My Favorite Houston, TX Thrift Stores

Hello again!

First of all, yall know Houston is huge. As in, you can pick any direction and drive for an hour and you’re still in some part of Houston. Before anyone says, “Greenspoint isn’t Houston” or something of the sort. I’m just using Htown as the general realm, alright.

Secondly, this is just my favorite thrift stores from the past two-ish years of intense thrifting. It is by no means a total indication of how many second-hand shops there actually are in Houston.  I mean, can you imagine? 

Thirdly, this will pretty much a post for second-hand/thrift clothing, not so much vintage/antique/furniture-related! Purchasing second hand clothing:

1. Extends the life of a garment
2. Saves the garment from ending up in our landfills/ocean/incinerator
3. You’re helping slow down the fast fashion consumption
4. Not supporting wealthy companies that don’t take care of their employees
5. Can be more cost-effective (and sometimes you can find new with tag items!)
6. IS FUN
   

   

   

And there’s a fourthly…I am just going to add a disclaimer that very often I “Instagrammed” my way through the thrift stores. Which is why some of the photos accompanied will be screenshots of what I posted online. I went deep into the archives for these.  Shameless plug, if you follow me on Instagram you’ll see way more of the amazing thrift finds I come across.

Favorite Goodwill’s

Say what you want about Goodwill’s, but the ones in Houston are A+.

1. Goodwill on Westheimer

• • 2030 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77019

Alright, I’m not sure if it is because of the proximity to a church or that it’s in a pretty wealthy area, but I always loved the items found at this Goodwill. Out of all my thrifted finds I will say that I have kept the most from this specific store and that’s because so much of the inventory is in such great shape! It gets packed after work and on weekends, however, so be aware. It has a huge selection, but there are so many re-sellers that shop here so it does have a small draw back.

 

2. Goodwill in the Heights

• • 215 W 20th St, Houston, TX 77008

Oh, how I love the Heights area. Every time I went to an early Black Swan yoga I would go to two places after. One being the bagel shop near by and the other being this Goodwill. It has a smaller stock of clothing, often the racks were pretty bare, but it was also less crowded.

3. Goodwill in Greenspoint

• • 171 N Sam Houston Pkwy E, Houston, TX 77060

Ah, my secret Goodwill. I didn’t tell anyone about how incredible this store was just because I worked too close to it. But the furniture! And the clothes! I found vintage A&M sweaters, dream plaid reversible jackets, and fall/winter goodness. And the random assortment of goods! This is where I found my antique globe, blanket ladder, and those pianos I slightly regret not purchasing. I think many people donated their items before traveling or moving here since it is so close to the airport.

4. Goodwill on Westside

• • 2600 Fondren Rd Houston TX 77063

I didn’t frequent this store that often, but I did find my entire Renaissance costume at this particular Goodwill the evening before going, including the boots!!

5. . The other Goodwill on Westheimer

• • 6135 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77057

Not to be confused with the one near the Catholic Church, which was my absolute favorite. This was one of the first places I went thrifting in Houston. Kevin, Bernie, and I hung out all day. We went to an art festival, got some coffee, and then hit this Goodwill up where Bernie found an awesome working lamp and I got this perfect light blue turtleneck with original tags (which I still wear obsessively) . This is when I grew really obsessed with finding original tags on thrifted items. I still regret not getting that Spotless French Connection turtleneck

Favorite Family Thrift Center/Outlets

1. Family Thrift Center Outlet in the Heights

• • 920 N Durham Dr, Houston, TX 77008

DOLLAR DAY!!! I’ve written a whole Instagram post about the dollar thrift. It’s a wonderful and frightening place. 50 cent say was the lowest I would go. I once tried 25 cent day and walked out with a pair of great white shorts, but the people that stop that day are scary and they will use their cart as a blockage. On other days I’ve managed to find some of my still favorite items: a black silky top, gap jeans, and comfy beige shorts for summer.

2. Family Thrift Center Outlet on Hillcroft

• • 6724 Hillcroft St, Houston, TX 77081

Another $2 and less outlet! Let’s just say I found my entire Costa Rica wardrobe at this Outlet. Done.

Also, should I finally post my Costa Rica itinerary?!

3. Family Thrift Center

• • 8120 Long Point Rd, Houston, TX 77055

Not to be confused for the Outlets, these are more normal thrift prices. I only went a couple times during the winter of 2018, but after finding this flannel beauty, it stayed on the top of my list.

Value Villages

1. Value Village in the Heights

• • 705 W 23rd St, Houston, TX 77008

If you are already in the area visiting the Goodwill in the Heights, go ahead and drop by the Value Village. They have a huge selection and decent prices. Oh, and the try on rooms are at the very front by the entrance. I always forgot about them and would end up trying things on in front of the mirrors in the aisles

There are a few more Value Villages (On Bissonnet, Gessner, etc) but I never frequented those.

 More “Hipster-y” Thrifts

All along Westheimer you will find numerous second hand shops. If you’re coming from where I used to live on Milam in Midtown, you’ll want to follow this route.

1. Out of the Closet

• 1435 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77006

Supports the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. Oh and it has a colorful wall if you’re into that.

2. Pavement

• 1657 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77006

In my opinion way overpriced, but they have a decent collection. They typically have a lot of Qupid shoes, but expect to pay $20. I did get my favorite jumpsuit here though. Which is why I typically went back.

3. There are a couple more second hand shops next door: Lo Fi Vintage and Emerson Rose, buuut they aren’t my kinda cup of thrift tea. Probably the perfect place for a 90s outfit and graphic tea however.

4. This is when you’ll get to my favorite Goodwill, just don’t forget to avoid it during weekends and after working hours

5. Buffalo Exchange

• 2901 S Shepherd Dr, Houston, TX 77099

Okay, to be completely transparent I’ve never actually been to a buffalo exchange, but I’ve heard good things about them. Maybe I’ll hit up the one in Boulder sometime and see what the hype is all about. Either way, if you have the time, then it’s on the list. There’s also another vintage shop across from it but I’ve only ever window shopped as it hasn’t peaked my interest enough.

Other Second-Hand Shopping Galore

Plato’s Closet

• • 3277 Southwest Fwy suite c, Houston, TX 77027

Plato’s is a great place to second hand shop when you’re newer thrifting. Typically it’s cleaner and more up-to-date as the stores are pickier with what they sell. I’m often surprised how many items they actually have with original tags still on them. Even though it’s more than I would typically want to spend, I’ve found some pretty good stuff here. Even Kevin found his winter peacoat here. Oh. And of course you can sell here, too! I’ve managed to sell some of my 50 cent/dollar items for a profit before. Shrug.

Historic Houston Heights

Just go to this website if you want the incredible list that is Houston Heights shopping.There’s antique shops that my mom and I adored and hip vintage/curated shops all along a walk-able strip.

Sunny Flea Market

• 8705 Airline Dr, Houston, TX 77037

I know not exactly considered a second hand shop (as Kevin pointed out), but this is a good place to find inexpensive clothing while enjoying an elote or gordita.

Now we’re talking Reaaaaal Cheap

Goodwill Bins

• • 7960 Long Point Rd. Houston, TX 77055

These are relatively new to Houston, but it’s about time! If you’ve never explored the Bins before, I suggest watching some videos on the experience before attending. It can be a bit of a shock if unprepared. Many people wear gloves while digging around in the- would you guess it- giant bins of clothes. Happy digging!

And for added measure, a few more thrift shops I went to once or twice, but didn’t really care for:

• Texas Thrift Store
  • 9750 Fondren Rd, Houston, TX 77096
  • Huge inventory but I didn’t find anything the one time I went
• Family Thrift Center in Humble
  • • 9592 Farm to Market 1960 Bypass, Humble, TX 77338
    • Also a huge inventory and absolutely loved their winter coats selection
• Goodwill in Meyerland
  • 9606 Hillcroft St, Houston, TX 77096
  •  This Goodwill is close to a Target. I don’t remember seeing anything too special in terms of clothes except for one beautiful Ralph Lauren blazer. This was a good spot for glassware, too.

ALRIGHT! That’s it, friends! If you have a Houston, Texas Thrift Store that you absolutely adore, please drop it in the comments down below! Now that I’m settled in Colorado I have to begin my intense hunt for some great second hand stores! Wish me luck!

See you next time!

Mary