Kingston’s best thrift shops

When you’re a student, tuition and textbooks can eat up your finances quickly, so shopping for other essentials—like clothing—can be difficult.

Luckily, Kingston is full of great places to shop at discounted prices, so fashion lovers and people desperate for something warm to wear in the winter can get what they need at an affordable price.

Here are four thrift shops found in Kingston to check out.  

YGK Thrift

Situated right in the heart of Princess Street, YGK is the perfect accessible thrift store for Queen’s students to take advantage of. It's close to campus and full of fantastic and affordable pieces—perfect for a university student’s tight budget.

YGK is a non-profit thrift shop that donates proceeds to Almost Home, a facility in Kingston providing housing and comfort to families of sick kids receiving treatment. So, going to this spot and splurging on some interesting outfits also means you’re giving to charity and helping the community—your spendings are now justified.

YGK is also cognizant of its customer base. If you follow their Instagram, you’ll always be in the know of its frequent deals and discounts. It's a great place to keep your eye on because an already marked-down shirt could have its price cut in half if you go on the right day.

Montreal Street Collective

This one can also be found on a trip down Princess Street. Montreal Street Collective is basically three thrift stores in one with a constantly rotating set of clothes. Every visit brings the opportunity to buy something new.

Although it’s pricy compared to most thrift stores, the draw here is the quality of vintage clothing pieces. Especially if you’re a fan of high-quality fashion, this is the place to go to get some good items of clothing at a market-down price, compared to its retail value.

Montreal Street Collective also sells more than clothes. You can find amazing perfumes, jewellery, and decorations at a steal.

I’ve bought some of my favourite pieces of clothing here and found some great gifts for fashion-focused family members. And while you can’t go there for a shopping spree, it’s definitely the place to get some great hidden gems.

Talize Thrift

Like YGK, this store is incredibly accommodating to students. Just last Monday, the entire store had prices marked down to 50 per cent.

This store is a bus ride away from campus; it’s a little far, but worth it for the great prices. And with an active Instagram account, it's a great way to keep track of deals, to make sure every fashion trip states under budget.

On top of this, the location is quite large, so there’s a wide selection of clothes to choose from.

Value Village

Value Village is probably the first place you think of when the word “thrift shop” comes to mind, and it’s a classic for a reason. Chock full of diverse options for clothing, Value Village is the place to go when you want to update your wardrobe at a cheaper price.

I haven’t gone much, but almost every single time I ask someone where they got a certain shirt, or pair of pants, they smile and say they got it from Value Village.

This is the place to go if you have a themed party to attend, or simply want a lot of options.

***

Overall, Kingston offers a variety of options to pick up high-quality or back-in-style trendy looks at a reduced cost. What’s not to love!