I am a thrift shop junkie. I’m not huge into searching for clothes, I buy most of my high fashion at Marshall’s. When I go thrift shopping I’m searching for a little bit of everything; from classic vinyl to weird and bizarre stuff to stick on a shelf. Many people overlook thrift shops and assume it’s filled with nothing but unwanted junk, this is so far from the truth. Living in the transitional area that is South Florida our Thrift Shops are constantly being refilled with a huge variety of items from all walks of life. Yeah there’s junk, sometimes a whole lot of it, but if you know where to look you maybe able to find some hidden treasures.
If you go thrift shopping the way I do, you can never really be disappointed. I never have an item or items that I’m looking for in particular (except vinyl records). I love wandering around the stores, eyes wide, scanning each shelf, nook and cranny for something special. If you are in search of something specific, you may have a harder time finding that specific item in a condition you deem worthy of becoming part of your house.
Here’s the thing, you live in Boca Raton, or one of the many surrounding areas. Our thrift shops in Boca Raton are miles above other thrift shops when it comes to quality of merchandise. We have snow birds who come down with a ton of stuff. A lot of them are constantly buying new items and donating the old ones. Here are some of the thrift shops in Boca Raton, each with a little breakdown of what makes them special.
Habitat For Humanity Restore – 272 S Dixie Hwy, Boca Raton, FL 33432 -561-362-7284
Great for:
- Home improvement items, ie paint cans, paint brushes, light fixtures etc
- High quality Furniture, they are currently stocked with BRAND NEW Ethan Allen couches, chairs, rugs and lamps (As of 10/10/2017)
- Small Photo frames and wall art.
Not so great for:
- Clothes, while they do carry them, the selections is minimal
- Home electronics. Small section in the back area, usually outdated and overpriced.
- Records, tapes, DVDs and CDs. Maybe a total of 100 of all items combined. That’s nothing when you’re talking thrift shops.
Goodwill Boca Boutique & Donation Center – 1662 N Federal Hwy, Boca Raton, FL 33432 – 561-362-8662
Great for:
- High end furniture – while they’re selection is small due to store size, their stuff usually looks brand new.
- Clothes, tons and tons of clothes, including shoes, ties, belts. Pretty much anything you wear they have a lot of.
- High end cutlery, dishware and silver plated stuffs.
Not so great for:
- Anything else, this is a small store with minimal inventory. This Goodwill has prices wayyy above what I am used to. DVD box sets are $10+. Art is expensive, decorations are expensive, pretty much everything here is at least 25% more expensive than any other thrift shop within 50 miles
JCC Thrift Shop 141 Northwest 20th Street C9, Boca Raton, FL 33431 – 561-368-3665
- Antiques – huge selections of antiques that are in good shape
- Furniture – Amazing amounts of high end furniture, priced fair to ok.
- Dishware – glasses, plates and candlesticks galore
Not so great for:
- Clothes, pretty much nothing there when it comes to clothing.
- Electronics, just not much there.
Debbie Rand Memorial Thrift Shop – 903 Meadows Rd, Boca Raton, FL 33486 561-395-2208
Great for:
- Clothes, tons of almost new clothing. As expected the selection for women is much greater than men, this is how most thrift shops are. Tons of shoes!
- Jewelry. Some stuff maybe real, make sure you always look for markings! Huge selection of costume jewelry at this thrift shop in Boca Raton.
Not so great for:
- Furniture – while they do carry it, the quality that I’ve seen has never been too extraordinary. While their prices are very fair, there’s just not too much there and the quality is hit and miss.
These are just a few of the many thrift shops in Boca Raton. I usually do my thrift shopping Saturday morning, which is honestly the worst time to go due to crowds. If you are able to get out during the day in the middle of the week that maybe your best time. It’s always changing though, you never know what will be dropped off, how long it will sit before it’s priced, when it will be put up for sale and at what store. It’s a constant treasure hunt.
I’ve found some valuable items thrift shopping in Boca Raton over the past 10 years, from a brand new dining room table, to $700 photo printers for $25. You can go thrift shopping for fun or treat it as a source of extra income. I do it for both. Good luck out there!
AnnaMarie King says
Another great thrift shop is Evelyn’s Emporium Charity Resale benefiting the homeless at St. Laurence Chapel Homeless Shelter in Pompano Beach. Evelyn’s has space in the Pompano Festival Flea Market on Sample and will reopen again Nov. 1 for the fall/winter/spring season. Lots of like new clothes, both men and women, shoes, purses, jewelry. No furniture.