Welcome to North Carolina, the Tar Heel State! It’s the birthplace of Pepsi, where the Wright Brothers completed the first successful flight, and home of the infamous Outer Banks, aka Shipwreck Central. But it’s also home to some fantastic thrift stores that any bargain-hunter would love.
North Carolina Thrift Stores
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Whether you live in North Carolina or are just traveling through, you may want to give yourself a few extra days to hit some of the best thrift stores in the state! From the mountains to the coast, these local and regional thrift shops are worth a stop and make a big difference in their communities.
Charlotte
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
North Carolina’s largest city and home to one of the world’s busiest airports, Charlotte has a handful of excellent thrift stores you should check out.
Vintage hunters should head to the Assistance League Thrift Store; and the Value Village thrift stores offer lots of clothing and housewares. Remix Market in Harrisburg is always a good bet for used furniture, along with any of the Habitat ReStores in the Charlotte area.
Raleigh
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Raleigh, the state capital of North Carolina, is also part of the “Research Triangle” of NC (with Durham and Chapel Hill). Along with major universities, there are some great secondhand shops in Raleigh.
Head to Déjà Vu Thrift Store for a wide selection of furniture and Guardian Angel Thrift Store for a variety of everything. There are also two Cause for Paws thrift shops that appeal to thrifty animal lovers, as well.
Greensboro
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Located between Winston-Salem and Durham, Greensboro is well-known for its International Civil Rights Center & Museum. There are also some notable secondhand shops in town.
Reconsidered Goods is both a creative reuse center (used arts and crafts supplies) and a thrift store that is a haven for vintage enthusiasts. For clothing and furnishings, both Hannah’s Bridge and Freedom House are favorite charity shops of local residents.
Durham
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Home to Duke University, Durham is located near the state capitol in Raleigh. And while in Durham, make sure you check out The Scrap Exchange, which is a fantastic creative reuse center- perfect for crafters, artists, and makers who are looking for inexpensive arts and crafts supplies.
TROSA Thrift Store is a great bet for furniture buyers and Pennies for Change is a thrift “boutique” that also shouldn’t be missed.
Winston-Salem
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Once a hotspot for tobacco, Winston-Salem is now a more cosmopolitan town with a lot of interesting history. After exploring the Old Salem historic district, head to these thrift stores for some treasure-hunting fun: Mega Thrift for clothing and the WS Rescue Mission Thrift for furniture and home furnishings.
Fayetteville
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
North Carolina has quite a military presence, but Fort Liberty (formerly Fort Bragg) is the largest and likely the most recognizable. And the town of Fayetteville is located right next door.
Favorite thrift shops in the area include the Myrover-Reese Fellowship Home Thrift Store and The Bragg N’ Barn Thrift Store.
Wilmington
Photo source: Sadie Seasongoods.
Located on the eastern shore of North Carolina, Wilmington has an interesting history- from the Civil War to big Hollywood productions. But that doesn’t mean it’s without some worthy thrifting opportunities. Locals love to go treasure hunting at Vintage Values (all three locations) and Junky Monkey.
And crossing the Cape Fear and Brunswick Rivers brings you to the CIS Shop and the Hope Chest thrift stores, conveniently located in Leland, NC.
Asheville
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Nestled in the mountains of western North Carolina, Asheville is a funky town that enjoys having a “weird” reputation as a quirky mountain town. But in between the breweries and art galleries, there are some great thrift shops to visit.
It even boasts three stores that benefit animal welfare groups: Second Chances Thrift Store, Animal Haven Thrift Store, and the Asheville Humane Thrift Store. Also, the WNC Bridge Foundation Thrift Store regularly hosts estate sales for even more treasure-hunting opportunities on the weekends.
Hickory
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Hickory was once considered the furniture capital of the world during its heyday of furniture manufacturing. But it’s still a vibrant town to visit- and for a thrifting excursion. ReSource Warehouse is a perennial favorite for clothing, furniture, and housewares, and The Hospice ReSale Shop is another one locals love.
There’s also a great thrift boutique just outside of town in Newton, NC called Rescue Re-Tail that is also worth a visit.
Happy Treasure Hunting at These North Carolina Thrift Stores!
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Whether you’re hunting for cool clothing, haute housewares, or fabulous furniture, these North Carolina thrift stores have it all! Happy hunting in the Tar Heel State and may the secondhand shopping odds be ever in your favor.
Thrift on!
S
Want to be notified when I publish my next upcycling project tutorial?
Join me on Social Media:
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.
Don’t forget Hendersonville! We have a lot of fabulous thrift stores in our small mountain town, charming and chock full of goodies. Blue Ridge Humane Society Thrift is a great one, with daily sales. Then you have two Habitat for Humanity shops, Council on Aging, Interfaith Assistance Ministries, and and two Goodwills. There is also the Thursday Thrift at St James – really upscale items. Downtown you have Safelight Domestic Violence Shelter Thrift and Four Seasons Hospice. That doesn’t include a dozen or more consignment shops and additional thrift stores around town. Come visit!
Oh most definitely, I love Hendersonville and have a blog post that mentions many of those shops. This new blog post was actually written to be syndicated on MSN.com and I was limited to the number of cities I could cover- and went in order of population numbers. But yes, I love Hendo!
What a whirlwind trip through beautiful North Carolina. My personal favorite is the Rat’s Nest. Mostly boots that are already broken in, hard to find records, and browsing their really unique items.