Shopping doesn’t have to put a strain on your wallet. Save some bucks and have some fun when you hit up some local thrift shops to get what you need.
Cincinnati is FULL of great thrift shops and consignment stores! Revive your wardrobe, furnish your home, find that perfect unusual vintage piece… it’s all right here in town. Thrift stores in Cincinnati are numerous, varied, and simply fantastic!
I live here in Cincinnati AND I do quite a bit of thrift store shopping so you can say I know a bit about it. 🙂 The list below includes my current favorite spots to shop for some new-to-me goodies.
So venture around town and do some thrift store shopping with our list of Cincinnati thrift store favorites!
Best Thrift Stores in Cincinnati:
St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Stores
Looking for housewares, toys, electronics? Books or furniture or purses? How about some great vintage clothing? You’re sure to find any and all of those at St. Vincent de Paul, one of my favorite Cincinnati thrift stores.
Proceeds from their thrift shops help to provide emergency assistance and basic necessities to more than 120,000 people each year throughout Cincinnati. All Thrift Store and Donation Center proceeds support local services such as food pantries, Charitable Pharmacy and their homelessness prevention program.
St. Vincent de Paul has eight thrift stores in Cincinnati. You’re sure to find one near you with these locations: 8269 Colerain, 4530 Este Ave. , 9864 Reading in Evendale, 1065 Reading in Mason, 813 Main in Milford, 2300 Beechmont in Mt. Washington, and 3015 Glenhills Way in Western Hills.
The St. Vincent de Paul Outlet Store is located at 4545 Chickering Ave., 45232 (near Spring Grove and Mitchell).
Each of the stores in Cincinnati has its own sale of the week. Find their weekly sales by store here.
Habitat for Humanity ReStores
If you’re looking for home furnishings or building materials, this is must stop (imho). You’re likely to find everything from used furniture to building materials to cabinets to appliances. I’ve found enough flooring tile to do a bathroom, kitchen chairs, a HUGE chest of drawers that we revamped into our TV stand, and more.
Best part? All proceeds from ReStore sales support Habitat for Humanity’s mission to make sure everyone in the world has a decent place to live.
There are five ReStore locations in the greater Cincinnati area – Bond Hill (4910 Para Drive, 45237), Chevoit (3970 North Bend Rd., 45211), Fairfield (4655 Dixie Hwy.), Bellevue KY (15 Donnermeyer Dr., 41073), and Florence KY (8309 US Hwy 42, 41042).
New Life Furniture Thrift Store
One of my favorite shops for furniture, New Life Furniture is a relatively new spot located just off 275 in Sharonville Plaza (12037 Lebanon Rd., 45241). This spot is mostly furniture with a little bit housewares, clothing, books, jewelry, and other misc. items. They have a wide variety of items and I’ve found a few great antiques here in addition to more modern items.
Shopping in this thrift store supports New Life Furniture Bank. Each year, they furnish 1500+ homes for families overcoming homelessness in Great Cincinnati, Dayton, and Northern Kentucky. In 2022 alone, they delivered 1866 beds to homes in need with over half of those being for children who were likely sleeping on the floor.
Salvation Army Thrift Stores
You’ll find a large variety of household items, home decor, clothing, and much more at the Salvation Army stores.
They operate more than 250 stores in the midwest. Each year, The Salvation Army helps more than 150,000 people nationwide overcome substance abuse. They provide a safe, compassionate place where people can heal. By taking care of all their basic needs, the participants can focus their energy on getting better.
Cincinnati area Salvation Army stores are located at 5048 Delhi Pike in Westwood, 801 Eastgate South Drive in Batavia, 7900 Tylersville Square Dr. in West Chester, and 2250 Park Avenue in Norwood.
Valley Thrift Stores
Valley Thrift stores are hard to pass up as they are HUGE and have rack after rack, shelf after shelf, pile after pile of previously loved and gently used items. They have a huge selection of men’s and women’s clothing, kid’s clothing and toys, housewares, accessories, shoes, electronics … you name it!
They have three locations with 2 being near Cincinnati: Evendale (9840 Reading Rd. 45214), Fairfield (4301 Dixie Hwy. 45014)
Indigo Hippo Art Supply Thrift Store
Now here’s one you may not know about. Indigo Hippo is like no other thrift or consignment store in town. This one is all art supplies. Located downtown, in Over-the-Rhine (1334 Main St., 45202), they’re open a few days a week and are well worth a visit if you are a creative, a crafter, enjoy art, or just need a little doo-dad to fix something. They’re pretty close to Mannequin (see below) too!
Mannequin Boutique
If you’re looking for some upscale vintage finds, some gently used clothing, shoes, and accessories, take a drive downtown and visit Mannequin. They are a bit more on the expensive side than St. Vinny’s but you will find some great stuff here and lots of designer brands (if that’s your thing).
100% of the proceeds from Mannequin Boutique benefits local charities.
Find them at 1311 Main St., Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
And they have a second location in Northern Ky: 833 Monmouth St., Newport, Ky 41071
Goodwill in Cincinnati
A thrifting list wouldn’t be complete with at least a mention of our local Goodwill stores. We have a number of them here in town and I frequent them often. You’ll find all kinds of second hand items at Goodwill but if you’re looking for furniture, be aware that our local locations no longer accept or sell it.
Find a Goodwill near you when you click here.
Vintage and Consignment Shops in Cincinnati:
Thrift shops aren’t the only place to get a great deal on things you need. Vintage and consignment stores can be a great way to do some budget-friendly shopping too. Here are some of our local favorites:
Clothes Mentor – we almost never leave empty handed from this place! Shop for secondhand name-brand and designer products at their Hyde Park, West Chester, Anderson, and Fields Ertel locations.
Snooty Fox – locally owned and operated, a great place to find gently used upscale clothing
Plato’s Closet – a great teen resale shop; locations in Colerain, West Chester, Anderson, Fields Ertel, and Florence, KY
Once Upon a Child – specializes in gently used kids’ stuff including clothes and gear
Ohio Valley Antique Mall – a great place to spend an afternoon on the hunt for something unusual!
My Tips for Thrifting and Resale Store Shopping:
Buy it when you see it, not when you need it. It’s my thrift store shopping motto. Sometimes the stars aline and you end up finding what you need exactly when you need it. Need a pink tailored shirt for a “Wednesdays we wear pink” theme day this week? You may not find it while you’re out thrifting. It’s a chance you take. If you go in with my motto of buy it when you see it and not when you need it, you’ll have a lot more fun.
Along those lines, enjoy the experience and take your time picking through the store. Your best finds are likely to be hidden treasures that you don’t see right away.
Go in with some thoughts for what you might like to find. Are you looking for boy clothes in size 12 for next fall? Are you on the hunt for another blue transferware plate for a wall collage you’re pulling together? I typically start with things I am trying to find and then browse through whatever else is there.
Have an open mind about what you’re willing to take home. You might just be surprised to find those jeans you love on the rack for $5. I can through those babies in the wash on hot and run them through the dryer and we’re ready to roll.
Clothes shopping at the thrift store? Inspect your finds carefully. I always look for spots and stains first. Then look to be sure all of the “hardware” is there. It’s one thing to replace a men’s shirt button but the button on a pair of jeans? No thank you. Does the zipper work? Does the shirt have “ring around the collar”? Give it all a thorough once over!
Wear layers that you can remove for trying things on in front of a mirror. Lots of stores no longer allow you to use a dressing room.
Be aware of the thrift store’s return policy. Some will allow you to return items with a receipt but some accept no returns at all.
Watch for sale offers as you walk in. Many stores post what’s on sale this week. Goodwill, for instance, usually has a particular color tag on sale each week.
Shopping for furniture? Be prepared to move it yourself. Check with the staff to see if they can help move it to your car (or at least provide a dolly). Most stores will require you to move it yourself. That being said, I have found some staff members who can recommend movers to deliver large pieces to your home for a reasonable price.
Don’t limit yourself to the area you thought you came in to shop. I often shop for clothing but I never leave without taking a trip through the housewares department too… and usually the book section as well. People will find great things and decide they don’t want them, leaving them behind in different areas of the store.
Have fun! View it as an adult treasure hunt. Enjoy your thrifting hobby!
