{"id":243358,"date":"2026-03-30T13:20:11","date_gmt":"2026-03-30T13:20:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/243358\/"},"modified":"2026-03-30T13:20:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T13:20:11","slug":"sfs-best-thrift-stores-according-to-a-panel-of-shopping-pros","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/243358\/","title":{"rendered":"SF\u2019s best thrift stores, according to a panel of shopping pros\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

Recommendations are a dime a dozen, but in Pro Tips<\/a>, we go directly to the source, asking local experts for their professional opinions on the city\u2019s best martinis<\/a>, tattoo shops<\/a>, and more.\u00a0<\/p>\n

San Francisco is a second-hand-clothing shopper\u2019s paradise<\/a>. Scouring the city\u2019s mix of thrift stores, vintage boutiques, consignment shops, clothing swaps (opens in new tab)<\/a>, and recurring (opens in new tab)<\/a> flea markets (opens in new tab)<\/a> can deliver everything from eye-catching, one-of-a-kind pieces and costume box (opens in new tab)<\/a> fodder to outfit staples and luxury labels at discounted prices. But it can be hard to figure out which shops are worth your time.<\/p>\n

As more people embrace buying used<\/a> clothes for the sake of the environment, their finances, and the cool factor<\/a>, the city\u2019s second-hand fashion scene has boomed (opens in new tab)<\/a> well beyond the Haight Street thrift corridor. To sort through the selection and inspire your next thrifting spree, we asked\u00a0professional thrifters for their favorite shops and most memorable purchases.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Favorite shop: Community Thrift Store (opens in new tab)<\/a> at 623 Valencia St.\u00a0
Best for: Jewelry, eclectic clothes<\/p>\n

There\u2019s so much to love about CTS, as it\u2019s known by devotees: It\u2019s bright pink, its proceeds benefit local charities, and it\u2019s a consistent source of \u201ckiller\u201d finds, according to Porter.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"APorter shows off her beloved fruit earrings from Community Thrift Store. | Source: Courtesy of Katie Porter<\/p>\n

\u201cIt gets turned over so much that everything feels like it\u2019s just been put out,\u201d she said. She has furnished multiple apartments with items found there, found favorite reads for $2 in the \u201cshockingly organized\u201d book section, and discovered eclectic clothing and accessories.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey have the best jewelry section,\u201d Porter gushes. \u201cIf you\u2019re somebody who likes to pick through a bucket, like I do, it\u2019s there for you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

One of her most memorable CTS purchases was a limited-edition batik art print in a gold frame with robin\u2019s-egg-blue matting that she found nearly a decade ago and has since carted to every place she\u2019s lived.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI went on one of their half-off art days, and it was like $15, and at the cash register, the guy says, \u2018You know, this is like a $500 frame job,\u2019\u201d she recalled. \u201cIt\u2019s so beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Favorite store: Out of the Closet (opens in new tab)<\/a> at 1498 Polk St.\u00a0
Best for: Luxury bags and jackets<\/p>\n

Kai, who regularly documents her scores on TikTok, swears by the Russian Hill-adjacent branch of California mini-chain Out of the Closet.<\/p>\n

\"AKai bought two vintage Coach bags at Out of the Closet for $30 a pop. | Source: Courtesy of Erica Kai <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s smack in the middle of the city, so the inventory always feels top-notch,\u201d she said. \u201cIt feels like the perfect mix of incredible, longtime San Franciscans\u2019 vintage and new-school tech kids donating new-with-tags Patagonia jackets and Lululemon.\u201d<\/p>\n

She has overfilled her shelves from the store\u2019s book collection over the years, but her best purchases were two vintage Coach bags. \u201cI paid about $30 each, and a similar one is currently listed for close to $900 on eBay, though I would never sell it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Her pro tip: Sign up for the store\u2019s rewards program, which allows you to rack up points. The best part is that 96 cents of every dollar (opens in new tab)<\/a> the store makes goes toward HIV prevention and treatment services.<\/p>\n

Favorite store: Moody Goose (opens in new tab)<\/a> at 2036 Polk St.\u00a0
Best for: Vintage jackets, Y2K-era clothes<\/p>\n

\"AAlly Chen shows off her haul from Moody Goose. | Source: Courtesy of Ally Chen<\/p>\n

Chen fell instantly in love with Moody Goose\u2019s sky-blue storefront, well-curated selection, and SF vibe. \u201cIt\u2019s a sweet mother-daughter collective with a really thoughtful mix of tops, jackets, dresses, shoes, and accessories,\u201d she said, including \u201clots of whimsical Y2K pieces, like printed skirts, chunky natural-fiber knits, beaded and embroidered details, and really unique tops that feel like a time capsule.\u201d<\/p>\n

She loves the old Muni seat on the second floor where shoppers can lounge when they need a break from scouring racks of clothes, and the \u201cthermal photo booth that prints your pictures on receipt paper.\u201d\u00a0Chen recommends the outerwear section, where she found her best (now-pilfered) jacket: \u201cMy favorite chocolate-brown suede jacket actually got stolen by my mom from my closet, which says everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

Favorite store: Love Street Vintage (opens in new tab)<\/a> at 1801 Balboa St.\u00a0
Best for: Indigenous jewelry<\/p>\n

Since Hansen opened her Haight Street shop in 1968, she has accrued such a vast collection of vintage clothing that she\u2019s more likely to dig through her own inventory than go shopping elsewhere.\u00a0But when she just can\u2019t help herself, she hits Love Street Vintage in the Richmond. \u201cThe owner has created such a lovely presentation of her merchandise,\u201d Hansen said, noting the wide selection of Navajo, Zuni, and Mexican jewelry.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Hansen is a firm believer that vintage fashion is where it\u2019s at. \u201cThe quality, the uniqueness, the \u2018green\u2019 environmental aspect, and the bargain\u201d make for a great combination of perks, she said.<\/p>\n

Favorite shop: The Golden Hour (opens in new tab)<\/a> at 147 Clement St.
Best for: Designer pieces<\/p>\n

The main reason to shop at The Golden Hour, according to Baldwin, is to hang out with owner Morgan Mapes. Baldwin calls her the \u201cnicest, funniest person\u201d and admires how she manages to stock \u201csome of the coolest finds, including a lot of designer pieces.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI am just obsessed with her,\u201d Baldwin said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Baldwin counts a bright-purple Victor Costa blazer with bold buttons as her top snag from the shop \u2014\u00a0she wore it the day she met Tommy Hilfiger and felt like a million bucks.<\/p>\n

Favorite shop: SCRAP (opens in new tab)<\/a> at 2150 Newcomb Ave.
Best for: Vintage dead stock<\/p>\n

Cofounded by artist Ruth Asawa<\/a>, Bayview\u2019s second-hand craft-supply warehouse SCRAP (which is currently on the hunt for a new home) (opens in new tab)<\/a> is a creative wonderland that \u201cembodies what I love about San Francisco,\u201d said Okagaki. He\u2019s been a regular at the shop since he was a high school kid making art.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s scrappy, beautifully chaotic, and full of surprises \u2014 a legit treasure trove that inspires your next passion project every visit.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AKenny Okagaki, who launched Chameleon Vintage in 2022, is a SCRAP devotee. | Source: Jillian D’Onfro\/The Standard<\/p>\n

SCRAP (opens in new tab)<\/a> is not a clothing store; it has a rotating stock of textiles, accessories, and other materials for art projects of every kind. \u201cYou never know what you\u2019re going to find, and every time you go, it\u2019s instant inspiration at mind-blowing, affordable prices,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Okagaki relied on SCRAP as he built out his vintage shops \u2014\u00a0including one in Japantown<\/a> and one on Haight Street \u2014\u00a0and uses materials sourced there to repair his wares: \u201cMy favorite thing I\u2019ve purchased there was a huge bag of vintage dead stock \u201970s Talon zippers that I used to mend clothes to stock.\u201d<\/p>\n

Favorite store: Goodwill (opens in new tab)<\/a> at 4631 Mission St.
Best for: High-quality fabrics<\/p>\n

Paulino\u2019s go-to thrift recommendation is a humble Goodwill. Of the five in the city, the Excelsior location has the most gems.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThey seem to put out new stuff from mid-morning all the way until they close,\u201d she said. Her best purchase was something of a fluke: An employee gave her a wild deal on a Breville espresso machine (opens in new tab)<\/a> as a final act of rebellion on his last day of work.\u00a0<\/p>\n

That\u2019s not the only thrift magic she\u2019s seen at that location, though: \u201cOne time I was there with my cousin, and she found a $600 cashmere sweater \u2014\u00a0crew neck, oatmeal colored \u2014 for $8.99,\u201d she said. \u201cIt still haunts me that she found it first. Every time I see her she wears it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Paulino, who inherited her love of a good deal from her mom, advises new thrifters to learn the feel of different types of fabric, so as you\u2019re swiping through racks \u201cyou\u2019re able to identify high-quality fabrics just by touching them.\u201d<\/p>\n