Thrift shopping is a rather common hobby for many people in the Orange County area, especially in Carrboro and Chapel Hill. For those of you who don’t know, thrift stores are stores that sell donated goods (such as clothing, shoes, household items etc) to benefit a charity. The wonderful thing about thrifting is that you have the opportunity to find unique items at low prices. Whether you’re searching for 80’s band shirts or Jackie-era shift dresses, thrift stores are the perfect place to find vintage clothing. Hopefully these reviews will give new shoppers a useful guide and veteran shoppers some new insights into local stores.
 

Club Nova Thrift Shop (Carrboro)


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The Club Nova Thrift Shop, located at 103 D W Main Street, works to benefit Orange County citizens with mental illness. Though a little small in size and inventory, it’s definitely worth checking out. I’ve had much luck with finding vintage sweaters and shirts in the women’s section. Club Nova is extremely well organized so it’s quite easy to find what you’re looking for.
 

The PTA Thrift Store (Carrboro)


image via ptathriftshop.org

This thrift store (115 W Main St, but currently at 201 Weaver Street) is one of the area’s most popular, and seems to be a particular favorite of the college-aged crowd. Due to its popularity, you might find the clothing (especially the women’s section) a little sparse occasionally, but there are almost always good finds in the coat and shirt sections. My favorite thing about this store is their book section; it takes up an entire floor and has every type of book imaginable from vintage hardback novels to cookbooks.
 

Chatham County PTA Thrift Store (Chatham)


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This P.T.A Thrift Store (400 East St, Pittsboro, NC) is a great place to go for any house ware needs you may have. A significant part of the store is dedicated to linens and tablecloths in numerous colors and styles. Also, if you happen to be looking for contemporary brand names at lower prices, they even have a boutique section where current brands can be found.
 

Goodwill (Durham)


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While Goodwill, found at 4318 Garrett Road, is a bit of a hike away for local residents, I believe it’s definitely worth a trip. It has one of the largest facilities around and offers a huge variety of items. All of the clothing is, sorted by color, which is incredibly useful in helping you have a more efficient shopping experience. The extensive dress selection has a mix of both casual and formal dresses, and is especially great for 70’s style maxis.

The following stores are not thrift stores per say since they’re retail establishments that work for profit and offer a selection of already sorted vintage clothing, but are still great places to pick up one of a kind items. While these stores are a little pricier, the pre-selected inventory is more likely to have specific clothing pieces or accessories that you’re looking for.
 

Time After Time (Chapel Hill)


image via timeaftertimeclothing.com

Found at 414 West Franklin Street, this store is chock full of clothing, accessories, and shoes. Almost any style or time period of clothing can be found here. Their men’s section is a great place to find comfy sweaters and oversize button-downs. In addition to their vintage clothing, they also have a wide selection of costumes, crazy jewelry, and even wigs that would be great for Halloween or an impromptu costume party.
 

Clothing Warehouse (Chapel Hill)


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Another vintage store on Franklin Street, The Clothing Warehouse (109 East Franklin Street) is another popular favorite. It’s the priciest store of the bunch, but generally speaking, their entire inventory is very high quality. If you happen to be looking for shoes, this is the place to be-they have an entire section dedicated to cowboy boots. Another neat thing about this store is their selection of t-shirts which you can have cut and styled to suit your taste.