If you’re looking to shop on the cheap, you’re in luck, for Philly is bursting with thrift shops, flea markets, and lots of inexpensive finds.
Clark Park, a city-owned park on 43rd and Baltimore Ave., holds monthly flea markets during the sunny months of year, from April to October every Saturday until Thanksgiving, Clark Park holds farmer’s markets. This is a great place to get some fresh produce for low prices.
Philly AIDS Thrift, located at 5th and Bainbridge (just south of South Street), is an amazing find. It’s a hole-in-the-wall spot, jam-packed with clothing, accessories, shoes, books, music, toys, dishes, home goods, and pretty much everything else. The prices are fantastic, the labels you might discover here are even better, and the cause is absolutely the most worthwhile reason to shop here. Currently, Philly AIDS Thrift has donated $145,000 to Philly-area AIDS organizations.
Right across the street is Philly AIDS Thrift’s own furniture annex. Perhaps you should rent a pick-up truck for this particular shopping excursion?
Continuing down Bainbridge Street, you’ll find the indistinct-looking Mostly Books, a used bookstore with an enormous inventory. According to their website, Mostly Books has over 100,000 books in their collection; they also have LPs, CDs, and old photographs, too. The store itself is kooky, woodsy, and in adorable disarray. There are wooden planks placed haphazardly, doors that lead to nowhere, brick ceilings, and random staircases. The ceiling is at least two stories high; the entire store is a sight to behold. Most books and records are under $5, and old photographs are 79 cents each. Does anything cost under a dollar these days? Apparently so, at Mostly Books.
Reverie, a vintage clothing store located on 205 W. Girard Ave., offers free personal shopping services. On the second Thursday of every month, Reverie hosts “On Girard,” a showcase evening displaying new items and a featured artist.
Buffalo Exchange (17th and Chestnut) is a perennial can’t-miss. The store’s inventory consists of donations, trades, and anyone in the Philly area who has extra clothes to spare. The prices are great, and everything feels trendy and current; some thrift stores tend to have too many articles of clothing that feel dated in a bad way… i.e., neon nylon windbreakers from the 1980s. However, at Buffalo Exchange, you’re likely to find relatively new clothes from popular brands.
The Midtown Village area of the city (From Market to Spruce, and 15th to 11th) is full of amazing finds, including Robin’s Book Store, the oldest independent book store in Philadelphia, plus a huge variety of home goods, art galleries, and clothing shops. Doggie Style is chock full of accessories and goodies for your pup, and Open House is a modern home furnishings store. Take a walk through this neighborhood and you’re bound to find numerous delicious restaurants, cafes and other sweet treats, and Grocery, an adorable gourmet market.
These are just a few of the copious offerings in the Philadelphia shopping scene. Next time you need to run an errand or are grabbing a bite to eat, take a stroll around the neighborhood. Who knows – you might just encounter Philadelphia’s latest and greatest unknown shopping find.
Julia Perch is a junior at Drexel University studying English. She is currently the editorial co-op student for the Drexel Publishing Group and the managing editor of DPG Online. She can be reached at pg@drexel.edu.
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