Your Guide to Secondhand Shopping in Madison

By Katrina Simyab | Photography by Hillary Schave (Pictured: The Cozy Home)

Madison is a hotspot for secondhand shopping, from vintage to retro and everything in between. For those new to thrifting or old pros, think of this as your guide for your next new-to-you treasure hunt.

Chic Clothing

THE PINK POODLE

Focusing on high-end labels and designer fashion, the Pink Poodle includes 9,000 square feet of colorful hats, costume jewelry, handbags and clothing — some of which can also be shopped through their website.

6676 Odana Rd., thepinkpoodleresale.com

YADA FAIR TRADE & RESALE

This secondhand shop’s proceeds go toward raising awareness about human trafficking and assisting local trafficking survivors. Clothing is carefully curated (we bought a cute Old Navy sherpa sweatshirt for $10 when we visited!) and shoppers can also browse delicious-smelling, fair-trade bath and body items made by a Milwaukee-based collective.

2620 Parmenter St., Middleton, yadaftr.com

PLATO’S CLOSET

Teens and tweens can join in on the secondhand saving with name-brand shoes, clothing and accessories at up to 70% off retail prices. Find teen faves American Eagle, Hollister, Urban Outfitters, Free People and more. Both locations are always bursting with the latest in Gen-Z fashion.

7968 Tree Ln. & 1601 Thierer Rd., platoscloset.com

STILLGOOD’S

Visit here for an experience similar to raiding the closet of your stylish, vintage-loving friend. To master the art of high/low dressing, the well-organized mix of secondhand contemporary and retro pieces is great for assembling unique outfits.

1521 Williamson St., stillgoodsmadison.com

SINGLESTITCH MADISON

This State Street shop has rows of well-vetted inventory and is a popular place to snag vintage band T-shirts and throwback UW ‘fits. It’s even been a stop for celebrities passing through — Pete Davidson and Trevor Wallace have both shopped their racks.

214 State St., facebook.com/singlestitchmadison

UPSHIFT SWAP SHOP

To help reduce waste, designer Lindsay Leno started hosting clothing swaps before opening Upshift in 2013. With a similar sustainable concept, shoppers bring in a bag of clothing or accessories to donate, pay a swap fee, and then refill their bag from what’s in store.

836 E. Johnson St., upshiftswapshop.com

STYLE ENCORE

Situated on the East Side, Style Encore shares a parking lot with Plato’s Closet and Once Upon a Child — franchises all owned by the same parent company. The “sophisticated sibling” to these other stores, shop vetted, secondhand finds from brands like Ann Taylor, Madewell and Kate Spade.

1735 Thierer Rd., style-encoremadisonwi.com

RETHREADS

Curating vintage and collectible items along with popular brands, every trip to Rethreads is an exploration in fashion. As a buy/sell/ trade boutique, both women and men can shop recycled styles.

410 State St., rethreadsfashion.com

Astounding Antiques

ATOMIC ANTIQUES

A newer addition to the Madison antiques scene, this warehouse owned by husband-and-wife team, Bob and Jennifer Richardson, is one of the most interesting stops in the city. One hundred-plus dealers sell furnishings, jewelry, décor, records, clothing and so much more.

4546 Verona Rd., atomicantiquesmadison.com

MAPLE BLUFF ANTIQUE MALL

Upon arrival to this collector’s paradise, don’t be surprised if you’re greeted with a hearty “hello” from owner Carol Knight, or a welcome sniff from the shop dog.

4261 Lien Rd., maplebluffantiquemall.com

ANTIQUES MALL OF MADISON
Make an afternoon out of browsing over 120 dealer booths, all located in the city’s longest-operating antiques mall, open since 1982.

4748 Cottage Grove Rd., antiquesmadison.com

INSIDER TIP:

“Be open to finding anything — don’t go in with a plan — go early, and  go often! Take time to research items after you’ve found them, and know what a real treasure is worth when you find one.”

Mollie Martin, vintage curator, Good Day Shop, and owner, Kidsheets Vintage

Retro Realness

REWIND DECOR

With expertly curated midcentury and post-modern pieces, Rewind is the place to go when searching for that piece of kitschy décor that will have your friends asking, “where did you get that?”

1336 Williamson St., facebook.com/rewinddecor

RETRO REVOLUTION

Stacked with a riot of colorful glassware, vintage signs and collectibles, you won’t forget a trip here. 3225 E. Washington Ave., facebook.com/retrorevolutionmadison

Vintage Views

KOOL THINGS VINTAGE CLOTHING

The old adage “good things come in small packages” is spot-on when it comes to this Willy Street shop. Fans of vintage jeans, T-shirts, caps and jackets should absolutely add it to their must-stop list.

1310 Willy St., instagram.com/koolthingsmadison

GOOD STYLE SHOP

A staple of the Madison vintage community, Good Style Shop carries clothing from the 1930s through the 2000s. Can’t make it to their Johnson Street location? Shop the store online or mark your calendar for their twice-a-year Midwest Vintage Flea, Wisconsin’s largest and premier vintage fashion trade show.

817 E. Johnson St., goodstyleshop.com

INSIDER TIP:

“I usually recommend to people who are new to wearing vintage that they start with one piece per outfit. When you’re not used to wearing vintage, it can feel like a costume if you’re not comfortable in it.”

Carrie Astin, owner, Sunne Boutique, which carries a small selection of vintage pieces

Haute Home

BOOMERANGS RESALE STORE
Affiliated with Door Creek Church Ministry, some of this store’s profits go to support community needs on the city’s North Side. On the last two days of the month, some of their items drop to 99 cents.

1133 N. Sherman Ave., boomerangsresale.org

THE BOUNTY

New to the scene, this artful, expertly-merchandised destination has “rooms” organized by theme, and offers killer vintage home goods and clothing.

1041 S. Park St., thebountymadison.com

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY RESTORE

While mostly a destination for thrifted building materials, both locations are goldmines for lamps, house paint, furniture and mirrors.

6201 Odana Rd. & 4207 Monona Dr., habitatdane.org/restore

DECONSTRUCTION INC.

This warehouse is bursting with locally-sourced architectural salvage, reclaimed lumber and vintage furnishings, mostly from pre-1940s homes and buildings.

1010 Walsh Rd. dcisalvage.com

WILLY STREET TREASURE SHOP

Discover the best in bits and bobs at this shop, where you can select a treasure from a mix of vintage and new things.

1236 Williamson St.

THE COZY HOME

We love a “choose your own” thrifting adventure. For quality, consigned furnishings, check out The Cozy Home’s original Monona location. For new and used furnishings, head to their new Middleton store.

6330 Monona Dr., Monona & 6801 University Ave. Ste. 140, Middleton, thecozyhomemadison.com

Pop-Up Sales

THE ATTIC SALE

For over half a century, Attic Angels’ Attic Sale has been a go-to event, featuring top-notch, gently-used home goods.

atticangel.org/events-news/signature-sales/attic-sale

HALF-PINT RESALE

The Madison area’s largest children’s consignment sale (held twice per year) is a local favorite.

halfpintresale.com

LIL’ BADGER CONSIGNMENT SALE

In addition to biannual children’s consignment events, their annual holiday toy sale is popular too.

lilbadgerconsignmentsale.com

JUST BETWEEN FRIENDS SALE

The local franchise of JBF holds two children’s resale events per year in Dane County.

danecounty.jbfsale.com

Closet ’Fits and Home Picks

VINCENT DE PAUL THRIFT STORES

Affectionately known as St. Vinny’s, veteran thrifters are sure to have a favorite location. (One BRAVA staffer says the Verona location is her favorite.) Good thing there are two in Madison, four more in neighboring communities, and even a Dig & Save Outlet Store on Park Street.

svdpmadison.com

AGRACE THRIFT STORE

Visit one of three Madison locations, or visit them all for a full-day thrifting expedition. Agrace has two thrift stores, as well as a home store on Stoughton Road that only carries furniture and home décor.

118 Junction Rd., 2402 East Springs Dr. & 1946 S. Stoughton Rd., agrace.org/thriftstore

DANE COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY THRIFT STORE
At this shop, you can help animals and score some great deals — talk about a win-win! Volunteer workers keep shelves stocked with everything from knickknacks and shoes to clothing and pet-care supplies.

6904 Watts Rd., giveshelter.org/our-services/thrift-store

GOODWILL

No matter what side of town you live on, chances are a Goodwill is nearby. Eight stores are brimming with thousands of items. Hot tip: they also sell online and have an auction website, too.

goodwillscwi.org (online marketplace: scwi-goodwill-marketplace.myshopify.com, auction website: shopgoodwill.com/categories/listing)

SIMPLY SAVVY

Home goods, art and clothing aren’t the only things shoppers can expect to find at Simply Savvy. As a quality consignment location, they have unique furniture for luxurious tastes at lower prices.

6333 University Ave. Ste. 102, Middleton, simplysavvyconsign.com

INSIDER TIP:

“I love my local Goodwill and St. Vincent de Paul. If I [have a] day, I love to jet off to … a small town and walk to the small antique and thrift shops in Jefferson, Fort Atkinson, Janesville, Watertown, Columbus and more. We are so lucky in the Midwest that we have access to so much great secondhand and vintage!”

Cire’ Rosenbaum Cross, owner, Dune Gift and Home

For the Kiddos

ONCE UPON A CHILD

With a huge selection of children’s clothing and other big-ticket baby items (strollers, cribs, high chairs), a stop at Once Upon A Child is not only smart, it’s cheaper.

1651 Thierer Rd., onceuponachildmadisoneast.com

THE NEXT GENERATION

This Stoughton shop is a treasure trove of wonderful, gently-used kid’s stuff. They also carry toys and games. Bonus: they sell women’s clothing if you want to treat yourself.

161 E. Main St., Stoughton, nextgenerationstoughton.com

HAPPILY EVER AFTER CHILDREN’S BOUTIQUE

Save a bundle on the next size up! Offering discounted children’s clothing from nicer brands (Zutano, Tea, Mini Boden) from newborn up to size 10/12, this west side boutique also carries outerwear, shoes, toys and more.

708 S. Whitney Way, happilyeverafterchildrensboutique.com

Our Favorite Secondhand Finds

BRAVA staffers share their best style scores.

“As I was editing this feature, I realized I was wearing a leopard-print Lands’ End fleece from Style Encore. Easily my favorite women’s secondhand shop in town.” — Shayna Mace, editorial director

“I bought a $7 Brandy Melville sweater at the St. Vinny’s in Verona for my teenage daughter. She loved it.” — Dena Frisch, sales manager

“ The Middleton Goodwill always has hidden gems — I bought a brand-new Calvin Klein blazer for $10, and a side table for my living room for $5!” — Cici Rindy, social media manager

“At the east side Goodwill, I found a dresser for $10 — such a great find for my son’s nursery!” — Melissa Moody, graphic designer

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