Thrifty Finds Around Houston

Houston is home to hundreds of different storefronts, making it difficult to decide where to go when you need something particular. While resale shops may not help in that regard, they are an excellent destination for anyone that isn’t sure what they need. Sifting through the troves of used items is as much a reflection on the past as it is prospecting for future goods and outfits. You may find something that hasn’t been in fashion since your high school years, and for good reason! With a hearty laugh and moment of reminiscence you can browse through past decades until you find something that catches your eye for the better. Maybe it’s a sweater that is surprisingly soft, or perhaps you’ll find the painting that you have always needed to tie a room together. The spectrum of what you can find is truly vast, and even when you don’t find something to take home, the experience is hardly ever dull. Quite a few locations offer patrons the option to sell used goods to the establishment in order to earn some cash back on their old items. A couple stores like The Guild Shop also offer consignment as an option, where they will sell your used furniture, clothing, or jewelry on your behalf, in exchange for a percentage of the profits.

The Cottage Shop

This gem of a store is not only full of bargains, it’s also for a good cause. Since 1971 The Women’s Home has run The Cottage Shop with 100% of sales going to their mission of strengthening women, supporting families, and fighting to end homelessness. The scope of their goods mostly sticks to clothes, although they do have smaller sections dedicated to jewelry and home furnishing. Their clothing selection is relatively large, and very well organized by size as well as style, a factor that is absolutely essential for any resale collection over a certain size. The majority of their clothing section is dedicated to women, with a smaller accompanying men’s section. The style of the collection leans towards a more refined taste, with many articles being well suited for an elegant eras party. With some of the lowest prices you can find at $6 a sweater and additional daily discounts, it’s a good deal for an even better cause.

Out of The Closet

It’s hard to miss the rainbow wall mural on the side of the building, and stepping inside you will find a similarly brightly colored store. The organization Out of The Closet was founded in 1990 to raise funds and awareness for AIDS Healthcare Foundation. Today, each thrift store also offers high-quality HIV testing services in an effort to continue helping the community. Their Houston location mostly stocks clothing, of which it is an eclectic collection of mostly everyday-wear and less of a defined style. The long racks of clothes are nicely organized and if you’re lucky looking through them you’ll find a colored tag on something you like, meaning that it is part of a daily deal! As you shop for a new outfit, you might even pick up a new read from their books section, or find a used DVD for your movie collection.

Lo Fi Vintage

This shop isn’t a charitable organization, and the prices reflect that distinction. At $25 minimum per item, this is purely a catered collection of items and not a place to look for bargains. That being said, they do have an interesting trendy collection of vintage sports and designer apparel with a section also devoted to clothing produced by local Houston designers. The relatively small clothing section shares the space with several classic motorcycles and scooters, which creates a unique atmosphere. Occasionally you might stumble upon an old Olympic jacket or some unique 90s apparel, but it’s difficult to find anything specific at this location.

Pavement

These stores are Texas natives with locations in both Houston and Austin, where their focus is to repair and resell used clothing. They also have designers work with their team of tailors to breathe new life into clothes that are too damaged to be repaired. Their clothing for the most part falls within a relatively modern style, most aligned with a younger demographic. It is a large collection organized onto circular racks that make browsing very easy, and is accompanied by the largest selection of second hand shoes of any place on this list. For those of us with seldom worn items taking up our closet space, they also offer to buy used clothes for 35% of their retail price in cash or 50% as a trade-in. The option to sell or trade old clothes certainly reduces the already affordable price of a new outfit.

The Guild Shop

Since 1962 this humble resale store has been serving the Houston community with the goal of providing financial support for the elderly in need. Their shop houses an impressive variety of items from houseware and furniture to jewelry, with a small section also dedicated to clothing. When perusing the rooms of The Guild Shop you will see walls of artwork amongst a sea of furniture and home goods. As you venture deeper in you may find sculptures of animals and wacky centerpieces for your dining table. There is an endless supply of treasures here, fueled by their consignment business model where they agree to split the sale price of an item with the original owner. This can be a great way to make some money back from your old clothes, jewelry and especially furniture, so if you have a bunch of infrequently used stuff cluttering up your home, it might be worth your while to pay them a visit!