Kandice VincentThe 5 Best Thrift Stores in Toronto
Second-hand shopping can be a great way to find good deals on items that you need or want.
There are many places to find second-hand items, and in this guide, we’ll give you the rundown on some of the best thrift stores in Toronto!
Toronto is home to some of the best thrift stores in the country. Whether you’re looking for vintage clothes, antique furniture, or just some general knick-knacks, there’s a thrift store out there for you!
Top Thrift Stores in Toronto
Here are the questions that we used as criteria for evaluating the best thrift stores in Toronto.
How much do products at thrift stores in Toronto cost?
In the following table, we listed the common types of products found at thrift stores in Toronto along with their price ranges.
The cost of products at thrift stores can vary greatly depending on a number of factors.
In Toronto, some of the main factors that can affect the cost of products at thrift stores include the condition of the item, the demand for the item, the rarity of the item, and the store’s location.
1. Black Market Vintage Clothing
| VALUE | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| PRODUCTS | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Selection | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Quality | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| ATMOSPHERE | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Organisation and cleanliness | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Customer service | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| LOCATION | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Black Market Vintage Clothing was originally catered to punk rockers, OCAD students, musicians, and artists. Now, it has shifted into catering to the more general demographic compared to before.
Black Market Vintage Clothing is well-known for its extensive selection of vintage items, many of which can be purchased at affordable prices.
We found that the store has one of the most exceptional vintage collections we’ve ever seen. Their products range from clothing, accessories, and footwear – even intimates are available on their racks!
Going through their website, you will see that they have this “Vintage Condition Guide”, which can help clients figure out the condition of the products that they’re interested in.
We appreciate that this guide helps consumers decipher which products are newer or more used.
Black Market Vintage Clothing has always taken pride in inducing a rusty and vintage vibe for their physical store. However, there were complaints regarding the place being dusty and hot because of its huge space and layout.
Another downside would have to be the staff who lack in friendliness. Some customers we talked to experienced poor service and mentioned that some staff were inconsiderate as they were quite loud and inattentive.
They could also work on the organisation of their clothing items, separating the pieces by category (tops, bottoms, etc.) and further diving them into sections, such as style and size.
Black Market Vintage Clothing is located at Queen Street, which is near a stop, making it a convenient location for everyone.
Overall, the rare collectibles may entice you to visit their boutique. Majority of their shoppers report good experience and good-quality products, making it a must-visit when you go thrifting.
Pros
- Known for their unique vintage pieces
- Reasonable price range
- Wide selection
- Has a helpful “Vintage Condition Guide”
- Convenient location
Cons
- Place can be dusty and hot
- Staff lack friendliness
- Organisation could be improved
Customer Reviews
Happy to leave with several dresses
“Super rad spot with great prices! Everything I purchased was 10 dollars apiece including a cute dress that I found from the Hawaiian brand—Hilo Hattie’s, as well as a brand-new hiking tank top. This location has a variety of other shops also located inside which were closed the day I visited. I originally stopped in just because of the entrancing spirals leading inside but was happy to leave with several dresses and my tank top.” —Healani Norman, Google Reviews
Amazing store and I would definitely come back again
“Probably the only vintage store in Toronto with reasonable prices. Bought a leather wallet for 10 bucks here. Amazing store and I would definitely come back again. Thank you for the amazing experience.” —Rens, Google Reviews
2. Courage My Love
| VALUE | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| PRODUCTS | ★★★★☆ (4.5/5) |
| Selection | ★★★★★ (4/5) |
| Quality | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| ATMOSPHERE | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Organization and cleanliness | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Customer service | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| LOCATION | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Courage My Love is proud of the fact that they upcycle some of their items before reselling them.
They use old fabric to create new pieces and turn them into newly designed clothing, which we think is awesome and adds a personal touch to their products!
Courage My Love also has this $5.00 rack that offers very affordable pieces to their shoppers. We believe that this is considered as one of the cheapest items you can avail from a thrift store.
This thrift store sells almost everything down from jewelry, footwear, clothes, art pieces, accessories, and so much more. In addition, customers would often describe their items as “very cool” and “unique”.
However, these unique and first-rate items can be pricey, depending on the condition and quality. This makes their price range wide and extensive as you can purchase either a $5.00 thrift or a hundred-dollar worth of pieces.
While they are proud of their broad selection for ladies, we noticed that there is a lack of options for men.
On another note, we advise Courage My Love to train their staff better with regard to being helpful and ready to serve customers.
This is because according to one buyer, while they were enjoying their time going through the products and asking about the pieces, the staff in-charge was too busy using their phone to help in purchasing the item.
You can go to their store at Kensington Avenue, near the Kensington Market making it more accessible for you.
Pros
- Upcycles some of their pieces
- Has a $5.00 rack
- Wide selection for women
- Has unique pieces
- Wide price range
- Accessible location
Cons
- Limited selection for men
- Staff could be more helpful
Customer Reviews
Apart from vintage clothing, there is a huge collection of jewelry and more
“I loved this store in Kensington Market!! Apart from vintage collection of cashmere sweaters and so much more clothing and shoes, there is a huge collection of beads, crystals, jewelry, cutlery and whatnot. Prices start from $1.50—yes that is true!! It is like a market inside that space with so much to shop for!!!” —Kamal Dhillon, Google Reviews
The people working there are really nice
“Really awesome place to get some cute good quality vintage stuff that isn’t too expensive. And the people working there are really nice too. You don’t want to miss this place when you’re exploring Kensington.” —Mariel, Google Reviews
3. Siberia Vintage
| VALUE | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| PRODUCTS | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Selection | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Quality | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| ATMOSPHERE | ★★★★☆ (4.5/5) |
| Organisation and cleanliness | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Customer service | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| LOCATION | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Siberia Village is known to have one of the best curated selections among other thrift stores. This boutique has inclusive sizing along with their top-notch selection of products.
Usual thrift shoppers express that the items are priced more on the expensive side because of the premium quality.
We discovered that the owner displays their racks depending on the season, which is more convenient for shop frequenters to browse the clothing pieces.
We’ve also talked to regulars who profess their satisfaction on how their clothing felt clean after inspecting it post-purchase.
As for their customer service, the staff continue to uphold their reputation as one of the most considerate and thoughtful. A customer proved this by narrating how the staff responded immediately to their online inquiry.
We also deemed The Siberia Village workforce as knowledgeable and friendly because of how they suggested pieces when we asked about what pieces are most suitable to our taste or needs.
With regards to their physical store, the place smells amazing. Upon entering, we saw how well-kept the space is and to top it off, they play great music, which adds to the lovely atmosphere!
However, they have no website available for you to browse products. They do have an Instagram account open for your viewing and for their announcement of sales.
The place is at Bloor Street where designer boutiques, restaurants, hotel, and galleries are located within the area.
Overall, Siberia Village is a great stop for those who seek high-calibre thrift pieces. If you’re down to spend a bit more for vintage items, you should definitely try visiting their shop.
Pros
- Inclusive sizing and good quality selection
- Displays items depending on the season
- Clothing feels clean
- Knowledgeable, thoughtful and accommodating staff
- Place smells amazing
- Accessible location
Cons
- Items are more on the expensive side
- No website, only an Instagram account
Customer Reviews
I walked out with more stuff then intended but I don’t regret it!
“What a great store this is… Excellent customer service, great selection and well-priced. I walked out with more stuff then intended but I don’t regret it! Definitely going back.”—Mahira Karim
Very organized and lovely staff
“Cute vintage shop with decent prices for curated pieces. Very organized and lovely staff. Everyone I dealt with was so pleasant and kind. I also purchased items through their Instagram—very simple and straightforward. Wish I lived in the neighbourhood so I could go more often, but maybe a blessing in disguise that I don’t… 💸” —Lisa Gelineau
4. The Salvation Army Thrift Store
| VALUE | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| PRODUCTS | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Selection | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Quality | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| ATMOSPHERE | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Organisation and cleanliness | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Customer service | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
| LOCATION | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
The Salvation Army Thrift Store centers on recycling as their main advocacy in. They collect unwanted household items and resell it at a more affordable price.
Those who donated their goods are given discount coupons which they can use in purchasing products available in their store. This is a sweet bargain in our opinion!
Some did mention that their prices are quite expensive considering how they advocate that they are for the people who are struggling to have access to cheaper but good-quality household products.
We believe The Salvation Army has justified this because their proceeds go to many of their social programmes, plus, they hold sale days regularly!
They offer a wide array of household items such as clothing, used comics, board games, books, etc. They also have a great selection both for used and brand new items.
Despite their donation-centered system, consumers praise the store for still possessing beautiful fabrics and designer clothes in their collection.
However, a fair share of feedback reveals that they often place wrong price tags to different items causing the client to pay more and inconveniencing them in the long run.
When we visited the store, we observed that they organise their items by colour, which we think is not the most ideal way.
We suggest placing related products like utensils, mugs, etc., together because this might be easier for a lot of customers.
There are no dressing rooms at the Salvation Army Thrift Store due to COVID standards; nonetheless, they do have a fantastic exchange policy of 15 days.
It’s easy for shoppers to spot and visit The Salvation Army Thrift Store having over 10 locations around the city and the GTA.
Pros
- Advocates for recycling and reselling items
- Donators receive coupons
- Have sale days regularly
- Wire array of household items
- Great selection for used and brand-new household items
- Convenient location
- All stores have restrooms for guests
Cons
- Items can be quite expensive
- No changing rooms
- Price tag mistakes
Customer Reviews
They are ALWAYS out in the community providing services to people
“I frequently give to this charity because they put their money where their mouth is. They are ALWAYS out in the community providing services to people that need them most.” —Paul Kenyon (Pepkeny), Google Reviews
My go-to thrift store
“Very friendly staff and you can find there’s huge varieties. My go-to thrift store. Recommended 100%.” —Rome Chy, Google Reviews
5. Value Village
| VALUE | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| PRODUCTS | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Selection | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Quality | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| ATMOSPHERE | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Organisation and cleanliness | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Customer service | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
| LOCATION | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Value Village promotes their “Value Village Cycle” that comprises of accepting donation from donors, reselling it, and paying their nonprofit partners so that they have funds for their community’s programmes.
Nevertheless, they are a “for-profit” company. We did observe that the store has continued to progressively increase their prices compared to before.
In spite of this, we, along with regular customers, find that their products are within reasonable prices, considering the quality.
As we perused their racks, we saw that they have a wide variety of products for children in addition to those for adults, which impressed us as it’s not often easy to discover thrift items for kids.
Value Village sells, toys, books, accessories, clothes, houseware, vinyl products, and more.
Along with their vast inventory, their racks and storage spaces are neat and well-organized. Majority of their shoppers say that the clothes are also well-managed and maintained.
However, they have no fitting area but they do implement a return/exchange policy.
We realised that there have been quite a few issues regarding their customer service. One shopper claimed that their staff weren’t able to help in carrying their donated items despite asking for assistance.
Issues about mispriced items were also raised wherein a customer expressed their frustration on how they needed to go back the next day because the staff needed to replace the tag first.
On the bright side, their store is accessible by transit making it easier for thrift shoppers to go to.
Pros
- Value Village Cycle
- Wide collection for men, women, and kids
- Organised racks
- Clothes are well-managed and maintained
- Has restrooms
- Accessible by transit
Cons
- Increased their price range recently
- No fitting rooms
- Negative remarks on customer service and mispriced items
Customer Reviews
Staff was friendly
“Was in the area and decided to pop in, the location is quite big and had a lot of variety in books, clothes, shoes, homeware and etc. Staff was friendly 🙂 And the cashier is mostly self-check-out. —Betty, Google Reviews
There’s lots of stock and most things are reasonably priced
“This thrift store is massive, there’s lots of stock and most things are reasonably priced. You need time to shop as there’s so many things to look at. The check-out can take a little bit of time as there’s so many shoppers. I’ve found some great decor pieces for my home here.” —Alexis, Google Reviews
FAQs on Thrift Stores in Toronto
These thrift stores must have been exciting, right? Who knows what hidden gem you might find!
If you have a penchant for finding amazing deals and saving money, have a look at our review of the best discount stores in Toronto.
