122609jubilee.jpg

mplogo122209.jpg>> Vintage and Thrift Shops on Marketplace

Many people keep their favorite thrift stores top secret, like a carefully guarded family recipe. Not us. We believe that knowledge should be shared, especially if it involves good deals on furniture, so we're offering you a list of our favorite thrift shops from Los Angeles to New York.

  1. Goodwill (Online): ShopGoodwill.com pulls from a national inventory of used items, and it operates like eBay, except that all proceeds go to Goodwill's education, training, and job placement programs.

  2. St. Vincent De Paul Thrift Warehouse (Los Angeles): St. Vincent de Paul is practically legendary in Los Angeles for being one of—if not THE—biggest thrift shop in the city.

  3. Pepe's Thrifty Shop (Los Angeles): It's a treasure chest teeming with possibilities. Furniture ranges from Mid-Century credenzas to 40's liquor cabinets to French bistro chairs.

  4. Thrift Town (San Francisco): It's not the biggest secret 'round town, but it's often one of the more undervalued resources for surprisingly awesome steals.

  5. The Apartment (San Francisco) San Francisco's Mission district is chock full of vintage thrift shops, but The Apartment is one of our favorites.

  6. Uhuru Furniture and Collectibles (Oakland): The perfect place to hunt for your next rehab project or find a hidden gem in already perfect condition, Uhuru Furniture and Collectibles is one of our go-to stores when we just want to browse for ideas.

  7. The Brown Elephant (Chicago): The Howard Brown Health Center operates four well known Brown Elephant resale shops across the city and in Oak Park, with many donations from furniture and dishes to clothing and jewelry.

  8. Jubilee Furniture (Carol Stream, Illinois): We made the trek to suburban Carol Stream to scout for vintage finds, and the trip may have been our best thrift store experience ever. On our visit, the warehouse was full of mid-century pieces at garage sale prices and the volunteer staff was friendly and helpful.

  9. Angel Street Thrift Shop (New York): Thanks to Patrick McKeon and his staff—and a wonderful, bright location on 17th Street, a.k.a. Thrift Shop Alley—Angel Street is perhaps the most sophisticated thrift shop in town.

  10. Housing Works (New York): Readers say: "great finds!" & "Always find good used furniture and household products at great prices."


Photo: Jubilee Furniture by Barry Smith