Here in Denver, our shopping is starting to dwindle. My friend Chanda, who sees shopping for vintage as her personal crusade, just informed me that Buffalo Exchange is suppose to be fazing out vintage clothing on their racks. That will take our Denver vintage shopping down even more after the closing of American Vogue and a couple other shops in town.
After a conversation with the dear former owner of AV who still bartends at our local spot Skylark, I am starting to understand more why this is happening. The internet has opened up the vintage possibilities so much, that, as shoppers, our eyes are starting to wander away from home. I think the internet is great and it has helped me find special items that I never would have locally, but it also saddened me a little that our small local shops are suffering this fate. I know plenty of vintage clothing dealers that are embracing selling both in their brick and morter and online and are quite successful at it.
But I am also very into encouraging people to shop at their local stores. Shopping in your home area from your local owned business keeps the money in the community, puts your sales tax back into local programs, and you may make some friends with the same love for vintage fashion! I have a few friends that I met by shopping and participating in local store events.
So I’m asking everyone to comment here about where you shop locally. If it’s a favorite store or a booth at the local antique mall selling vintage, tell everyone about it! Please include the city/state/country.
I’ll start it off. Here in Denver I like to shop at Boss Unlimited on Broadway, 3 or 4 booths at The Brass Armadillo antiques off I-70, the Rockmount Ranch Wear corporate store on Blake for the BEST in Western shirts, the local DAVs (Disable American Veterans) thrift stores, sometimes fruitlessly, and for repop I love PJs Boutique on south Pearl for a lovely assortment of Stop Staring dresses.
Now you go!
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30 Comments
Serina
I live in Montreal, Canada. Our streets are filled with antique stores, but there are very little vintage shops.
I usually go to my local thrift store and if I don’t find anything there I go to a vintage thrift store called Friperie St.Laurent that can be quite pricy but I manage to find good stuff there.
OR, Eva B on st. St.Laurent, E.R.A Vintage Wear which is EXTREMELY out of my budget but some people say you can negotiate with the shop owner.
We have mostly thrift stores like Village Values and Friprix and lots and lots of antique stores. I wish Montreal was bigger on vintage shopping…
luckydame
In San Diego, I love Wear It Again, Sam’s. Always a favorite around here. I still can find things at antique stores but it’s getting harder and harder.
Meg
I used to live in Denver, now I’m in Seattle. I look for stuff in Value Villages and the like. But the few things I can find are usually online. I know they’re not local, but if you’re plus-sized and vintage, you’re usually S.O.L. at most stores. We have Buffalo Exchanges out ehre too, and I’ve never been in one in either state that carries anything over a size 16.
Kealoha
Around the South Bay, Park Place Vintage in Willow Glen often has some good finds for 40’s/50’s styles, as does 23 Skidoo out in Campbell. I haven’t had much luck with earlier period styles- anyone know of some good shops for finding 20’s/30’s options around San Jose?
melina bee
I live in eugene, or and loooove Nobody’s Baby. sometime the prices are just barely above thrifting prices
melissa.
Vancouver, BC has many many wonderful vintage stores! My favourites are Mintage [two locations- Commercial Drive & Cordova St], True Value Vintage on Burrard & Robson, and the St Vincent de Paul thrift store on Hastings just off Commercial.
There are also a TON of neat little shops down Main St in the Mt Pleasant area, especially around Main & Broadway, that have the cutest stuff! I mainly love how everyone I know in Van has their favourite place 🙂
In Kelowna, where I currently live, there are significantly fewer options. The Women’s Shelter thrift store downtown on Lawrence is good, and I hear Frock on Pandosy & Bernard is good too but a lot of the stuff is pretty small I can’t seem to find anything in my size [12-14]. Depends when you go I guess! There’s a Value Village in Rutland, but the one in Vernon is way better.
The best thrift shop ever, though? The Hospital Auxiliary Thrift Store in Oliver, BC. SO MANY great finds!
Long live the brick & mortar!!
Rueby...
I’m in Calgary, AB and I don’t tend to shop for vintage locally, clothing wise anyway, simply because I’m on a budget and people do not know the value of what they have. We have ONE main vintage store (that sells many things from before the 1970s anyway), Cat’s Eye, and their prices are off the wall. I found this with a lot of the dealers at VLV as well though; I am not paying $60 for a dress that is so stained I’ll have to dye it to be able to wear it. I would pay maybe $15. I buy most of my vintage “well worn” as I can sew on buttons and fix hems and seams myself, but I expect a low price to start if they require work to be wearable. Also, the people who own and work at Cat’s Eye…are jerks. They don’t care about the clothes they are selling, or they wouldn’t have them so haphazardly thrown about the store, and they dress like rappers…not vintage fans. I’m not buying a 50s dress of a guy in a Kanye West t-shirt, thank you very much.
I buy my household wares at thrift stores, find very few clothes there though. Its a tough market here though…as I know of one 2 other gals who even wear vintage on a regular basis!!
Emily of DismantledFashions.com
I too live in Denver. I adore Boss!
Porcelina
I live in Wales, in the United Kingdom! We have a few vintage shops in our capital, Cardiff, that keep closing down and re-opening, so I think many vintage enthusiasts either shop online, or have to travel to London, or wait for one of those annual travelling vintage fairs to come our way!
I always look for vintage shops whenever I travel, particularly in the USA, where I have found some great pieces.
Miss1941
It’s so hard to find vintage clothing in Baltimore. I’ve yet to find a good vintage shop. 🙁
Puss In Loubootins
i live in tulsa oklahoma i really love cheap thrills and silver screen vintage but also the tulsa vintage show is a wonderful place to find vintage
Agneta
I live in the southernmost part of Sweden (near the bridge to Copenhagen), in a area called Österlen (Sweden’s Provence, I promise)…
On Osterlen there are flea markets and antique shops in every corner, and my favorite place called Erikshjälpen & Myrorna.
Agneta the swedish one 😉
Catch A Falling Star
I have to agree. Although I have found some great things online that I would never find here, I enjoy the musty smells,touching the fabrics,eyballing the stitching or embroidery up close in person.
I spend alot of time in mostly second hand shops or even Goodwills. I am very picky about what I buy and often come home with one or two items in a whole days worth of shopping. I am in California but, my town doesnt offer too many shops noteworthy.
It’s mostly 1-2 hours jots from here that you can find great vintage shopping. Especially along the coastal areas, like Cambria.
My all time favorites though is estate sales. which I went to today! They seem to have the most of things I am interested in.
Aundrea
I live in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and besides the wonderful B Squad you showed (which really is that great) we’re lucky enough to enjoy a myriad of vintage shops. Tatters, Blacklist Vintage, and Fried Bologna are all exclusively vintage, though our St. Vincent de Pauls, Salvation Armys, and Arc’s Value Villages have great vintage sections as well. And that’s not including our sister city, St. Paul! Nor our vintage housewares/furniture stores. I really feel we’re quite spoiled, but I also think we’re just getting started.
tiddleywink
Like you, I live in Denver and still bemoan the loss of All American Vogue and adore everyone and everything at Boss. I’m disappointed to hear that Buff Exchange is phasing out vintage. I’d like to add Regal Vintage (1866 S Broadway) and, at least until they find new digs, Shirley’s Chapeaus at 1539 S Broadway.
NOTE 1: I’m an online-only vintage vendor not because I don’t WANT to run a local brick-and-mortar shop, but because it’s increasingly difficult to stock enough inventory AND pay rent, buy display fixtures, cover insurance, payroll etc. without raising my prices beyond reason.
NOTE 2: B-Squad in Mpls is where I found my fave “Cool-Ray” sunglasses!
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atomicbombshellvintage
I live in Southern California, and the best place to buy vintage down here is the Vintage Fashion Expo held 3 times a year in Santa Monica. They fill an entire Civic center wall to wall with old clothes and accessories! It’s wonderful! I always save my money for weeks then have a shopping spree.
They also hold the Expo in San Francisco, but I haven’t been to that one. I’ve heard it’s just as heavenly though! The prices are pretty high when compared to the deals you can get online, but I prefer to buy clothes in person whenever I can.
Check out my vintage fashion blog at http://atomicbombshellvintage.wordpress.com/
Jessica Kathryn Fuerst
I’m very dissapointed to hear that American Vogue closed down! I moved away from Denver in 2007, but I always look forward to visiting that store when I visit my family. That’s sad..
Here in Missoula, Montana, vintage clothes are all the rage, and unfortunately, extremely expensive. We have Carlos’ One Night Stand, a costume and vintage clothing store, Mr. Higgin’s closed down last year, but the best place to purchase vintage lovelies here: estate sales. I went to one this last weekend and spent no more than $20 on a box of pre 1960’s girdles, a bag and trunk full of fabric and many other treasures.
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chouettebebe
I’m from Las Vegas and many of our vintage shops are quite pricey, so I don’t have any particular favorites here because I can’t ever afford to shop in them.
However, I do visit Michigan every summer and I make sure to drive to Royal Oak for a shop called “Now and Then Vintage” which is nothing short of amazing. There you can browse through three stories of immaculate vintage clothing from the 30s-80s all reasonably priced, and all in perfect condition. Dresses usually range from $20-45 at the most, and the variety of styles is remarkable.
I would highly recommend visiting this shop if anyone ever happens to be in Michigan!
chouettebebe
Correction: The shop is called “Lost and Found Vintage.”
Thoughts on Life and Millinery.
Salt Lake City has DECADES vintage clothing store. Near Dallas TX there is a bi-yearly event in Richardson called Victorian Elegance where vintage clothing is brought in and each Fall there is a Vintage fashion show that is simply amazing.
Catherine
This post came just in time for our vacation to Denver and we were able to go to Boss Vintage on Monday afternoon. Saw your book for sale on the counter and let the girl there know about your blog referral! GREAT store! The hubby and I had a wonderful time grazing through history there. He got a shirt, I scored some fab vintage fabric. Thanks for the tip!
kitsunemagic32
I live in Charlottesville VA, and there are a couple vintage shops. Antics and Ike’s Basement. They have vintage clothing and “stuff” but the clothing is usually 60’s and 70’s stuff, not my favorite. (30’s and 40’s are my favorite!)Antics had some great intact sewing patterns from the 30’s and 40’s last time I popped in, and since I sew I snapped them up. They were priced just right, and she had a few Hollywood patterns, one with a young Betty Grable on the front! My favorite vintage shop is Bygones in Richmond VA. She has great jewelry, and my clothing luck is hit or miss size wise, but I have found some beautiful things there over the years. Mostly my vintage cocktail ring collection that my husband has purchased and keeps adding to for me! (great 30’s deco rings)
Michelle
In Portland, Oregon, the best vintage dress shop has to be Xtabay. Absolutely amazing (although pricier now than they used to be). The pieces are beautiful and always in great condition. The shop gal has a great eye for shape and can size you up by just looking at you and picks out something perfect!
vintagelover
You need to check out a fabulous new vintage clothing boutique on Broadway called Chic Antiques. It’s located at 1487 S. Broadway and here you will find all things vintage and in excellent condition. This is a super cute feminine boutique which has been open for a year and is one of those well kept local secrets. Check it out and shop there to keep it going.
vintagelover
You need to check out a fabulous new vintage clothing boutique on Broadway called Chic Antiques. It’s located at 1487 S. Broadway and here you will find all things vintage and in excellent condition. This is a super cute feminine boutique which has been open for a year and is one of those well kept local secrets. Check it out and shop there to keep it going.
feisty17
I live right by the Armadillo and LOVE it! I recently drove down to CO Springs to hit up some of their stores, too!
best dressedllc
Tulsa thrift stores
I used to live in Denver, now I’m in Seattle. I look for stuff in Value Villages and the like. But the few things I can find are usually online.
TVtoyvintage
In the OC of California. I love the Goodwill in West Covina which is about 15 20 min from my house. For some reason the prices at this one are way better and the merchandise is great. I found a Lilli Diamond with tags!!!! Besides that I go to good ol’ fashion estate sales and I made a friend at “The Antiques” 216 E. Rowland St.Covina Ca. 91723. She gives me good deals and she can give me background info for most of my purchases. I Love the people you meet along to way too 🙂