A nostalgic yet also extremely familiar feeling washes over the thrifter.  The warmth of re-imagining thrown-away, one-of-a-kind pieces is even better than the breather it allows the wallet.

Thrifting has been a part of American life for almost a century. Back as far as the 40s, one can see the stories of Jack Kerouac filled with trips to Goodwill and the Salvation Army. While the circumstances have changed the popularity of a trip to a thrift store has remained. Today with the aid of social media thrifting is now on the rise with younger populations it’s a perfect time to dive into Olympia’s local thrift stores.  

“For me, thrifting is great because I can find items I would never find anywhere else. It also allows me to express myself and dress nicely for a fraction of the price” said local teenager Riley Sandifer.

5th Avenue Flea Market

5th Avenue Flea Market is a cozy shop down the street from Rainy Day Records. Inside its doors lie several vendors selling an assortment of vintage and used goods. One of those said vendors boasts an impressive collection of vintage and pre-used clothing. While it is not as curated as stores like Dumpster Values it still contains some excellent pieces.  

When asked about an increasing number of youth thrifting, Luan Kindle, owner of Fifth Avenue Flea Market said “I’d have to say the demographics of a younger group of people is definitely newer.” 

Dumpster Values

Situated on 4th Avenue in the heart of downtown, Dumpster Values is possibly the most well-known local thrift store as it sits on one of the busiest arteries through the downtown area. They offer a wonderfully curated selection filled with vintage pieces and other unique finds. You can find pieces for almost every style. However, for a “thrift store,” the prices can feel a bit steep, while shopping one can easily imagine finding similar items for much lower rates in other places.

“I’m really into old logger stuff, especially for this region,”  said Baby Raven Fire, Dumpster Values employee, when asked about her favorite items in the store.

Blue

Located on Capital Way Blue is a boutique run by Goodwill. It basically sells the nicer items that are donated. This place has pieces of higher value with a much smaller selection. However, it is presented as more of a boutique, which means the prices are a bit higher than what many people are willing to pay. Overall this store seems to be for much older customers and can seem pretty boring to a younger shopper.

Value Village

A few miles into Lacey next to the local Fred Meyers is a Value Village. It’s like Goodwill but a little better, the quality of items is a bit higher, and there are consistently more good pieces. Many neat and unique finds can be found. However, it is still a chain store so it can feel very impersonal and corporate. Also unlike Goodwill their pricing is not standardized, they often know when an item is worth more and will raise their prices accordingly. But overall it is a decent place.