NYC Thrift Shops

Domsey's Warehouse is the king of thrift shops. It's huge, containing rack after rack of every type of clothing you can possibly imagine. But that's not the amazing thing. The prices at Domsey's are beyond reasonable. The clothes here are priced for what they are, not vintage but second hand. You will spend a long time sifting for that … perfect whatever here, but at least when you find it you'll be able to feel good about the time spent and the price paid. [link]

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Beacon's closet is a standout among NYC vintage stores for two reasons: reasonable prices that you can actual afford, and their pickiness when it comes to buying your … cast-offs. The deal supposedly is that they'll pay you 30% of the resale value of your items in cash, or 50% in store credit, but don't even trouble yourself with crunching the numbers -- this place is harder to sell to than Buffalo Exchange. Whatever they don't want, they will take the responsibility of donating, so at least that's convenient. The clothes are organized by color for easy ironic ensemble creation. [link]

Zachary's Smile has three locations in New York City. The picks here date back a little further than some of the other vintage shops in the city, mainly from the … 1940s-1980s. The items for sale are well-chosen though, and all are modern enough to be wearable today while still maintaining their vintage charm. Check out the cool hat displays. [link]

This Upper East side store is practically a New York City institution. The ladies-only wares are all in great shape and are mostly designer items cast off by UES … denizens. You too can attempt to sell your gently loved clothes here, but they have to be under two years old -- part of the reason why Michaels' stock is so shoppable. [link]

Their awesomely styled window displays are not the only thing famous about Mimi's. With rack after rack of bright, wild clothes from the 1980s and pieces from the most … outrageous fads of the past 20 years (giant, furry, shit-kicking boots!), it's no surprise at all that Cyndi Lauper used to work here. Screaming Mimi's is a little more fun and a little less attitudinal than your average NYC vintage haven. [link]

This northern California based chain of vintage clothing stores has a wide variety of stuff, so you'll definitely find something you never knew you couldn't live without. … Their accessories section -- chock full of belts, jewelry, bags, and sunglasses -- earns them extra points. Be aware though, that the prices here are a tad higher than those at your average Goodwill. Buffalo Exchange also buys secondhand clothes, so why not bring over a bunch of your old tunics from 2005. They'll probably earn you a sneer from the chick behind the counter, but hey, you can't blame a person for trying, right? [link]