New-to-you: where to thrift your spring style this year

If you haven’t been thrift shopping in Columbus, you’re missing out. With tons of shops to choose from in a wide range of prices, it’s easier than ever to perk up your closet. With spring just around the corner, we had our thriftin’ expert (my damn self) give us the lowdown on the myriad places to thrift in the area.

Goodwill | 2550 N. High St. | $

Ah, Goodwill. Everyone’s favorite nonprofit organization that provides job training, employment placement services, and other community-based programs for people who have barriers preventing them from otherwise obtaining a job. Stop here for your thrifting basics: plain t-shirts, soft flannels, and oversized sweaters. If you’re in search of items to cut, bleach, tie, or embroider, there’s no shortage of that here.

Out of the Closet | 1230 N. High St. | $

Located at the start of the Short North, Out of the Closet donates 96¢ of every $1 to fight the HIV/AIDS crisis. If that isn’t good enough of a reason to get you out of your house and into The Closet, how about the fact that they offer FREE HIV testing? Tests are given by certified counselors and test results are ready in 20 minutes or less. Spend time browsing the $1 clothes racks or wall of second-hand shoes.

Volunteers of America | 3620 Indianola Ave. | $

Make a stop here for an arsenal of clothing options that will leave you dripping in sweat with your arms over owing with hangers. As the clothes aren’t organized by size, this VOA is for the thrifting pros.

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Ohio Thrift Store – 1881 | W. Henderson Rd. | $

The Ohio Thrift is HUGE. You could spend hours here looking for trinkets. With aisles and aisles of random–there’s no better word to use than STUFF–you’ll be shocked at what you can find here. If you’re in search of glassware, suitcases, mugs, or even cleaning supplies or makeup, take a peek inside.

Rag-O-Rama | 3301 N. High St. | $$

Full of curated items, Rag-O-Rama is the perfect stop if Goodwill’s plain t-shirts just don’t cut it for you. This is where you’ll find that tie-dye Rolling Stones tee you’ve been looking for. Before heading in, gather up some funky pieces you don’t wear anymore, and prepare for either cash or in-store credit for some of your oldie-but-goodies.

Royal Factory | 1209 N. High St. | $$

This artistic Short North boutique is quite the wild card in this list of thrift stores. Not only do they have second-hand merchandise, but they have in-store designers who reconstruct and upcycle the pieces they find. At Royal Factory, shopping for clothes should not be a checkmark off your to-do list– it should be an experience that feels like shopping for art. Who said finding a one-of-its-kind piece had to be so expensive to do?

Flower Child | 233 E. 5th Ave. | $$$

Some people thrift to save a buck. Others thrift because they strive to embody the youth of your friendly neighbor silver fox. Flower Child is a store for those people. Find yourself immersed amidst racks of full-on fur coats, mid-1900s varsity-style jackets for your favorite national teams, or hangers of sturdy, high-waisted denim that will leave you twirling in front of a bar bathroom mirror, happily wine-drunk and majorly feeling yourself. (Just me?) Expect to spend a bit of your budget here, but know you’ll leave with a piece that’ll last.

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