Readers Say

The top 5 best thrift stores in Greater Boston

Readers recommended 55 shops for your next vintage find.

Lauren Lombard, of Milton, is “looking for a good deal.” Volunteers take in donations and shoppers browse at The Bureau Drawer Thrift Shop, in Quincy. Photo by Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff

By Laura Emde and Zipporah Osei

6 minutes to read

The secondhand retail market is booming and Boston.com readers are among the millions of Americans who love browsing through their local thrift stores for vintage and unique finds. 

Shopping 🛍️

Whether they’re looking for new items for their wardrobe or home, readers told Boston.com they love the thrift store options Greater Boston has to offer. We asked readers where they go thrifting in the Bay State and they shared 55 recommendations of secondhand shops in the area. Some of the shops featured on this list were mentioned last year and in 2021, but several recommendations are new to our best thrifting guide.

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Most of the readers who responded to our survey last year said they like to shop secondhand because it saves them money and helps them live more sustainably, something experts warn we should all be more mindful of when it comes to our shopping habits. Gerald D. from Melrose said last year they turn to thrift shops to find “older, higher quality clothing that doesn’t exist anymore.”

This year, readers voted SwapIt in Medford as their secondhand store of choice. Unlike traditional thrift stores, SwapIt offers a yearly membership, where for every article of clothing you give to the store, you can take a new one home with you. Stefanie Johnson, the owner and founder of SwapIt, says the swapping process alleviates stressful factors of thrifting, such as finding the perfect item or the possibility a store may not take your clothes.

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“We wanted to eliminate that because there’s plenty of people who want to shop secondhand, but just, like, can’t, right? It wasn’t made simple enough for them,” she said. “So swapping alleviates a lot of that because it’s like sharing clothes with your best friend. It’s not stressful, it’s easy, and it’s like sharing clothes instead of with one best friend, you’re sharing clothes with, you know, 150, 200 people.”

Below you’ll find a list of the top five thrift stores recommended by readers, including a couple that were among the reader favorites in 2021 and 2022. We have incorporated reader quotes from both 2022 and 2023. We’ve also included a map of all the reader-selected shops in Greater Boston and the full list of this year’s recommendations.

A 🏆 means that this secondhand shop was also recommended by readers in 2021 and 2022.

5. Garment District (200 Broadway, Cambridge) 🏆

At any given time, you’ll find more than 40,000 unique items at this vintage store. They have pieces organized by style and decades. For those really looking for a bargain, they also offer a pay-by-the-pound selection. Ashley R. from Grafton relies on the shop for creative and practical needs. 

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“I am a costume designer for youth theatre so I do a lot of my sourcing from thrift shops,” she said. “I also have a teen who is still figuring out their sense of style and we love the pay-by-the-pound option Garment [District] has. The organization of decades also is an attractive feature.”

4. The Thrift Shop of Boston (33 Corinth St., Roslindale)

This nonprofit thrift store is nearly a century old but it still carries fashionable items for your closet and home. The team of staff, volunteers, and shoppers have raised more than $1 million for The Home for Little Wanderers, a child and family services agency. Karen L. from Walpole said her favorite finds include “a wool coat from La Maisonette, an Ethan Allen maple dining room table, and gorgeous suede boots.”

“The Thrift Shop of Boston sells very high-quality clothing and home goods. In addition, they have a connection with a children’s clothing distributor that donates beautiful high-quality sweaters and clothing. All profits are donated to the Home for Little Wanderers so I feel like I am supporting a good cause while also saving money,” she said. “The staff are wonderful and take an interest in all customers’ needs. They are an integral part of the Roslindale community.”

3. Covet (multiple locations) 🏆

Founded in 2013, this consignment store with three locations in South Boston, Beacon Hill, and Back Bay, prides itself on being a neighborhood shop “where locals and visitors alike can come and enjoy ‘the thrill of the hunt,’” according to its website. The store offers items such as clothing, accessories, shoes, jewelry, and more, which is part of the reason why readers such as Lisa D. from Dorchester named Covet as their secondhand store of choice.

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“I often find designer items and fun jewelry,” she said. “They have a lot of jeans.”

2. Boomerangs (multiple locations) 🏆

A child reads as her mother shops at Boomerangs thrift store in Cambridge in 2013. (Kayana Szymczak for The Boston Globe)

When you shop at Boomerangs you’re not only getting a good deal, but you’re also helping to fund AIDS Action, a New England-based HIV prevention and wellness services provider. Boomerangs accepts donations and resells them with the purpose of supporting the fight against AIDS. 

Margaret from Jamaica Plain said she loves the items she’s found at the Jamaica Plain location. 

“I have amassed an art collection, originals signed that I could never have afforded in galleries,” she said. “I have wonderful scarves, warm winter coats, and dishes that make me smile when I see them.”

John from the South End does his Boomerangs browsing at the South End store because it’s a “higher-end secondhand shop.” 

“It has wonderful, classy finds for the house, and it has a lovely curated clothing section,” he said. “This location takes the junk out of thrift stores.”

1. SwapIt (363 Main St., Medford)

Stefanie Johnson, the founder of SwapIt, stands inside her store in 2018. Image by Jon Washer

Have you ever bought something at a thrift store, only to realize it wasn’t quite what you expected and you may not be able to return it? At SwapIt in Medford, this isn’t an issue, as the store offers a yearly membership, allowing customers to trade in their old clothes for new ones from the store’s inventory. For those looking for something more personalized, those with an upgraded membership can use the Personal Swapper service, where the store will find items for you based on your needs. Reader Mary M. from Reading says she loves SwapIt’s selection of clothes, as well as the fact the store will hold items for you.

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“Bring them your lesser used wardrobe items and pick up some new or like new, or gently worn items just waiting to be rehomed from someone else’s closet,” she said. “Great selection with style and fashion consults too! Nominal fee covers year long shopping! Call ahead and they’ll pick through the racks for your wish list items, and have them waiting for your review. Best. Concept. Ever.”

Where to go thrift shopping in Greater Boston, according to readers

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