Ask any Mainer and they will tell you they are proud of their thrifty ways! With retail discount gems like Marden’s and Remy’s and the famous weekly Uncle Henry’s, we sure love a good bargain. There’s even a show on the History Channel, filmed entirely in Maine, dedicated to negotiating a price—“Down East Dickering.” While most of us aren’t out there dickering at a yard sale, we do love to shop and support Maine’s local thrift stores. Here are the 7 best.
Portland Flea-For-All is a thrift shop meets antique shop meets yard sale. With over 50 vendors in one building, you’ll find everything from furniture to vintage clothing to antiques and much more. With a rotating cast of vendors and consignors you’ll be sure to score an amazing piece of art or a rare sports jersey. You never really know what you might walk out with at the Portland Flea-For-All.
If you’re looking for upscale then you’ll want to head directly to Forget-Me-Nots on Route One in Falmouth. This unique designer boutique shop for women only carries contemporary, nearly-new and never-worn designer apparel at bargain prices. You’ll find brands like Lululemon, Tory Burch, J. Crew, and Free People among others. Forget-Me-Nots is also a great place to consign your own clothes so you can afford to shop for new ones!
With two locations in Bangor, The Growing Place is a high-end, name-brand resale and consignment shop for baby, kids, and moms-to-be. Kids grow so fast so why waste money on new clothing they are just going to growing out of in a few short months? Instead, purchase cute clothes at the Growing Place. The shops carry clothing from newborns all the way to pre-teen and maternity for mom. Once your baby outgrows his clothes, sell them here!
Located in coastal small town Damariscotta, Miles in Motion Thrift Shop is a hidden gem along the coast. You’ll find a variety of items here and don’t miss their popular sales. You don’t want to miss their “Bag Sale Day” when you can fill a bag of clothing for just $5. Most of the profits are donated to the Miles Campus of Lincoln Health Care so your money is going to a good cause.
The Once More Store in Lewiston buys and sells gently used children’s items from clothing to toys to books to furniture. The shop is jam packed with everything from infant to junior clothing. They even sell video games and movies. And, it’s not uncommon to find baby strollers for under $10 either!
The Budget Box is one of Maine’s oldest thrift shops. Established in 1966 by the ladies of Saint David’s Episcopal Church in Kennebunk, the thrift shop, managed by volunteers, supports the operating costs of St. David’s and various other charity organizations. The shop carries gently worn women’s and men’s clothing, shoes, jewelry, household items, and collectibles.
Heavenly Threads Thrift Shop has been operating since 1994 to help raise funds for the First Congregational Church of Camden. Last year alone they donated over $20,000 of their profits to local nonprofit organizations. The shop, run by volunteers, carries a great selection of gently-used treasures, like clothing, shoes, books, kitchenware, and more.