When you love pretty things for your house and closet but you don’t have the money to afford it all, what can you do? San Diego has plenty of answers for this dilemma. With dozens of thrift stores, upscale resale boutiques and quirky vintage shops, you’ll find everything you need for house and closet in this great town. Take a stroll through any of the shops on our list and prepare to be amazed at what you can get for a lot less cash.
For your closet
ACT II Boutique in La Mesa is a family-owned shop with a great selection that carries some new accessories as well. They will also buy your nice, used clothing and offer a shopping card that can be stamped and is redeemable for FREE stuff. Open every day.
Buffalo Exchange in San Diego (Pacific Beach and Hillcrest locations) is known for its quirky, vintage styles. They buy, sell, and trade goods from yesteryear for both men and women. Open daily.
Down On the Corner tucked away in the Clairemont area of San Diego, is a charming little shop that isn’t big but has a big heart and lots of cute things. You can find name brands and a variety of other nice used items as well. Their $2 bin is a customer favorite, where items that haven’t sold for a couple of weeks go for a deep discount. Open every day but Sunday. CASH ONLY!!
Flashbacks Recycled Fashion in the Hillcrest area of San Diego is a hoppin’ place where you can find threads from the ’50s-’90s as well as modern fashions. If you want a wide selection of funky stuff, including wigs, for parties, dress-up, or your own eclectic style, you’ll find it here. There’s a great selection for men as well as women and they’re open daily.
Frock You Vintage Boutique in San Diego has a nice selection for men and women from the ’20s up through the ’80s and beyond. The store is organized for easy shopping and all items are thoroughly cleaned and ready for wear. Open every day but Monday.
Hunt and Gather is one of the most hip and eclectic shops in town. Their selection ranges from one-of-a-kind local artisan jewelry, to artwork, accessories, and plenty of vintage clothing , T-shirts and vinyl records. Owned by a fashion designer couple who delights in finding treasures to offer their customers. Open daily. 
Le Chauvinist Consignment Store for Men in La Jolla carries high-quality designer styles for men. The owners go out of their way, as in Las Vegas trade shows, to bring their customers the best selection in upscale, gently-used clothing. They carry a wide range of clothing, shoes, and accessories for men. Open daily.
Looks Better On Me is a small shop in San Diego with a great variety of women’s clothing, shoes, and accessories in a wide range of sizes. There’s always something cute to look at here. They take consignments by appointment only and you must follow the guidelines on their website. Open Tuesday – Saturday.
Lost and Found in the Hillcrest area of San Diego is a smaller shop that is well organized and has great quality things at a fraction of the regular prices. They will buy some used clothing but are very selective as they prefer to carry nice, upscale clothing and shoes. Open daily.
Luigi Vera Buy Sell Trade in San Diego is jam-packed with great finds and high-quality fashions that cater more toward men but the ladies are covered as well. Not a large store, but the styles are great and Luigi has a house line of men’s clothing that are stylish and decently priced. Open daily.
Thrift Trader in San Diego has a huge selection of clothes, shoes, accessories, movies and an impressive collection of vinyl records to choose from. If you have an hour or two to browse, you won’t be disappointed. Open daily.
White Elephant Resale and Trade in San Diego isn’t huge but it’s got great quality and a fun atmosphere. You’re likely to find a few treasures from clothing and accessories to vinyl records that you can listen to before you buy. Open daily.
For your house
Consignment Classics Home Furnishings in San Diego has four different show room locations that house over 100,000 square feet of home furnishings and decor. It is the largest consignment store in the country! With two warehouses in San Diego and two north locations in Encinitas, you’re sure to find everything you could ever want to furnish your house with high-end pieces and artwork for a fraction of the cost anywhere else. They accept consignments every day from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm with no appointment necessary. Open daily.
Humble Heart Thrift Store downtown has a little coffee shop, used books, and amazing daily deals for everyone. This store is small but certainly has a lot of heart and character. Who doesn’t love to sip on a cup of coffee while they shop? They have a great selection of used books and even some electronics and sports equipment. Women’s and children’s clothes are BOGO every day and each day of the week offers 25% off of a certain category of goods. Closed Sundays.
Specialty 
Sparrow Bridal Boutique in La Mesa offers an exceptional experience and customer service for savvy brides to save on their gowns and wedding accessories. If you’re looking for formal dresses for prom, this boutique has you covered.
Sparrow also has a good selection of jewelry, shoes, and veils for your special day. Check out their website for beautiful photos of their bridal gowns. They do purchase gently used wedding and formal attire from the public. Call for more information. Open Wednesday through Sunday.
