Resellers have no doubt discovered hidden gems lurking behind fast-fashion finds on the racks of thrift stores in San Antonio. That means wading through thousands of pieces of merchandise at your local secondhand bargain shop in the Alamo City yields far fewer finds than it did in years past. But there are middle-ground shops addressing that frustrating experience, like Thrift at the Warehouse’s downtown location.
This secondhand shop isn’t exactly as wallet-friendly as your local thrift haunt. Thrift at the Warehouse buyers know exactly what they have and charge accordingly. Long-loved letterman jackets were hitting triple digits, and leather pieces were well over $20. But there’s enough price inclusivity and range to allow just about anyone to walk away feeling like they still scored a deal.
“People are so against consumerism because that’s all that’s being fed to us. But if you are actually looking into the secondhand scene, you’re going to notice that the reselling community has expanded so much that stores like Texas Thrift, Goodwill –– all of those –– they have been gone through. Like, all the racks have been gone through,” Renata De Alba, manager at Thrift at the Warehouse’s downtown location, told MySA.
She continued, saying, “What I always say to people ––when I tell them, like, we do buy, sell, trade –– I tell them our mission is to give at least another life to your piece of clothing before it ultimately ends up in a landfill… I know you have stuff in your closet that you literally just have hanging on the racks, and I do too.”
On the upside, shopping at this store cuts out the gamble that comes with traditional thrifting. Instead of showing up on a weekend or after work only to find resellers have picked through the best of the thrift store lineup, Thrift at the Warehouse curates its selection through a buying process. This means items are categorized by trend – think streetwear, ’90s grunge, high femme or Y2K baddie.
It’s a haven for true vintage hunters who want to relive the ’80s, ’90s or early aughts. You can even find designer pieces, like a John Paul Gaultier denim backpack (hello fashion find), or quirky branded items from years past (like several ’90s Hard Rock Café clothing items and accessories).
Again, this is not your chance to score an insane deal. Prices are almost exclusively in the double digits, and so many thrift stores are catching on to the market and hitting similar price points. But the downtown Thrift at the Warehouse, located at 1203 Camden St., is certainly a place to find what is now often lacking from the thrift store down the street these days.
Plus, with hundreds of new items hitting the racks each day and buyers at each location setting their own vibe and trends, it’s worth a fly-by visit on a more frequent schedule to catch the newest releases.