Greenville, South Carolina appears on a lot of those “Best Places to Live” lists, and for good reason. I should know, having called it home for 11 wonderful years. But ironically, in all that time, I never published a Junkin’ Journey post with all of my favorite thrift and antique stores in Greenville. So, I figured it was long past time that I reconnect with the city and visit as many secondhand stores as I could to tell you which ones were the best of the best.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Interestingly enough, most of the stores in this post didn’t actually exist when I lived there! So, visiting Greenville for the sake of this post was particularly fun because it was like getting acquainted with a brand new town. But most importantly, it now boasts are really wonderful collection of vintage, antique, and thrift stores that any secondhand shopper will appreciate and enjoy.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
I’m just sorry that it’s taken me so long to finally, FINALLY, create a secondhand shopping guide for Greenville. But, it really was worth the wait because so many of these shops are definitely worth the drive. Let me show you which stores were my favorites!
Antique and Thrift Stores in Greenville
Because I still have a tight group of girlfriends in Greenville, I leaned on them heavily for recommendations. They’re all vintage-lovers like myself so I trust their judgment when it comes to antiquing! And hands down, Artifacts was the number one shop that they told me to visit while I was in town.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
And they were spot on- I absolutely loved Artifacts, and blissfully wandered through the inviting labyrinth that it is. The store is filled with an incredible collection of antique and retro decor pieces, along with curiosities and oddities that make you take pause. It’s also one of those shops that is impossible to soak up in one single visit- there’s no way you’ll see everything. Plus, there’s a backyard with outdoor statuary and other pieces to explore- bookended by one of the most fabulously upcycled chicken coops I’ve ever seen.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
But truly, for any antique lover who visits the Greenville area, Artifacts should be at the tippy-top of your shops-to-hit list.
As someone who absolutely loves creative reuse centers, I was so excited to visit ReCraft during my trip. And I tried not to grumble too much about the fact that they opened just as we were moving away several years ago.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Because Greenville, you have an magnificent creative reuse center! I was blown away by the size of ReCraft and how much creative “stuff” was available. I visit craft thrift stores as often as I can, and I know how popular they can be- and how empty the shelves can quickly become. But the fiber craft supplies were especially impressive- I certainly know where to go the next time I need fabric, let me tell you. So, if you’re a creative or maker of any kind, then ReCraft is worthy of your time- trust me.
The Vintage Market of Greenville
One of the nicest takeaways from my trip was the realization that not a single antique shop that we visited was a cookie cutter antique mall. Now, antique malls have their place and some of them are truly marvelous. But give me a unique or cleverly-merchandised antique store over a standard issue mall any day of the week. Which brings me to The Vintage Market of Greenville, which offers more in the line of architectural salvage and “mantiques” than the other antique stores that we visited in town.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Even though our own personal style is more mid-century modern now, I could spend hours poking around a store like this one. It’s like cracking open a book like Treasure Island or The Hobbit and stepping inside. The antique wares are big and filled with history and adventure. And the best part are that they’re for sale and you can bring their tales with you if you bring them home.
Whenever I create one of these blog posts, I try to spend time visiting thrift shops that are local or regional to a specific city. Not that there’s anything wrong with the nationwide chain thrift stores, of course. But it’s always nice to find ones that benefit organizations that are hyperlocal to a city. And Second Chances was always one of my favorites when I lived in the Greenville area.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Because this thrift store benefits an animal welfare group, it automatically soars to the top of my favorites list. But it’s also just an all-around good thrift store, specializing in housewares, linens, pet goodies, and clothing.
Cottage Grove is one of the few shops in this post that existed during my time in Greenville. So, I was already familiar with it before our visit. I remembered it fondly and wanted to see if it was still as good as I remembered it was. And I’m happy to say that I was not disappointed.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Cottage Grove is the kind of vintage shop that is dangerous to go to with your girlfriends. Because you’ll all convince each other that you need every treasure that you pick up, and you end up spending way more money than you intended to. And it has something that appeals to almost everyone- ginger jars for the classic lovers, baskets for the boho gals, Empoli bottles for the mid-century fans, etc. So, if you’re looking for a curious new piece to display at home, Cottage Grove is where you’ll find it.
Have You Gone Junking in Greenville?
As always with these trips, I likely missed some stores along the way. I often run out of time to truly hit every single one- but I did check out a few more shops that may be of interest to you.
Eras Vintage was a charming little shop with a delightful collection of MCM pieces. And it’s located in the West End, which is a nice change of pace from Greenville’s much-storied downtown, albeit nearby. We also stopped by The Vintage at Main (cute vintage decor) and the Dream Center Resale (thrift shop) during our visit, as well. Unfortunately, one of my favorite hidden thrifts, Audrey’s Closet, was closed while we were in town.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
And while I didn’t get a chance to check them out during my visit, I did want to mention a few other shops that I recall from my Greenville era (as the kids say these days). Two of them are excellent thrift stores (especially for clothes!) and the other is an antique store that may catch your fancy, as well:
Everyone has different tastes and styles, so my favorite antique and thrift stores in Greenville may be different than yours. Also, stores open and close all the time- and these were my favorite secondhand shops that I enjoyed in Greenville at the time of my trip. However, it’s always possible that I missed places that deserve a mention.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
So, if you have suggestions for future trips to the area, please let me know. There’s always the possibility that I’ll have the chance to go back and visit my favorites. And I always love to discover new ones, too.
While we don’t get back to Greenville as often as we probably should, I still have very close friends there. And other favorite shops and restaurants, too! Of course, I made the mistake of driving past our old house and the yard looked completely different. Remind me not to do that the next time I’m there…
Now, the only question I have left is- what city in the southeast should I check out next? I’ve been to lots of places already but there are plenty of cities left for me to explore…
Craft on!
S
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Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Sarah Ramberg is the owner of Sadie Seasongoods, a website that celebrates all things secondhand. From upcycling ideas and thrifted decor to vintage-centric travel itineraries, Sadie Seasongoods is a one-stop shop for anyone who loves thrifting and approachable repurposing ideas. Sarah is also the author of “Crafting with Flannel” and has been featured in numerous media outlets and magazines.
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