The top thrift stores in Toronto are those that keep on giving, whether that's through wicked-low prices, a sweet variety of vintage garb, or right back into the local community. They know that second-hand clothing shopping can sometimes be a little daunting, and so they've place the utmost importance on store cleanliness, organization, and a diverse amount of stock. These stores also depend on their community's regular donations in order to keep afloat, so in many ways, it's a mutually beneficial relationship.
Here are my picks for the top thrift stores in Toronto.
Value Village (Bloor/Lansdowne)
Located not far from the Lansdowne subway station, this expansive Value Village location has everything a second-hand shopper might be looking for: furniture, a generous stock of men's, women's, and children's clothing and accessories to choose from, along with several other household fixings and décor. The clothing racks are cleanly organized and each type of garment is well-stocked and neatly divided for easy access. Their large change-room section has an employee on hand to monitor your fitting experience, making this Value Village a true gem.
Double Take
This Gerrard East second-hand store, run by the Yonge Street Mission, is doing more than its part to serve the surrounding community. Rather than acting as a place for undergrads to shop for used Levi's and vintage finds, Double Take is focused on providing clean, suitable clothing for struggling families in need of professional outfits for job interviews, wedding dresses, and an overall comfortable shopping experience that's within their price range. There's also a reasonable amount of parking to the side of the building for easy accessibility.
St. John's Thrift Store
Despite its small exterior, St. John's Thrift Store on the Danforth has a healthy selection of clothing, housewares, collectables, and other goodies for Toronto's east-end thrifters. The storefront is clean and welcoming, a surefire bonus for anyone looking to avoid the common crowded, unkempt used clothing store feel. All items are donated by the community and any revenue made is invested right back into the local community by St. John's Compassionate Mission.
Goodwill (Overlea/Don Mills)
Goodwill's Don Mills location is a great stop for any of your thrifting needs. The store is well-organized and chock-full of clothing for all occasions--wedding dresses, used children's costumes, professional wear and casual garb--furniture, and a huge library of books organized by genre. The store's onsite donation centre has an entrance that's right next door to the parking lot and front entrance for easy accessibility.
National Thrift (Kingston Rd./Lawrence)
National Thrift's second-hand chain location on Kingston Road in Scarborough offers one of those day-long thrift-hunting excursions that is well-worth the time. The big-box store has more than enough stock to choose from in the clothing department, boasting a huge selection of cleanly racked, slightly used items for a fraction of their original cost.
Saint Vincent de Paul
By name alone, The St. Vincent de Paul's Store and Warehouse location in Etobicoke implies a massive amount of used goods. It's a whole warehouse stocked with racks upon racks of donated clothes and a ton of 1970s style furniture. Items are a mix of higher end clothing and everyday wear, and customers rave about how well-organized and accessible the staff has made their stock.
Thrift Town
Thrift Town's biggest selling point is its super affordable furniture and mattresses. Although the mattresses are - thankfully - not used, they are sold amongst a vast selection of used and factory-reject furniture that customers claim to be long-lasting and reliable investments. The store also stocks a great selection of used clothing for people of all ages.
Hidden Thrifty Store
Parkdale's Hidden Thrifty Store is the brainchild of Aya Oryem, a former Goodwill employee who knows how to get the best (and most affordable) thrift store finds. That's why she opened Hidden Thrifty Store, located on Roncesvalles north of Queen St. (its original location on Gerrard St., called Kiden Thrifty, went down in an electrical fire last year). Hidden Thrifty is full of inexpensive second-hand treasures, some found by Oryem, and others, donated. Customers go back for the interesting selection of accessories and variety of clothing that only a very skilled used clothing shopper like Oryem can get their hands on.
Pegasus
This Upper Beach thrift location is the only one of its kind and operates with the young Toronto family in mind. Its quaint storefront offers a sweet selection of children's books, clothing, and toys, as well as other family-friendly products like household items and kitchenware. The store is run primarily by volunteers and is part of the Pegasus Community Project, a Canadian charity that services adults with special needs.
Goodwill (Runnymede/St. Clair)
While it seems almost every Goodwill location could use an overhaul in cleanliness, this spot is truly working with what it's got. First, the staff have colour-coded the women's blouse rack and are easy to locate on the floor sorting through racks to ensure everything's in its right place. The furniture section is near-immaculate - as opposed to most thrift shops, where chairs and household oddities are stacked haphazardly or contain unrecognizable items better off for the junkyard.
Did I miss any? Add your favourite Toronto thrift store in the comments.