Thrift Store Near Me

In America, thrift stores have long been held as a place that not only outfits individuals who are looking to be eco-friendly and budget conscious; they have a long history of helping those in need with the funds received. While not every thrift store donates to charity, there is something appealing in buying second hand clothes and extending the life of an item that would otherwise sit in a landfill or be discarded. In other words, thrift stores are awesome!

Are you interested in finding a thrift store near you? Simply browse thrift stores near me on the map below and find a thrift store in your area. Need a bit more information on thrift stores? Read on for facts, trivia, and statistics on thrift stores!

Thrift Store Near Me – Find it on the Map

Thrift Store Near Me – Thrift Store Trivia

What year was the first thrift store established?

If you’re searching thrift store near me, you’re probably itching to find out just when thrift stores were first established. While the history is a little murky on these popular shops, history shows that one of the first charity thrift shows was set up by the Wolverhampton Society for the Blind in 1899 to sell goods made by the blind in order to raise money. After the onset of World War I, various fundraising activities occurred in the same location, including a bazaar in Shepherd Market, which raised 50,000 for the Red Cross.

Thrift stores offer everything from clothing and shoes to books and furniture, with many of the proceeds raised going to charity.

When did thrift stores become big?

While thrift stores were relevant in the early 1900s, they didn’t reach widespread acclaim until World War II. It was during World War II that the University Settlement opened their ‘Thrift Shop for Everyone’ on Nicholson Place in Edinburgh in 1937. This is also when the Red Cross opened their very first charity shop in London in 1941. Throughout the entire duration of the war, the Red Cross opened over two hundred permanent gift shops and 150 temporary shops. The one condition issued by the Board of Trade for these shops is that all goods offered for sale were marked as gift. The idea of someone purchasing an item as re-sale was strictly forbidden.

What are the biggest thrift stores in the US?

In searching thrift store near me, you’ll likely come across one of these big time thrift store chains in your area. While the US is known for it’s smaller mom and pop thrift shops and church run chains, the major national charity operators are Goodwill Industries, Salvation Army, ReSTore, Value Savers, and the St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store. Other operations include more regional chains such as Deseret Industries in the Western portion of the United States and shops run by Bethesda Lutheran churches in the Midwest region. Common among many of these stores is their commitment to helping children’s homes, religious operations , homeless shelters, and animal shelters. Some church run thrift stores use fund to support church activities and help aid in

Thrift Store Near Me – Thrift Store Facts

Three Reasons Why Shopping at Thrift Stores Is Awesome

If you’re searching thrift store near me, then you’re likely already aware of just how awesome and helpful thrift shops truly are. Read on for three reasons why thrift store shopping is unlike anything else.

1. Thrift stores help the community

Sure, not every thrift store is run by a charitable organization, but most thrift stores in America do bear a charitable relationship. Organizations such as ARC and Housing works offer amazing goods at a low price, making some typically out of reach items (such as kitchen appliances) an actual affordable option for low income households. Thrift shops also use their retail platform to provide services to the communities they serve. For example, the Out of the Closet Thrift Store operated by the AIDS healthcare foundation actually offers free HIV tests to customers. By keeping these stores in business, you’re helping to keep important services for communities in need.

2. Thrift Stores are eco Friendly

While searching thrift store near me, keep in mind just how eco friendly and green shopping at a thrift store truly is. Thrift store are truly the hand me downs of humanity. Any item of clothing can technically be worn forever (or at least until the threads are worn through), so the idea of reusing an item that would otherwise be taking up space in a landfill is not only eco friendly it’s just good practice. Wasting clothing not only hurts the environment in terms of taking up landfill space; but the production of clothing can create harmful emissions that worsen environmental conditions and pollute otherwise clean air.

3. You never know what you’ll find

One of the most intriguing parts of thrift store shopping is the thrill of the hunt. While traditional shopping offers typical pieces that can be found at a variety of stores, you never know what you’re going to find at a thrift store. Maybe you’ll stumble upon a designer piece at a low price. Perhaps even a signed copy of a first edition book is lying in wait just for you? Thrift stores not only offer a chance to find one of a kind goods that will set you apart from a crowd, but you could possibly find a piece of true value.