Thrifting is something which has been growing increasingly popular with today’s youth. It is the best way to add an authentic and unique vintage aesthetic to your closet. Thrifting is also amazing for the environment by helping to keep waste out of landfills and by not supporting unethical brands. Among the many benefits of thrifting is that it is cheap!

  The reason I tend to stay away from Goodwill is because it is actually quite expensive, despite most of their items being under ten dollars. The way they price their items is by category. For example, all dresses are eight dollars and all pants are seven dollars. The issue with this style of pricing is items that are worth less cost more.

  Luckily Los Angeles provides many options for even better thrift stores.

1.   To begin with is Hope of the Valley Thrift Store. Not many West Ranch kids will be seen at this store due to the fact it’s location is a bit of a drive, but is more than worth it. This store is located next to Home Depot over in Canyon Country. Hope of the Valley makes the top of my list because of the quality and quantity of their clothing. Here at this thrift store there are over a thousand items on display all individually priced. Most items range between $2-$5 which comes way under Goodwill’s pricing. Hope of the Valley also has a wide variety of sizing and styles unique to decades going all the way back to the 1940’s. The store receives thousands of new items each week so there is never a bad time to go.
2. Next on my list is Whimby’s. This is a thrift store located next to Hope of the Valley. This thrift store is the smallest on my list, but their clothes do not disappoint. The pricing style is that of Goodwill, yet the prices for each category are set lower; sweaters cost about five dollars. Another difference from Goodwill is they offer more authentic vintage clothing. An issue I have with Goodwill is it is often hard to find anything other than pieces from the early 2000’s; however, Whimby’s is a great alternative. Whimby’s is a new thrift store, so make sure to head over and show your support.
3. Last on my list is not a specific thrift store but an entire street. Melrose Avenue is a great place for shopping, but if you take a closer look, this street offers a large number of unique places to thrift. Melrose Avenue is a bit of a drive from Santa Clarita, but it makes for a fun stop if you are heading down to Santa Monica. Here on this street, the thrift stores have all received about four stars or higher. You can find a variety of different prices on this street. At Buffalo Exchange you will find higher prices, because at this store they take time to sort out only the higher quality items to display.

  In short, make sure to go out and try something new. There are millions of thrift stores around the world, each with unique clothing and trinkets. Your entire closet doesn’t need to be thrifted, but even thrifting just every now and then can truly make a difference in the environment and in your wallet.