Because of the young population in the Capitol Hill area people are always moving in and moving out. And when people move, they dump junk at The Salvation Army. That means that at Store #13 on Colfax there is fresh merchandise every day. I have found that this store is an excellent source of cowboy shirts and leather jackets, all at rock bottom prices. They also have a wide selection of kitchen gadgets and furniture. I found a vintage 1950’s Matador-shaped table lamp at this store and made it mine for $3.00. Score!

This is a surprisingly great thrift store. It has everything you would expect: clothes, shoes, housewares, etc. But it also offers a wide selection of outdoors gear. Tents, backpacks, campstoves and a really impressive number of bicylces. If you are looking for a used bike to peddle around the park this summer, forget Craig’s List and check out the Unique Thrift Store.

Part costume shop and part thrift store, Flossy’s is a really crazy joint. It’s hard to miss it when you are driving down South Broadway. It is the only store you will see that is totally festooned with silver skulls and skeleton parts. Inside the store is just as interesting. There are cases filled with bizarre jewelry and antique cigarette lighters and the racks of clothes are arranged according to what you want to dress up as. A whole rack of Sailor Uniforms stands next to a rack of Western Suits. Cheerleader jumpers from hundreds of different schools hang next to a rack of discarded Prom Dresses. I find Flossy’s a lot of fun, even if some of the clothes here are a bit on the pricey side.

I love this tiny shop. It’s a little Mom and Pop operation in Englewood and always has a great assortment of clothes, books and LP records. I found a seemingly brand new pair of black and white Dr. Marten spectators at this store last summer and got away with them cheap. I don’t know how this store stays afloat because on my visits I have been the only customer in the place and they are usually closed up by 6pm. On your next thrift hunt give this place a look. It’s a gem.

Arc has a number of locations around town but the South Broadway store is the best. It’s big and crowded, there is a persistant funky odor, and the aisles are jammed in too close together but I have alway found it to be really well-organized. Lot’s and lots of cheap clothes and even a pretty big selection of furniture. A record collector friend of mine swears by this place. He claims to have found a good number of valuable 45 rpm singles hidden among the stacks and stacks of vinyl.

Of all the thrift stores in Denver this is perhaps the only one to be immortalized in song. Denver-based Folkrock band The Reals recorded a track devoted to this store. “You can find anything you want at the Alameda D-A-V” goes the song, and it’s pretty close to true. A really big store, in what was formerly a skating rink, the DAV is kept tidy and is a pleasure to browse through. And if you are a fan of thrift store paintings, the art section here will leave you smiling.