Easy, Eco-Friendly Finds for Everyone. Shop Brightly!

8 Best Thrift Stores in Austin, Texas, for Unique and Quirky Finds

These are the best thrift stores in Austin, Texas, for your quirky fashion needs. Bonus points: They're great for people and the planet.

Written by
Inga Vallery Phlegar
Published

Austinites know how to appreciate a quirky outfit. The city is known for being one-of-a-kind—so much so that it goes by the slogan "Keep Austin Weird." As you can imagine, this makes thrifting quite the experience—there's an endless amount of amazing finds at your fingertips.

When it comes to the best thrift stores in Austin, Texas, it's hard to choose just one. Here are some of our favorites for putting together a sustainable wardrobe. Once you walk through those doors, you're bound to find your new favorite pair of cowboy boots—and then some.

The Best Thrift Stores in Austin, Texas

Location:

6318 Burnet Road (@White Horse Trail)

DoubleTake ATX is a thrift store that's doing a lot of good. Its profits go to the Center for Child Protection, which is an organization that provides forensic, medical, and therapy services to children in Austin who have faced physical or sexual abuse. It offers a 15% discount to employees of child protection agencies and teachers of early childhood and K-12 Schools in Travis, Williamson, and Hays counties.

Locations:

914 N Lamar Blvd. Austin, TX 78703
2814 Bee Cave Rd. Austin, TX 78746
2300 Scarbrough Dr. Building 5 Austin, TX 78728

There are thirteen Goodwill locations in Austin—and an option for every kind of thrifter. If you prefer perusing a carefully curated store, then you should check out Goodwill Boutique locations. These stores have designer brands and less clothes to sort through.

If you're on the opposite side of the spectrum and love digging for more hidden (and affordable!) treasures, then you may be a fan of Goodwill Outlets, where clothing is sold by the pound rather then by the item.

Independent of which type of Goodwill works for you, all of them are great for the community. They help people who are struggling find employment and offer education programs.

Location:

901 W Braker Ln. Austin, TX 78758

This thrift store chain has many locations in Europe and only a couple in the U.S., including this Austin hotspot. It sells curated vintage clothes by the pound, with this particular store having around $7-$10 per pound. This location is close to the University of Texas, and due to that, it also has a ton of discounted UT apparel.

Location:

2904 Guadalupe St. Austin, Texas 78705

Buffalo Exchange is a franchise of thrift stores that can be found in 17 states. If you love to thrift while traveling, you're in luck: When you sell clothes for store credit, you can use it at any of their locations nationwide.

Buffalo Exchange also runs Coats for Cubs. The donation drive collects real fur coats and trimmings, which are then used to comfort orphaned and injured wildlife.

Location:

3005 S Lamar Blvd Suite 110-A Austin, TX 78704

Uptown Cheapskate has more than 100 U.S. locations and gives customers the chance to come in and sell clothes that are on-trend and in good condition.

Any clothing brought in that doesn't fit its requirements is donated to other organizations. For example, it has a partnership with a charity called buildOn, which helps build schools in struggling communities.

Location:

5319 North Interstate Hwy 35 Austin, TX 78723

Texas Thrift is a chain of thrift stores that provide jobs for thousands of people in the Southern United States. It also keeps millions of pounds of clothing out of landfills every year.

Because it's a large organization, it has a well-developed system for how it cycles clothes. It collects the clothes that are put in donation bins for local nonprofits and looks through those donations for pieces that shoppers are likely to enjoy. Pieces that don't make it through this selection are donated to those in need in other countries.

Location:

2142 E 7th St. Austin, TX 78702

Treasure City Thrift is more than just a thrift store. It's collectively owned, hosts community events, and is tied to many social organizations that help marginalized communities. It also strives to be zero-waste, with all items either being sold, reused, or recycled. Every month it has a sale where everything costs 25 cents.

Locations:

5801 Burnet Rd. Austin, TX 78756
1409 West Oltorf St. Austin, TX 78704
5102 Clarkson Ave. Austin, TX 78751

Last but not least on our list of the best thrift stores in Austin is a very unique opportunity. All the profits from the clothes you buy help animals in shelters.

These thrift stores offer a curated boutique experience and are organized through Austin Pets Alive!, so every item purchased goes toward helping abandoned pets find loving homes. You can purchase clothes, donate clothes, or volunteer your time.