through Remix Market is very solid. All items are sold in-person, in-store only. An appointment to visit the store is not required.
Underground Thrift Market
75 Hicks Street, Brooklyn Heights
Run by historic Plymouth Church in Brooklyn Heights, Underground Thrift Store is a small but mighty thrift shop that sells clothing, accessories, and high-end home goods. On any given day, you might find decorative trinkets and old-fashioned alarm clocks alongside a beautiful leather jewelry case that would be priced triple anywhere else. While the selection here is less than at other places due to the size of the shop, it is carefully curated. Better yet, a trip to Underground Thrift lets your dollars do more, as 25 percent of all sales go to organizations that fight human trafficking.
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Editor’s note 3/1/22: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated thrifters at Remix Market NYC can shop online or make an appointment to visit the store. All items are sold in-person, in-store only, and appointments are not required.
