What a beautiful city San Diego is and what a great place to take up thrifting.
Get away from the big-name brands like Buffalo Exchange and enjoy all the smaller and more exciting stores instead.
They’re what makes this city a special and exciting place to be and thrifting is eco-friendly and it’s kind to your purse too!
Check out the best locations for a bargain.
Honest Thrift Studio
Everyone in the city says that Honest Thrift Studio is one of the best thrift stores in San Diego. It’s certainly our go-to thrift store of choice whenever we pass through. (Check out our confessions of a thrift store addict to find out how much we love thrift shops).
If there was an assistance league in stores, this place would win hands down. The staff is so friendly.
They have a huge selection of antique furniture, high-quality items, and vintage clothing at very reasonable prices.
Address: 2609 Congress Street
San Diego
Check out Honest Thrift Studio here.
OB Thrift Stores
The best thrift stores allow you to buy sell and trade and this is an excellent example of just such a thrift shop, though don’t go on a Wednesday as they are closed all day.
The Ocean Beach location is ideal for spending time on the Pacific beach before you do some thrift shopping too.
We like the prices which are very favorable when compared to other San Diego thrift stores. Of course, if you want to make the most out of your thrift store experiences you should check out our thrift store shopping tips.
Address: 4931 Newport Ave, Ocean Beach, SD
Check out OB Thrift Stores here.
Consignment Classics
This is one of the biggest chains of San Diego thrift stores and you should know that they claim to be the longest established consignment shop chain in the city too.
We think they’re best for furniture rather than for vintage clothing. One nice thing about this thrift store is that it’s open all week long and from 9 AM every day but Sunday (which is a 10 AM start, so people can go to church).
Multiple Locations: See Website For Details
Check out Consignment Classics here.
Day To Day Vintage
This thrift store is one of our favorite thrift shops thanks to the guaranteed daily restocking which means you can always find something fresh and new in the place.
We’ve found them to be an excellent source of Vintage T-shirts and they’re one of the best thrift shops for affordable prices and hidden gems when it comes to old clothes.
Address: 3063 University Ave. San Diego, CA
Check out Day To Day Vintage here.
Hunt & Gather
We love Hunt & Gather as they one of the only thrift store sites that we’ve ever visited that sells handmade jewelry as well as the usual array of clothing.
They do a cool side line in locally produced art too and that makes them really stand out from the other vintage shops in the area.
Address: 3817 Ray St, SD, CA
Check out Hunt & Gather here.
LA Loupe Vintage
The shop owner at La Loupe Vintage is lucky enough to run one of the cutest stores in the world.
Not only will you find things at an affordable price but there’s a huge of fashions leading back to the 1960s, if you want fabulous finds, this is the place to look for them. And they’re guaranteed to be good quality too.
Address: 3337 ADAMS AVENUE, SAN DIEGO County, CA
Check out LA Loupe Vintage here.
Bad Madge & Co
Retro-fashion specialists, Bad Madge and Co also work with the local design community to produce unique pieces that have all been locally sourced and made. That’s as sustainable as it gets and we love it.
We also like that they have a bookstore part of their offering and it’s super easy to spend hours with your nose in the pages of a good book as you browse.
Address: South Park, SD, California
Check out Bad Madge & Co here.
Mid-Century Store
As you might expect this is a home decor store, but not any old home decor.
They specialize in home decor made in the Mid-Century Modern Style and umm… Danish-style. Because why not, right?
Anything you buy here will look amazing in your home, we know that for certain.
Address: 3795 Park Blvd, San Diego, CA
Check out Mid-Century Store here.
Auntie Helen’s
Auntie Helen’s helps to support the local LBGT community and we think that’s good enough for everyone to pay them a visit. Certainly, we’d rather be here than in a Salvation Army store.
They offer household goods as well as great prices on clothing that really does look fantastic. It’s one of the top thrift stores in the city for a good reason. Great deals and great service are all we need and Helen’s has both.
Address: 4127 30th Street, San Diego, CA 92104
Check out Auntie Helen’s here.
Vintage Threads & Grails
Vintage streetwear is what this store is all about and you’ll find styles from the last 4 decades throughout their offering.
They’re very environmentally conscious and encourage you to buy, sell or trade and enjoy their daily tag sales too. There are many unique items to be found here. Don’t miss out.
Address: 1031 Garnet Ave, San Diego, CA
Check out Vintage Threads & Grails here.
Home Start Thrift Boutique
This store was opened with young mothers in mind, so expect to find baby items and maternity wear galore.
They uses their profits to help young moms to gain skills and experience to enter the job market!
Address: 3611 Adams Avenue, San Diego, CA
Check out Village Discount Outlet here.
Final Thoughts On Thrift Store Shopping In San Diego
This is a great city to enjoy the thrift store experience in and whatever you want, you can find it at a good price in the large selection of stores nearby.
Of course, if you can’t find what you’re looking for, you could also try one of the many online thrift stores too as they have a huge selection for shoppers but we think we’d rather hit the Old Town and go browse the racks than go online in this city.