The 12 Best Thrift Stores in Boulder

Thrift shopping is a great hobby. It's like hunting for lost little treasures. You never know what you will find, maybe a cool sweater, a perfectly worn-in pair of blue jeans, or a vintage leather jacket. Someone else’s garbage may just be your treasure. Thrifting is more than just a fun way to save money and get creative with your personal style. It is also good for the environment. According to Earth.org, 92 million tonnes of clothes end up in landfills each year. Just shopping in thrift stores and employing the reuse mindset helps offset that waste. It's great to know that this fun hobby also makes sense environmentally. If you are in the Boulder area and looking for the best thrift stores in Boulder, we have a list to help guide you to saving the world one T-shirt at a time.

1. Goodwill

1741 28th Street Boulder, CO, 80303

When you think of Goodwill, you probably imagine a big store with everything from clothes to books to furniture and housewares. The company is synonymous with thrifting. Goodwill is a nonprofit organization that resells used and second-hand items that have been donated by the community. Goodwill has discounts for seniors and the military, plus each day of the week is color-coded tags with additional discounts. All of the profits go back into the community in programs for educational training and career placement. The company also supports programs that support those with disabilities. When you choose to spend your time and money thrifting at Goodwill, you can feel good knowing you are a part of the community.

2. Rags Consignment

3129 28th Street Boulder, CO 80303

Rags Consignment is a consignment shop for women’s clothing, handbags, shoes, and jewelry. It started small and has grown to three locations. The store features low-cost professional attire for women in the workforce. This is a great place to check out if you are returning to work after maternity leave or time out of the workforce to help you rebuild your professional wardrobe. You can shop online or in stores for an easy shopping experience. Plus, any of the items that don't sell at the consignment shop are donated to other organizations that help local women's groups in the community. It's a female-owned store based on the principle of women helping women.

3. Pig + Pearl Secondhand

5320 Arapahoe Avenue Boulder, CO 80303

Pig + Pearl Secondhand is a secondhand store that has just about anything you could ever need or want. This fun thrift store has everything from clothing and accessories to sporting goods to furniture to health and beauty products. You can shop online or in person, and the company supports animal rescue by donating to various animal rescue organizations throughout the Boulder area. 

4. TRU Hospice Thrift Shop

5565 Arapahoe Avenue, Boulder, CO 80303

TRU Hospice Thrift Shop is a great thrift store with everything you want a thrift store to have. But that's not the best thing about this thrift store. The best thing is how much it helps the community. TRU Hospice thrift store supports community members living with serious illness and loss. The TRU program is a five-star level hospice with programs like TRU PACE (Care for the Elderly), TRU Grief Services, TRU Palliative Care, and Landmark Memory Care. Support Boulder and the community by shopping at their thrift store. The store has a lot to offer, from clothes to household products to seasonal items. They also have online stores on Etsy, Amazon, eBay, and Poshmark.

5.  Greenwood Wildlife Thrift Shop and Consignment Gallery

3600 Arapahoe Avenue in Boulder, CO 80303

The good folks over at Greenwood Wildlife Thrift Shop and Consignment Gallery follow the motto recycle + reuse = rehab, and we are on board. The store is really two stores in one, with the downstairs thrift store and the upstairs consignment gallery. You can find just about everything under the sun at this thrift store/ consignment shop. Whether you need furniture or household goods or just some new threads to perk up your wardrobe, you can find it here. Plus, the store donates proceeds to the Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, so you know by shopping there, your money will help the animals at the center.

6. Salvation Army

1701 33rd St, Boulder, CO 80301

The Salvation Army has been one of the key organizations helping comminutes since 1865. They fund all kinds of programs to help the underserved in the community. And their thrift store is one of the ways they do it. You can find all kinds of things at Salvation Army thrift stores, so check out their Boulder location for all of your thrift store shopping needs.

7. Common Threads

2707 Spruce St, Boulder, CO 80302

Common Threads is a popular consignment store with two locations, one in Boulder and one in Denver. The store specializes in designer brands at a discount price, so you can find your favorites without having to spend an arm and a leg. One of our favorite things about the store is the Creative Lab, where they offer all kinds of cool classes for kids and adults, like sewing, stitching, costume design, tie-dye, embroidery, and knitting. They even offer summer camps focused on these skills.

8. Ragstock

1580 Canyon Blvd, Boulder, CO 80302

If you have time and want to spend it checking out vintage and recycled clothing, you need to visit Ragstock. The store was founded in 1954 in Minneapolis and has grown with locations in several states, including Colorado. The Boulder location of Ragstock has a mix of used, vintage, and new clothing to meet everyone's clothing needs. You can find everyday clothes, dress-up clothes, costumes, and seasonal items at a great price.

9. Childish Things Consignment Boutique

3183 Walnut St., Boulder, CO 80301

Childish Things Consignment Boutique has an online and physical store to help you find everything your child needs. Kids grow fast, and before you know it, they have outgrown their favorite shoes or need a size up in pants. This is a great second-hand store for kids' clothes, shoes, toys, and books. And if you are a mom-to-be, they have all kinds of maternity clothes and nursing gear to help you transition from the many stages and sizes from pregnancy to postpartum.  

10. The Lafayette Flea

130 East Spaulding Street Lafayette, CO 80026

The Lafayette Flea isn't just one thrift store; instead, it's a community of vendors selling everything and anything from vintage clothes to record players to funky art to unique household items you can find at the Lafayette Flea. It's outside of Boulder and worth the thirty-minute drive to explore everything they have to offer. When you go, please give Beau the Cat in Chief a pet on the head. And if you love cats as we do, check out their website for Beaux-nly fans for adorable pics of this kitty.

11. Plato’s Closet

2510 Arapahoe Avenue Boulder, CO 80303

Plato’s Closet sells used second-hand clothes for teens and young adults. They have name brands at discounted prices, perfect for teens trying to find their style. Your teen can shop all of the name brands, and when they are ready to pass along their clothes, they can make a little cash by selling back their items to Plato’s Closet. It's a win-win system.

12. Art Parts Creative Reuse Center

3080 Valmont Road Boulder, CO

What do you do when your inner artist is calling, but you are a creative mind on a budget? Go to the Art Parts Creative Reuse Center, where leftover art supplies are available to make new creations. This nonprofit sells used arts and crafts supplies so that anyone can get creative. The company is focused on waste reduction and finding fun ways to use all sorts of things, from buttons to thread to yarn and pins. They have all kinds of doodads and whatchamacallits to inspire.

Next time you are in the Boulder area, check out these great thrift / secondhand / consignment stores where you can give new life to old things and support the recycle and upcycle movements.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©June Marie Sobrito/Shutterstock.com.