As a kid I always wanted to wear the name brand stuff—Ralph Lauren, Guess, Tommy Hilfiger—you get the gist. Perhaps I was a bit vain, but I had various jobs as a teen that helped pay for most of my own clothing. I never even considered shopping at secondhand stores.
College came and my perspective quickly changed. Suddenly, budget mattered more than brands. I discovered that secondhand stores weren’t just for saving money—they were treasure-hunting meccas. Fast forward to today, and plenty of people are more conscious about spending, sustainability and self-expression. For many teens and young adults, ‘thrifting’ is not just practical and cheap, but the cool, trendy thing to do.
Perhaps the occasional visits to antique shops and secondhand stores when they were younger prompted my daughters to take an interest in thrifting. Playing on old typewriters and rotary phones, trying on silly hats and outfits—I have fond memories with them enjoying some fun at these types of shops.
Now, even when we travel, they make it a point to look up the local thrift shops and we make time for a stop. For example, one of their recent favorites is Hawthorne Avenue in Portland, a well-known hotspot for vintage finds. They’ll easily spend hours browsing through racks, trying on clothing while anticipating that unexpected gem. I’ll admit, I like the retro tees myself.
Closer to home in Central Oregon, my kids often ask for a ride to one of the local thrift stores. Lucky for my wallet, I’m usually happy to oblige. Thrifting saves money, especially when their tastes change faster than the weather!
In Bend, we have the popular spots like Goodwill and the Humane Society Thrift Store, both with great selections and even better prices. Perhaps lesser known is SuperThrift, where part of the purchase price goes to fund local teen and adult challenge programs. At Regroup Thrift, where customers pay for most items by weight, proceeds from purchases go to support local nonprofits like Together for Children, the Bend Spay and Neuter Project and several organizations providing hospice care.
Shops like Old Boy, Good Bad Rad, Revival Vintage and Cosa Cura are privately owned and specialize in stylish, higher end secondhand clothing. They usually cost a little more than the shops mentioned above, but the selection is more curated, and you can find some quality, unique items. We once went to a 1920s themed dinner party as a family and found the perfect outfits at one of these shops—flapper dresses, suspenders, a Fedora hat and all!
Redmond has its own thriving thrift scene as well. There you’ll find a second Goodwill location, along with Brightside Animal Thrift Store, Swan Song and St. Vincent Thrift. St. Vincent’s is a huge space where you can spend most of the afternoon exploring!
Likely I’ve missed a few, but with Central Oregon’s rapid growth, new options are popping up all the time—which is ok with me!
Thanks to my daughters, I consider myself a somewhat experienced thrifter. I’ve learned this pastime isn’t just limited to everyday outfits. It’s helpful for Spirit Week at the local schools, holidays—especially Halloween—themed parties or basically any special occasion.
Think about the upcoming holidays. Instead of buying new, cheaply made decorations, sparkly outfits or ugly Christmas sweaters online, you’ll likely find just what you’re looking for at one of our thrift stores. The advantages of going there first are numerous and include saving money, keeping items out of the landfill and of course, the fun that comes from searching for that perfect item!
Finally, if you can’t find what you’re looking for locally, the thrifting world has gone digital. My kids like to joke that eBay and Facebook Marketplace are for “old people.” The platform of choice for their generation seems to be Depop, where users buy and sell secondhand clothing. In fact, my oldest daughter has become quite the entrepreneur, curating her own listings and turning a profit on clothing she finds locally or doesn’t wear anymore. Other popular online platforms include Poshmark, Mercari and ThredUp.
These days, sadly, Amazon makes it almost too easy to click that cursed ‘Buy Now’ button, but part of the fun of thrifting is the hunt. You never quite know what you’ll find. It’s a slower, more intentional way of shopping, but for most people, that’s part of the thrill!
This article appears in BendNest Winter 2025.
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