Goodbye, Goodwill: Try these local thrift spots

While Miami does have its fair share of Goodwill stores, the city’s local thrift spots boast eccentric finds and a fun thrifting experience. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

Shopping secondhand makes sustainable fashion affordable and helps you personalize your wardrobe with unique, timeless pieces. While Miami does have its fair share of Goodwill stores, the city’s local thrift spots boast eccentric finds and a fun thrifting experience.

But if you must go to Goodwill, skip the one on Bird Road and head to the Kendall/Sunset shop on SW 117th Ave or the Little Havana store on Calle Ocho — you’ll enjoy a larger selection and trendier items.

A brief Google search of Miami’s best thrift stores will yield one commonality — Red, White, and Blue in Hialeah. This spot continuously makes best-of lists for its vast collection of clothes, furniture, decor, appliances and so much more. Their daily 50% off specials mean you can find new or vintage items for even-lower prices.

Located in Flamingo Plaza, Red, White, and Blue is next door to Thrift City and Community Family Thrift, two other thrift shops housed in the same mall. Grab your friends for a day out and travel north to Hialeah for a fun, fruitful thrift trip.

Speaking of successful thrifting, Dragonfly Thrift Boutique’s extensive collection of designer pieces will surely catch your eye. This shop on Tamiami Trail rivals high-end boutiques with its clean, curated interior and more importantly, free parking.

All proceeds from Dragonfly directly benefit the Ladies Empowerment & Action Program (LEAP), a nonprofit that empowers women to put prison in their past. If you want to browse their collection before heading in-person, Dragonfly’s website allows you to see what items and sizes are in stock and shop online.

Cozy and cute, This N That Shop in Coconut Grove offers a small, quality selection of goods ranging from clothing and accessories to books and small household items. Ran by the Plymouth’s Women’s Fellowship of the historic Plymouth Congregational Church, all the proceeds go directly to charity.

Traveling off-campus to shop as a freshman can be difficult, but UThrift makes secondhand shopping convenient. This student organization holds a pop-up thrift shop every Wednesday from 10am-4pm in the Westbrook Walkway (directly outside the Shalala Student Center).

UThrift is entirely free — students get one free item every week, and lightly-used donations to the stand result in additional free picks. If you have clothes, shoes, accessories or books in good condition, drop them off at UThrift and earn credits to use at future pop-ups throughout the semester.

For a more extensive list of Miami’s thrift stores, check out this article.