Check out the second-hand thrift shops in Buffalo Niagara. The possibilities are almost limitless (provided you’re willing to take the time to look).

by Max Fisher

If you have even a passing interest in thrift shops, check out one of the great ones on the list below

If Macklemore Says So

Macklemore had the right idea when he and Ryan Lewis made “Thrift Shop” (I can’t put the lyrics to the song because they’ll cost a lot, but do me a favor and hum it in your head while you’re reading this). As corny as the song is (and it’s a corny song that’s not debatable), it captured the sense of wonder, and glee one gets when they go on “the hunt,” so to speak, for some new clothes at a second-hand store. He even says “I’m hunting” in the song, so I know for a fact were simpatico on the matter. (And I only quoted two words from the song, so I’m 99.9999% sure I’m ok. If you guys don’t hear from me for a while after this piece is published, I am in the midst of a legal battle with Elektra Records).

So if you remember listening back to that song before the time of summer 2012 and thinking to yourself, “why is this guy so pumped to go shopping at a thrift store?”, then allow me to point you in the direction of the many Thrift Shops in Buffalo Niagara.

A Huge Selection at a Fraction of the Cost

Thrift shops, second-hand stores and the like often get a bad rep, “someone else’s clothes e.gad I would never!” said the snobby person. If you we’re talking about something like underwear, which I would never recommend you get from a second-hand store (but can you believe some people actually do? No shame but at the same time…. Come on, really?) I’d have to agree snob or no snob. But for everything else, the second-hand stores and thrift shops in Buffalo Niagara are a treasure trove for anyone looking for creative fashion choices on a budget for those looking for something unique to strut their stuff around town in.

An added bonus of shopping at an Amvets Thrift Store is part of the proceeds of items purchased goes to veterans in need

There are so many options and so much history in everything you buy. The possibilities are endless to mix and match, and discover to your heart’s content. Speaking of heart, at the heart (see what I did there? That was either a master translation or a very lazy one, you decide) of every good second-hand store is a competently organized store. And to be honest, (I’m not Mr. organizational skills, myself) there has to be some semblance of order, or else your hunt for something new and exciting will turn into a dumpster fire of confusion and frustration.

That’s why to save myself a headache, I like to go to the Amvets on Elmwood. Are there more locally owned thrift stores? Yes, but the one thing that Amvets has by way of being part of a large nationwide chain is it has an organizational standard carried on from place to place (I’m not incredibly familiar with the Amvets organization policy, this is merely an observation from visiting multiple Amvets locations throughout the years).

Also, as an added bonus, part of the proceeds of items purchased go to help veterans. Although personally, I’m not the fondest of the military, the fact remains that these brave men and women served and deserve as much help as possible in whatever they need after their service is done.

Snazzy New Sweats and Helping Vets

With all that in mind walking into the Amvets on Elmwood, (what? You didn’t think I’d pick another location, did you? Come on, you guys know by now I’m all about Elmwood) it always feels like two experiences at once. Firstly it’s the discovery aspect. I might find a cool bomber jacket, maybe the employee at the counter says it belonged to a Korean War Vet, perhaps he or she is lying to make the sale (they’ve got quotas to reach in these places, and they have to put food on the table, I understand some mild swindling in such cases).

But that leads into the second aspect of the experience. From time to time they may have some authenticating material, so I might indeed be buying a bomber jacket that belonged to a Korean War vet or some such thing. I think that’s both incredibly cool and exciting (although it is a bit of a rarity). The prospect of going in there looking for a nice jacket or hat or something mundane like that and then possibly leaving with a piece of history. I can’t think of a more enticing prospect if I tried! And that’s what it boils down to for me, the unknown, the possible hours you might spend looking over everything. You might find this or that thing you like during the process, but then right before your ready to call it a day, WHAM you see it, and it hits you like a ton of bricks.

It might not even be remotely the thing you came in the place to look for in the first place, but whatever it is, whether it be a hat, a jacket, a shirt, even a part of a suit (just so long as it’s not underwear you’re golden). It has an unexpected pull on you as if it was waiting for you to get it as if it was made for you (or rather donated for you, but let’s cut the semantics. They make you sound like a snob).

That’s the real beauty in my eyes of such an establishment. The risk is laughably minuscule, but the rewards, if you’re willing to take the time and look, can be so personally fulfilling.

My Cuzin Vintage on Elmwood Ave. is known for hard-to-find vintage clothing, sneakers, streetwear and more – from Supreme to early Jordans

Diamonds in the Rough

At this point, I’d imagine you’ve hummed the Thrift Shop at least three times in your head, so I feel you’ve been through enough torture for one evening, but I hope that corny song and this piece reinforced just how special second hand/thrift stores and the like can be. A lot of the time, it’s a hit or miss endeavor, but when you find something, man is it a special feeling, So special in fact I’d implore anyone with even a passing interest in thrift shops or fond memories of the summer of 2012 where for some unknown reason that song was a smash, to go check out their local second-hand store Thrift Shop.

Buffalo

The Walk In Closet

East Aurora

What do you think of our guide to thrift stores in Buffalo Niagara? Know a great one that we missed? What’s your best find evah at a thrift shop? What would you rate Macklemore on a scale of 1-10? Let us know.

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