Hamilton is full of thrift stores. It is also full of vintage resellers, antique malls and Instagram accounts hustling second hand clothes. AND it’s even full of Value Village’s. For those who like to slow down and enjoy the hunt of thrifted gems, while avoiding the questionable VV ethics then look no further than this list of the best thrift stores in Hamilton.
Related: Fancy a road trip? Read about the best thrift stores in Burlington, Oakville, Mississauga and Toronto.
Mission Thrift Store – Hamilton
Location: 601 Upper Gage Ave
The Mission Thrift Store Hamilton is HUGE. It is the size of a Value Village but without the corporate thrift store pricing. Very well organized, you could spend a good chunk of time just browsing this one thrift shop. Tons of furniture, tons of clothes, tons of books. Definitely one of the best thrift stores in Hamilton.
However I must point out that i’m not a huge fan of their “Mission”. Proceeds from shopping here supports Bible League Canada, which is an organization that measures its success in the “Number of People Baptized” across the world each year. I’ll let you make your own opinions.
Talize
Location: 1400 Upper James St
There are a lot of good things to say about Talize. It is large and packed with clothes (a bit less stocked on housewares and furniture though). Their kids clothes are well organized by size and category. The clothing racks are organized by colour and size which makes it easier to browse if you know what you are looking for. They have fitting rooms! And bathrooms! A return policy (7 days)! Open until 9pm! And they have daily 50% off managers specials so you can shop strategically to get the best prices.
Their prices are definitely not competitive with some of the smaller thrift shops but the other conveniences make it worth it.
Tip: if you donate you get a $5 coupon off purchases of $25.
St. Vincent De Paul Value (Barton)
Location: 429 Barton St E
St. Vincent De Paul is a favourite for cheap prices on clothes and furniture. The hours are quite limited (not open on weekends!) so you really have to plan to get there. They are cash and debit only so keep that in mind when you visit. Lots of true vintage finds here.
They are a non-profit thrift store where donated, lightly-used clothing, furniture, and household items are sold to benefit the poor or provided directly to people in need at no cost
St. Vincent De Paul Next to New Shop (Parkdale)
Location: 200 Parkdale Ave N, Hamilton
The second St. Vincent De Paul location is also a favourite thrift store in Hamilton. They have affordable prices and pretty decent quality on the items they put out. They are cash and debit only so keep that in mind when you visit. One of my favourite places to get second hand furniture!
The Giving Closet
Location: 1162 Barton St E
The Giving Closet is a fun place to browse and shop for various items. There are two floors so lots of ground to cover when you visit. They have clothes, furniture, books, games and housewares. They also often have 50% off sales so keep an eye on their Instagram page to keep track of their deals.
Started by Crown Point Community Church. All store profits will be used to meet needs and create positive change in local Hamilton neighbourhoods.
Re-Source Thrift Store
Location: 1050 Upper Gage
The Re-Source Thrift store has lots of houses wares and furniture with a smaller selection of clothing and shoes. Staff is friendly the shop is always well-stocked. They often have coloured tag sales so you can get a percentage off depending on the colour of the tag. Well worth a browse to see what you can find!
The Re-Source Thrift store is part of a collection of volunteer run thrift stores, raising money in support of Christian education and various other local causes.
The Vintage Blueberry
Location: The Hamilton Dream Centre (627 Main Street East, Hamilton)
The Vintage Blueberry is what thrift dreams are made of. It’s under the radar, has a great selection of stock and is exceptionally well-priced. I’m talking clothing is $2 and purses/shoes are $5. This little popup thrift shop is hosted by The Hamilton Dream Centre and happens just two days per month. Plus shopping here helps stock food and items for the Blue Door Food Pantry.
Tip: the thrift shop is accessed through the rear of the Hamilton Dream Center (parking lot access off Aikman Ave)
Mission Thrift Store – Dundas
Location: 33 King St E, Dundas
The Mission Thrift Store in Dundas is like the little sister of the one in Hamilton. It is a fun browse but the shop is much smaller so the inventory is limited. Still a good potential for finding thrifted gems from this one. Same questionable “mission” as the other locations (see above).
The Salvation Army Thrift Store
Downtown
Location: 250 King St E
The Downtown Salvation Army Thrift Store is convenient if you are in the area but also a bit overpriced. The colour organization of their products is nice to make browsing easier on the eyes but this is the same for other Salvation Army Thrift Stores in the area. Stop in if you are in the area but this isn’t necessarily a must-visit best thrift store in Hamilton.
Hamilton Mountain
Location: 250 King St E
If we were ranking just the Salvation Army Thrift Stores in Hamilton this one would come in second. So its better than downtown but not the holy grail that is Stoney Creek. It is medium-sized (compared to its siblings) and also organized by colour. Decent selection, decent prices but not as cheap as some of the other smaller shops in the area.
If you bring a donation they will give you a 20% off coupon to use on your next visit so that can help bring down the pricing to something a bit more reasonable.
Stoney Creek
Location: 2500 Barton St E
This is definitely one of the best thrift stores in Hamilton. Its huge, very well-stocked and the prices don’t seem as steep as the other Salvation Army thrift stores.
They often have flash sales with 50% off entire sections so it is worthwhile to subscribe to their email newsletter so you know the best time to go. Similar to other Salvation Army locations you get a 20% off coupon to use when you donate.
Bonus: GBF Community Services – Grimsby
Location: 40 Elm St, Grimsby
This one isn’t in Hamilton exactly but is definitely worth mentioning as one of the best thrift stores in Hamilton. It is huge and well-stocked in many categories. Toys, furniture, clothes, housewares. Many fantastic second-hand finds. They frequently have bag sales too which is the kind of deal that we dream about at other thrift stores.
GBF Community Services is a registered nonprofit organization and provides programs that support low-income households in Grimsby.
Cheers to the thrift store!
Thrifting is the perfect hobby. It’s affordable, good for the environment and a leisurely but productive way to spend the afternoon. You might not always score big (nor should you!) but each thrift trip is its own special experience. You quite literally never know what you will find and that is the magic of it all.
Happy thrifting!
