Boston’s Best Vintage & secondhand Shops
My grandmother instilled a love for thrifting in me at a very young age. Over the years, we’ve taken many trips together to the local thrift/secondhand store to see what treasures we were able to find. I’ve carried that same joy with me since I moved away from home and, thankfully, discovered that Boston has some wonderful secondhand and vintage stores. I’ve included images of what I’ve found at these different places so there’s also a visual that helps capture what each shop sells. If you live in Massachusetts or ever find yourself visiting, I hope you enjoy these spots as much as I do. This by no means is meant to be an exhaustive list. I' hope to make more roundups like this in the near future and, in the meantime, happy thrifting!
Clothing
We Thieves
We Thieves is a compact and brilliantly curated vintage store located in Inman Square, right on the border between Somerville and Cambridge. Sandra, the owner, has a sharp eye for fantastic vintage pieces and knows how to source them. Spend even a few minutes in her store and you’re guaranteed to find coveted vintage Levi’s, immaculate designer pieces, and a selection of curated artisan goods from independent makers. There isn’t a focus on any specific time period but rather on pieces that do have that timeless quality to them. Everything at We Thieves felt fresh and current despite its age. The downside is that most pieces, if not all, don’t go beyond a size XL. They post a good amount of their inventory online with measurements so you can always see what sizes they currently have available before heading over to try something on or, if you don’t live here, you can still support them.
We Thieves works hard to build a community of slow fashion enthusiasts who understand that caring for their clothes matters, fast fashion or not. They published a list of repair resources in the Boston/Cambridge area and hold regular repair days when a seamstress is on site for repairs, alterations, and more. I admire that they live their values through all aspects of their business, not just through what they sell.
Out of all of the clothing stores in this round up, We Thieves does have the overall highest prices so that’s another thing to consider. However, I don’t think that, when you consider the size of the team and store as well as the quality of the pieces they source, its unreasonable by any means. When it comes to a vintage store like this, you also pay for the time saved and the cleaning + repair they may have to do to freshen up the garment.
My favorite piece from WeThieves — this Vintage Eileen Fisher skirt from the 90s. It’s a heavy linen and I can’t get enough of it.
Great Eastern Trading Co.
Great Eastern Trading Co. is delightfully quirky vintage shop located just south of Central Square that carries a wide range of 20th century clothing. a new discovery to me and I cannot recommend it enough because my experience there was unexpectedly wonderful. They carry pieces from most decades in the 20th century and focus heavily on the 60s-80s. All of the pieces were in pristine condition and well curated; the shop does not boast the same ‘timeless’ vintage as We Thieves yet nothing felt too trendy. If you’re passionate about a specific decade’s aesthetic or design quirks, like the 70s dagger collar or 60s mod, you’ll be able to find quality pieces to incorporate into your existing wardrobe. When I stopped by, I was searching for something in particular so I didn’t take note of the full size ranged offered but, based on what I did see, it doesn’t go above an XL or 2X.
My primary reason for singing the praises of Great Eastern is that I found a 70s button-down shirt that isn’t made of synthetic materials. I’ll let that sink in… Can you believe?!
One of the biggest reasons I don’t shop for a lot of vintage shirts is because the vast majority of them are made from polyester or nylon which really had its heyday in the late 20th century. However, the shirt I ended up purchasing wasn’t the only non-synthetic 70s piece I saw in that store so, if like me you’re trying to avoid synthetics, I cannot recommend this spot enough. I’m excited to go back and really explore the ins and outs of this shop, especially their vintage suits and tailoring.
The 70s dagger collar shirt of my dreams (this equally fantastic coat is from the Garment District, more on them below)
Vivant Vintage
Vivant Vintage is an eclectic space nestled into a mural-covered building just over the pedestrian bridge that crosses I-90. Vivant is a mid-sized vintage store with a heavy focus on workwear, military, and “iconic” (think bell-bottoms) pieces from decades past. They carry a mix of pristine picks alongside well-loved ones and, if you don’t mind a few imperfections or enjoy a bit of visible mending, you’ll find something exciting here. In my experience, they stock their store in line with the seasons so don’t expect to find a plethora of winter pieces in the summer or vice versa.
Vivant is my favorite spot to find Vintage Levi’s denim. They have a denim wall that has the modern size measurements of each pair which makes it much easier to navigate. They carry all of the popular numbers including 501s, 505s, and 517s so there are plenty of options for everyone’s personal denim taste. I found my ideal number and size on one of my trips to the shop and now I’m able to pop by to scan the denim wall for any new washes in that style/size if I’m in the need for a new pair of vintage denim. They’ve recently added their inventory to their website, including their denim, so you can always peruse what’s in store before heading there in person.
One of my pairs of vintage Levi’s 505s; they’re in amazing condition and the perfect color.
The Garment District
The Garment District, contrary to its name, is not a district by any means. Situated just north of Kendall Square, this iconic spot is a beloved favorite of many secondhand shoppers in the city, including myself. The store is massive. They carry both vintage clothing from the 20th century, mainly from the 60s-90s with a smattering from the 40s or 50s, as well as contemporary clothing for people who might be on the secondhand hunt. With such a large volume of inventory, the Garment District is definitely the most hit or miss store of all the ones on this list. I’ve found some incredible pieces here, my favorite being a pair of wool trousers from the 40s, but I usually leave empty-handed. In terms of pricing, it’s higher than what you would find at a Goodwill but it’s still on the lower end since it’s not a highly curated shopping experience; condition and notoriety of individual pieces do affect pricing. Their sizing, while not wholly inclusive, is a much larger range than others stores in the city.
Perhaps the most unique and appealing feature of the Garment District is their ‘By The Pound’ offering. Essentially, it’s a giant pile of clothing on the first floor that you can dig through if you’re up for it. Everything that comes from this pile is priced by weight rather than by item so you can find some gems for a phenomenal price. Just be prepared for the experience because it’s very tiring. I love to pop into the Garment District every now and then to see what hidden treasures lay inside because the appeal of this place, more than anything, is the thrill of the hunt.
One of the best knits I’ve ever found. Out of all these stores, I’ve found the most pieces here.
Boomerangs
Boomerangs is a local secondhand clothing chain with a few locations around the city. They’re operated by AIDS Action in partnership with Fenway Health so money made from this thrift chain is given to HIV prevention and wellness services in New England. It carries home goods, furniture, clothing, jewelry, and books with each location differing slightly in their offerings. For clothing specifically, you’ll find a mix of vintage designer pieces, high-quality vintage, and contemporary secondhand offerings. Depending on the location, they may separate the “premium” selections from the rest of the clothing they carry. The prices are fantastic and if you’re up for the hunt, you can find some really great gems.
While the Cambridge location and the Jamaica Plain locations are comparable to other thrift stores (the JP location has more large furniture items), the South End location carries almost exclusively designer pieces. I don’t claim to understand why this location is such a drastic departure from the other two but I did stop by once to confirm this was the case. I was shocked by what they carry and, expectedly, found the prices to be more on par with a consignment or vintage boutique rather than a secondhand/thrift store. However, if you are in the market for these items, they have an abundant selection.
I sadly don’t have any photos of recent finds from Boomerangs because I haven’t had much luck as of late. The last great find I can remember was a nice lambswool sweater but I’ve since passed that on to someone else since it wasn’t quite working for me.
URBAN RENEWALS
Urban Renewals is a thrift store that I wish was easier for me to get to. It used to be located in Allston, MA right on Commonwealth Ave but relocated to Roslindale back in 2019. I’d only had the chance to go once or twice before the store changed locations. While I never purchased anything in those trips, I did find their selection to be phenomenal. It’s a very large Thrift Store, even larger than the Garment District, and they also had a lovely selection of homewares and unused fabrics for sale. It’s quite difficult for me to get out to Roslindale (I don’t have a car) so there’s not much else I can share about this location. If you are able to get there easily, I think you’ll like what you find.
furniture + home
RESIDE INC.
RESIDE Inc. is a vintage furniture store in Cambridge that stocks up on an ever changing inventory of mid-century modern furniture and housewares. Furniture moves fast here so its good to check in with them pretty frequently to see what’s new. Pieces, especially those designed by the more in-demand designers of the 20th century, can have a high price tag but there’s always a few hidden gems that would cost the same or even less than something new. Plus, they often have a very unique collection of homewares that can add to your space without the same price tag as the furniture items.
This is where I bought my Wassily Chair and my Maralunga sofa, pieces that I hold near and dear to my heart. It would be unrealistic of me to say that I’ll be able to find everything I need for my apartment at this store, mostly because it would take some time for me to save up and buy everything. However, this store is so special because there’s nothing else like it in the city. Even if you’re not interested in buying anything, I cannot recommend visiting RESIDE enough. It will be worth the trip.
The seating arrangement of my dreams courtesy of this incredible store.
CAMBRIDGE ANTIQUE MARKET
I was an antique mall/market skeptic. I’ve carried these visions of stuffy spaces filled to the brim with 19th century furniture and novelty finds. Earlier this year, I spent a good chunk of time in Nevada while I stayed with a friend. We visited a few antique malls throughout my stay and my opinion has shifted entirely — I can’t even begin to describe the amazing things I saw when I was there. I feel that part of it was that these malls were incredible and that part of it is that I’ve grown up. I have the patience to dig through items on end and I’ve come to love many of the things I saw as ‘outdated’ or ‘stuffy’ when I was younger.
With my renewed love for antique malls, I decided that it was high time I visited the Cambridge Antique Market. My bias was proven false once again — this place is 5 floors of pure thrifting perfection. With numerous booths, each dealer in space gravitates toward their own tastes in interest which brings in a wonderful mix of 19th + 20th century homewares, furniture, objects, art, and more. After a few visits, I’ve mentally marked off the booths I gravitate towards which helps when I’m looking to have a quick go around rather than a deep dive into what’s at the mall. Some booths have sales and some don’t so take note of the signage as you move through the space.
I’ve been fortunate enough to find some stellar pieces for my space including a wool blanket, candlesticks, a vase, a catch-all bowl, a chocolate brown bucket bag, and more. I cannot recommend this space enough for anyone looking to bring unique vintage pieces into their homes. Just, wow.
The chocolate brown bucket bag that I had been searching for for over a year!
Buy & Consign — Waltham
This is a secondhand furniture store that I need to make a point of visiting again. The main reason I haven’t frequented it is because, without a car, it’s more difficult for me to get to Waltham. It’s larger than RESIDE and much smaller than the Antique mall; it offers mostly furniture with some smaller objects, art, and housewares in the front side of the store. They have a cool pricing system where the tags show what the item will be discounted to after a certain amount of time at the store so there’s a chance you could get something for lower than the initial price but you take the gamble of it not being there. I can’t say much more about it without going a few more times but I am intrigued.